Moundsville Pharmacist a Finalist for National Honor
Trending
Moundsville pharmacist Jason Turner will be honored this weekend for his efforts to provide proper health care and modern innovation to his community.
Turner is among 30 finalists announced in June for the Pharmacy Times and Parata Systems Next Generation Pharmacy Awards. According to Next-Generation Pharmacist, the awards include 10 categories recognizing outstanding pharmacists, technicians, student pharmacists and industry advocates.
Fellow Moundsville pharmacist Katie Kacmarik, who nominated Turner for his spot as a finalist for the technology innovator category, said Turner was chosen for his SynchRx program, which has assisted more than 250 pharmacists in the United States, including Moundsville and Sistersville pharmacies.
Kacmarik said 530 nominations were received for the awards this year, and Turner is one of only three finalists in his category. Out of the 10 categories, one winner out of the 30 finalists will be named the 2017 Next-Generation Pharmacist during a national gala, which Turner will attend at the San Diego Zoo today. The winner will also be featured on the cover of Pharmacy Times magazine.
"He has developed a synchronization program that has been taught at over 200 pharmacies in the U.S," Kacmarik said. "Pharmacists tend to get snippets of information from their software vendors but they don't necessarily understand the meat and potatoes of how it's actually used. Jason has translated that for a lot of them and helped them learn how to use their technology effectively."
Turner graduated from West Virginia University in 2003 and began working at Moundsville Pharmacy. He became the sole owner of the business in 2012, acquiring Sistersville Pharmacy in 2014.
Turner said innovations such as the SynchRx system are not only imperative for the business but community health as a whole.
"Internally it makes our organization more efficient and effective with staffing," Turner said. "A lot of times when people think of technology, they think it has to be about a computer program, but a lot of technology is about processes. Being a local pharmacist means I'm responsible for the health of the community and I do take ownership in trying to improve the health of the community."