Stebbins named Pharmacist of the Year by California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP)

Marilyn Stebbins, PharmD, emeritus faculty member in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, was named Pharmacist of the Year by the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP) at the organization’s annual seminar in Long Beach on October 14. The award is the CSHP’s most prestigious, recognizing a member pharmacist who has made significant and sustained contributions to pharmacy practice in California.

Redefining pharmacy care

Stebbins began her career at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Sacramento, developing ambulatory care clinics for the pharmacy department. She joined UCSF in 1998, and her clinical work has focused on developing innovative pharmacy practice models in the physician group practice setting, primarily for underserved populations.

“Stebbins is an ambassador and leader for our profession, and this honor is so well-deserved,” said Department of Clinical Pharmacy Chair Lisa Kroon, PharmD. “She spearheaded many programs at UCSF, including pharmacist transitions-of-care services through partnership with the Office of Population Health, the Meds to Beds program in which discharge medications are delivered to the bedside, and expansion of ambulatory pharmacist positions for comprehensive medication-management in cardiology and primary care.”

Systemic improvements

Stebbins’ teaching has been in the areas of innovative practice models, health policy, managed care, and leadership development. Her longstanding research emphasis has been on Medicare Part D, following a major grant she received from the Amgen Foundation, along with Co-Principal Investigator Helene Levens Lipton, PhD, to collaborate with pharmacy schools in California.

The Partners in D train-the-trainer program was delivered to each of the California schools of pharmacy in 2007. The goal was to leverage the Medicare Part D expertise of PharmD students statewide, helping Medicare-eligible people throughout California enroll in the Medicare Part D plans that best meet their needs and their abilities to pay. The outreach program continues today, having succeeded in seeding a spirit of collaboration among pharmacy, medical, and nursing students.

Blazing the pharmacy trail

Stebbins was named California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) Innovative Pharmacist of the Year in 2010, a trajectory that continues in her current work with health care start-ups as the director of pharmacy for Riva Health, a company designed to make cardiovascular health more effective and convenient.

She has also served as the department’s vice chair of clinical innovation, extending her clinical work by developing innovative, team-based practice models in other ambulatory and community pharmacy settings. Her research focuses on transitions of pharmacy care from acute and post-acute settings to the community, with an emphasis on accurate and portable medication lists.

“Stebbins is a pioneer,” said Shalini Lynch, PharmD, a faculty member in the department. “She continues to advocate for the pharmacy profession while pushing the boundaries for her colleagues.”