NABP Announces 2022 Leaders at the Forefront of Public Health Protection

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy^® (NABP^®) has announced the recipients of the 2022 NABP Leadership Awards. Each year, the Association presents awards to individuals who have worked with unwavering dedication to ensure NABP’s continued service to the regulation of pharmacy practice and to the state boards of pharmacy in protecting the public health.  

This year’s leaders include:  

• Diane Halvorson, RPhTech, CPhT-Adv, CSPT, 2022 Carmen A. Catizone Honorary President Award; 
• Caroline D. Juran, BSPharm, DPh (Hon), 2022 NABP President’s Award;  
• Iowa Board of Pharmacy, 2022 Fred T. Mahaffey Award;  
• Ralph A. Orr, MSG, USA, Ret, BS Pub Admin, 2022 John F. Atkinson Service Award;  
• Mary and Ed Ternan, 2022 Henry Cade Memorial Award; and  
• Mark J. Hardy, PharmD, 2022 Lester E. Hosto Distinguished Service Award. 

Biographies for the award recipients follow.

2022 Carmen A. Catizone Honorary President Award: Diane Halvorson, RPhTech, CPhT-Adv, CSPT  

Ms Halvorson is a member of the North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy, where she served as president from 2013-2015, and she is a pharmacy technician at Sanford Hospital. Ms Halvorson has been an active participant in several NABP task forces and committees, including the Task Force on Prescription Drug Abuse, the Task Force on Best Practices for Veterinary Compounding, the Task Force on Requirements for Pharmacy Technician Education, the Task Force on Workplace Safety and Well-Being, the Committee on Law Enforcement/Legislation, and the Committee on Resolutions. She was also a panelist at several NABP Interactive Member Forums. In addition to serving on the North Dakota Board, Ms Halvorson is a member of the Northland Association of Pharmacy Technicians (NAPT) and has held numerous positions since joining the association in 1992. Among the many honors that Ms Halvorson has received are the 2018 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Spotlight Pharmacy Technician Award, the 2017 Friend of NAPT Award, the 2016 Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) National Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award, the 2015 PTCB Spotlight Pharmacy Technician Award, the 2010 NAPT Diamond Award, and the 2001 NAPT Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award. Ms Halvorson earned a business degree from Interstate Business College. 

2022 NABP President’s Award: Caroline D. Juran, BSPharm, DPh (Hon) 

During her presidency, Ms Juran led an initiative to provide guidance to states, the federal government, and the boards of pharmacy on regulatory oversight processes that will help mitigate risks in the global drug supply chain and ensure the safety and integrity of prescription medications that may be imported into the United States. An active member of NABP, Ms Juran served as a member of the 2012 Task Force to Review and Recommend Revisions to the Controlled Substances Act, represented NABP on the 2012 Pharmacist Minimum Data Set Workgroup, and served as a member of the Committee on Law Enforcement/Legislation from 2012-2015, serving as chair from 2012-2013. She also participated on behalf of NABP at the 2015 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education stakeholders conference invitational and served as Executive Committee liaison for the 2016 Task Force on the Pharmacist Integrated Communications Skills Examination. Ms Juran is executive director of the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. Under her leadership, the Board received NABP’s Fred T. Mahaffey Award for contributions to the regulation of the practice of pharmacy and its efforts to ensure that compounding is performed in a safe and compliant manner. Ms Juran directly supported Virginia’s role in the initial phase and process development of the Verified Pharmacy Program^® (VPP^®) in 2013 and was appointed to the 2015-2016 Task Force on the Implementation of VPP. Ms Juran also assisted in the development of the Multistate Pharmacy Inspection Blueprint Program and supported Virginia’s prompt participation as a Blueprint state. Ms Juran completed her studies at the College of William and Mary and earned her bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia. She received an honorary doctor of pharmacy license from the Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy. 

Fred T. Mahaffey Award: Iowa Board of Pharmacy  

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy successfully updated and implemented state rules pertaining to the accreditation and inspection of wholesale drug distributors, third-party logistics providers, and others involved in the distribution of drugs and devices who do not meet the definition of a wholesale distributor under federal or state laws. In addition, the Board adopted final rulemaking to rescind tech-check-tech programs and adopt the technology-assisted technician product verification (TPV) programs as well as allow TPV programs in community pharmacies. The Board also amended rules pertaining to telepharmacy practice. The amendments allow the pharmacist-in-charge (PIC) of a managing pharmacy to designate another PIC to serve as PIC of a telepharmacy site and include updated requirements regarding the pharmacist’s employment and licensure and training for telepharmacy technicians. In 2010, the Board received the Fred T. Mahaffey Award for successfully updating and implementing rules to prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) data integration and reporting suspicious drug orders. 

John F. Atkinson Service Award: Ralph A. Orr, MSG, USA, Ret, BS Pub Admin 

Mr Orr has been program director of the prescription monitoring program (PMP) at the Virginia Department of Health Professions (DHP) since 2005. Before joining the Virginia DHP, he was deputy executive director, licensing and inspections, at the Virginia Board of Pharmacy from 2002 to 2005. 

Under Mr Orr’s leadership as PMP director, Virginia became among the first states to share data on NABP PMP InterConnect^®, which launched in 2011. Mr Orr also served as chair of the PMP InterConnect Steering Committee from 2011-2013 and continues to lead or participate in various subcommittees. 

Mr Orr has represented NABP at meetings with federal agencies, was a speaker at the 112^th NABP Annual Meeting, and served on the 2014 Task Force on Standards for the Use of PMP Data and the 2009 Task Force on Prescription Monitoring Program Standards. Mr Orr was a pharmacy technician in the US Army from 1979 to 2001 and master sergeant from 2000 to 2001. While in the Army, Mr Orr completed the Army Pharmacy Technician Course, Sterile Products Course, and Hospital Executive Leadership Program, as well as noncommissioned officer and leadership courses. He also earned a bachelor of science degree in public administration from Brenau University while serving in the Army.  

Henry Cade Memorial Award: Mary and Ed Ternan 

Mary and Ed Ternan, founders of the nonprofit charity Song for Charlie (www.songforcharlie.org) have worked with NABP to help educate consumers about the dangers of buying medicine from unlicensed pharmacies online and through social media sites. The Ternans founded Song for Charlie after the sudden loss of their son, who died from taking a fake prescription pill filled with fentanyl that he purchased through social media in 2020. They believe the best way to address the problem is to reduce the demand for prescription medications by warning people of the prevalence of fake pills and offering healthier alternatives for managing stress.  They are also determined to cut through the misinformation that exists about the fentanyl epidemic and provide fact-based resources directly to young people in plain language. The Ternans shared Charlie’s story as part of the Association’s 2021 consumer awareness campaign, which included television and radio public service announcements that were sent to broadcast stations around the country, used in various digital advertising campaigns throughout the year, and available on NABP’s YouTube channel. In addition, 2021-2022 NABP President Caroline D. Juran and Ed Ternan spoke with more than 20 television, radio, and web channels, with interviews that were aired live or taped for later broadcast.   

Ed Ternan’s professional background includes marketing communications, product development, and project management. Mary Ternan is a gerontologist who retired from her position at her local Catholic parish in September 2021, after 30 years of service. 

Lester E. Hosto Distinguished Service Award: Mark J. Hardy, PharmD 

Dr Hardy has been executive director of the North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy since 2014, after serving as assistant executive director of the Board from 2011 to 2014. As executive director of the Board, Dr Hardy ensures the public safety by supervising licensing of pharmacists, pharmacies, pharmacy technicians, prescription drug wholesalers, and manufacturers, establishing policies and regulations for the practice of pharmacy. He is also responsible for the operation of North Dakota’s  PDMP. Under Dr Hardy’s leadership, the Board received the 2020 Fred T. Mahaffey Award for its support of NABP PMP InterConnect. A strong supporter of the NABP mission, Dr Hardy is chair of the PMP InterConnect Steering Committee, a position he has held since 2014. He has presented at numerous NABP Interactive Forums and participated in Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination^® item development workshops. He was also a member of the .Pharmacy Supporter Advisory Committee from 2014 to 2015. In addition, Dr Hardy has been an active participant in several NABP task forces and committees, including the Task Force on Virtual Manufacturers and Virtual Wholesale Distributors, the Task Force on Standards for the Use of PMP Data, the Task Force on Pharmacy Licensure Standards, the Task Force on the Regulation of Telepharmacy Practice, the Task Force on Best Practices for Veterinary Compounding, and the Committee on Law Enforcement/Legislation. Dr Hardy is an adjunct professor of pharmacology in the Nursing Practice program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. He also currently serves on the advisory boards of the North Dakota State University (NDSU) School of Pharmacy and the North Dakota State College of Science Pharmacy Technician Program. Dr Hardy earned his doctor of pharmacy degree from NDSU.