Published on April 10, 2020 by Sarah Waller  
valerie prince headshot

Valerie Prince, professor in Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy, is seeking election as president of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) for the 2021-22 term. Founded in 1852, APhA is the oldest and largest pharmacy organization in the United States.

Along with her faculty position, Prince is a clinical pharmacy specialist at St. Vincent's East Family Medicine Residency Program. At her practice site, she is able to mentor resident physicians as well as student and resident pharmacists while working on interprofessional practice and education in a larger scope.

“We are so proud of Dr. Prince and the commitment she shows to the profession of pharmacy, students here at Samford’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy and the American Pharmacists Association. She is extremely qualified for this role, and I know she will provide excellent leadership,” said Michael Crouch, dean of McWhorter School of Pharmacy.

Prince is a graduate of Mercer University, and she completed a pharmacy residency at Regional Medical Center at Memphis after earning her Doctor of Pharmacy. She enjoys practicing in acute care, ambulatory, independent, chain, and long-term care pharmacies. Her primary areas of interest include mentoring, interprofessional practice and education, and substance use disorders.

Prince has been involved with APhA at the national level for nearly two decades, serving in a number of positions including president of APhA-APPM and speaker of the APhA House of Delegates. She currently serves as the chair of the APhA-HOD Rules Review Committee. 

In addition, her involvement extends to other national and state organizations, including the Alabama Pharmacy Association and Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society. Prince currently serves on the Governor's Task Force on Opioids subcommittee, and for many years, she served on the Alabama Board of Pharmacy Committee on Rehabilitating Impaired Pharmacists.

Prince has been the recipient of the Tice Friend of APhA-ASP Award, APPM Distinguished Achievement in Clinical Practice Award, and APA Distinguished Service Award. In addition, she is an APhA Fellow.

Members of APhA can cast their vote electronically at pharmacist.com/apha-elections. To access the ballot, members will be required to use an individualized access code that was emailed to them on March 23. Voting is open now, and it closes at noon on May 11, 2020.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.