When Mike Eaddy looks back on what ignited his interest in the pharmacy profession, he recalls mentors who greatly influenced him. He also remembers one particular event that opened his eyes as to how he could help others.
“My grandmother had a reaction to one of the medicines she was taking,” he says. “If there had been a better connection between the physicians and the pharmacists, that possibly could have been avoided. As I learned more, I realized that not only could I help my family but I could also help my community.”
Eaddy decided to ask Leon Finklin, ’72, if he could volunteer in Finklin’s pharmacy. He spent the day observing the impact that a local pharmacist could have on patients, and that led to him working in the pharmacy.
Eaddy then applied to the USC College of Pharmacy, and he says, ‘The rest is history.’
As I learned more, I realized that not only could I help my family but I could also help my community.
Eaddy earned his Doctor of Pharmacy in 1999 and his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical and Health Outcomes Sciences in 2001. His career has taken him from clinical work as an oncological pharmacist at the South Carolina Cancer Center to the pharmacy industry with Xcenda and AbbVie, where he is now vice president of the Real-World Evidence Center of Expertise. His team supports the expanded use of real-world data in the generation of evidentiary needs for regulatory, market access and commercial purposes.
Eaddy credits his time at the College of Pharmacy and the relationships he developed with his colleagues and the faculty with helping him grow into his career.
“It wasn’t just the education I received,” he says. “It was the life experiences and the interactions being more enriched as I went into the graduate program.”
Because of those experiences, Eaddy wants to give back by providing opportunities to current students.
“For those of us who have been in the industry and see where pharmacy is evolving, it is great to provide that perspective to help students see the possibilities in innovation and technology,” he says. “It is important for us to fuel that passion and growth.”
Topics: Alumni Programs, Graduate Programs