The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) announced that Vivian S. Loveless, PharmD, BCNP, FAPhA, associate professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, is the recipient of the 2012 APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA-APPM) William H. Briner Distinguished Achievement Award in Nuclear Pharmacy Practice. She is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). Dr. Loveless was selected for her leadership in the fields of nuclear pharmacy and medicine, as well as sustained contributions to the profession as a practitioner, educator and researcher.The award was established to recognize an individual who has made a significant contribution or sustained contributions to the provision of pharmaceutical care within nuclear pharmacy practice. Dr. Loveless was acknowledged at the APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans from March 9 to 12. The APhA awards and honors program is the most comprehensive recognition program in the profession of pharmacy.
“The nuclear pharmacy field is a very close-knit group of practitioners,” a colleague wrote in her nomination submission. “Vivian is one of the ‘go to’ people if you want to get something done. Vivian is small in stature, but she is big in the field of nuclear pharmacy. Best known for being an educator, one of Vivian’s major contributions to the profession was the development of a nuclear pharmacy technician training program. Technicians from around the country have been trained through her program in conjunction with the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. This greatly enhanced the knowledge and skill level for technicians in the specialty practice.”
At the UTHSC main campus in Memphis, Dr. Loveless also serves as a clinical assistant professor, Department of Radiology, College of Medicine; and member of the graduate faculty, College of Graduate Health Sciences. She received a PharmD and completed a nuclear pharmacy residency at the UT College of Pharmacy.
Another colleague noted, “Dr. Loveless teaches the nuclear authorized user program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy, encompassing nine credit hours. It is one of fewer than 10 programs in the country. She ensures her class receives a top-ranked nuclear education by exposing them to different views and opinions. She ensures her students receive everything they need to become excellent practitioners in the field by not only giving them the tools of education, but transferring her excitement about the profession and the thirst for continued learning to her class. Her labs and stories about personal experience give the class that extra spark that influences us all.”
Dr. Loveless is a member of numerous professional associations including the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, APhA, European Association of Nuclear Medicine and the Tennessee Pharmacists Association. She has been honored with the University of Tennessee SGAEC Excellence in Teaching Award and membership in the Rho Chi Honor Society. Board certified in nuclear pharmacy, she is a Fellow of APhA.
The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, is a 501 (c)(6) organization, representing more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States.
The APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA-APPM) is dedicated to assisting members in enhancing the profession of pharmacy, improving medication use and advancing patient care. APhA serves pharmacists in all practice settings, including independent and chain community pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, health maintenance organizations, federal facilities, nuclear pharmacies and other specialized settings. Members receive access to continuing education, an online community of practitioners, networking and leadership opportunities, tools and resources for developing patient care services, cutting- edge information on Medication Therapy Management and regulatory issues facing the profession.