Karen M. Ryle, MS, RPh, Assumes Chair of NABP 2014-2015 Executive Committee, Receives President’s Award

Karen M. Ryle, MS, RPh, immediate past president of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy^® (NABP^®), assumed the office of chairperson of the Association’s 2014-2015 Executive Committee during the Final Business Session of the NABP 110^th Annual Meeting, held May 17-20, 2014, in Phoenix, AZ. Ms Ryle served one-year terms as the Association’s president, president-elect, and treasurer, and four years as an Executive Committee member representing District 1.

During her presidency, Ms Ryle focused on ensuring that NABP has the systems in place to assist member boards in their efforts to protect public health, particularly during a public health crisis. Specifically, under Ms Ryle’s leadership, the Association launched the Verified Pharmacy Program™, and expanded the Board e-Profile Connect to include a pharmacy inspection sharing network. Both initiatives are part of the NABP 2012 Compounding Action Plan and assist boards with nonresident licensure decisions. In addition, Ms Ryle also continued support of existing NABP programs and services, such as NABP PMP InterConnect^®, CPE Monitor^®, and the AWAR_XE^® prescription drug safety program.

For her service, NABP bestowed its President’s Award upon Ms Ryle during the Annual Awards Dinner at the 110^th Annual Meeting.

An active member of NABP, Ms Ryle has served on several Association committees including the Advisory Committee on Examinations, the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, and the Committee on Law Enforcement/Legislation. She has also served as a member of numerous task forces including the Task Force to Review and Recommend Revisions to the Controlled Substances Act, the Task Force on Electronic Prescribing Software Standards and Data Storage, and the Task Force on Uniform Prescription Labeling Requirements.

Ms Ryle is currently serving the fourth year of a five-year appointment as a member of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy. She also served as a member of the Massachusetts Board from 1998 to 2008. During that time she served as chairperson of the Board’s Pharmacy Compounding Committee as well as on the Task Force on Pharmacy Technicians.

Ms Ryle is an associate chief of pharmacy for ambulatory care at Massachusetts General Hospital, and also serves as adjunct faculty and an advanced pharmacy practice preceptor at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Recipient of the 2010 Massachusetts Health-System Pharmacists Humanitarian Award and the 2013, 2012, and 2011 Partners in Excellence Award for Community Service in Health Care, Ms Ryle has been actively involved as a leader in local pharmacy associations and community health organizations. As part of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Ms Ryle has served as a volunteer at the American Refugee Committee Tent Camp Clinic in Haiti.

As an appointee to the United States Department of Homeland Security, Ms Ryle served as a member of the National Pharmacist Response Team from 2003 to 2008, and she currently serves on the Massachusetts Disaster Medical Response Team. Further, while supporting runners as part of a volunteer medical team at the 2013 Boston Marathon, she aided victims of the tragic bombings that occurred during the event.

Ms Ryle earned a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy and a master of science degree in drug regulatory affairs from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

NABP is the independent, international, and impartial Association that assists its member boards and jurisdictions for the purpose of protecting the public health.