Pharmacy’s Brian Erstad Recognized with Lifetime Achievement Award

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy has named Brian L. Erstad, PharmD, the recipient of its 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award. Erstad, a professor of pharmacy practice and science at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, will receive the award in July at the association’s annual meeting. 

“I am honored to receive the AACP’s Lifetime Achievement Award, especially given the small number of members of the association who have received this award,” said Erstad, who has been a member of the association for more than 30 years. “It is also a time for reflecting on colleagues who I was fortunate to work with over my career.”

According to the association’s website, the Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes and promotes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the organization and to pharmacy education through instruction, leadership, service, research and scholarship over a minimum of 25 years. 

“Dr. Erstad has had a profound and lasting impact on our students, faculty and the profession as a whole,” said Rick G. Schnellmann, PhD, dean of the Coit College of Pharmacy, the Howard J. Schaeffer Endowed Chair in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a member of the U of A BIO5 Institute. “This lifetime achievement award is a well-deserved recognition of his unwavering commitment to excellence and the invaluable contributions he has made to our academic community.”

Erstad’s research focuses on critical care medicine with an emphasis on patient safety and related outcomes. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, monographs and book chapters. He is also a member of the BIO5 Institute.

“Dr. Erstad is a champion of the pharmacy academy and the pharmacy profession in virtually all he does,” wrote John E. Murphy, PharmD, a professor emeritus at the Coit College of Pharmacy, in his nomination letter. “He is a consummate educator and promoter of the profession. We are lucky to have someone who demonstrates the value of pharmacy and pharmacy education across the professions.”

Erstad graduated from the Coit College of Pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 1987. He joined the U of A faculty in 1988 and led the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science from 2012 to 2024. From 2011 to 2015, he served on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee.

“The highlights of my career are my interactions with students, residents, fellows and colleagues who have kept me upbeat and motivated to do the right thing,” said Erstad. “I am passionate about advancing my profession through teaching, scholarship and service. Ultimately, it is all to improve patient care through creating a workforce of pharmacists who are experts in medication optimization.”

A version of this story originally appeared on the University of Arizona Health Sciences website.