The School of Pharmacy’s 2011 Distinguished Alumnus Award in Pharmacy Practice will go to a young pharmacist who has already made significant contributions to pharmacy technology, clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical outcomes research. Ryan Hansen is the vice president and director of technology at Kelley-Ross Pharmacy, the president of a clinical pharmacy consulting business, and has recently completed his PhD in the School of Pharmacy’s Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research & Policy Program (PORPP).
“I am humbled and honored to receive this recognition,” said Hansen. “I have so many colleagues who are also very worthy of this award. Joining this list of esteemed colleagues and alumni offers a welcome challenge to my career.”
Hansen received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2003. Prior to that, he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry and philosophy from Carroll College in Montana. He will graduate from PORPP this spring with his dissertation investigating the association between sedative hypnotic insomnia treatments and motor vehicle crashes.
Hansen has played a key role in helping Kelley-Ross Pharmacy gain recognition for its innovative pharmacy practice models. The pharmacy operates one of the few community pharmacy-centered mail service businesses in the country. This business allows Kelley-Ross to compete directly with national mail service corporations in order to preserve the integrity of regional community pharmacy practice. The result is a thriving business that serves local and regional clients interested in mail services. They have also created a practice model that other community pharmacies can follow.
Hansen, who was named a 2010 Next Generation Pharmacist Technology Innovator of the Year Finalist, led the implementation of robotic technology within Kelley-Ross. At its long-term care location, Kelley-Ross uses two robots that automate much of the dispensing services. This is not only making mail service pharmacy more cost efficient for clients; it is also giving pharmacists greater opportunity to provide increased care for patients.
“Since joining Kelley-Ross as an intern in 2000, Ryan Hansen has fundamentally changed our practice for the better,” said Ryan Oftebro, president and principal of Kelley-Ross. “His grasp of technology in health care, business acumen and leadership have enabled Kelley-Ross to grow and thrive. Ryan’s dedication and service to the profession sets an example for us all.”
As a consultant, Hansen is working with other pharmacies to help them enhance their own technology initiatives. He also helps them develop models and evaluations for improving cost effectiveness. Hansen works with UW pharmacy students at Kelley-Ross locations who are interested in applying and evaluating new technologies in their practice settings. In addition, he teaches the material related to pharmacy pricing and reimbursement in “Pharmacy, Health Care and Society,” a core PharmD course.
He has worked for many years in support of the technology initiatives of the School of Pharmacy’s Bracken Pharmaceutical Care Learning Center (PCLC). In this role, he works to enhance students’ access to state-of-the-art pharmacy technology. This past year, when the PCLC received new computers, he volunteered his time to help update the pharmacy management system’s computer network.
Along with his wife, Keli, Hansen also endowed a scholarship for incoming PharmD students. The Hansens are long-time School of Pharmacy Dean’s Club members.
In his role as a PhD candidate in PORPP, Hansen’s research interests included investigating the economic cost of opioid prescription misuse, evaluating pharmacotherapy options for treating epilepsy and modeling treatments for chronic respiratory diseases. He has presented at conferences for the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, among others. He has been published in multiple journals, including the Clinical Journal of Pain and the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.
“I have worked with countless pharmacists and students over my 30-plus years as a pharmacist and academic,” said Professor of Pharmacy and PORPP Director Sean Sullivan. “I have witnessed firsthand a variety of styles of work ethic, attitude, commitment and demeanor. Ryan exhibits the very best of all these attributes, and at such a young age. He embodies everything we should value and acknowledge in a distinguished alumni.”
The School of Pharmacy and the Pharmacy Alumni Association will present the Distinguished Alumnus Award at the Dean’s Recognition Reception on April 5 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
~March 28, 2012