Drs. Moses and Sheryl Chow of Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Pharmacy recently made history by becoming the first father and daughter to receive Fellow status from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).

Sheryl Chow, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS (AQ Cardiology), assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, was inducted as a Fellow during the ACCP’s annual meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Oct. 16, 2011.

Her father, Moses Chow, PharmD, FCCP, director for the Center for Advancement of Drug Research and Evaluation and a professor of Pharmacy Practice, has been a Fellow since 1985.

“Becoming a fellow is a tremendous honor and represents a major milestone in my career,” said Sheryl, who joined WesternU in 2004. “I am truly humbled to be among others, like my father, who have moved the profession of pharmacy forward.”

Fellowship in the ACCP recognizes excellence in the practice and science of clinical pharmacy. Fellowship is awarded to individuals who have made sustained contributions to the ACCP and who have demonstrated exceptional performance in clinical pharmacy practice and/or research, according to the ACCP website.

As a student, Sheryl said she was influenced by her father, who led by example.

Moses says Sheryl became interested in pharmacy later in life while taking a class on drugs and society at Boston University. She transferred to the University of Connecticut, where she received her BS in Pharmacy in 1998.

Moses was in his last year of teaching at UConn when Sheryl graduated. He said he was privileged to hand his daughter her diploma.

Sheryl went on to get her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from State University of New York at Buffalo in 2000.

Moses was part of the inaugural group of pharmacists elected as Fellows in ACCP more than 27 years ago.

“It was an honor to be elected FCCP because it is special recognition from my peers,” Moses said.

Moses received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 1972 from the University of California, San Francisco. He has more than 30 years of experience in transitional research and clinical studies in the areas of cardiovascular pharmacotherapy and application of pharmacokinetics/pharmacogenomics. He joined WesternU in 2007.

Moses attended the annual meeting and witnessed his daughter being recognized, saying it was truly special because it was an historic moment.

College of Pharmacy professor James D. Scott, PharmD, MEd, who’s been a Fellow since 2010, and Dean Daniel Robinson, PharmD, also attended the annual meeting.

“This is indeed a unique accomplishment within ACCP’s history, and a testament to the accomplishments of Drs. Chow,” said Michael S. Maddux, PharmD, FCCP, executive director of ACCP. “Moses has been one of clinical pharmacy’s important pioneers, and Sheryl is a rising leader within the College. We look forward to their continued contributions to clinical pharmacy, and can only hope to be as well-served by future generations.”

There are 474 Fellows of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Twenty-nine Fellows were elected in 2011.