Ohio Northern University pharmacy professor Dr. Karen Kier was recently recognized as a winner of one of the 2020 Next-Generation Pharmacist awards, an annual awards program that recognizes outstanding pharmacists, technicians, student pharmacists and industry advocates.

Kier, who is a professor of clinical pharmacy; director of assessment; and director of the HealthWise Drug and Health Information Center at ONU, was named the winner in the “Lifetime Leadership” category, which recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the pharmacy industry overall that resulted in meaningful improvements in the quality of patient care, improved delivery models and pharmacy’s role on the health care team.

In her 35-plus-year career in pharmacy, Kier has impacted thousands of lives through her work in drug information, ambulatory care, curriculum development and much more.

She has been on the forefront of innovation in the profession of pharmacy and has developed countless improvements within the practice of drug information.

For her immense contributions, she has received much recognition from her peers, including being the first pharmacist in Ohio to receive the highest professional award for pharmacists in Ohio offered by the Ohio Pharmacist Association and the Ohio Society of Health-System Pharmacy: The Beal Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Pharmacy Profession and the Walter M. Frazier Award for Sustained Contribution to Health-System Pharmacists, respectively.

“Dr. Kier has had a tremendous impact on pharmacy in our state and nation for many years,” says Dr. Steven Martin, dean of the ONU Raabe College of Pharmacy.

“Just the sheer number of pharmacists who have trained under her tutelage is a testament to her influence on the practice of pharmacy in the state, and the impact she has had on countless patient lives. We are blessed to have her on our faculty, and as a senior member of our administrative team.”