Pennsylvania pharmacist Richard F. Demers dies at 63

Abstract

Richard Francis Demers, who helped shape pharmacy practice at Penn Medicine’s Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for 3 decades, died suddenly August 11 at his home in North Wales, PA. He was 63 years old. Demers was a strong advocate for the development of innovative pharmacy practice models that meet the needs of a changing healthcare landscape. He was also an early proponent of the concept that pharmacists should demonstrate and document the value of their services and establish and maintain relationships with organizational leaders. From his earliest days as a pharmacist, Demers participated in and helped lead his state pharmacy organizations. In 1982, he was installed as second vice president of the New Hampshire Society of Hospital Pharmacists. He served a term as president of the Pennsylvania Society of Health-System Pharmacists (PSHP) in 2008 and was president of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association in 2019. In 2010, PSHP honored Demers with the Sister M. Gonzales Duffy Lecture Award, which recognizes sustained contributions to health-system pharmacy in Pennsylvania.