Faculty Member Named Finalist in Daily Record’s Health Care Heroes Awards

Pharmacist McPherson Focuses on Pain Management Issues

By Roxanne Zaghab
February 27, 2009

Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, a professor of pharmacy practice and science at the School of Pharmacy, has been selected as one of 73 finalists in the Maryland Daily Record’s 2009 Health Care Heroes Awards.

As a pharmacist, McPherson works with patients at UniversityCare Waxter, Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care, and Hospice of the Chesapeake to find balance between pain, pain relief, side-effects and the risk of addiction. Arthritis pain, low back pain, pain associated with diabetes, and many other painful syndromes can leave a functional patient constantly pushing back the overwhelming pain, fatigue and depression that accompany it. “McPherson’s in-depth knowledge regarding the continuum of available pain medications makes her the medication expert on the health care team for many organizations,” said Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, dean of the School of Pharmacy, in the nomination letter.

Equally important to McPherson is her role as teacher and mentor to students at the School of Pharmacy. Since joining the faculty in 1990, she has taught hundreds of pharmacy and nursing students as well as palliative care/pain management pharmacy residents. Her students roll up their sleeves and learn the human side of disease and suffering, while becoming experienced and empowered by the pharmacotherapy options in pain and palliative care. Patient monitoring, opioid conversion calculations, and a visit to the morgue make McPherson’s students well-rounded providers of patient-centered, compassionate palliative care.

McPherson’s talent behind the podium is also put to use in advocating for the field of palliative care. She has participated in World Hospice Day on a global level, advocating for access to pain relief as a fundamental human right. She encourages governments and policymakers to adopt policies and resources to support the care of individuals with life-limiting conditions, especially proper treatment for pain. Her leadership has contributed to the development of a new credential with the American Society of Pain Educators, for whom she serves as board chair.

“I am very grateful and humbled to have been nominated for the Health Care Hero award for my work in hospice and palliative care,” said McPherson. “Caring for people up until the last minute of their life is a critically important skill for pharmacists, and our School of Pharmacy is a national leader in preparing students for this task. There are many very qualified finalists for this recognition, and I feel flattered to be among them.”

McPherson and other finalists will be honored on March 17 at a breakfast at the Hyatt Inner Harbor.