Anthony P. Morreale ’83, PharmD, MBA, CPEL, BCPS, FASHP was named the 2025 Pacific Pharmacy Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year. He will serve as the keynote speaker for Doctor of Pharmacy White Coat Ceremony on Saturday, September 6 at the Alex G. Spanos Center.

Waiting in silent anticipation as two full grown tigers approach a watering hole, two young cubs in tow.

Fine tuning a formulary, knowing a veteran’s well-being hangs in the balance.

Though worlds apart, wildlife photography and patient care advocacy demand the same core traits: patience, tenacity and the ability to anticipate direction. These qualities are found in Alumnus of the Year Anthony P. Morreale ’83, PharmD, MBA, CPEL, BCPS, FASHP.

“I see this recognition as a testament to the collaborations and successes of hundreds of my colleagues who worked closely with me in so many different settings over decades,” said Dr. Morreale, who, along with his wife, Suzanne Morreale ’85, PharmD, is a passionate wildlife photographer who has explored more than 135 countries.

His colleague, Helen K. Park ’99, PharmD, BCPS, FCPHA, FCSHP, shared: 

“Over the past several decades, Dr. Morreale has made tremendous contributions to the profession of pharmacy and has been instrumental in advancing pharmacy practice in multiple practice settings. After meeting Dr. Morreale, it is hard to walk away without feeling motivated and excited about the pharmacy profession. Those of us who have benefited from his mentorship can attest that his energy is infectious, his dedication to pharmacy is admirable and his ability to move pharmacy forward is aspirational.”

Dr. Morreale served in various clinical and leadership roles at the VA San Diego Healthcare System from 1985 until 2010, when he was selected to create the Clinical Pharmacy Practice Office for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., where he served until his retirement in late 2024.

His efforts to utilize pharmacists have expanded health care access for veterans nationwide. In 2016, a transformative $120 million grant from the Veterans Health Administration Office of Rural Health (ORH) added 175 advanced practice pharmacists to health care teams throughout the VA, placing medication experts in prime positions to provide expertise for veterans with pain management or mental health needs. In 2019, a $25 million grant from ORH expanded clinical pharmacy services for substance abuse disorders. He and his team also established the VA’s first centralized anticoagulation hub, and four years later secured $10 million to expand nationwide.

Another significant contribution was his role in the spread of pharmacoeconomics and the creation of a national formulary system. Prior to its implementation, each of the roughly 150 sites had their own formulary, often formed without assessments of cost effectiveness or benefit. Standardizing the formulary process helped ensure all veterans had access to high quality treatments. Beyond dramatically improving patient outcomes and equity, the initiative generated substantial cost savings.

He and his team received the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Best Practice Award in 2008 and 2024. Dr. Morreale has been recognized as a Fellow and Certified Pharmacy Executive Leader by the ASHP. His notable honors include American Pharmacists Association Distinguished Federal Pharmacist in 2018 and ASHP Board of Directors Award for Excellence in 2020.

The Morreales recently established the Powell-matched Anthony and Suzanne Morreale Endowed Scholarship for Advancing Clinical Pharmacy and Veteran Care.

“Pacific has been a great role model for promoting clinical pharmacy, which both Suzanne and I have spent the majority of our careers practicing and advocating,” he said. “Pacific is and always has been one of the premier pharmacy schools in the country, and we’re proud to call it our alma mater.”