Mercer University professor and alumnus Dr. Johnathan Hamrick (PharmD ’10) is the National Community Pharmacists Association Foundation (NCPA) 2023 Outstanding Faculty Liaison of the Year. The foundation presents the award to a faculty liaison who demonstrates exceptional leadership and commitment to independent pharmacy, their student chapter and the community.
After several years as the pharmacist-in-charge at Kenmar Pharmacy in Marietta, where he also served as a preceptor, Dr. Hamrick returned to Mercer in 2014 as a clinical assistant professor and director of introductory pharmacy practice experiences. He established and coordinated an advanced community pharmacy elective, providing students with hands-on opportunities to explore innovative services and endless possibilities in community pharmacy practice.
He served as the faculty advisor for the NCPA Student Chapter for over seven years, writing numerous NCPA Foundation Scholarship recommendation letters, mentoring the chapter’s business plan competition team, and proctoring exams remotely during conventions, so students could attend.
Dr. Hamrick’s interest in independent community pharmacy began early in college when he worked as a delivery driver at Adams Drug Store in Cordele. He recognized the crucial role of these pharmacists in developing strong patient connections.
Due to his expertise and leadership, the Georgia Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN®) recruited him as the lead network facilitator. Dr. Hamrick played a crucial role in promoting collaborative care and patient-centered services.
Dr. Hamrick is currently a clinical pharmacist at Poole’s Pharmacy in Marietta. He still mentors students and early-career pharmacists as a preceptor for introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences. He also serves as the site coordinator for participation in the NCPA Innovation Center/CPESN Community Pharmacy Fellowship.
The NCPA honored more Mercerians at its 2023 annual convention in Orlando, Florida:
- Mercer’s student NCPA chapter was named National Student Chapter of the Year and placed in the top 10 of the NCPA Business Plan Competition.
- Natalie Novak (PharmD ’24) received the Neil Pruitt Sr. Memorial Scholarship in Entrepreneurism.
- Sam Smith (PharmD ’25) was awarded the Partners in Pharmacy Scholarship.
About the NCPA
The NCPA Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1953 to honor the previous incarnation of NCPA, the National Association of Retail Druggists (NARD) Executive Secretary John W. Dargavel. Contributions to the foundation are tax-deductible as charitable donations to the extent permitted under federal tax law. The NCPA Foundation improves community-based health care access by supporting efforts that promote the sustainability and growth of independent community pharmacists, the most accessible health care provider, through scholarships, grants and ownership development.
