Vicki Schmidt earns pharmacy school's top honor

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Pharmacy will present its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, to Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt on Friday, April 26, at the School of Pharmacy building in Lawrence.

Schmidt, a 1978 graduate of KU's pharmacy school, was a member of the Kansas Senate (District 20) from 2005-2019 and served as assistant majority leader from 2009 to 2012. Vicki was as the state's insurance commissioner in 2018, making her the only pharmacist in the U.S. to currently hold a statewide elected office.

The University of Kansas School of Pharmacy Distinguished Service Award honors individuals who have demonstrated selfless and sustained service and leadership in advancement of the profession, their communities and the KU pharmacy school.  

Schmidt was instrumental in helping the school gain funding to move into a new building in 2010 and expand the Pharm.D. program to Wichita in 2011. As a working pharmacist and a state legislator, she offered unique insight into the crisis the state of Kansas was facing at the time with an inadequate number of pharmacists in rural parts of the state. School of Pharmacy Dean Ken Audus said committee members made an excellent choice when they selected Schmidt to receive the school’s highest honor.

“Vicki Schmidt has been a tireless supporter of education and the pharmacy profession throughout her career,” Audus said. “The advocacy she has provided for the school, the university and education in general will improve the lives of Kansans for generations to come.”