Historic Founders & Futurists
The Personification of Dedicated Service
MCPHS has always nurtured healthcare visionaries who believe in a better future. And no one exemplifies that more than George F. Archambault. Deemed the “Father of Consultant Pharmacy,” he demonstrated a crucial role for pharmacists as advisors to doctors and healthcare teams.
Evolving Healthcare Practice
Archie (as his close friends knew him) graduated from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy with his PhG in 1931 and his PhC in 1933. His commitment to MCP continued when he accepted a position as instructor in commercial pharmacy, helping propel a remarkable career that saw him become one of the most influential people in the history of the pharmacy profession.
After getting a law degree from Northeastern University in 1941, Archie pursued a career in the public sector. He began working at the U.S. Marine Hospital in Brighton, Massachusetts, as a civilian in 1943 and soon joined the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) reserve. He was commissioned as a pharmacy officer in 1947 and went on to serve in prominent roles, including Chief of the Pharmacy Branch in the PHS Division of Hospitals. He was also the first Chief Pharmacy Officer and pharmacy liaison to the Surgeon General from 1959 to 1967. And he was a Medicare planning consultant to the Division of Medical Care Administration, where he was responsible for writing the regulations governing pharmacy’s role in Medicare and Medicaid. Although he formally retired as a commissioned officer in 1967, he continued to be involved with his profession.
Throughout his career, Archie advocated for pharmacists to be trusted advisors to other healthcare professionals. He understood the value of interprofessional practice before it was trendy. And he embraced teamwork to improve outcomes for patients. At Archie’s 90th birthday party in 1999, Deputy Surgeon General RADM Kenneth Moritsugu proclaimed him a “Living Treasure of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.”
Archie’s notable positions and awards included:
- Charter member of the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists (ASHP)
- President of ASHP
- Charter member of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists
- 109th President of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
- Harvey A.K. Whitney Award
- American Druggist Man of the Year
- Remington Honor Medal (APhA)
- Andrew Craigie Award (Association of Military Surgeons of the United States)
Historic Founders & Futurists
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