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Peter Kreckel Honored as NCPA National Preceptor of the Year

by NCPA | Oct 20, 2014

Austin, Texas Oct. 20, 2014 – Peter Kreckel, RPh, the pharmacy manager of Thompson Pharmacy in Altoona, Pa., today was named the 2014 National Preceptor of the Year by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Foundation at the NCPA 116th Annual Convention and Trade Exposition, held Oct. 18-22 in Austin, Texas. The National Preceptor of the Year Award honors a pharmacist who has made significant contributions to the education of pharmacy students by devoting time, talent, and efforts as a preceptor.

“Peter Kreckel epitomizes what it means to be an effective, engaging preceptor,” said Sharlea Leatherwood, PD, president of the NCPA Foundation. “Whether it’s providing hands-on learning experiences in his pharmacy, teaching classes, or even providing housing for rotation students, Peter’s passion for cultivating the next generation of community pharmacists is inspiring. I join the rest of the NCPA Foundation’s Board of Directors in congratulating Peter on this honor and thanking him for his efforts to preserve the future of community pharmacy.”

Kreckel developed a rural pharmacy rotation at Thompson Pharmacy when he arrived in 2008, and, since that time, has served as a preceptor for 32 pharmacy students. Recognizing that a lack of affordable or available housing can pose a challenge for rotation students, he and his wife house pharmacy rotation students at their home free of charge. Kreckel believes in a “hands-on” approach to teaching, and the students he precepts conduct supervised face-to-face consultations with patients as well as lecture, write articles, and attend tours with the pharmacy’s wholesaler, Value Drug.

Kreckel has taught pharmacology in the physician assistant science program at St. Francis University since 2005. He also gives lectures for FreeCE.com, where he covers a wide range of retail pharmacist-centered topics such as HIV/AIDS and vitamins. He spends one morning a week working at the Partnering for Health Clinic for Dr. Zane Gates, who created an insurance-free office staffed with a clinical pharmacist to provide evidence-based, cost-effective prescribing.

Before arriving at Thompson Pharmacy, Kreckel spent 26 years working for local independent chain Kopp Drug. He is a 1981 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.

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About the National Community Pharmacists Association Foundation
The NCPA Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1953 to honor former NARD Executive Secretary John W. Dargavel. Contributions to the NCPA Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent permitted under federal tax law. The Foundation supports the growth and advancement of independent community pharmacy through low-interest educational loans and scholarships to pharmacy students in need, critical research and programs to improve the success of independent pharmacy, community service programs and financial assistance to community pharmacy owners for their recovery in the event of disaster, accidents, illness, or adverse circumstances. To learn more go towww.ncpafoundation.org.

About the National Community Pharmacists Association
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA®) represents the interests of America’s community pharmacists, including the owners of nearly 23,000 independent community pharmacies. Together they represent an $88.8 billion health care marketplace, dispense nearly 40% of all retail prescriptions, and employ more than 300,000 individuals, including over 62,000 pharmacists. To learn more, go to www.ncpanet.org, visit facebook.com/commpharmacy, or follow NCPA on Twitter @Commpharmacy.