The Boyle Family
Cynthia J. Boyle is Director of Experiential Learning at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy where she is a faculty member. An alumna of the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy and Maryland, she has served as a pharmacist in community, institutional, and consultant practice. As advisor for the Student Government Association and through the course “Effective Leadership and Advocacy,” she seeks to develop leadership in student pharmacists for their future roles as advocates for patients, the profession, and public health. Long active in the Maryland Pharmacists Association, she is the 2005-06 Chair of the Board of Trustees. Her service to APhA includes the Editorial Advisory Board for Pharmacy Today, the APhA Foundation Scholarship Selection Committee, and past Member-at-Large of the APhA-APPM Administrative Section (Publications Committee, Section e-News Editor). She was recognized as a 2004 APhA Fellow and was one of three members-at-large for the APhA Strategic Directions Committee.
“My decision to fund the APhA Foundation Scholarship is rooted in my desire to support student pharmacists who will provide much needed pharmaceutical care and to acknowledge the vital support of my family. My daughters grew up in pharmacies. Often their dad John would bring them to the pharmacy when I worked late or a long day; he would unpack a dinner prepared at home and ask the clerk or technician to tell the patients that the ‘pharmacist was in Bermuda,’ which was our way of spending a few minutes together for a meal at my desk or in the backroom, where I remained accessible if needed. At times Martha and Kate offered to help with displays, and they inherited a larger family among the pharmacy employees and patrons. It was truly a community.
In April 2004, John died unexpectedly. While he had several health conditions, none appeared life-threatening. His care illustrates the absolute necessity for pharmaceutical care. His primary care physician was trained in internal medicine, but he made referrals to specialists for issues with pain management, sleep apnea, and depression after two serious automobile accidents caused disabilities which eventually forced John’s retirement from federal civil service. As a veteran, he was entitled to some benefits through the VA, but over time, it became increasingly difficult for his physicians and pharmacists to coordinate his care and to monitor his response to the healthcare interventions. In spite of physical limitations, he kept detailed records which he carried with him to all visits with healthcare providers. Most importantly, he constantly searched for information about his diagnoses and conditions when professional recommendations were not clear, or were in conflict, and he valiantly maintained an optimistic outlook for what was most important in his life- our family.
In John’s memory, and in honor of those families which will support future pharmacists as they provide pharmaceutical care, I am pleased to endow this APhA Foundation Scholarship.