Women continue to make amazing strides in community pharmacy, clinical practice, pharmaceutical
research and within the pharmacy industry across the Palmetto State and the U.S. As
we celebrate Women Pharmacists Day, here are eight Gamecock young alumnae who are
making their mark in the pharmacy profession.
Chloé LeBegue-Polley, '20
Honors College and Pharmacy 2020 graduate Chloé Lebegue-Polley is an oncological pharmacist
at University of Virginia Health working in investigational drug services. Lebegue-Polley
spent her time at USC researching pharmabiotic treatments for Phenylketonuria, a rare genetic condition resulting in a decrease in metabolism. Her passion led
her to make an impact through research patents.
Krutika Mediwala Hornback, '15
Working as an infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship clinical specialist
at MUSC Health, Krutika Mediwala Hornback, a 2015 alumni, became greatly involved
in research and education related to the COVID-19 virus. During the pandemic, as the information changed daily, Hornback ensured colleagues
had updated information through shared data and webinars she produced about COVID.
Christine Bonarrigo, '20
Christine Bonarrigo always had an interest in patient-specific care, especially in
the area of mental health, which led her to USC’s College of Pharmacy. She has worked
to bridge the gap between mental health and medicine in the emergency department. Now, the 2020 Pharm.D. graduate is a psychiatric clinical
pharmacist for Connecticut Children’s Hospital and has launched a new psychiatric
emergency medicine pharmacy service.
Heather Hembree Sexton, '20
Working as an integrated clinical pharmacist within senior-based care, 2020 Pharm.D. graduate Heather Hembree focuses on rural health and health care disparities in South Carolina. She previously served as the health outcomes and area pharmacist for Walgreens, concentrating on senior care, diabetes, hypertension and COPD management. Hembree demonstrated the benefit and improved outcomes of pharmacists embedded in the health care team and led CenterWell Primary Care to expand this model to clinics across the state.
Nicole Bookstaver, '09
Nicole Bookstaver, ’09, is the manager of ambulatory clinical pharmacy services and the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency (Outpatient-Focused) program director for Prisma Health Midlands. She was named Woman Pharmacist of the Year for Health-Systems in 2021 for her incredible work during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she oversaw the pharmacy portion of Prisma Health’s vaccination clinic.
Asia Johnson, '21
Asia Johnson has used her experience from postgraduate residencies in Tennessee and
Texas to move her career forward. Now as a clinical pharmacy specialist for Corewell
Health in Michigan, Johnson works with the transplant team. She earned her doctorate
from USC’s College of Pharmacy in 2021 and flexed her leadership skills in the Pediatric
Pharmacy Association, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and the American College
of Clinical Pharmacy while also serving as president of the Student Government Association.
Gabrielle Pierce Cranford, '20
Having earned her Pharm.D. along with an MBA from USC, Gabby Pierce Cranford is a 2020 College of Pharmacy alumna. From a specialty residency and executive fellowship to now directing member relations for specialty pharmacy and community pharmacy practitioners at the American Society of Health-system Pharmacists, Cranford was named among the top influencers in pharmacy in 2022 by Pharmacy Podcast Network.
Reagan Kiger Barfield, '19
USC is home for Reagan Barfield, ’19, as a clinical assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy, where she is also the Tandem Health-USC PGY1 residency program coordinator. Barfield’s passion for medicine and teaching earned her the Outstanding Mentor Award and the Preceptor Award in 2022. She serves as the Education and Networking Committee Chair for the South Carolina Society of Health-system Pharmacists. Barfield also founded and directs the Southeastern Collaboration of Rural Health Research and Education.
Topics: Pharm.D. Program, Alumni