Celebrating Women in Pharmacy: Metta Lou Henderson, PhD, '78

"As more women entered the profession, they began to develop their leadership skills."

Metta Lou Henderson, PhD, has been a part of the UA College of Pharmacy family since she was a student in the 1950s. When she completed her coursework in 1961, she became one of only a small handful of female College of Pharmacy alumni. Dr. Henderson recalled how different the profession was at that time: “We could not counsel patients or put names on drug labels. As time went on, we developed clinical pharmacy services in hospitals, along with IV admixtures and unit doses.”

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1961, Dr. Henderson earned a Master of Science in Pharmacy in 1966 and a doctorate in 1978.

Even into retirement, Dr. Henderson has remained active in the field. Within the College, she is an alumni ambassador and gives an annual lecture on the history of pharmacy education and the College. As a respected pharmacy historian, Dr. Henderson works closely with Kappa Epsilon to document the stories of pioneer women pharmacists. She has had numerous publications, but one of her proudest achievements is writing the book American Women Pharmacists Contribution to the Profession.

Oct. 12 is National Women Pharmacist Day. The College of Pharmacy is recognizing women leaders in pharmacy this week - UA students and alumni - to learn about the impact they have contributed to the profession. Read more inspirational stories on social media by searching for #WomenPharmacistDay.

Contact:

Alli Benjamin, APR Director of Communications 520-626-3389 abenjamin@pharmacy.arizona.edu