The Osterhaus Medal for Lifetime Achievement is presented annually to one or more individuals who have made extraordinary achievements in the pharmacy profession. This medal is a premier award given by the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, for a recipient who has advanced the practice of pharmacy in profound ways or made substantial strides in drug development or drug discoveries.

Robert Osterhaus, the award’s namesake, helped to transform pharmacy practice and patient care in Iowa and in our nation. His business, Osterhaus Pharmacy in Maquoketa, Iowa, is a leading community clerkship site for the UI College of Pharmacy, and has earned national recognition for its patient-centered approach and emphasis on the pharmacist's role in health care.

Osterhaus has served as board president for the Iowa Pharmacists Association; chair of the state Board of Pharmacy Examiners; president of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and the American Pharmacists Association; and a member of the executive committee for the International Pharmaceutical Federation Community Pharmacy Section and the Governor's Medical Home Advisory Council for the Iowa Department of Public Health. He's received dozens of state, national, and international awards, including American Pharmacists Association Remington Medal, the highest recognition given in the profession of pharmacy. He also served four terms in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003, contributing his perspective as a health care professional and shaping legislative initiatives like the HAWK-I insurance plan for children from low-income families.

In May 2012, Osterhaus received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Iowa.