Joseph Fink Receives Recognition for Sustained Contributions to Scholarship

Joseph L. Fink III, BSPharm, JD, DSc (Hon), FAPhA, received the award for sustained contributions to scholarship in the field of social and administrative pharmacy from the Social and Administrative Sciences (SAS) Section of the American Association of College of Pharmacy (AACP).

The award was presented at the AACP Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, on Sunday, July 22, 2018.

The Sustained Scholarship Award recognizes a member of the SAS Section for sustained contributions to scholarship in social and administrative pharmacy. The intent of the award is to encourage mastery of a subject and sustained scholarly contributions to one’s field. Although more traditional activities, such as publications and research grants are relevant, this award is designed to recognize scholarship in the broader sense, such as editing scholarly journals or textbooks and making meaningful contributions to the training of future pharmacists and pharmacy scholars, in addition to more research-focused activities, such as publications and research grants.

Those nominated for the award must be a member in good standing of the SAS Section. There is no minimum number of years of membership required for nominees. However, evidence of sustained contribution to the literature over at least a 15-year period in the scholarship of discovery, integration, application, and/or teaching and learning must be demonstrated. Nominees are expected to have played a meaningful role in mentoring student pharmacists, post-graduate trainees, and/or practicing pharmacists to engage in scholarship within their field of study.

Fink is professor of pharmacy law and policy as well as the Kentucky Pharmacists Association Endowed Professor of Leadership at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy in Lexington. He also holds appointments in other academic units at the university, such as professor of health management and policy in the College of Public Health; professor in the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration; and professor in the clinical leadership and management and the human health sciences programs at the College of Health Sciences. Fink also writes regularly for Pharmacy Times.

He describes the focus of his research and scholarship over more than 4 decades in academic pharmacy on exploring and explaining how the law and pharmacy interact. Fink puts law into context, making it relevant and understandable to practitioners in a wide variety of settings. This integration of the 2 professions has served to inform practitioners in both realms. These scholarly works at times have addressed various topics related to pharmaceuticals, pharmacies, and pharmacists of interest to pharmacists practicing in a community pharmacy setting, in hospitals, and in pharmacies serving patients in extended-care facilities.

Fink's published scholarly works exceed 550, with outlets including books, monographs, in addition to refereed and practitioner-oriented scholarly works. More than 70 of those have been from collaborations with students.

Fink launched his lifelong learning about pharmacy and law with education completed at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science (BSPharm, 1970) and Georgetown University Law Center (JD, 1973). He is licensed to practice pharmacy and law in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.