Gulf Coast Gold

Pharm.D. Candidate, Instructional Lab Manager Receive 'Outstanding' Awards from Gulf Coast Society of Health-System Pharmacists

Dec. 12 — A University of Houston College of Pharmacy Pharm.D. candidate and a college staff member have been honored by the Gulf Coast Society of Health-System Pharmacists at the organization’s 2023 Annual Seminar Nov. 11 in Houston.

Pharm.D. candidate Adam Siddique was recognized as the GCSHP Outstanding Student, and UHCOP Instructional Lab Manager Leslie Joseph, CPhT, was named as the Outstanding Pharmacy Technician.

Siddique has been active in the college as well as GCSHP. He served as the 2022-23 President of the UHCOP Pharmacy Council, which comprises representatives of all of the college’s 19 student organizations and serves as a liaison between students and college administration. He also serves as an at-large member on the Pharmacy Student Forum National Executive Board of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Among Siddique’s nomination accolades are his active attendance at GCSHP events, including volunteering at the Houston Food Bank. He also wrote a critical care article with one of his peers which was published in the GCSHP Fall 2023 newsletter.

“As I move forward in my pharmacy career, this network I’ve built with the help of GCSHP has and will continue to provide me with opportunities to pursue clinical learning opportunities as well as professional development engagement,” Siddique said.

Joseph, who has held the position of instructional lab manager at UHCOP for three years, has spent the past 13 years as a pharmacy technician, working closely with pharmacists and other health care professionals to ensure patient health. In April, Joseph and her fellow UHCOP Instructional Lab Manager Sherrie Myers were elected co-chairs of the GCSHP Pharmacy Technician Section, which comprises approximately 50 technician society members.

Joseph’s dedication to both her profession and UHCOP students is evident through her actions. Most recently, she recruited several pharmacists to serve as preceptors at the annual Mayor’s Back 2 School Fest in August.

“I am thankful to UHCOP for the opportunity to be a part of GCSHP and supporting me throughout this endeavor,” Joseph said. “As technicians in the society, our goal is to give technicians a voice, and we represent that voice.”

GCSHP is one of the largest local chapters of the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists, an affiliate of ASHP/SSHP.