ASHP CEO Paul W. Abramowitz delivered the remarks below Dec. 8 during the Opening Session of the 2025 Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition. Abramowitz, who is retiring after more than 14 years as ASHP's CEO, was preceded onstage by ASHP President Melanie Dodd.
Paul W. Abramowitz:
Melanie, thank you for the wonderful job you've been doing as ASHP president. Let's give Melanie a big round of applause!
I am incredibly humbled and pleased to be here today at ASHP’s 60th Midyear Clinical Meeting. A lot has changed since that first Midyear meeting in 1966 in Washington, D.C.. Today, the Midyear is the world’s largest annual gathering of pharmacy professionals, and I am immensely proud of how it showcases the best of what our profession has to offer. From world-class education to unparalleled networking and professional development opportunities, the Midyear always delivers lasting connections, memorable experiences, and important insights to advance practice.
Like so many of you, I was first introduced to ASHP at the Midyear meeting. I was a very nervous resident when I arrived at the 1978 Midyear in San Antonio to learn, network, and hopefully secure my first job through the Personnel Placement Service. And much to my relief, this eventually led to successfully landing a job at the University of Chicago.
Just starting out, I could not have envisioned the opportunities that lay ahead made possible simply by virtue of membership in ASHP. Those opportunities would help to define my career over the next 50 years.
I became involved in ASHP gradually at first through the Illinois Council of Hospital Pharmacists, then on ASHP councils, as an ASHP board member, president, treasurer, and eventually as your CEO.
ASHP helped me become much more aware of the future of pharmacy, and I had the good fortune to witness this evolution of our profession over the years, watching as we become an absolutely essential part of patient care.
When I look back on this journey, what I recall most clearly are the people I met along the way — those who have motivated, challenged, supported, and inspired me throughout my career. I would not be where I am today without ASHP. I am also greatly indebted to all of my previous teams at the University of Chicago, VCU, Minnesota, and Iowa.
This is especially true of my tenure as ASHP CEO, during which I have been privileged to work with exceptional board members, senior leadership, and staff, and of course, all of you as ASHP members.
Together, we’ve created new programs, crafted policies that have advanced patient care and pharmacy practice, and expanded opportunities that have transformed practice and elevated our profession.
We’ve adapted to a rapidly changing healthcare environment, tackled challenges, celebrated victories, and created a new generation of clinical and executive leaders, expanding pharmacy’s reach and impact across the continuum of care.
Our collective successes are far too numerous to recount here, but I think we can all agree that we have a great deal to be proud of.
As I prepare for my next chapter — which will include a lot more time with my wonderful wife Jan, our children, Nicole and Sean, and our grandchildren, Everest, Laurelei, Eliza, and little Jerry — and I see little Jerry sitting right up front here, just turned three years old — I do so with enormous confidence in the future.
ASHP is financially healthy, has a growing and vibrant membership, and is positioned for continued excellence well into the future. We remain steadfast in our mission and committed to our vision that medication use is optimal, safe, and effective for all people all of the time.
And so, as I stand here today, at my last Midyear meeting as ASHP CEO, my overwhelming emotion is gratitude.
First, I am grateful to all of you and to all ASHP members for your expertise, passion, willingness to break down barriers, and unyielding commitment to patient care.
I am grateful to the countless volunteers who contribute their time and knowledge to ASHP.
I am grateful for the board members I’ve worked with for their support, wisdom, and guidance.
I am especially grateful to ASHP’s senior leadership team and our entire staff for their ingenuity, hard work, and unwavering commitment to our members.
I am grateful to my immediate predecessors, Joseph Oddis and Henri Manasse, and also to Gloria Francke for her early vision and leadership.
And finally, I am grateful to my family — for your love, support, and endless patience. I could not have done any of this without you.
Thank you all very, very much!
