Jasper W. Watkins III, M.S.A., RPh, NP, BCNP

He currently serves as the Bureau Chief for Statewide Pharmaceutical Services with the Florida Department of Health (DOH).  A native of Jacksonville Florida, Jasper (Jay) Watkins manages a budget in excess of $200 million and the provision of pharmaceutical services to all Florida Department of Health facilities.   He oversees the States’ Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, Florida Formulary system, assists in expansion of the States’ Pharmaceutical Stockpile Program, provides technical support for all areas of Pharmaceutical Services related to preparedness, and coordinates with the pharmacy managers of County Health Departments and DOH during times of disaster. Additionally, he is a member of Emergency Support Function #8 (Medical) and the bureaus liaison to Legislature and other outside persons regarding statewide pharmaceutical issues.  Recently retired (LTC) from the US Army after 25 years of services, Jay has worked in the Pentagon, Walter Reed Medical Center, the Office of Army Surgeon General, numerous army hospitals, and as director pharmacy services at Martin Army Community Hospital in Ft Benning, GA.  He received his Bachelors of Science Degree in Pharmacy from Florida A&M University and Masters of Science in Health Services Administration, from Central Michigan University.  He is Board Certified and Licensed in Nuclear Pharmacy and hold certificates in Physical Assessment in Patient Care Management and Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery.

He is the First African-American in the State of Florida and the Armed Forces to have completed an ASHP Certified Nuclear Pharmacy Residency Program and Fellowship in Medication-Use Safety.  He is credited with the Development, Testing and Implementation of Cold-Chain Management principles for shipping Anthrax vaccine and other biologicals, which is the standard recorded in the United States Pharmacopoeia. As the Medication-Use Safety coordinator within the Army’s Patient Safety Program, he was instrumental in the implementation of USP’s MedMarx Error reporting system, a $6.9M Micromedex Enterprise Licensure, and the $24M AMEDD Strategic Pharmacy Automation initiative within the Department of Defense’s Medical Health System.

            Mr. Watkins is the recipient of the prestigious AMEDD Award 9A (Excellence in Allied Health Care) and Order of Military Medical Merit along with many other military decorations and honors, the 1995 Pharmacist of the Year by the FAMU National Alumni Association, the ABHP Wendell T. Hill Award, and featured in Aetna’s African Heritage Calendar honoring Pharmacist for 2005.  He is an active member of several professional associations, including the Board of Directors for the Association of Black Health-System Pharmacist, American Society of Health-System Pharmacist, amongst others.