Ed L. Hamilton Installed as APhA President
May 27th,2009,WASHINGTON, DC - Ed L. Hamilton, PharmD, FAPhA Director of Pharmacy at the Regency Medical Center in Winter Haven, Florida, was installed as President of the American Pharmacists Association (APHA) at the closing session of the association’s 157th Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Antonio, Texas, April 6, 2009.
In his remarks at the meeting’s second general session, Hamilton encouraged pharmacists to guide patients toward better health by serving with passion, professionalism and individualized patient focus during these tough economic times.
Hamilton also spoke of APhA’s commitment to ensuring that pharmacists are included in the discussions on how to best reform the nation’s health care system. “The nation’s pharmacies and pharmacists can play a critical role in providing accessible, affordable and quality health care for patients,” said Hamilton.
“The current financial crisis has focused us all. While we cannot solve the root causes of the economic meltdown, we may help relieve some of the suffering. Our patients are feeling anxiety and stress over job loss, worsening diets due to financial struggles and missed doses due to lost health insurance or other competing priorities.”
Hamilton further encouraged attendees to expand their practice to provide broader patient care services and to collaborate with other members of the health care team to improve patient outcomes.
Hamilton has practiced in community, hospital and long-term care pharmacy and currently practices as Director of Pharmacy at the Regency Medical Center in Winter Haven, Florida. Hamilton’s service to APhA includes being a member of the Board of Trustees (2000-2007), President of APhA-Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APPM), and a delegate to the APhA House of Delegates for almost 20 years.
Hamilton has also served as President of the Florida Pharmacy Association (FPA), President of the FPA Foundation and Speaker of the FPA House of Delegates. He is also a past President of the UF College of Pharmacy Alumni Association and a former Board member of the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Hamilton’s honors include being named the FPA Florida Pharmacist of the Year and APhA Fellow. Hamilton has also been recognized as a recipient of the Bowl of Hygeia Award, the FPA/IPA Inspiration and Motivation Award, and the UF Distinguished Pharmacy Alumnus Award. Hamilton earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and his PharmD from the University of Florida (UF).
Ed and his wife Ann reside in Lake Alfred, Florida. They have two sons Alan and Neil.
About the American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, represents 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. APhA members provide care in all practice settings, including community pharmacies, health systems, long-term care facilities, managed care organizations, hospice settings, and the uniformed services