In Memory of Denise M. Frank

Minnesota pharmacist Denise M. Frank, editor of the workbook for ASHP's Manual for Pharmacy Technicians and former member of ASHP's Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC), died May 21, 2024. She was 62 years old.

Frank had a wide-ranging career in pharmacy, serving — often simultaneously — as a training program supervisor, community pharmacist, and consultant with expertise in pharmacy practice, accreditation, regulatory compliance, and technician education. She served on the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy and was a past president of the board. Frank was also a member of ASHP and other pharmacy organizations, including the Minnesota Pharmacists Association (MPhA) and the American College of Apothecaries (ACA). She was the 2017 recipient of the MPhA Bowl of Hygeia award and a 2017 fellow of ACA.

“Denise’s commitment to the profession of pharmacy and to elevating the roles of pharmacy technicians in patient care made a major difference,” said ASHP CEO Paul W. Abramowitz. “We greatly appreciate everything she did for ASHP and for our entire profession.”

AJHP Editor in Chief Daniel J. Cobaugh called Frank a caring and compassionate colleague who was remarkably dedicated to pharmacy practice and the pharmacy technician workforce.

“In her work with ASHP, Denise was an advocate for ensuring pharmacy technicians were trained to participate fully as members of the patient care team. She applied her diverse pharmacy practice experiences to the educational content she developed for technicians,” Cobaugh said. “I will miss her greatly.”

At the time of her death, Frank was a pharmacy consultant and executive director of the National Coalition for Drug Quality & Security (NCDQS), an accreditation organization for pharmaceutical wholesalers and suppliers.

Sumeet Singh, who cofounded NCDQS with Frank in 2019, described her in an online tribute as a business partner, mentor, teacher, and friend.

“Denise's legacy is one of unwavering dedication, kindness, and a commitment to improving the lives of others,” Singh stated in the tribute. “She has left an enduring mark on all who knew her, and her influence will continue to be felt for years to come.”

David Dreibelbis, director of operations for NCDQS, described Frank as a professional who was passionate about sharing her knowledge. He said she loved travel and music, and she brought joy to those around her.

“When she would walk into a room at any conference, there was never a lack of hugs and smiling faces to greet her. She knew so many people and touched so many lives in a positive way,” Dreibelbis said.

Denise Marie Frank was born June 25, 1961, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Dennis Richard Frank and Joanne Rita (Gustafson) Frank. Dennis, a 1962 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, went on to establish a rural retail pharmacy business in the state. His daughter worked for the family’s pharmacies from 1986 through 2001 while also holding pharmacy positions at other organizations. She was a co-owner and manager of the Frank Pharmacy in Milaca, Minnesota, for more than eight years.

Frank entered the pharmacy field as a hospital and wholesale pharmacy technician, working part-time during high school and full-time while attending the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. She earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1985 and was hired as a retail staff pharmacist for Group Health (now HealthPartners) clinic sites in St. Paul and White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

From 1986 through 1994, Frank was a relief pharmacist for the Fairview health system, now MHealth Fairview. She was promoted to pharmacy manager for Fairview Northland Pharmacies in 1996.

In 2001, Frank was hired as a pharmacy and district manager for Minnesota-based SuperValu Pharmacies. While in this position, she also worked as an accreditation surveyor consultant for the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). When the SuperValu job was eliminated by an acquisition and restructuring, Frank became an accreditation and inspection services manager for NABP. She served in this role from 2013 to 2016.

Frank established a pharmacy consulting business in 2016, providing services related to community pharmacy, compounding, accreditation, and regulatory compliance. That year, she also became program director for Career Step LLC’s online pharmacy technician training program.

Lisa Lifshin, senior director of ASHP’s pharmacy technician accreditation service, met Frank while evaluating the Career Step program for accreditation and came to know her better when Frank was appointed to PTAC. Lifshin described Frank as “a really wonderful person” who was talented, knowledgeable, and kind.

“She was a terrific representative, and I always recommended her for anything related to tech education, consulting, and publication when we needed expertise at ASHP,” Lifshin said. “She was a wonderful resource in pharmacy and a wonderful pharmacist.”

Frank was preceded in death by her father, Dennis Frank. Her survivors include her mother, Joanne Frank; brother and sisters Mark Frank, Sandra Rosetter, and Stacey LeNeave; niece Chelsey Rosetter; and nephews Seth Rosseter, Charles LeNeave, and Will LeNeave.