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Leadership Profile
Barb Limburg-Mancini, BS Pharm, PharmD
What is your current leadership position for ICHP?I represent ICHP on the PTCB Certification Council, and this year I am President of the Council. Since the future of pharmacy relies on highly-qualified pharmacy technicians, we need to better educate technicians and assure competency through the national exam. By attending the PTCB meetings, it is interesting to realize all the individuals who work so hard behind the scenes to meet the goals and develop an excellent product.
What benefits do you see in being active in a professional association such as ICHP?
Besides the obvious benefit of networking with colleagues of similar interests and issues, ICHP provides the opportunity for professional growth, to give presentations and share current practice as a good stepping stone for interaction on local, state and national levels.
What initially motivated you to get involved with ICHP?
Other than being an ICHP member, my first active leadership position was as Chair of the Home Care Committee in the mid-1990s.
Where did you go to pharmacy school?
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) for both the Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy and the PharmD degree
Where have you trained or worked?
I spent the majority of my career in home care infusion therapy, but I have also worked in the acute care setting, have surveyed for the Joint Commission and have consulted for long term care facilities.
Describe your current area of practice and practice setting.
I am currently involved in the education and training of the college of pharmacy students at Chicago State University and pharmacy technicians at South Suburban College.
Is there an individual you admire or look up to, or a mentor that has influenced your career?
Tom Rout was the first pharmacist who hired me to work in home infusion for 1 to 2 days per week. I loved it so much, I gave up the acute care setting to focus on the nutritional support of home care patients. Tom Rout got me into home care, and Mary Ann Kliethermes is the single best clinician I have ever worked with.
What advice would you give to student pharmacists?
Become life-long learners because the pharmacy profession has changed greatly in my career, and it will do the same during your career.
Do you have any special interests or hobbies outside of work?
Downhill skiing is my first love. If I wasn't working, I would downhill ski every day. In the winter, I relax by doing crossword, Sudoku, and jigsaw puzzles, but I also love to read books (e.g., biographies, mysteries and good novels). In the summer, I love to work with the flowers.
Do you have a favorite restaurant or food?
My favorite restaurant is Acqua Al Due in Florence, Italy with all their amazing Italian food. They now have restaurants in San Diego and Washington DC. You must go there the next time you are in town. Try their pasta sampler (if you go with at least 3 others) and steak with the blueberry sauce; it sounds awful, but you will never forget it.
What is your favorite place to vacation?
I have enjoyed my many trips to Europe, but I would especially recommend Norway for its spectacular beauty. I loved the cruise and discovered my cell phone worked better 350 miles north of the Arctic Circle than it did at home! One of the most relaxing places I have enjoyed is the Shakespeare festival in Stratford, Ontario. The theater is the best in North America, and you can also sit there and watch the swans go by. I also like Steamboat Springs, Colorado. More Olympic athletes come from there than any other city in the world. That city has biking, kayaking, downhill skiing, cross country skiing, and golf – just to name a few. I have been to all 50 states and have visited 43 state capitals.
What are some of your most memorable pharmacy experiences?
I think essentially all my memorable moments were related directly to patient safety. The most rewarding experience was saving a baby’s life when I was a Joint Commission home care surveyor. The technician compounded a tenfold overdose which I saw, but the pharmacist didn’t catch. I have often wondered how that child is doing today. My first visit to a patient’s house as a home care pharmacist was to teach the patient’s mom how to compound an IVIG product (back in the days when all IVIG was powdered). I got there, and the whole dining room table was covered with dog hair. I took a deep breath and prayed that their tent at Yellowstone National Park was cleaner! I assisted many hospitals and home infusion companies with USP <797> compliance and clean room design. This has the potential for safer care for thousands of patients. Lastly, a student told me recently, “I learned more from you, Dr. Limburg, than any other teacher in my life.”
