Sharks RX Spring 2015 Magazine

12 r NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Alumni For Richard Ashworth , Pharm.D. (’99), making the switch from clinical pharmacist practitioner to management and leadership positions was a major decision. But Ashworth, who was named Walgreens’ president of retail and pharmacy operations in September 2014, believed that, in a corporate leadership role, he could have a greater impact on how pharmacists can help people achieve wellness. “In a position like this, I’m able to affect how care is delivered to patients across our more than 8,200 community phar- macies,” said Ashworth, who was honored with the NSU 2014 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award to recognize alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their professions and/ or community and are committed to advancing the university’s values and goals. The awards are the most prestigious honor that the university presents to its graduates. In addition, Ashworth was named Alumnus of the Year by the College of Pharmacy, and he serves on the College of Pharmacy Dean’s Advisory Board. Ashworth has been with Walgreens since he was in his teens growing up in Daytona Beach, Florida. “I started at Walgreens when I was a kid in high school because I needed a little bit of money. The store was right across the street from where I went to school. I was what they called a stock boy back then.” THROUGH THE RANKS From stock boy to corporate executive, pharmacy remains at the core of Ashworth’s passion—most especially the community pharmacy and its fundamental role in the health and well-being of a community. “A pharmacy is all about helping patients achieve improved health and better well-being,” said Ashworth. “So it can’t be just about tablets in a bottle or boxes with stickers on them. That’s logistical. That’s not what pharmacy is about. Pharmacy is about making a difference in people’s lives.” His voice takes on an even more reverent tone as he discusses his profession. “The pharmacist is a trusted resource that is local and that is, quite frankly, free,” Ashworth said. “Anyone can walk into any pharmacy, whether it is Walgreens or another pharmacy, and get advice—legitimate, confidential advice from someone who has the knowledge and expertise to deliver it. And community pharmacy is exactly that—it’s about being part of the community.” To make his point, Ashworth recalls when he was a pharmacist in Boca Raton— yes, at a Walgreens. “The people we were helping were the same people we went to church with, went to school with, went to the movies with; we were part of each other’s lives.” The connection the pharmacist had with the community was what the young stock boy saw, and he now says it influ- enced his future. “There was a pharmacist named Rick at the store, and it was fasci- nating for me to watch him interact with customers. The way he was trusted and the way he really helped people was what helped me decide I wanted to be a pharmacist. I wanted to help in that way,” said Ashworth. After high school graduation and a year at Palm Beach Atlantic College, he decided to move further south and began studies at Southeastern University of the Health Sciences in North Miami Beach (in 1994, Nova Uni- versity merged with Southeastern to become Nova Southeastern University). “I started off at the old campus when it was just Southeastern; the next year, we moved to the campus in Davie,” he explained. From the first day, Ashworth felt like he had found the perfect fit. “I loved the way NSU was presenting itself, which was this progressive place that didn’t just follow all the rules. It felt more agile and more hip in its learning environment and curriculum. And it turned out to be true,” said Ashworth. “It was definitely a fun place to be, but it also was a place that gave me confidence and the skills required to become a really good pharmacist.” He also met his mentor and wife while there. Jennifer Bond Ashworth, Pharm.D., graduated from Nova Southeastern University’s College of Pharmacy in 1998. “She was a year ahead WALGREENS’ RICHARD ASHWORTH CREDITS NSU FOR HIS WORK ‘AGILITY’ Richard Ashworth was honored with NSU’s 2014 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. BY MICHELLE F. SOLOMON