Ronald L. Williams was a 30-year APhA staff member who held a wide range of positions within the organization from 1968 until 1998. He was a graduate of Ohio Northern University and a former Ohio Community Pharmacist and pharmacy owner.
Williams also devoted his untiring attention to improve the health and careers of pharmacists who suffered from alcohol and chemical dependencies. During his career, Williams was instrumental in the development of Pharmacist Recovery Programs (PRNs) that assist pharmacists and student pharmacists who have become impaired by dependence on alcohol and other drugs. Due to Ron’s efforts, countless lives have been saved throughout the years.
The Ronald L. Williams Memorial Fund was established in 2004 by the APhA Addiction Practitioner Interest Group (PInG) (now known as the APhA Pain, Palliative Care and Addiction SIG) to honor Williams, who served as the long-time coordinator of the Pharmacy Section at the University of Utah School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies. Building off initial contributions made by the members of the APhA Addiction PInG and administered by the APhA Foundation, the Fund provides two (2) $1000 scholarships annually to student pharmacists attending the APhA Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies in Salt Lake City, Utah. Scholarship recipients are required to prepare a one-page publishable report for Student Pharmacist Magazine on their experiences at the APhA institute.
