NCPA announces 2015 Prescription Drug Safety Award winner

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The National Community Pharmacists Association has announced the winner of its 2015 Prescription Drug Safety Award, which is sponsored by Smart-Fill. Brian Beach of Seattle’s Kelley-Ross Pharmacy Group was given the award Sunday during the first General Session at the NCPA’s annual convention. 

For the last four years, Beach has fought opioid overdoses by working to reduce the stigma surrounding opioid overdoses and expand access of opioid overdose antidote naloxone. Beach and his team have also worked with other pharmacy partners and patients to ensure that those who need naloxone have access to it.

“Brian Beach is a very worthy recipient of the NCPA 2015 Prescription Drug Safety Award,” NCPA President John T. Sherrer said. “Regardless of whether opioid overdose results from illegal drug use or legal medication consumption, Brian believes that saving lives is the most important consideration, and that naloxone is the best available solution. His efforts to make the drug more accessible in emergency situations in Seattle are working.”

As part of his effort to fight prescription drug abuse, Beach’s pharmacy partnership, alongside Public Health-Seattle & King County and the university of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute provide naloxone to those who need it, particularly high-risk patients.

“On behalf of Smart-Fill and its more than 1,000 member pharmacies and affiliates across the country, we are proud to sponsor the 2015 NCPA Prescription Safety Award,” Smart-Fill Group VP Tim J. Gallagher said. “Brian and Kelley-Ross Pharmacies have made great strides in preventing deaths to due opioid overdoses in the Seattle King County area and are a shining example of the value of independent community pharmacies. We congratulate Brian and all his staff on this great achievement.”

Beach joined Kelley-Ross in 2004 after working at two different independent community pharmacies. In addition to serving on various national advisory boards, he has been the Washington State Pharmacy Association’s Long-Term Care Academy chair and president of WSPA.