APhA Pain, Palliative Care, and Substance Use Disorder Community
Connect with members dedicated to caring for patients with acute and chronic pain, life limiting illnesses, and substance use disorders.
Overview
Access valuable resources, collaborate on patient-centered solutions, and contribute to advancing pharmacy practice in pain management, palliative care, and substance use treatment. Engage in meaningful discussions, share best practices, and stay informed on the latest industry trends.
The mission of the Pain, Palliative Care, and Substance Use Disorder Community is to support members who care for individuals with all types of acute and chronic pain and for patients with life limiting illnesses who have pain and other symptoms. The Community also focuses on associated issues such as medication abuse, and medication diversion.
The Community will actively support APhA's vision and strategic plan to educate, collaborate with, and support members by empowering them to provide medication therapy management for all patients with both acute and chronic pain including, but not limited to, patients who are terminally ill.
Meet the Leaders Driving Our Community Forward
Get to know the leaders guiding our profession. Their leadership drives innovation, fosters collaboration, and makes a lasting impact on patient care and pharmacy practice.
Bio
Nancy Hooper is a seasoned health care professional with more than 25 years of experience in pharmacy across various settings, including long-term care, corporate, and community pharmacy. She earned her pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, where she was honored to be a member of the Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society.
Nancy's journey includes overcoming substance use disorder, and she is passionate about advocating for individuals in recovery. As a former participant in the Tennessee Pharmacy Recovery Network, she is deeply committed to supporting those affected by substance use disorder both personally and professionally. Currently, she holds a pivotal role at the Tennessee Pharmacists Association, where she contributes significantly to the development and well-being of pharmacists and technicians in Tennessee. Additionally, she works part-time as a district support pharmacist for CVS Pharmacy, applying her expertise in pharmacy practice.
Beyond her professional commitments, Nancy enjoys outdoor activities, including whitewater kayaking and mountain biking. Family time and travel are also cherished aspects of her life outside of work.
Nancy Hooper
Bio
Kevin McCloy, PharmD, has been an active member of the APhA Pain, Palliative Care, and Addiction community since 2019. In this time, he has served as the co-chair and chair of the Policy subcommittee for several years, helping develop several new business items for the APhA House of Delegates. He started his career as a hospice and palliative Care pharmacist, and now works in managed care for a large non-profit Medicaid managed care plan. In his current position, Kevin created and oversees a robust opioid management program, in which staff focus on collaborating with providers to improve patient safety related to opioid use.
Kevin also oversees a managed care residency program and APPE students from three schools of pharmacy. Kevin is active in multiple other APhA, AMCP, and ACCP activities.
Kevin McCloy
PharmD
Bio
Edward DeSimone, PhD, received his BS, MS, and PhD degrees from Temple University. He has worked in community and hospital practice, and served as a consultant to the FDA, USP, and the pharmaceutical industry. He has published more than 80 professional papers, has had chapters in three different textbooks, and is a contributing editor of U.S. Pharmacist. He taught at Butler University for 12 years and is in his 36th year at Creighton University, where he teaches a course on addiction and substance use disorders (SUD), and other topics.
Edward is a past chair of the Substance Use Disorders SIG and he served on the 2010 and 2020 AACP Special Committees on substance use education. He has been a member of APhA since 1971 and has been a member of the Pain, Palliative Care, and Addiction SIG since its inception. In 2012, he was one of 24 pharmacy leaders invited to a day-long discussion of the role of pharmacists in addressing substance use disorders at the White House Office on National Drug Control Policy.
The founding president and member of the Board of Coalition Rx, an Omaha-based organization dedicated to fighting the problem of addiction and substance use disorders, Edward is also a member of the Overdose Fatality Review Planning Team of Coalition Rx and Douglas County Department of Health. A frequently requested speaker on addiction and SUD, he recently spoke to the Heartland Crisis Intervention Team.
Edward DeSimone
BS, MS, and PhD
Bio
Anita Jacobson, PharmD, is a clinical professor at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy and has worked in direct patient care as a pharmacist in a variety of community and health system settings for more than 25 years. She is the director of the Community First Responder Program, which focuses on harm reduction, overdose education, and naloxone outreach, and serves as the hub of the Northeast Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Center. As director she has secured more than $5.5 million in state and federal grant funding, and leads an interprofessional team of social workers, pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians to offer accredited training programs and distribute more than 55,000 naloxone kits statewide per year, with an additional 3,000 kits sent via mail to rural New England residents.
Anita is the coordinator of the Pharmacist Patient Care Process Laboratories and her areas of teaching in the PharmD curriculum include patient-pharmacist communication, physical assessment, substance use disorders, health disparities, motivational interviewing, and health care policy.
Anita works as a per diem pharmacist at Eleanor Slater Hospital, and currently serves on the Opioid Fatality Review Committee for the State of Rhode Island, is a past president of the Rhode Island Pharmacists Association, and a past five-year member of the Rhode Island Board of Pharmacy.
Anita Jacobson
PharmD
Bio
Stuti Dave is a dedicated and visionary leader with a strong commitment to fostering community engagement, economic development, and public safety. A student pharmacist at the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences with years of experience in strategic planning, business development, and crisis management, she brings a wealth of expertise to the role of community leadership. She is passionate about building inclusive and connected communities. Through her extensive background in team-building and communication strategies, Stuti has developed a reputation for creating effective forums that encourage participation from diverse community members. By leveraging both digital and in-person platforms, Stuit has successfully facilitated open dialogue, ensuring that all voices are heard and that feedback is used to drive meaningful change.
Public safety and community well-being are core tenets of Stuti's leadership philosophy. By implementing youth programs, mental health initiatives, and public health education, she has worked to create safer, healthier communities where all members can thrive. Her leadership is grounded in a deep understanding of the community's needs and a clear vision for its future.
Stuti Dave
Collaborate for Change: Join a Team
Teams are at the heart of our association's impact. By joining a team, you will collaborate with like-minded professionals, share insights, and work together on key initiatives that shape the future of our field.
The Community is led by a chair, chair-elect, and member-at-large (up to three) who serve to advance the work of the Community. Team members are appointed by the Community leadership.
Education Team
Provide information and training on up-to-date practices that can further enhance patient care and/or member involvement with the management of pain/substance use disorders.
Communications Team
Inform members of the pharmacy profession about updates in contemporary pharmacy practice related to the management of pain and/or substance use disorders along with developing innovative techniques to recruit engaged members.
Policy and Professional Affairs Team
Review, edit, and/or draft policy relating to the mission of the Community and to advance advocacy efforts related to the mission of the Community.
History and Professional Affairs
Review resources posted in the Opioid Use and Misuse Resource Center. Identify resources that are outdated and need to be updated. Identify gaps in resources, which can be created by the Education Team.
Engagement Plans
Discover our engagement plans designed to advance pharmacy practice, foster innovation, and create lasting change in patient care.
Resources
Explore valuable resources, shaping the future of the profession and advancing patient care.