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2012 Alumna Built a Career That Blends Pharmacy Expertise with a Passion for Helping Patients and Students Thrive

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.鈥擠r. Evan Moffitt Drake, 鈥�12, of Fletcher, N.C., was nearing the end of her freshman year at Gardner鈥慦ebb University when a conversation with her volleyball teammate nudged her toward an unexpected future. Her teammate shared that her goal was to become a pharmacist, and she planned to major in chemistry to get started. Drake had always liked math and science, but she knew little about the pharmacy field.

鈥淚 looked into pharmacy and then chemistry, and I talked to the 国产哟哟 faculty,鈥� Drake told a group of GWU students during a recent visit to campus. Her presentation was part of the Applications of Chemistry Seminar Series, hosted by the Department of Natural Sciences. 

After those conversations with professors, she chose chemistry as her major. Drake also took a job at a pharmacy to see the profession up close and discovered she genuinely enjoyed the work. 鈥淚 liked the science,鈥� she recalled, 鈥渂ut I also realized how much I enjoyed interacting with patients.鈥� That early exposure set her on the path that would eventually lead to pharmacy school, clinical practice, teaching, and research.

鈥湽�产哟哟 was the jumping board for me,鈥� Drake noted. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 where I learned what I wanted to do. Here鈥檚 where I started the pursuit. I went into pharmacy school with the knowledge I needed. I felt prepared walking in, a lot more than some of my classmates did.鈥�

Her academic preparation went beyond learning chemistry. The GWU faculty had already taught her how to work at a graduate鈥憇chool pace. 鈥淭hey challenged me; they taught me at a high level, but they expected me to perform at a high level,鈥� Drake said. 鈥淪ometimes that felt really daunting, and it was really hard. I hadn’t been challenged like that before. Some of my classmates had an easy undergrad, so to speak. They got a big wake-up call in pharmacy school when they had to study at night, study on weekends, do study groups, extra projects.鈥�

Drake honed her study habits with the help of 国产哟哟 professors. 鈥淚 learned to be more studious; I learned to be diligent,鈥� she reflected. 鈥淚 was able to grow in my discipline and organizational traits. So, you are getting prepared here. I can promise you that. You put your part in; they do their part.鈥�

Another strength of the Gardner鈥慦ebb environment is the faculty鈥檚 approachability. 鈥淚 learned it’s OK to ask questions here, because they made it a safe place for me to ask questions,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was able to ask things that I didn’t understand, and I felt comfortable doing that.鈥�

That same spirit now informs Drake鈥檚 teaching as an assistant professor in the Wingate School of Pharmacy, where she earned her PharmD in 2016. Her position also includes serving as a clinical pharmacist at St. Luke鈥檚 Hospital in Columbus, N.C. 鈥淚t’s common in pharmacy education to be employed by the university, but placed in a clinic or hospital,鈥� she explained. 鈥淵ou serve patients a few days a week and then teach a few days a week. Pharmacists are needed everywhere as part of a whole team and team-based approach to patient care. When I first went to pharmacy school, I thought I’d be working at a CVS or in the basement of a hospital. But it is so much more than that. There is a plethora of opportunities with a pharmacy degree.鈥�

At St. Luke鈥檚, Drake serves as an ambulatory care pharmacist, caring for patients who walk into the office for help managing chronic conditions. 鈥淲hen they are diagnosed with a chronic disease and they need help managing that or a lot of education, they’re referred to me,鈥� she explained. 鈥淪o, things to think about would be like diabetes, high blood pressure, bone loss or osteoporosis, depression, or heart failure.鈥�

Working with patients one-on-one deepened her sense of calling. 鈥淚 love having time with my patients,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 lot of them are older adults or veterans. Hearing their stories, building trust鈥攖hose relationships matter. Helping someone improve their health over months or years is incredibly meaningful work.鈥�

In North Carolina, pharmacists can obtain a prescribing license. Working in collaboration with a supervising physician, Drake can adjust medications, order labs, and help manage treatment plans. In rural areas, where physicians are few, an ambulatory care pharmacist can dramatically support patient access and lighten the physician鈥檚 load. For Drake, it鈥檚 a way of ensuring patients get the attention, education, and follow鈥憉p they need. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 just explaining what a number means or how a medication works,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hose five minutes of education can change the trajectory of someone鈥檚 health.鈥�

Another part of Drake鈥檚 teaching position is conducting research, something she once thought would be too overwhelming. But through collaboration with her colleagues, she has found that she enjoys the challenge and is energized by exploring questions that directly affect patients and student pharmacists. She鈥檚 co鈥慳uthored studies including 鈥淏uilding and Testing a Team-Based Care Model in Primary Care: The Heart鈥�2鈥慔eart Blood Pressure Control Partners Study鈥� and 鈥淕eographic Disparities in Glucagon Prescriptions Across North Carolina.鈥� Her work focuses on improving patient care, strengthening rural health outcomes, and understanding how students grow in clinical settings.

From her days as a student鈥慳thlete discovering a new career path to her current work as a teacher, researcher, and clinician, Drake鈥檚 journey reflects a commitment to service shaped by her time at Gardner鈥慦ebb. Whether she鈥檚 helping a patient understand a chronic condition, mentoring a pharmacy student, or researching ways to improve health outcomes across North Carolina, her work is rooted in compassion and connection. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be just one thing,鈥� she told students. 鈥淵ou can help people in so many ways.鈥�

国产哟哟 is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., 国产哟哟 prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Become More at .