MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Jan. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. (Upsher-Smith), is pleased to honor the 2013 recipients of the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations' (NASPA) Excellence in Innovation Award.  Forty-two pharmacists in 41 states were recognized last year. The award is coordinated annually by NASPA and sponsored by Upsher-Smith.

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The Excellence in Innovation Award recognizes a qualified pharmacist who has demonstrated significant innovation in his or her respective practice, method, or service directly or indirectly resulting in improved patient care and/or advancement of the profession of pharmacy.  The award is presented by participating state pharmacist associations.

"Upsher-Smith is proud to support NASPA's efforts to recognize these talented innovators in the field of pharmacy," said Mark Evenstad, President and Chief Executive Officer of Upsher-Smith. "As a pharmacist, our Chairman Kenneth Evenstad has instilled a great respect for the role of the pharmacist throughout Upsher-Smith. We believe the impact pharmacists can have on patient wellness and their passion for improving patient lives is truly inspiring."

Recipients in 2013 included:

• Alabama: Jeffrey D. Jerkins, RPh
• Arizona: Amy Kennedy, PharmD
• Arkansas: Lanita S. White, PharmD
• Connecticut: Charles Caley, PharmD
• Delaware: William Harbester, PharmD
• Florida: Sonia Martinez, RPh
• Georgia: Bobby Price, PharmD
• Hawaii: Kara J. Izumi, PharmD, BCPS, BCNSP
• Illinois: Izabella Wentz, PharmD
• Indiana: Gloria Sachdev, PharmD
• Iowa: Heather Ourth, PharmD, BCPS, CGP
• Kansas: Lisa Everett, BSc Pharm, FACA, CCN
• Kentucky: Buddy Wheeler, RPh
• Louisiana: Errol A. Duplantis, Jr., RPh
• Maine: Steve Maki, RPh
• Maryland: John M. Motsko, BSP, CDE and Geoffrey Twigg, PharmD, BCACP, CDE
• Massachusetts: Allison Paquin, PharmD
• Michigan: Kathleen M. Brown, RPh
• Minnesota: FirstLight Health System Pharmacy Team
• Mississippi: Robert Lomenick, RPh
• Missouri: Paul G. Perniciaro, BSPharm, RPh, CGP, FASCP
• Montana: Matthew Bowman, RPh
• New Hampshire: Ajay Gupta, RPh, MScIM
• New Jersey: Anne K.N. Crochunis, PharmD, CCP
• New Mexico: Jennifer Ortega, PharmD
• New York: Elizabeth Phillips, BS, PharmD, CACP
• North Carolina: Stephen F. Eckel, PharmD, MHA
• North Dakota: Thrifty White Pharmacies
• Ohio: Joseph M. Dula, III, PharmD
• Oklahoma: John Crumly, DPh, MHA
• Oregon: Bill Boyce, BS
• Pennsylvania: Robert Maher, Jr., PharmD
• Rhode Island: Anita N. Jackson, PharmD
• South Carolina: Jessica Puckett-Beasley, PharmD
• Tennessee: Ryan Moss, PharmD
• Texas: Debra Lopez, PharmD
• Utah: Brandon T. Jennings, PharmD
• Virginia: Michelle Herbert Thomas, PharmD, CDE
• Washington: Stephen M. Setter, PharmD, DVM, CDE, CGP, FACSP
• Wisconsin: Denise L. Walbrandt Pigarelli, PharmD, BC-ADM, RPh
• Wyoming: Scot M. Schmidt, RPh

"We are grateful for Upsher-Smith's support of the Excellence in Innovation Award," said Rebecca Snead, Executive Vice President of the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations. "This partnership helps us recognize the innovators in pharmacy who are advancing the profession in pursuit of healthier patients. We are proud to honor these individuals who have worked so hard to improve the lives of the patients they serve."

About Upsher-Smith
Upsher-Smith, founded in 1919, is an independent and privately-owned specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Maple Grove, Minnesota that focuses on product growth and innovation for branded and generic pharmaceuticals.  Upsher-Smith has a particular focus on developing therapies to assist people suffering from central nervous system diseases and also markets products relating to cardiology, dermatology, and women's health.  For more information, visit www.upsher-smith.com.

About the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations
The National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) promotes leadership, sharing, learning, and policy exchange among pharmacy leaders in all 50 states and Washington, DC, and provides education and advocacy to support pharmacists, patients, and communities working together to improve public health.  NASPA was founded in 1927 as the National Council of State Pharmacy Association Executives (NCSPAE).  For more information, please visit the NASPA Web site www.naspa.us.

SOURCE Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc.