"A pharmacy degree, especially today, allows a pharmacist so many opportunities..."
Alumnus William “Billy” Caudle, Jr. (1981 B.S. pharmacy) helped introduce novel treatments for mental health disorders to the Carolinas throughout his career in the pharmaceutical industry. Now retired, he encourages future pharmacists to explore their options and consider non-traditional career pathways.
Tell us about what you do:
After graduating in December 1981, I was hired as an associate pharmacist at Hawthorne Drug in downtown Columbia working with the owners Richard Abbott and Eldon Armstrong. I stayed there for a year and in 1982 moved back home to Florence to take a new position as a staff pharmacist at Bruce Hospital, now MUSC Florence.
I had always been interested in psychiatry and in 1986 had an opportunity to go work with Eli Lilly as a senior territory business manager to launch Prozac, the first new therapy for major depressive disorders. In 1997, I joined Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson, as a senior institutional account manager for the Carolinas and had responsibility for all the major psychiatric hospitals and mental health clinics selling Risperdal for the treatment of schizophrenia. In 2004, I joined Biogen, a bio-technology company in Boston, as a senior area business manager for the state of South Carolina selling Avonex (Interferon – beta 1A) for multiple sclerosis, along with a new infusible product, Tysabri.
I retired from Biogen in April 2024 and am figuring out this thing called retirement! I always kept my pharmacy license active during my 38-year career in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry and served my profession in various capacities over the years with the South Carolina Pharmacy Association, University of South Carolina, and Pee Dee Pharmacy Association.
Why did you choose the University of South Carolina?
Most of my family attended the University of South Carolina.
How did you originally get interested in your field?
I was always interested in science and majoring in Biology and Chemistry when I decided to apply to the College of Pharmacy my sophomore year at Carolina.
What is your favorite memory from pharmacy school?
Graduating with our class in room 212, I think. It was a private graduation ceremony just for our class and our parents!
What class or professor was most memorable to you?
Dr. James E. Wynn in Medicinal Chemistry – He was a true ‘gentleman and a scholar’ and loved to enjoy life.
Looking back, is there anything you wish you had done differently?
Yes – adopted better study habits and only take Organic Chemistry once!
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Treat others how you want to be treated – the Golden Rule – also, stay the course in life, keep your faith, finish the race and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement is my children – Catherine, Rosalyn, and my stepdaughter Madison – and my grandchildren Lucas, Katelynn and Jack.
Who has been a mentor to you?
Tenny Moss, prior owner of Moss Pharmacy in Florence – While on staff at Bruce Hospital and years later, I would do locum tenens for Tenny on the weekends. And Mike Ross, former mayor of Blythewood, mentored me while I was completing my internship with him at Blythewood Pharmacy.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
I enjoy playing golf and spending time on the water in and around Charleston on our boat, “The PharmaSea.”
What are you currently reading, watching or listening to?
I just finished, “The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism.”
What is your advice for current students / future pharmacy professionals?
A pharmacy degree, especially today, allows a pharmacist so many opportunities – from retail and hospital to industry, medical science liaising and research – so explore your options and find the best fit for you.
I had the opportunity to meet so many people during my 38-year career in the industry that I never would have met had I continued to practice pharmacy only in the traditional sense. I met and became friends with Dr. David Wong, one of the four individuals who discovered Prozac, and Dr. Rick Munschauer, who worked on multiple sclerosis research in the early 1980s at the Jacobs Neurological Center.
What song always puts you in a good mood?
“This Time it’s Real” by Tower of Power.
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