Theodore Tong, PharmD

Professor, Pharmacy Practice & Science
R. Ken Coit Endowed Chair

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.

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Education & Post Graduate Training: 

MS, Environmental Management, College of Professional Studies, University of San Francisco (Califonia), 2016
MS, Management Development Program, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusettes), 1990
PharmD, School of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco, 1969
BS, General Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, 1964
BS, Clinical Technology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1964

Areas of Research: 

Basic Disaster Life Support
Chemical Terrorism and Warfare Agents
Emergency Response to Terrorism
Hazardous/Toxic Waste Management
Infectious Disease Pharmacotherapy
Naloxone
Patient Centered Disease Management
Poison Control
Pulmonary and Upper Respiratory Tract Diseases
Trichloroethylene

Select Publications

1986

Banner W, Koch M, Capin DM, Hopf SB, Chang S, Tong TG. "Experimental chelation therapy in chromium, lead, and boron intoxication with N-acetylcysteine and other compounds." Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.. 1986;83(1):142-7. PMID: 3952743

1985

Pond SM, Kreek MJ, Tong TG, Raghunath J, Benowitz NL. "Altered methadone pharmacokinetics in methadone-maintained pregnant women." J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.. 1985;233(1):1-6. PMID: 3981450

1983

Woo OF, Healey KM, Sheppard D, Tong TG. "Chest pain and hypoxemia from inhalation of a trichloroethane aerosol product." J. Toxicol. Clin. Toxicol.. 1983;20(4):333-41. PMID: 6689182