Debbie L. Duckworth

2026 Distinguished Service Award Winner

Debbie Duckworth is the former senior director of the University of Kentucky Specialty Pharmacy and Infusion Services (UKSPIS) team located in Lexington, Kentucky, having entered semi-retirement in March of this year. Duckworth is currently serving UK HealthCare (UKHC) as an executive specialist/consultant, assisting external partners and other health systems to develop and optimize their retail and specialty pharmacy operations.

Duckworth graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, completing her Bachelor of Science and PharmD in 1984. She owned and operated an independent retail pharmacy and durable medical company in rural Kentucky for 20 years, where she and her business partner were the first female ownership partnership in Medicine Shoppe history.

Upon sale of that pharmacy in 2010, Duckworth returned to her alma mater to help expand the retail pharmacy footprint, opening four new pharmacies in three years and transitioning those operations into fully integrated IT and workflow systems. In May 2015 she was asked to take the leadership of the young UK Specialty Pharmacy team, who then in August of that year became the 8th academic medical center to achieve URAC accreditation. A year later UKSPIS became ACHC accredited, doubled the team size, added infusion services, and began an ASHP Specialty Pharmacy Administration and Leadership residency program.

Over the next 10 years, UKSPIS began servicing all patients of the 55 specialty clinics of UKHC, built out the Wellington Way location to provide “total care” to all patients, created the Pharmacy Patient Support Services to expand similar clinical services to all primary care areas, and began an outcomes and research program.

Duckworth became a member of ASHP with the advent of the Section of Specialty Pharmacy Practitioners. She has participated in committees, national meetings, and summits. She has been a part of the ASHP Specialty Pharmacy Survey team and each of the SAGs, serving as vice-chair of the Business Development SAG, and as director-at-large with the Executive Committee. Duckworth has enjoyed working with learners and colleagues alike, helping share best practices and developing innovative ideas to meet patient needs.