Amy Pittenger, PharmD, MS, PhD
Interim Dean, College of Pharmacy and Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems
Contact
Email
Office Phone
Office Address
7-159B Weaver-Densford Hall
Minneapolis, MN 55455
United States
Titles
Interim Dean, College of Pharmacy and Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems
Director: Interprofessional Integrative Mental Health Focus Area, College of Pharmacy
Education
Doctor of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
Doctor of Philosophy Curriculum & Instruction, Learning Technologies, University of Minnesota, College of Education & Human Development
Master of Science Clinical Scientist Program University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy
Bachelor of Science, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
Biography
Bio
Amy Pittenger completed her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1992 and her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 1993 at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. After graduation, she continued her training at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in the Clinical Scientist Program, where she received a Master of Science degree in Clinical Science. Following the completion of this training, Dr. Pittenger joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh, in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Dr. Pittenger returned to Minnesota to accept a position in the Scientific and Medical Affairs Division of Parke-Davis as a Medical Liaison. In 2000, Dr. Pittenger joined DaVita Clinical Research as a Clinical Scientist. In this position, she was involved in the development and coordination of Phase I-IV clinical trials. Dr. Pittenger then took a position with Upsher-Smith Laboratories, a local Minnesota pharmaceutical company that was interested in changing the technical training program for its sales representatives. In this new role, Dr. Pittenger was able to combine her previous academic, industry and research experience to developing new strategies for training sales representatives on topics such as physiology and disease state, pharmacology and clinical research evaluation.
Dr. Pittenger joined the University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy in April 2005. In her position as Associate Director, she was responsible for developing and implementing new online courses for undergraduate, graduate, and health professional students. In this role, she was successful in developing innovative educational strategies that have been presented at international educational meetings and published in top tier educational journals. She also holds a faculty appointment of Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems.
In 2011, Dr. Pittenger earned a PhD from the College of Education and Human Development, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Learning Technologies Program. Her dissertation title was “Exploring the use of a Social Network to Facilitate and Integrate Long-Term Interprofessional Educational Experiences”. Her research interests include educational research, specifically evaluating the use of language via digital and collaborative virtual spaces as a teaching and assessment tool and interprofessional education.
Dr. Pittenger’s pharmacy career has included many diverse settings, including basic and clinical research, practice in the critical care setting and with underserved populations, pharmaceutical industry, and academia – specifically distance education/online teaching and now interprofessional education.
Awards & Recognition
2022 The Vickie R. Courtney Award for Outstanding Service to University Senate Governance
2022 Academy of Distinguished Teachers, Graduate and Professional Education Award
2020 President’s Award for Outstanding Service University of Minnesota
2015 Nominated and accepted as lifetime member into the Academy of Excellence for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, University of Minnesota Academic Health Center
2014 Accepted as Full Member Wulling Center for Innovation and Scholarship in Pharmacy Education
2013 Nominated and Elected Academic Leadership Fellow Program, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (1 year program)
2012 Nominated and Elected Program Chair, American Educational Research Association, Computer and Internet Applications in Education Special Interest Group (2 year term)
2012 Finalist for Horace T. Morse University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education
2011 Manuscript Reviewer Acknowledgement – Voted by fellow reviewers to have reviews that are in the top 15% of quality feedback (JMCP)
2010 Teaching Excellence Award Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems
2009 Teaching Excellence Award Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems
2008 Teaching Excellence Award Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems
2008 Elected member of Pi Lambda Theta – International Honor Society and Professional Association in Education
2008 Elected member Women’s Leadership Institute, University of Minnesota
Professional Associations
Educational Consultant National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education
American Educational Research Association (AERA): 2007-present
Member-Computers and Internet Applications in Education Special Interest Group (2007-present)
Elected Program Chair – Computers and Internet Applications in Education Special Interest Group (2012-2014)
Ex Officio Member – Computers and Internet Applications in Education Special Interest Group (2015 – present)
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP): 2005-present
Teaching Excellence Task Force (2008-2010)
Academic Affairs Committee-member (2015-2016)
Script Your Future Faculty
Research Interests
Mixed-methods and qualitative methods Distance Education Interprofessional Education
Teaching
Courses
Current Teaching - HSEM 2724: The Sex Talk You Should Have Had Phar 6907: Interprofessional Collaborative Practice in HIV Care Phar 6902: Foundations for Integrative Mental Health and Psychiatric Practice Phar 6903: Assessment and Management of Psychiatric Disorders - Co-Director Phar 6907: Interprofessional Collaborative Practice in HIV Care
Publications
Floren, L.C., Pittenger, A.L.*, Wilting, I., Irby, D.M., ten Cate, O. (2023). Medical Residents’ Informal Learning from Pharmacists in the Clinical Workplace. Medical Science Educator, 33(3): 701-710.
Allen, J.D., Zhang, L., Johnson, A.N.K., Jacobson, P.A., McCarty, C.A., Pittenger, A.L.*, Bishop, J.R. (2022). Development and validation of the Minnesota Assessment of Pharmacogenomic Literacy. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 12, 1398, 1-13.
Floren, L., Pittenger, A.*, ten Cate, O., Irby, D.M. (2022). Preliminary Evidence for a Tool to Observe the Construction of Knowledge in Interprofessional Team (TOCK-IP). Journal of Interprofessional Care, DOI: 10.1080/13561820.2022.2070143
Allen, J.D., Pittenger, A.L*., Bishop, J.R. (2022). A scoping review of attitudes and experiences with pharmacogenomic testing among patients and the general public: Implications for patient counseling. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 12(425), 1-21.
Floren, L., Pittenger, A.*, ten Cate, O., Irby, D.M. (2022). Preliminary Evidence for a Tool to Observe the Construction of Knowledge in Interprofessional Team (TOCK-IP). Journal of Interprofessional Care, DOI: 10.1080/13561820.2022.2070143
Allen, J.D., Pittenger, A.L*., Bishop, J.R. (2022). A scoping review of attitudes and experiences with pharmacogenomic testing among patients and the general public: Implications for patient counseling. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 12(425), 1-21.
Moon, J., Lounsbery, J., Pittenger, A.* (2022). Addressing practical challenges with entrustable professional activities in ambulatory care experiential education. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 14(2), 200-207.
Lounsbery, J., Reidt, S., Pittenger, A.* (2020). Motivational design to grab attention, establish relevance, build confidence, and achieve satisfaction about evidence-based medicine for pharmacists. Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, 3 (3), 639-644.
Moon, J., Lounsbery, J., Schweiss, S. Pittenger, A.* (2020). Mapping the postgraduate year-one pharmacy accreditation standards to the core entrustable professional activities. Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, 3, 81-86.
Peterson, B.*, Pittenger, A.L.*, Kaas, M., Lounsbery, J. (2019). Partnering for a Sustainable Interprofessional PMHNP Education Curriculum. Journal of Nursing Education, 58(12), 723-727.
Pittenger, A.L.*, Dimitropoulos, E.**, Foag, J.**Bishop, D., Panizza, S., Bishop, J.R. (2019). Closing the Theory to Practice Gap by Simulating Psychiatric APPE in the Classroom. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 82(10), Article 7276.
Pittenger, A.L.*, Goodread, B., Nicol, M., Durgin, E.**, Eveland, L.**, Kaiser, R., Benbenek, M., Benson, N., Rybicki, S. (2019). Interprofessional Education in HIV Care Elective Course. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education,83(10), Article 7402.
Pittenger, A.L.*, Gleason, B.L., Haines, S.T., Neely, S., Medina, M.S. (2019). Pharmacy Student Perceptions of the Entrustable Professional Activities. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 83(9), 1974-1982.
Ng, S.**, Jones, R.B., Schwartzwald, L., Murugappan, M., Pittenger, A., Edwards, K., Seifert, R. (2019). Innovative Partnership Between a Rural Mental Health Center and Community Pharmacy: Integration of a Mental Health Pharmacist. INNOVATIONS in pharmacy, 10(2), Article 17.
Sick, B., Hager, K., Uden, D., Friedrich, C., Mead Kim, H., Branch-Mays, G., Pittenger, A.* (2019). Using a Guided Reflection Tool and Debriefing Session to Learn from Interprofessional Team Interactions in Clinical Settings. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice,14: 1-72.
Cox, S., Pittenger, A., Lauzon, L., Erickson, L. Hitting the Mark in Sex and Gender: Developing Multiprofessional Achieveable Required Knowledge. (2018). Sex and Gender Health Education Summit Program Proceedings, 1: 21-23.
Sick, B., Radosevich, D., Pittenger, A., Brandt, B. (2018). Development and validation of a tool to assess the readiness of a clinical teaching site for interprofessional education (InSITE). Journal of Interprofessional Care, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30739518
Rojanasarot, S.**, Milone, A., Balestrieri, R., & Pittenger, A.L.* (2018). Personalized learning in an online Drugs and US Healthcare System controversies course. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 82(8), Article 6391.
Moon, J.Y., Lounsbery, J.L., Schweiss, S., Pittenger, A.L.* (2018). Preceptor and Resident Perceptions of Entrustable Professional Activities for Postgraduate Pharmacy Training. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 12:1594-1599.
Haines, S.T., Pittenger, A.L., Gleason, B., Medina, M., Neely S. (2018). Validation of the Entrustable Professional Activities for New Pharmacy Graduates. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 75, e661-8.
Tang, S.**, Smith, J.**., Lau, W.**, Tse, I.**, Tan, C.**, Cotten, R.**, & Pittenger, A.L.* (2017). Managed care peer-led teaching: An innovative learning approach outside the College of Pharmacy core curriculum. Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy, 23(7).
Grants
University of Minnesota Grants
“One Health Student Club Project”, Carolyn Garcia, PI (collaborative effort between Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, Public Health, and Pharmacy)
1/13-12/13, Institute on the Environment grant funding. $2000
“Diabetes Experience: An opportunity for interprofessional learning around diabetes.” Sarah Westberg, Amy Pittenger, Mary Rowan, Sarah Schweiss
2011-2012 University of Minnesota Academic Health Center Phase II 1Health Grant
Funding: $20,987
“Digital writing in a doctoral level pharmacotherapy course for physical therapy students.” Amy L. Pittenger.
6/09- 12/09, University of Minnesota Center for Writing Grant funding. $5000
“Designing and Evaluating Dietary Supplement Patient Care Simulations for Eight Distinct Student Groups on Three Campuses” Kristin K. Janke, Amy L. Pittenger, Melissa A. Bumgardner
2006-2007 University of Minnesota Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) Grant funding. $8,600
Non-University of Minnesota Grants
“Integrating MTM Provided by Community Pharmacists into a Community-based ACO”. Brian Isetts, PI, 8/14-8/15, Community Pharmacy Foundation. $87,966; 3% salary offset
Rural Health Workforce Development. Amy Pittenger, PI, 9/13-8/14, Health Resources and Services Administration. $27, 388; 20% salary offset
“Advanced Nursing Education Program for Addressing Health Care Needs of People with Multiple Chronic Conditions within Interprofessional Education Model”, Merrie Kaas, PI, Amy Pittenger National Center for IPE liaison and educational design consultant.9/13 – 9/16, Health Resources and Services Administration. 1,052,875 total, approximately $350,000/year for three years; 5% salary offset 2013, 10% salary offset 2014-2016.
National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, Barbara Brandt, PI, Amy Pittenger lead of Minnesota Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice network within National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education from 10/12-1/14
10/12-10/17, Health Resources and Services Administration. $800,000/year for five years
Finalist, but unfunded “Health Teams” – virtual badging for interprofessional education credentialing and motivation. Amy Pittenger, PI – co-investigators Jude Higdon and Barbara Brandt. 3/12, MacArthur Foundation. $200,000
"Assuring Quality and Diversity in Advance Practice Nursing" Catherine Juve, PI
9/11 – 9/12, Health Resources and Services Administration. $800,000; 3% salary offset
“Advancing Medication Therapy Management Services: Creating increased
awareness and utilization of MTMS CPT billing codes” Sarah M. Westerberg, PI, Amy L. Pittenger
2/09 – 7/09, Pharmacist Services Technical Advisory grant funding. $25,000