Jennifer Miller

Education

• Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry, Western Washington University
• Doctor of Pharmacy, Washington State University

About Me

I am an assistant professor with the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. I teach second- and third-year students within the Point of Care and Clinical Services (PCCS) course and the Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) course series. The PCCS course teaches students practical skills in providing vaccines, throat and nasal swabs, and care for minor illnesses. The IPPE courses are designed to prepare students for their clinical rotations through content lectures and activity/project simulation. Teaching and mentoring students is the best part of my job.

My research is focused on understanding how we teach and learn in the pharmacy setting as well as across health care disciplines. I also like to research new or innovative care models that will advance the practice of pharmacy. Currently, I am working with an interdisciplinary team from the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and College of Nursing and Eastern Washington University’s School of Social Work to provide team-based training for health care professions’ students and primary care practice teams that care for patients with chronic pain who take and/or misuse opioid.

I am a Spokane area transplant from the California Bay Area by way of Seattle, Washington. While I spent my childhood in the sunny state of California, I consider Washington state to be my home. I started my pharmacy journey in 2007 as a pharmacy technician in Bellingham, Washington while I was working on my bachelor of science degree in biochemistry at Western Washington University. I was looking at what to do after school with my love of both biology and chemistry and helping people. Pharmacy was suggested to me, and I never looked back. My time as a technician ultimately influenced where I went to pharmacy school as well since the majority of the pharmacists I worked with were WSU alums. While in pharmacy school, I met my husband through a classmate.

After graduation, I went on to pursue a PGY1 residency and two-year faculty development research fellowship at the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences working on a grant-funded project which aimed to increase patient access to care by expanding pharmacists-provided patient care services across Washington state. I have been with the college as faculty since 2018 and have been enjoying the ride ever since.

In my spare time I like to…

I am a mom to a little boy and two cats. My husband and I enjoy spending time at the lake relaxing and soaking up the sun. I enjoy reading, baking yummy treats, and playing video games. Spending time with friends and family also ranks high on my list of enjoyable activities.

Why WSU?

There is just something special about being a Coug. Having been a student at this university, my school pride runs deep. But it’s more than that. The sense of community here is wonderful.

My Favorite Quote

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott

Awards

• 2020/21 PY2 Teacher of the Year

Selected Publications

Miller JC, Perea NM, McKeirnan KC. Training student pharmacists to administer pediatric immunizations. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2022 April;14(4):507-513.

McKeirnan KC, Czapinski JC, Bertsch TG, Buchman C, Akers JM. Training Student Pharmacists to Perform Rapid Strep, Influenza, and HIV Point-of-Care Testing. Am J Pharm Educ. 2019 Sept; 83(7): 7031.

McKeirnan KC, Akers JM, Czapinski JC, Robinson JD. Implementation of a Course to Train Student Pharmacists to Provide Clinical Patient Care Services using Collaborative Drug Therapy Agreements. Am J Pharm Educ. 2017 Mar 25;81(2):31.