Cynthia Raehl, Pharm.D.

Dr. Raehl's current clinical practice is based at the Craig Methodist Retirement Community (Amarillo) where she is a consultant pharmacist. Several geriatrics research projects are funded through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration on Aging, and a subcontract with Dr. Patti Patterson and her NIH funded rural health research network. Dr. Raehl's geriatrics research is focused on improving the functional health literacy of senior citizens, reducing medication related anticholinergic toxicity, justification of "polypharmacy" for long term care residents, and rural nursing home medication use processes. Along with Dr. CA Bond, Dr. Raehl is internationally recognized for health services research focused on hospital-affiliated clinical pharmacy services. Their 17 year study of over 1000 hospitals demonstrates the associations of clinical pharmacists with: reduced mortality rates, reduced total cost of care, reduced length of stay, reduced drugs costs, and reduced medication errors. Their data was the catalyst to fundamental change in the United Kingdom's National Health Service structure for pharmacy services and is cited in the U.S. Congressional debate on Medicare reform.

Dr. Raehl is the 2006-2007 President Elect for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy - the national association for faculty and administrators from the nation's 94 schools and colleges of pharmacy. She also served as President of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists representing 30,000 pharmacists practicing in integrated health systems. Among her awards are: 5 times recipient of an ASHP Research and Education Foundation Award, 3 times Teacher of the Year Award, National Award of Merit from the Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, Past President and Pharmacist of the Year (Wisconsin Society of Hospital Pharmacists), lifetime honorary member of the Texas Society of Health System Pharmacists, and fellow of both ASHP and ACCP. She is the author of greater than 150 publications. Dr. Raehl is one of a handful of pharmacists to serve on a FDA advisory committee - Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs. She served on the United States Pharmacopeia Expert Committee on Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs 2000-2005 and was a consultant to the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation.