Jerry McKee Pharm. D., M.S., BCPP

Director of Pharmacy Services, Assistant Medical Director, Clinical Research

Jerry’s current practice involves serving as Director of Pharmacy Services, Secretary of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, and member of the Performance Improvement Function Committee at Broughton Hospital in Morganton, N.C. Broughton Hospital is a regional state psychiatric hospital for the severely and persistenly mentally ill. Broughton is recognized as an innovator in applied research and professional training. Their overall objective is to improve services to and clinical outcomes for the patients served. The pharmacists work with physicians, nurses, psychologists, and other support staff in the development and execution of person specific, outcome based treatment plans that focus on rational pharmacotherapy. In this practice model, Jerry serves as preceptor for Doctor of Pharmacy interns, Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina School of Pharmacy, and as a research fellow at the Human Research and Development Institute at the adjacent J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center . The successful solicitation of grants from a number of sources has enabled the funding of various applied clinical research projects. Recent research at the facility has focused on applied clinical psychopharmacology applications in those with developmental disabilities and behavioral disorders. Specific examples of some of research projects led by Jerry include a medication related adverse effects and drug load correlation via the Monitoring of Side Effects Scale (MOSES), pharmacist driven point of care medication therapy management guidelines for high risk medications, and the use of PDA devices for clinical data collection.

How They Got There

As a fourth year pharmacy student at the University of North Carolina, Jerry participated in a class called “Institutional Pharmacy Practice” led by Fred Eckel, M.S. Later that summer, Jerry served as an intern at Broughton Hospital , under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Lowe, where he was first introduced to psychopharmacy practice. The combination of exposure to organized, facility based clinical pharmacy services, along with the realization of the immense opportunities available to clinical pharmacists practicing in the mental health arena, led Jerry to pursue a career in this unique practice area.

Other Professional Activities

Jerry is an active clinical practitioner at Broughton Hospital and has an outpatient consulting practice, keeping him oriented to the problems facing all clinicians in the field. He has authored a number of writings for peer-reviewed journals, presented research findings at a variety of professional association meetings, spoken on psychopharmacology practice at local and national practice symposia, and has lobbied for increased peer recognition of the immense career opportunities available in the psychopharmacy practice arena.

Advanced Training

A useful way to investigate this practice area is to perform a clinical internship in this setting as a fourth year Doctor of Pharmacy intern. Advanced training is critical to build a foundation for success in this and other practice settings. A Doctor of Pharmacy degree and a specialty residency are excellent beginning points, along with board certification in psychiatric and neurologic pharmacy practice.

Advice

Choose your career path wisely. It is easy to get up and go to a practice site daily when you are in a position to make a difference in the lives of those you serve. Identify a number of mentors early in your career to model and to help guide you in your career decisions.