Brooke Hudspeth

Biographical information

Brooke Hudspeth, PharmD, CDCES, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. She is also the College’s Chief Practice Officer (Associate Dean for Practice). In this role, she leads the College’s efforts in the development of innovative pharmacy practice models that improve patient outcomes and access to care, provides leadership to the College’s clinical faculty, and oversees the College’s pharmacy residency and practice initiatives. She coordinates the Integrated Drugs & Diseases-Genitourinary course. She is a past recipient of numerous awards in practice and academia. Dr. Hudspeth is a 2007 graduate of the UK College of Pharmacy. Upon graduation, Dr. Hudspeth completed a PGY1 community-based residency program with UK and Kroger Pharmacy. 

Current employment, practice, and academic responsibilities:

With 19 years of community and ambulatory pharmacy practice experience and a history of developing and managing cutting-edge clinical programs in the community pharmacy setting, Dr. Hudspeth has been able to bring this experience to the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy to facilitate the growth its clinical practice portfolio and expand practice advancement efforts in the non-inpatient settings, with a particular focus on elevating care for patient populations with poor access to care. Through residency advancement efforts, Dr. Hudspeth continues to foster the growth of residency training opportunities and have seen significant progress in the expansion of Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program development and other post-graduate training opportunities. She has also been able to lead multiple practice advancement projects, with a focus on collaborating with community pharmacy partners to implement and evaluate novel pharmacy practice models. She has also been instrumental in leading a team of key pharmacy leaders and stakeholders in the implementation of legislation that allows for payment for pharmacist services in Kentucky.

Significant projects and accomplishments in community pharmacy: 

After completing her PharmD degree at the University of Kentucky Dr. Hudspeth gained an additional year of experience in the Community-based Pharmacy Practice Residency program. This training, which positioned her to serve as the Director of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) at The Kroger Company to expand diabetes prevention services throughout Kentucky and the nation, which was supported by a $7.5 million Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expansion granttofocus on underserved communities around the US. The interface between the American Pharmacists Association Foundation (APhA), The Kroger Co., and Solera Health, in coordination with the CDC capitalized on the strength of each partner to build infrastructure to optimize delivery of the national DPP.

In her current role as Chief Practice Officer of the College of Pharmacy she oversees all community pharmacy efforts for the college while working to elevate the care available to those in the Commonwealth. She also continues to leverage the network of community pharmacies across the Commonwealth to facilitate new collaborative efforts between scientists at the University of Kentucky and community pharmacies.

Professional engagement: Section of Community Pharmacy Practitioners:

Dr. Hudspeth was involved in ASHP as a student pharmacist, but really increased her professional involvement after coming into her current role at the University of Kentucky. The development of this Section aligns perfectly with current practice advancement efforts and is especially timely given the current landscape. In her new role at the College of Pharmacy, she has had the opportunity to collaborate with a large number of pharmacy practitioners across a variety of practice settings. The feedback that rises to the top is the need for improved collaboration across pharmacy practice settings as we seek to improve patient continuity of care. It has been very rewarding to be a part of such an important team with ASHP as we seek to advance our profession as a collective group of pharmacy practitioners.

ASHP & Community Pharmacy:

I truly value ASHP’s efforts to create a space for this fundamental area of practice and the recognition of the critical need to ensure continuity of care for patients across healthcare settings. I share these values and desires for intersectionality across practice settings to ensure optimal patient care.

Professional Advice:

Community pharmacists have the opportunity to impact the health of our communities in a significant way. With 90% of US residents living within 5 miles of a pharmacy, pharmacies are positioned to increase access to essential healthcare services. As our profession evolves, this role of the pharmacist will be even further amplified. Putting the patient first will always result in better patient care and professional fulfillment.