David T. Caron, Jr.

David's Story

David T. Caron received his Bachelor of Science in pharmacy degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in 1991. Dr. Caron was then awarded his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Caron has been recently appointed to the Section of Inpatient Care Practitioners’ (SICP) Advisory Group on Small and Rural Hospitals (SRH). He is happy to share his experiences with folks throughout the country who share the same work experience and vision for small and rural hospitals. He has also presented several posters over the years at the Midyear Clinical Meeting.

Overview of Facility/Health System

Martha's Vineyard Hospital is a critical access hospital located off the Massachusetts coast, on the island of Martha's Vineyard. It is only accessible by ferry service. Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is a member of Partners HealthCare and an affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital. Pharmacists are involved in many aspects of the continuum of care including inpatient dosing programs, team consultation and oncology services. Because of the population swell in summer months, from 17,000 year round residents to over 100,000, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital has a robust emergency room and outpatient infusion business.

Significant Projects

From a hospital-wide perspective, our team has been working diligently on Antibiotic Stewardship efforts. We have engaged our internal core group, reached out to the community, established protocols and developed promotional items. Our efforts will be highlighted as a poster in this year's ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in Orlando, Florida. On a personal note, I am happy to be involved in the expert advisory panel for ISMP’s medication safety initiative for the acute care setting called the ISMP Targeted Medication Safety Best Practices for Hospitals (TMSBP).

Initial Involvement in ASHP

"I think it's important to help advance the profession. Networking, access to resources, and professional growth are also some of the reasons it's important to be part of ASHP."

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

"See things through. It's easy to get bogged down with projects in a rural facility, mostly because you end up doing all the work. There are not a lot of hands to go around, but in the end, it's worth it! I tell my kids every day, it's important to continue to advance. Lessons are always taught, some good and some bad, but having the courage to be innovative and move ahead is worth it in the long run."

Value of ASHP

"The value of ASHP is its people and its standards. Being involved allows each of us to have a voice in the future of the profession. We can help develop and influence standards - whether that is best practices, regulatory expectations, or legislative initiatives."