The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) is pleased to announce the selection of Eugene Makela, PharmD, BCPP as the recipient of the 2017 Judith J. Saklad Memorial Award. Dr. Makela is a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Mental Health at the Asheville Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina.
This award is presented annually to a senior psychiatric pharmacy practitioner who has achieved a level of professional distinction and represents the qualities and ideals of professional enthusiasm, a passion for optimizing patient care, and continuing dedication to the practice of psychiatric pharmacy. The Saklad Memorial Award is named after the late Judith J. Saklad, and will be presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting on the evening of Sunday, April 23.
Those who nominated Dr. Makela had this to say:
Gene fosters and promotes psychiatric pharmacy practice in all he does. He has mentored several pharmacy residents, including from his own residency program, and countless pharmacy students. He involves them in his scholarly activities, encourages them to join CPNP, and has served as a mentor to many of them.
Mentor. What a wonderful word to use in describing my relationship with Gene. He is a wonderful mentor. He only wishes to use his success to better those around him. He wants to better his students' knowledge base, teach his residents everything he has learned over his long career and instill in them the desire to keep learning, always asking the next question.
Dr. Makela received his B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Florida in 1976 and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1986. He served as Director of Pharmacy at the Blue Ridge Hospital division of the University of Virginia Hospitals and the Thomas B. Finan Center, State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Between 1989 and 2009 he was Assistant and Associate Professor of West Virginia University School of Pharmacy. He developed and was training director for the Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency program at the School. He provided training for pharmacy and medical students, psychiatry residents, and PhD candidates. In 2009 he was inducted into the Academy of Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center. He is author and co-author of many articles and of two book chapters. He has conducted research in schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, and psychotropic medication utilization.
At the Asheville Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Dr. Makela maintains a practice in the outpatient mental health clinic, teaches tobacco cessation classes, and provides electronic consultation services. He mentors ambulatory care pharmacy residents as advisor on research projects on mental health topics.
Congratulations to Dr. Makela!