Speaking Up, Standing Out

Pharm.D. Candidate Ariana Moorer is Using her Voice to Move Pharmacy Forward

探花视频 College of Pharmacy (UHCOP) Pharm.D. candidate Ariana Moorer鈥檚 interest in pharmacy started early, inspired by her best friend鈥檚 mom, who built her own pharmacy business. In high school, she enrolled in a certification program, earned her pharmacy technician license, and by 18, was working at Walgreens.

She later attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, where she joined the university鈥檚 cooperative program with UHCOP. The early admission pathway allowed her to complete her undergraduate degree and transfer into the college鈥檚 Pharm.D. program ahead of schedule.

鈥淲hat I was exposed to was just community pharmacy鈥攖hat鈥檚 all I knew at the time, and I loved it,鈥� said Moorer. 鈥淚 loved interacting with people, being a helping hand when they were at their worst. Whether a patient was in a good mood or not feeling their best, I could help them walk away with a smile.鈥�

Working at the front register taught her the pharmacist鈥檚 impact.

鈥淭hat was the appeal to me鈥攂eing the frontline worker helping patients,鈥� Moorer said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e so accessible in pharmacy, and sometimes people don鈥檛 have the means to see a doctor, so they come to their pharmacy. I loved being a resource for my community.鈥�

Moorer said that drive to care for others was instilled in her from an early age.

鈥淢y mom is the caretaker in our community鈥攕he was always stepping in to help neighbors, picking up kids from school, leaving work to be there for someone in need,鈥� Moorer said. 鈥淲atching her inspired me to continue in that caretaker role.鈥�

That commitment only grew stronger when Moorer became one of the many essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥淎ll day, it was just shot after shot,鈥� Moorer said. 鈥淭hat was my whole shift. It was very stressful, but I was proud to be helping protect people and educate them about the importance of vaccines.鈥�

She felt the impact of that care most clearly during her final shift at Walgreens, when several longtime customers showed up with gifts to congratulate her on graduating college.

鈥淕iving good care and service is part of the job, it wasn鈥檛 anything extra to me,鈥� Moorer said. 鈥淏ut they were so appreciative. Communities really do come together when you help one another. That moment made me feel like pharmacy is home鈥攖his is where I want to be.鈥�

Lasting Impact at Legacy

At Legacy Community Health, Moorer joined a small, growing clinical pharmacy specialist team focused on managing chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia.

鈥淥ur team was only three or four years old, so we were building the program from the ground up,鈥� Moorer said.

As one of the clinic鈥檚 first interns, she quickly noticed inefficiencies鈥攔edundant steps that made appointments feel rushed. Moorer proposed a standardized workflow to streamline operations.

鈥淚 noticed we were doing a lot of the same things twice,鈥� Moorer said. 鈥淚 sat down with my manager and said, 鈥楲et鈥檚 test a more efficient process for a couple of months. If it doesn鈥檛 work, we can scrap it.鈥欌��

The results were undeniable. Pharmacists were able to spend more time with patients, extending appointments from 10 to 15 minutes to a full 30 minutes. The added time improved the quality of care and helped boost the clinic鈥檚 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Star Ratings.

First Poster, First Win

Encouraged by the success of the workflow changes, Moorer pitched the idea of turning the project into a research poster for the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Annual Meeting.

鈥淚 had never done a poster before, but I thought, 鈥楲et鈥檚 just go for it,鈥欌�� Moorer said.

With support and guidance from her manager, Moorer led the project from idea to execution.

鈥淪he let me take creative freedom,鈥� Moorer said. 鈥淚 was able to just brain-dump everything onto the poster.鈥�

To her surprise, the poster not only received positive feedback鈥攊t also won an award.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting anything,鈥� Moorer said. 鈥淚 was very shocked to even receive recognition. It was my very first poster ever, and the work just spoke for itself.鈥�

Advocacy in Action

Moorer鈥檚 leadership extends beyond research and clinical care. She鈥檚 also been involved in pharmacy policy and advocacy, engaging directly with legislators to help represent the profession.

She participated in UH Day at the Capitol and traveled with the Texas Pharmacy Association (TPA) to Austin, where she spoke with lawmakers about such pharmacy-related issues as research funding and regulatory challenges.

鈥淎ny health care sector is going to be regulated, but pharmacy specifically is extremely regulated because of a lot of the fallouts that have happened within the last few years, like the opioid crisis,鈥� Moorer said.

Those experiences gave her a clearer understanding of the stakes.

鈥淩epresentatives don鈥檛 always know what鈥檚 going on at home base, and they鈥檙e voting on bills that could completely change how we practice,鈥� Moorer said. 

Bridging Biotech and Patient Care

With a foundation in community care and clinical service, Moorer is now setting her sights on the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, where she hopes to pursue a career in clinical development or medical affairs.

鈥淭hese companies are developing drugs, but they鈥檙e not always close to what鈥檚 happening with patients day to day,鈥� Moorer said. 鈥淚 want to bridge that gap.鈥�

To build that bridge, Moorer is completing a Longitudinal Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (LAPPE) with the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Health, where she鈥檒l complete five rotations within one health system. The extended format gives her the chance to develop stronger clinical skills and long-term relationships with preceptors and patients, while allowing her to build deeper connections and gain continuity in patient care.

鈥淚 love that I鈥檓 not just rotating in and out鈥擨鈥檓 building a network, I鈥檓 building a community, I鈥檓 building those professional relationships that will help me succeed as I continue on my journey,鈥� she said.

鈥� Lauren Nguyen