KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kendall Guthrie, director of co-curriculum and clinical associate professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy, has been named the 2022 Outstanding Faculty Liaison of the Year by the National Community Pharmacists Association Foundation as part of NCPA’s Annual Convention, which was held Oct. 1-4, in Kansas City, Mo. The award recognizes a faculty liaison who demonstrates exceptional leadership and commitment to independent pharmacy, their NCPA Student Chapter, and the community. This marks the first time a faculty member from the UMKC School of Pharmacy has won the award.

Guthrie joined UMKC as faculty in 2015. At the beginning of her tenure with UMKC, she practiced at Red Cross Pharmacy, an independently owned community pharmacy chain, where she served as the PGY1 community practice residency site coordinator and director of the employee wellness program. She also helped manage the site’s immunization program.

Along with her residents, Guthrie established and implemented several innovative patient care services, including a transitions of care program with a local health system. Following the closure of the pharmacy in 2018, Guthrie established a practice site at the North Kansas City Hospital Outpatient Pharmacy where she developed and provided patient care within the site’s transitions of care program. In addition, she established and managed the site’s medication adherence program and provided discharge education services within the health system.

Guthrie currently serves as the UMKC School of Pharmacy director of co-curriculum where she helps students in their professional development journeys throughout pharmacy school. In addition to this role, she has served as a research preceptor for two community pharmacy residents each year. Three residents have been awarded APhA Foundation Incentive Grants for their research projects in the past four years under the leadership of Guthrie and her co-preceptor, Sarah Oprinovich, PharmD, BCACP.

At the pharmacy school, Guthrie serves as course coordinator for the self-care applied skills lab. Along with her coordination efforts, she instructs in the Self-Care Pharmacotherapy, Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery, Pharmacy Law, Pharmacy Practice Leadership, Business Plan Elective, and Patient-Centered Care and Ethical Practice courses. She is a member of the curriculum committee and currently serves as the Academia-CPESN Transformation Champion for UMKC. Guthrie also serves as a faculty advisor for the National Community Pharmacy Association student chapter where she enjoys mentoring students interested in community pharmacy.

Guthrie is also heavily involved in the Missouri Pharmacy Association, currently serving as treasurer on the board of directors. In her teaching, research and professional efforts, Guthrie works to shine a light on the opportunities available in community pharmacy practice and instill an excitement in students interested in a community-based pharmacy career.