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Faculty Profile

thornton-douglas-2021.jpgJ. Douglas Thornton

Associate Professor
Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy
Director, The Prescription Drug Misuse Education and Research (PREMIER) Center

Office:
University of Houston College of Pharmacy
Health2, Room 9045
4349 Martin Luther King Boulevard
Houston, TX 77204-5047

Contact: jdthornt@central.uh.edu - 713-743-7358

Research:

Before joining UH College of Pharmacy, Dr. Thornton practiced as a board-certified, clinical pharmacist while completing his Ph.D. in Health Services and Outcomes Research at West Virginia University. Before finishing the Ph.D. in 2017, he graduated from the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy with a professional pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.) and completed a post-graduate year-1 pharmacy practice residency at Saint Mary's Medical Center in Huntington, W. Va., where he saw opioid abuse destroying lives and families first-hand. His research focuses on optimizing the management of pain and opioid use disorder though the effective use of medications and related health care services. Through his opioid-related research projects, he has worked with patients, pharmacists, law enforcement officers, and faculty as well as undergraduate, professional, and graduate students. He is currently working with multiple federal and state organizations to prevent prescription drug misuse in Texas and beyond.

  • Ph.D., Health Services and Outcomes Research, Department of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy, West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, Morgantown, WV
  • Certificate of Advanced Study in Healthcare Administration, Department of Public Administration, West Virginia University John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy & Politics, Morgantown, WV
  • PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, Saint Mary’s Medical Center, Huntington, WV
  • Pharm.D., Magna Cum Laude, West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, Morgantown, WV

Honors & Awards

  • Invited Keynote: "Colleagues in Research: Pharmacy Practice and Research Implications of COVID-19," 2021 American Pharmacist Association Annual Meeting
  • Lead Presenter: "Pharmacy-Level Access to Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder," 2021 National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit
  • Lead Presenter: "Searching for an Answer: Identifying Disparities by Analyzing Linked PDMP Query and Fill Data," 2020 National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit
  • Presenter: "Untangling the Web of Clinical Decision Making Using PDMPs: A Vignette-Based Learning Experience," 2020 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
  • Invited Research Presentation: "Disposal 365: Making Prescription Drug Takeback Day Every Day," White House Round Table Hosted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy
  • Teaching Excellence Award - 2020, University of Houston College of Pharmacy
  • Invited Grant Reviewer, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • Lead Presenter: "Establishing the Community Pharmacist's Role in Prescription Opioid Misuse Prevention," 2019 National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit
  • Excellence in Research - 2019, University of Houston College of Pharmacy
  • Invited Presenter: "Four Ways to Make you Feel Good about your Opioid Prescription," Texas Department of State Health Services Grand Rounds
  • Faculty Senator, Community and Government Relations Committee, University of Houston
  • Outstanding Reviewer, Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy
  • Registered Pharmacist, West Virginia Board of Pharmacy