Theodore Tong

Theodore Tong, PharmD, is a Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Pharmacology, and Toxicology with the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arizona (UA), Tucson Arizona. He is the inaugural holder of the R. Ken Coit Endowed Chair in the College. He also holds an appointment as Professor, with the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. Dr. Tong received his PharmD from the University of California, San Francisco, and arrived in Tucson in 1982 where he was an Associate Professor of Pharmacy in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arizona. He accepted the University of Arizona’s appointment to be the director of the Arizona Poison Information Center (APIC) and to assume teaching responsibilities with the UA College of Pharmacy. In 1987, he became the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and assumed additional responsibilities for student affairs with the College in 1992 until August 2018. Dr. Tong has authored more than 100 publications and book chapters on topics of clinical toxicology and clinical pharmacy practice, community emergency preparedness, pharmaceutical education and the development of poison information center resources and practice. Dr. Tong has been an invited speaker or presenter at local, national and international forums, symposiums, conferences, continuing professional education courses, lectures and workshops of professional and community groups on more than 300 occasions. Dr. Tong has served on numerous professional pharmacy associations and boards and has won numerous awards and honors for his service to the pharmacy college and pharmacy community. One of his greatest passions is science outreach and one of the many outreach activities he oversees is PharmCamp. Every summer from 1997-2019 (this was canceled during the pandemic), he has conducted a one-week PharmCamp at the UA College of Pharmacy for middle school students where “putting science to work” and challenging students to reach their highest potential by aspiring to a college education and successful life work.