Tom Achey

His Story

A native of Alabama, Dr. Achey received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2014 from Auburn University. He completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin and a 24-month health-system pharmacy administration residency at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Achey received his Master of Science degree in Health-System Pharmacy Administration in 2017 from Northeast Ohio Medical University. He is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist.

He is currently Director, Adult Inpatient Pharmacy Services at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.

Facility

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a unique mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research, and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates more than 3,000 students in six colleges and trains more than 850 residents and fellows in its health system. MUSC brought in more than $327.6 million in research funds in fiscal year 2021, leading the state overall in research funding. MUSC also leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health funding, with more than $220 million.

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Patient care is provided at 14 hospitals with approximately 2,500 beds and five additional hospital locations in development; more than 350 telehealth sites, with connectivity to patients’ homes; and nearly 750 care locations situated in all regions of South Carolina. In 2021, for the seventh consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina.

Recent Significant Projects

Administration lends itself to a breadth of projects -- both clinical and operational in nature -- in addition to student- and resident-led research. Dr. Achey is routinely involved in projects, including expanding clinical pharmacy services (e.g., solid organ transplant, oncology, psychiatry), implementing mass casualty incident preparedness, and collaborating with nursing on contemporary distribution processes. Recently, he has worked to implement rapid diagnostic technology for multi-hospital use, reduced opioid consumption by 40% in bariatric surgery through order set manipulation, and participated in publishing guidelines for therapeutic interchange.

Involvement in ASHP

Dr. Achey is a member of the Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders Educational Steering Committee. He also serves on Council on Pharmacy Management. Dr. Achey, too, is a reviewer for American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.

Why did you become involved in ASHP?

It's cliché but "I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself" as many collegiate students desire. I believe I was in the last cohort where Pharmacy Student Forum advisory group slots were slated for P1 members. Fortunately, my student society of health-system pharmacy advisor, barely knowing me three weeks into orientation, catapulted me into a long-standing commitment to ASHP as my professional home. I was instantly plugged into a network of students which introduced me to more students which introduced me to practitioners, professors, and leaders from around the country.

Advice for Someone New to Specialty Area 

Absolutely foster relationships with mentors -- preceptors and peers alike. Their impact will be innumerable in your progress throughout your career, serving as an overall sounding board, and preparing you for your next role. They will challenge you in honing your leadership and developing decision-making perspectives. Read a book; join a list-serv; attend meetings -- there's an abundance of accessible relevant information to add to your arsenal. Finally, be a "yes man" when it comes to new opportunities or exploration of things that energize you. For example, my first job post-residency was within operations but I still had a passion for student precepting and clinical niche. So I was the ops manager conducting student-led research on antimicrobial stewardship in surgical patients. A welcome distraction, when appropriately dedicated, can keep skills and aptitudes sharp in a variety of manners.

How would you explain the value of ASHP to a friend or colleague?

The timer starts when you matriculate into pharmacy school! ASHP provides value through multiple mechanisms -- whether student, resident, new practitioner, emerging leader, and established administrator. Resources, colleagues, and toolkits are readily available for my professional development. There is consistent provision of amenities to bolster my practice with constant advances to match my stage of career. My involvement has paid dividends and continues to facilitate collaborative promotion.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?

With my recent participation with Policy Week, it was fun to see behind-the-scenes of the advocacy efforts. Its staff, in addition to its volunteer members, work tirelessly on behalf of the profession. The legislative paradigm takes a comprehensive effort; ASHP is a leader within health-system practice policy. The value in networking comes with its various meetings throughout the year in addition to vast leadership opportunities. The empowerment it provides to its engaged members has established it as my professional home whilst shaping future practice.