James R. Knight, director of Pharmacy at Vanderbilt, was recently presented the Clifton J. Latiolais Award for 2001.
The award is presented annually to a graduate of a program participating in the Residency in Hospital Pharmacy/Master of Science program at The Ohio State University or to an individual involved with the development of the programs. The Clifton J. Latiolais Award Commitee recognized Knight for his contributions and dedication to pharmacy practice and for his dedication to the values that were both characteristic and important to Clifton J. Latiolais. The recipient is seen as someone who has made significant contributions to institutional pharmacy practice, education, administration and/or research.
Knight became VUMC’s pharmacy director in 1978. Since then, Knight has led the implementation of a pharmacy technician training program, unit dose/IV admixture services, IP and OP pharmacy computerization, and central and decentralized automated dispensing. He has been instrumental in expanding the department’s investigational drug and professional compounding services. The investigational division provides service for 130 protocols, compounding has increased 300 percent, and sterile compounding has increased 100 percent.
Knight is involved in the justification and implementation of pharmaceutical care services focused on Transplant, Oncology, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Hemophilia, Trauma and Cardiology. His efforts over the past eight years have been involved with directing and facilitating the pharmacy’s role in the state-of-the-art computerized physician order entry system.
“I felt humbled and honored to receive the Latiolais Award for 2001,” Knight said. “I want to make sure everyone realizes that one of the major reasons I received this award was due to the longstanding team effort in the Pharmacy. This truly is a case where the sum of the team’s efforts is greater than each of its parts.”