IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Board of Directors has honored Apexus president Chris A. Hatwig, M.S., R.Ph., FASHP, with a Distinguished Leadership Award for excellence in pharmacy practice leadership in acute and ambulatory care settings. ASHP recognized Mr. Hatwig as one of the nation’s foremost experts on the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and for having an exceptional record of national prominence leading innovative and progressive pharmacy services in acute and ambulatory care settings.
“I am humbled and honored by this recognition,” Mr. Hatwig said. “I am fortunate to have been part of progressive organizations throughout my career. At Parkland Hospital, I was there at a time when expansion of ambulatory clinical pharmacy services was a priority as part of their safety net mission and I had the opportunity to work with a great team and learn from some of the best thought leaders in pharmacy. Today, at Apexus we have a dedicated team of 340B experts that provide innovative and transparent solutions to our nation’s network of safety net care providers and other 340B stakeholders.”
Mr. Hatwig has served as the leader of Apexus since 2004. Apexus is best known for its role as Health Resources and Services Administration’s contracted 340B Prime Vendor, serving all 340B stakeholders. Apexus recently expanded its service offerings to include Acentrus, a specialty pharmacy solution for health systems. Throughout his career, Mr. Hatwig has been committed to developing and implementing solutions to improve efficient access to affordable medications for health systems and the patients they serve.
Prior to joining Apexus, Mr. Hatwig was the director of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services and Value Analysis Programs at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas. He practiced for 13 years, managing one of the nation’s largest and most progressive safety net ambulatory pharmacy programs. He was responsible for managing Parkland’s network of ambulatory pharmacies, which processed more than two million prescriptions annually and operated with a drug expense budget of $65 million ($85 million, adjusted for inflation).
Mr. Hatwig received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Arkansas. He completed residencies in hospital pharmacy and hospital pharmacy administration at the University of Wisconsin, earning a Master’s of Science degree in hospital pharmacy.
Mr. Hatwig will be presented with the award during the Opening Session of the ASHP 53rd Midyear Clinical Meeting on December 3, 2018 in Anaheim, CA.
About ASHP
ASHP represents pharmacists who serve as patient care providers in acute and ambulatory settings. The organization’s 45,000 members include pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. For more than 75 years, ASHP has been at the forefront of efforts to improve medication use and enhance patient safety. For more information about the wide array of ASHP activities and the many ways in which pharmacists advance healthcare, visit ASHP’s website, www.ashp.org, or its consumer website, www.SafeMedication.com.
About Apexus
Apexus is a national leader in creating reliable health care solutions by enhancing access to medications and improving patient care. We achieve these outcomes through innovative ambulatory pharmacy solutions and support of compliant 340B programs. In addition to serving as the HRSA-designated Prime Vendor for the 340B Drug Pricing Program, Apexus offers professional training and validation through its Advanced 340B Operations Certificate Program, and Acentrus, a health system-centered solution for local, integrated specialty pharmacy care. Our values are integrity, knowledge, innovation, responsiveness and collaboration.
[Editor’s Note: A high-resolution photo of Mr. Hatwig is available here. Photo courtesy: Apexus]
