Dorothy L. Smith, Pharm.D., FCCP

The ACCP family was saddened to learn of the death of Founding Member Dorothy L. Smith on November 7, 2022. Born in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, Canada, on April 29, 1946, Smith lived in Saskatoon in her early years. She pursued her first degree in pharmacy at the University of Saskatchewan and then earned her Pharm.D. degree at the University of Cincinnati.

Smith was involved in pioneering work in the field of clinical pharmacy at the schools of pharmacy at the University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, and University of Toronto and the Sunnybrook Medical Centre in Toronto. She had a passion for helping patients understand their medications and health. Early in her career, she wrote her first book, Medication Guide for Patient Counseling, to aid in the collaboration between health professionals and patients to optimize medication use.

Smith moved to the United States in 1980 and joined the staff of the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) in Washington, D.C., where she coedited early editions of the Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. After leaving APhA, she established her own company, the Consumer Health Information Corporation, which empowered consumers with the information they needed to use medications safely. She gained an international reputation as an author, patient advocate, clinical educator, and expert in health literacy, plain language, patient counseling, and medication adherence. She was invited by organizations throughout the world to present to health professionals and consumers regarding health literacy and the safe and effective management of prescription and nonprescription medications. Her work was widely recognized with prestigious awards, including the APhA Foundation’s Pinnacle Award in 2010. She was named the 2019–2020 honorary president of APhA and became an honorary ACCP Fellow in 2019.

The only woman among the 29 founding members of ACCP, Smith was noted for her contributions in a 2019 ACCP Report President’s Column by then-ACCP President Suzanne Nesbit titled “Patient Education: The Other Half of the Medication Optimization Equation OR Back to the Future with Founding Member Dorothy L. Smith.” Nesbit’s column highlighted Smith’s lifelong commitment to patient education and the profession she loved.

Dorothy will be missed by all who came to know her as a friend, colleague, mentor, and expert adviser. Memorial contributions can be directed to the University of Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy and Nutrition or to a charity of your choice in her name.