Clinical Associate Professor, Mercer University College of Pharmacy
Dr. Maria Thurston graduated with honors from the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. She completed a PGY-1 residency with the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and a PGY-2 ambulatory care residency with the University of Georgia/Charlie Norwood VAMC, where she also obtained a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy. Dr. Thurston is currently serving as a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice with Mercer University College of Pharmacy in Atlanta Georgia, where she coordinates the Self-Care course and teaches various didactic lectures within the curriculum. She is also a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist who actively practices as a clinical pharmacy specialist in ambulatory care in an interdisciplinary internal medicine clinic with Emory University’s Seavey Clinic. There, she provides direct patient care and precepts both pharmacy students and residents. She serves on committees and in leadership roles for multiple regional and national pharmacy organizations and is a peer reviewer for scholarly journals, including serving as an editorial board member for the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. Dr. Thurston is a Fellow of the Georgia Society of Health System Pharmacists (GSHP) and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). Additionally, she has received multiple awards in recognition of her excellence in service, teaching, and scholarship, including the 2021 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Award for Scholarship in Continuing Professional Development, the 2018 AACP Award for Excellence in Assessment, and the 2017 ACCP New Educator Award. Her regional and national peer-reviewed publications are extensive and focus on topics relevant to primary care practice and pharmacy education. She has research and grants in the areas of transitions of care, medication adherence, health literacy, patient education, diabetes, heart failure, COPD, interprofessional education, professional development, and well-being.
