BOARD OF DIRECTORS' BIOGRAPHIES

Walter Cathey, PharmD

Dr. Cathey is President and Chief Executive Officer of ICP and through his activities leads the charge to advance the pharmacy profession through implementation of various quality initiatives, development of higher standards for credentialing, and application of advanced technologies for the collection and verification of pharmacy credentialing data.

Dr. Cathey's professional experience includes more than 40 years in health care serving in managed care positions as well as owning and operating community pharmacies. His previous positions include: serving as Chairman of the Board for a Prepaid Health Plan, Director of Social Program Policy in the Health and Human Sciences Division of an R & D firm, Senior Vice President for Government Programs for a Health Management firm.

Dr. Cathey holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy. His professional affiliations include local, state, and national organizations. Dr Cathey serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Pharmacy, he also serves a preceptor for the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy and is a member of the several support groups for USC.


David Breslow, PharmD

Dr. Breslow serves as Secretary for ICP Board of Directors and has served as Executive Director for United Pharmacists Network, Inc. (UPNI) since its founding in 1995. He also serves as the Senior Vice President of the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), a position he has held since January 2002.

Dr. Breslow's past experience includes serving as founding partner of SML Pharmacy Consulting Group and owning and operating several community pharmacies.

Dr. Breslow holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Occidental College. He is a Director and past President of QSAD Centurion, a member of the Board of Councilors of the USC School of Pharmacy and a member of USC Associates. In 2001, Dr. Breslow was honored by the USC School of Pharmacy as the Outstanding Alumnus and by the California Pharmacists Association as the outstanding Pharmacist of the year in 2005.


Joel Hoffman, PharmD

Although retired, Dr. Hoffman remains involved in pharmacy activities. He holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, where he held various student leadership positions, including Pharmacy School Student Body President. He also was a member of the student honor society.

Dr. Hoffman has owned and operated his own community pharmacy, and has held membership and leadership roles in several local, state and national pharmacy organizations. In 1990, Dr. Hoffman was honored by the USC School of Pharmacy as the Outstanding Alumnus.

Dr. Hoffman held various positions with G.D. Searle and Company, rising through the ranks to become National Director of Pharmacy Affairs and State Health Services. Dr. Hoffman's responsibilities included interfacing with all state, regional and national pharmacy associations, all colleges and schools of pharmacy and all state health services such as Medicaid and Drug Utilization Review Committees. Upon early retirement from Searle he accepted a position with McKesson and subsequently with Bergen Brunswig Drug Company, in both cases as Director of Managed Care.


Melvin F. Baron, PharmD, MPA

Dr. Baron serves on the Board of ICP, is Assistant Dean for Programmatic Advancement and Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree and Masters in Public Administration degree, both from USC. He was in private practice for 20 years and developed a unique home health care center providing infusion therapy, durable medical equipment, respiratory, ostomy and incontinence care.

Dr. Baron joined the USC School of Pharmacy faculty on a part-time basis in 1981 and became a full-time faculty member in 1990. He is Director of the Level I Externship program, in which first-year pharmacy students gain clinical experience in hospital and community pharmacies. Dr. Baron teaches the Pharmacy Administration Clerkship for fourth-year students and is also Director of the joint PharmD/MBA Program at USC. His research projects include the implementation and expansion of clinical pharmacy services in community clinics and the development of educational tools that emphasize the importance of increasing dietary folic acid in the Latino population.

Dr. Baron is a Consulting Pharmacist for several community health clinics that serve indigent patients in Los Angeles County. He is active in the Medicine for People in Need (MedPin) program, a California-based initiative to improve indigent patients' access to affordable medications. Dr. Baron is also President of PharmaCom, a pharmaceutical communications company.


John Bruce, PharmD

Dr. Bruce is a new member to the ICP Board and he brings distinguishing credentials, He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy.

Dr. Bruce has received additional training in General Compounding Techniques, Veterinary Compounding, Respiratory Care, Nutrition and Weight Management.

Dr. Bruce serves as a National Advisor to Good Neighbor Pharmacy (GNP), serves on GNP National Speakers Panel and carries membership in a large number of National, State and Local Pharmacy Organizations.

Dr. Bruce is the Pharmacist/Owner of Cal-Med Pharmacy in Mission Viejo, California.