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Arinzechukwu Nkemdirim Okere, PharmD, MS, MBA, BCPS, BCCP

Departmental Executive Officer

Introduction

Dr. Okere received his PharmD from the University of Minnesota and his MBA from Ferris State University. Before accepting a position at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy as a Tenured Professor and the Departmental Executive Office of the Pharmacy Practice and Science Department, Dr. Okere was the Residency Program Director for PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program as well as the Director of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Prevention Program at Florida A&M University/Community Health Northwest Florida. He is a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) and a Board Certified Cardiology Pharmacist (BCCP). Dr. Okere's clinical specialties are in internal medicine and cardiology, encompassing both inpatient and ambulatory care. He has extensive experience in developing and implementing Transition of Care programs within healthcare systems. Dr. Okere has served as a principal investigator in funded, multi-disciplinary research aimed at improving quality measures. His research areas include health outcomes and healthcare delivery, medication use and safety, and transition of care. Additionally, Dr. Okere has developed and implemented new pharmacy services in the emergency department, neuroscience unit, and primary care settings. He is a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP).

Current Positions

  • Departmental Executive Officer - Pharmacy Practice and Science
  • Tenured Professor of Pharmacy
  • Profesor of Internal Medicine

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Applied Biochemistry, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Nigeria
  • Master of Science in Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
  • Doctor of Pharmacy with Emphasis in Leadership, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
  • Doctor of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
  • Master of Business Administration with Concentration in Management and Leadership, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI, USA
  • Pre-doctoral Fellowship, University of Minnesota–Academic Health Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA
  • Pharmacy Residency, Essentia Health, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Duluth, MN, USA

Selected Awards & Honors

  • American Foundation of Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE) Implementation Science Scholar
  • Research Merit Award (proposal on improving cardiovascular outcomes among underserved population)
  • Florida A&M College of Pharmacy Certificate of Recognition for Timely Response to Students, Florida A&M University
  • Faculty Research Award (FRAP), Florida A&M University
  • High Quality Reviewer, Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy (JMCP)
  • Focus on Student Success and Retention Award, Ferris State University Faculty Center of Teaching and Learning Faculty Research Fellowship, Ferris State University
  • Peters Leadership Circle Scholarship Award, University of Minnesota Certificate of Recognition, Minnesota Pharmacy Student Alliance (MPSA)
  • Max and Rose Sadoff Memorial Scholarship Award, University of Minnesota Peter’s Leadership Circle Scholarship Award, University of Minnesota Summer Pre-doctoral Fellowship, Clinical and Translational Research, University of Minnesota, Academic Health Center
  • Max and Rose Sadoff Memorial Scholarship Award, University of Minnesota Rho Chi Student of the Month, University of Minnesota

Research Interests

  • Transition of Care; Cardiovascular Disease; Antibiotic Utilization in Primary Care/Rural Health; Health Care Utilization

Selected Publications

  • Okere, A.N, Pinto, A.R, Suther, S. (2024). Knowledge and Attitudes of Patients in Underserved Communities Regarding Antibiotic Resistance, Antibiotic Stewardship, and Pharmacist Involvement in Antibiotic Prescribing in the United States: A Regional Survey. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.
  • Nguyen, C., Lim, L., Conard, E., Okere, A.N. (2024). Accessibility of Diabetes Therapy Management for Patients with Visual Impairment. Innovations in Pharmacy. https://doi.org/10.24926/iip.v15i3.6233
  • AR Pinto (Pharmacy Resident), Okere, A.N. (2024). Exposing Pharmacy Residents to Implementation Science. Innovations in Pharmacy, 15(2):10.24926/iip.v15i2.5898. doi: 10.24926/iip.v15i2.5898. PMID: 39166150; PMCID: PMC11333094.
  • Okere, A.N., Balogun A., Smith., A. (2023). Association between pharmacist-led telehealth services And improvements in cardiovascular outcomes among patients with cardiovascular risk factors: A scoping review. International Journal of Cardiology Cardiovascular Risk Factors
  • Okere, A. N., Richard, M., Ali A., Diaby, V., (2023). Development and Validation of a Tool to Predict High-Need, High-Cost Patients Hospitalized with Ischemic Heart Disease. British Medical Journal (BMJ) Open
  • Okere, A. N., Trimble, M. L., Sanogo, V., Smith, U., Brown, C., & Buxbaum, S. G. (2022). The Potential Effects of Implementing an Antibiotic Stewardship Program by Integrating It with Medication Therapy Service in a Low-Income Serving Clinic - A Single-Center Experience. Innovations in Pharmacy, 13(3), 10.24926/iip.v13i3.4997. https://doi.org/10.24926/iip.v13i3.4997
  • St. Louis, J. and Okere, A. N. (2021) Clinical Impact of a Pharmacist-led Antibiotic Stewardship Program in an Outpatient Setting in the United States: A Scoping Review. American Journal of Health System Pharmacist.
  • Luque, J. S., Okere, A. N., Reyes-Ortiz, C. A., and Williams, P. M.(2021) Mixed methods study of the potential therapeutic benefits from medical cannabis for patients in Florida. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 57(102669).
  • Okere, A. N., Sanogo, V., Alqhtani, H., and Diaby, V. (2020). Identification of risk factors of 30-day readmission and 180- day in-hospital mortality, and its corresponding relative importance in patients with Ischemic heart disease: a machine learning approach. Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research, 11;1-6.
  • Okere, A. N., Sanogo, V., Balkrishnan, R., and Diaby, V. (2020). A quantitative analysis of the effect of continuity of care on 30-day readmission and in-hospital mortality among patients with acute ischemic stroke. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 29(9), 105053.