Clayton English, Pharm.D., BCPP, is an Asst. Professor of Pharmacy Practice on the Vermont Campus whose specialty is psychopharmacology. Earlier this year he was named Pharmacist of the Year by the Vermont Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists. 

Prior to you joining the Dept. of Psychiatry at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, there was not a pharmacist on their health care team. Did that present any special challenges?

The key for anyone in a new role is that you have to bring something to the table. A critical part of my job is to outline the expectations for a given medication therapy on a particular patient. Once that framework is in place, complementary therapies can be identified to bridge any gaps.

What is it like for a student on rotation with you?

My students see both good and bad outcomes for people suffering from mental illness. It helps them gain a sense of empathy that they may not have had before and a better sense for how the medications work.

People tend to carelessly use terms such as "psycho" or "bipolar." Does that bother you?

I think people are understanding mental illness more - that the mind is not in a different class from the rest of the body. When you treat these patients, you're treating the whole person. Once people truly understand that, the stigma will go away.

To read the entire Q&A with Dr. English, please visit the ACPHS web site.