Giles is Tennessee Pharmacist of Year

Robert “Ned” Giles, Jr., of Chattanooga was recently recognized by the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) as the 2017 Tom C. Sharp Pharmacist of the Year.

The annual award named in the honor of TPA’s long-time chief executive is given in recognition of distinguished work in the profession of pharmacy and excellence in the areas of teaching, patient care, leadership, service delivery and advocacy for the profession.

Dr. Giles graduated from the University of Chattanooga, the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy and received his doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in 1974. Dr. Giles joined the faculty of the UT College of Pharmacy and initiated clinical pharmacy programs at Chattanooga’s new VA Outpatient Clinic. He later served as laboratory and pharmacy director at HCA Valley Hospital and served as a consultant for HCA Corporate.

He was the first full-time pharmacist hired by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST). Among his many roles with BCBST, he was responsible for managing the newly formed TennCare program’s pharmacy benefit and developed multiple drug formularies and clinical pharmacy programs for BCBST’s commercial and Medicare business.

Giles also served as a general pharmaceutical consultant and has been an adjunct professor of pharmacy and an instructor of nursing students for the University of Tennessee.