National pharmacy leader, Charlie Porter, PH’70, of Ellston, Iowa has been selected to receive the 2020 Lawrence C. and Delores M. Weaver Medal of Honor, the highest honor given by Drake University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS).
The Weaver Medal of Honor recognizes an individual’s dedication to making a substantial impact on the profession of pharmacy and the advancement of human health. It is presented annually to a recipient who has fulfilled one of the following criteria: the individual’s efforts have advanced the education, research, or outreach mission of the college for the benefit of human health; the individual has made a substantial impact on the profession of pharmacy; or the individual has provided to the college significant financial support that has funded strategic change and progress. The award is made possible by a generous gift from Lawrence Weaver, PH’49, and his wife, Delores.
Charlie Porter has a long-standing record of serving the pharmacy profession and the community. After graduating from Drake, Porter began working for the owner of King’s Pharmacy, Russ Johnson Jr., PH’52. He helped Johnson develop a plan for the pharmacy franchise known as Medicap Pharmacy.
By 2003, Medicap Pharmacy had 200 facilities in 38 states and had over $400 million in sales. It was also the first pharmacy to have drive-thru windows installed and private consultation rooms. Porter was the company’s president and chief operating officer before selling it to Cardinal Health in 2003.
Porter has been active in the community, serving as a board member of the Iowa Pharmacy Foundation and a member of the Polk County Pharmacy Association, Iowa Pharmacy Association, American Pharmacists Association, and the National Community Pharmacists Association. He received Greene County’s 2019 Bell Tower Hall of Fame award, which recognizes people whose personal or professional accomplishments internationally, nationally or statewide, bring great pride to Greene County.
Porter’s commitment to Drake University is exhibited through his yearly President’s Circle and Champions Club memberships, and his previous membership on the CPHS National Alumni Board. He received the CPHS Alumni Achievement Award in 2005. Porter and his wife Pat, ED’71, generously donated funds to renovate and expand the Donald F. Davidson Pharmacy Practice Laboratory of Fitch Hall in 2017. Known as the Porter Clinical Skills Center, the reconfigured and expanded space provides greater flexibility for collaborative study of important skills as well as a simulation space including two hospital beds. The renovation aligns with industry trends and reflects Porter’s values as a pharmacist to provide better patient care.
“It is an honor to award Charlie Porter the 2020 Weaver Medal of Honor,” said Renae Chesnut, dean of the college of pharmacy and health sciences. “He has made a substantial impact on the pharmacy profession, his community, and our College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.”
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, we will distribute information regarding the details and logistics of the lecture at a later point in time. For more information on past recipients of the Weaver Medal of Honor, please visit the CPHS website.