Published on November 11, 2025 by Alison Ingle  
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Jessica W. Skelley, PharmD ’10, professor of pharmacy practice at Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy, was featured in National Geographic’s recent article "Is there really an Ozempic baby boom? The unexpected ways GLP-1s could influence fertility," which examines emerging evidence behind reports of unexpected pregnancies among women using GLP-1 medications.

Skelley’s expertise provides context for these findings, including how metabolic changes, hormonal shifts and delayed gastric emptying associated with GLP-1 therapies may contribute to altered contraceptive effectiveness. Her scholarship on GLP-1 agents has also appeared in multiple peer-reviewed publications, including the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

At McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Skelley specializes in ambulatory care pharmacy and brings extensive experience in clinical education, pharmacotherapeutic evaluation and professional leadership.

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, 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 enrolls 6,324 students from 44 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 is widely recognized as having one of the most beautiful campuses in America, featuring rolling hills, meticulously maintained grounds and Georgian-Colonial architecture. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second-highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.