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Many Paths, One Health System: Jefferson College of Pharmacy Alumni at Work

Jefferson-trained pharmacists find opportunities across nearly every practice area.

Jefferson College of Pharmacy honored members of the Class of 2030 at a special White Coat Ceremony in October. The event marked the start of the students’ professional journeys. Many alumni, beginning with the inaugural Class of 2012, now work across Jefferson Health. (Photo by ©Thomas Jefferson University Photography Services)

Pharmacists do far more than fill prescriptions. They help patients manage chronic conditions, keep hospital pharmacies running smoothly, deliver medications to patients’ bedsides, and much more.

Many of Jefferson Health’s pharmacists trained right here. Jefferson College of Pharmacy (JCP) was created to fill a critical gap in Thomas Jefferson University’s health sciences education offerings, and its students learn within an integrated academic health system with over 30 hospital sites and 8 million patient encounters each year.

Pharmacists who train at Jefferson have a front-row seat to nearly every area of practice, from critical care, emergency medicine, oncology, and transplant to ambulatory care, population health, specialty pharmacy, and community pharmacy.

That exposure helps explain why so many graduates choose to stay. Alumni from most classes, beginning with the inaugural Class of 2012, now work across Jefferson Health as clinical pharmacists, residency-trained specialists, managers, educators, researchers, and health system leaders. Many also give back as preceptors, classroom instructors, residency mentors, and supervisors of student employees.

“That deep integration creates a powerful pipeline of talent that strengthens patient care, supports workforce development, and reinforces the strategic partnership between the college and the health system,” says Mary Hess, PharmD, FASHP, FCCM, FCCP, associate dean of student and alumni affairs and professor of pharmacy practice.

Here are three graduates whose careers reflect that direction.

Dr. Laura Mauro

Laura Mauro, PharmD, BS, BCPS, BC-ADM
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Population Health, Jefferson Health – Lehigh Valley Region
JCP Class of 2013

Dr. Laura Mauro spends her days helping patients find diabetes treatment plans that fit their lives. Through pharmacist-led collaborative practice agreements that allow pharmacists to prescribe and manage medications, she works with primary care teams across 20 offices to adjust medications, review home blood glucose readings, provide education, and help patients navigate barriers such as cost, side effects, and complicated regimens. She also contributes to network-wide efforts to close gaps in statin therapy.

The best part is finding simpler solutions. “What I love most about my role is helping patients realize that managing diabetes doesn’t always have to mean taking more medications,” says Dr. Mauro, noting that fewer pills and injections can improve quality of life while keeping diabetes well controlled.

During her first two years at JCP, Dr. Mauro followed an adult living with a chronic condition through the required Jefferson Health Mentors Program, alongside students from medicine, nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. The experience shaped her appreciation for team-based, patient-centered care.

Ambulatory care rotations then introduced her to three pharmacists she credits with inspiring her: Amber King, PharmD, BCPS, FNAP; Gina Bellottie, PharmD; and Christine O’Leary, PharmD, BCPS. Dr. Mauro’s interest deepened during a PGY-1 residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. “I’m forever grateful for the education and mentorship I received at Jefferson,” she says.

Her advice for students: build a strong clinical foundation, seek out ambulatory care experiences, and consider a residency.

Dr. Oludamilola Olugbile

Oludamilola Olugbile, PharmD
Pharmacy Operations Manager, Jefferson Methodist Hospital
JCP Class of 2016

Dr. Oludamilola Olugbile didn’t leave pharmacy school expecting a career in administration. His mentors saw something he hadn’t yet: a knack for leading a team. Chief among them was Richard Pacitti, PharmD, MBA, FASHP, his pharmacy director at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, who encouraged him to become a pharmacy team lead and later recommended him for the management opening at Jefferson Methodist Hospital.

“His influence on my career is invaluable,” Dr. Olugbile says.

Today, Dr. Olugbile’s goal is to make sure nothing stands between the pharmacy and high-quality patient care. His days include attending interdisciplinary meetings, spending time with staff, and keeping operations on track. The role requires balancing clinical goals, personnel management, and operational efficiency. Each manager decides where to focus their energy. Dr. Olugbile prioritized work-life balance and solutions that worked for management and staff, which helped improve job satisfaction.

“Being able to have such a monumental impact on people’s work and life experience is extremely meaningful to me and helps me enjoy my job every day,” he says.

At JCP, Dr. Olugbile built on what he learned in class through leadership roles in student organizations, which gave him practice leading others and communicating professionally. His advice for students with strong leadership and interpersonal skills: consider administration, especially in a community hospital setting.

“You have the opportunity to be the manager that you always wanted to have,” Dr. Olugbile says.

Dr. Shodiyakhon Toshkhujaeva

Shodiyakhon Toshkhujaeva, PharmD
Retail Pharmacist, Jefferson Pharmacy – Honickman Center
JCP Class of 2022

When Dr. Shodiyakhon Toshkhujaeva started at JCP, she assumed she’d end up in inpatient pharmacy. Then she took an internship at Jefferson Apothecary, the outpatient pharmacy at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital that handles discharge medications and bedside delivery. She loved the one-on-one time with patients, the close work with the hospital’s discharge team, and the colleagues who became like family.

Her managers, Joseph Stavish, PharmD, MSPH, and William Balas, PhD, along with other pharmacist mentors, encouraged her to pursue outpatient pharmacy. Her JCP adviser, Andrea Joseph, BSc, MS, helped her recognize her strengths and find her path.

Today, Dr. Toshkhujaeva works in the retail pharmacy at the Honickman Center, a new specialist outpatient care center within Jefferson Health. Her team fills and dispenses medications for patients and employees, delivers medications to patients’ bedsides during same-day surgeries and infusion visits, prepares non-sterile compounded medications, and administers vaccines. She also provides medication therapy management, reviewing patients’ medications to spot potential issues and optimize their regimens.

“People might be surprised by how clinical outpatient pharmacy can be,” she says. “We do much more than dispense medications.”

Because the center serves multiple specialties, Dr. Toshkhujaeva stays up to date on new medications and treatments across many areas. She encourages current students to consider outpatient pharmacy for its room to keep learning, work-life balance, and the relationships built with patients.

“I’m naturally an empathetic person,” she says. “Being able to serve others and make even a small part of their day a little easier is very meaningful to me.”

Learn more about the Jefferson College of Pharmacy.

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