Hometown Honors

The Houston Program Presents UHCOP Alumnus Varkey with Anderson Leadership Award

June 24 — The Houston Program, a two-year academic/residency health-system pharmacy leadership and administration collaborative of the University of Houston College of Pharmacy (UHCOP) and six leading Houston-area health systems, honored UHCOP alumnus Alex C. Varkey, Pharm.D. ('05), M.S., FAPhA, with its Roger W. Anderson Leadership Award at the program's 6th annual RWA Leadership Celebration June 20 in Houston.

The award is bestowed on pharmacy practitioners who have distinguished themselves in leadership and service to the profession and The Houston Program (THP). The award was first presented in 2019 to honor the contributions of nationally recognized pharmacy leader Roger W. Anderson, Dr.P.H., M.S., FASHP, whose career included more than 20 years of leadership at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Anderson is credited with advancing the pharmacy practice model, authoring/coauthoring more than 60 publications, serving as president of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and earning the ASHP Harvey A.K. Whitney Lecture Award. He also has been a staunch supporter and adviser to THP, which is home to an endowed scholarship for current residents/students in Anderson's name.

Leadership Origins

Varkey has dedicated his career to advancing the pharmacist’s role in patient care. His passion for professional service began as a student pharmacist, when he served as national president of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP). As APhA-ASP president, Varkey initiated several new national patient care programs as part of his campaign to promote professional and public service for pharmacy. Alex’s service and dedication to APhA has persisted for almost two decades, including serving on the Board of Trustees and most recently starting his 2024-25 term as APhA National President.

Varkey actively promotes practitioner well-being as an essential component to a well-functioning health care system. Recognized as a pharmacy thought-leader on practitioner well-being and in his role as chair of the APhA Well-Being Steering Committee, Varkey has been invited to speak at numerous conferences and has authored several publications in this area.

Varkey is director of pharmacy services at Houston Methodist Hospital, where he has implemented innovative technologies to enhance efficiency and safety in medication-use processes, and developed thriving learner programs, including an award-winning two-year Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership residency.

In addition to earning his Pharm.D. from UHCOP, Varkey earned an M.S. in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from The Ohio State University and completed a two-year Administration Residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

'In Time'

During his remarks, Varkey drew parallels between the UH's long rise to national prominence from a junior college and the univesity's UH's official motto "In Tempore," or "In Time," with the trajectory of THP. Varkey recounted how he'd made the unusual request that his award bear a clock, as was the award presented to colleague, mentor and inaugural Anderson Award recipient Joyce A. Tipton, R.Ph. (B.S. '79), MBA, FASHP.

"As the university nears its centennial celebration in just a few years, it boasts Carnegie Tier One status, record enrollment, a successful $1 billion fundraising campaign, enhanced academic rankings and the establishment of a medical school, alongside the growth of its athletics progam, it competes in a major national athletic conference," Varkey said. "Such achievenements do not occur instantaneously. They require visionary leadership, dedicated investment and, most importantly, steady progress yielding significant outcomes in time.

"Recognized the immense growth that we have experienced as The Houston Program in just the last 15 years. Imagine where we will be at our centennial celebration, thanks to your continued contributions and support in time."

In Good Company

Among those in attendance in person or virtually were previous Anderson Award recipients Rodney Cox, M.S. ('11), R.Ph.; Diane B. Ginsburg, Ph.D., M.S. ('90), R.Ph., FASHP; Linda Haines, Pharm.D., M.S. ('11); Ryan K. Roux, Pharm.D. ('99), M.S., FTSHP, FASHP; and Tipton.

During the event, members of THP's 2024 graduating cohort were recognized with star-engraved awards for successfully completing the M.S. degree and PGY1 pharmacy practice/PGY2 health-system pharmacy administration and leadership program requirements. The transitioning 2025 and incoming 2024 cohorts also were acknowledged by the dozens of THP mentors, program directors/coordinators, and alumni in attendance.