Maria Bowen

Her Story

Maria F. Bowen, Pharm.D., earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy in 2017. She completed an ASHP-accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at University Hospitals Portage Medical Center in 2018 and a PGY2 Medication-Use Safety and Policy Residency at Children's Hospital Colorado in 2020. She completed the ASHP/ISMP Medication Safety Certificate in August 2020.

Facility

University Hospitals Health System (UH) is a 15-hospital health system in northeast Ohio, which includes an academic medical center, pediatric hospital, women's hospital, cancer center, as well as 44 outpatient health centers and seven freestanding urgent care locations.

Recent Significant Projects

Maria serves as secretary for the UH Ambulatory/Physician Office Medication Management Committee. She is co-chair of several system-wide committees including Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) Task Force, Adverse Drug Event Committee, and Pain/Anesthesia Subcommittee. She additionally serves on System Accreditation and Regulatory Oversight Council, System Medication Safety Subcommittee, and UH Physician Office Policy Oversight Committee. Maria is responsible for oversight of ambulatory medication safety and poliMaria Bowency initiatives for the UH health system.

Initial Involvement in ASHP

I am currently a member of the Educational Steering Committee for the Section of Inpatient Care Practitioners.

Why did you become involved in ASHP?

After attending ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting as a pharmacy student, I knew I wanted to stay involved with ASHP. It is a venue to share initiatives and learnings, as well as connect with pharmacy colleagues across the globe.

Advice for Someone New to Specialty Area

I encourage anyone new to the area of medication safety and policy to connect with individuals in your practice setting that have formal medication safety or leadership roles. Express your interest in any medication safety-related initiatives or committees and determine how you can impact safe medication practices in your organization. I also encourage you to join medication-safety forums and groups and bring any learnings and ideas back to your institution. My guiding principle throughout my career thus far has been: "Be stubborn about your goals and flexible about your methods."

How would you explain the value of ASHP to a friend or colleague?

ASHP is much more than annual meetings. It is a way to share resources, connect with colleagues, and receive additional training and certification.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?

ASHP is integral to the profession of pharmacy. It provides the framework for advancing pharmaceutical care, and the value that pharmacists can bring to healthcare as a whole.