Pharmacy Biographies

Catherine Cone, PharmD, BCPS  is the resident and student director at the New Mexico VA Health Care System.  She manages both the PGY1 (Pharmacy Practice) and PGY2 (Primary Care Specialty) residency programs.  She is also a primary care clinical specialist.  In the primary care clinics, she has prescriptive authority to manage chronic disease states such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hypo and hyperthyroidism, diabetes and chronic heart failure.  Additionally, Catherine helps patients with smoking cessation and medication management.

Nina Desai Resch, PharmD, PhC is a primary care clinical pharmacist who works in the general medicine and HIV clinic.  She has been in this position at the NMVAHCS since 1997.  The primary care clinical pharmacists have prescriptive authority and manage chronic disease states such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes.  They also participate in smoking cessation programs and medication management.  She graduated from the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy in 1996 and then completed her residency at the NMVAHCS in June 1997.  Dr. Resch is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the UNM College of Pharmacy.

David Pacheco, RPh, PA-C  is a clinical pharmacist at the New Mexico VA Health Care System specializing in the treatment of chronic pain.  His primary responsibilities include assessing chronic pain conditions and executing treatments which incorporate opioid and non-opioid medications. He is also a licensed Physician Assistant which allows for extensive physical assessment duties with full prescriptive privileges and imaging authority. 

Jessica Lowry, PharmD, is a clinical pharmacist at the New Mexico VA Health Care System that specializes in primary care and formulary management.  She completed a pharmacy practice and primary care residency at the New Mexico VA Health Care System, and continues to work in various areas in primary care, including the pharmacy and anticoagulation clinics.  She is also secretary of the Pharmacy &Therapeutics Committee, and works closely with the pharmacy administration team on an assortment of formulary issues.  

Cynthia A. Smith, PharmD, PhC is a clinical pharmacist who works in the Long Term Care and Home Base Primary Care Programs at the NMVAHCS.  She works closely with an interdisciplinary team to provide optimal pharmaceutical care.  She graduated from the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 1997 with a BS in Pharmacy; she received her PharmD in 1999 from UNM and then completed a general practice residency at the NMVAHCS in 1999.  Dr. Smith is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the UNM College of Pharmacy.

Madeline King, PharmD, PhC is an inpatient clinical pharmacist specializing in critical care. She attends rounds with the critical care team, makes pharmacotherapeutic recommendations and provides drug information. The inpatient clinical pharmacists work closely with doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals to provide optimal pharmaceutical care. She graduated from the University of New Mexico (UNM) College of Pharmacy in 2002 and completed a general pharmacy practice residency at the NMVAHCS in June 2003. Madeline is also a Clinical Assistant Professor and member of the Admissions Committee at the UNM College of Pharmacy.

Margaret J. Wood, MS, RPh is the NMVAHCS clinical pharmacist who works in the Spinal Cord Injury Unit and wound clinic.  She has been in at the NMVAHCS since 1994.  She graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, received her Masters in Hospital Pharmacy Management at the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy in 1995 and then completed her residency at the NMVAHCS in June 1995.  She has prescriptive authority for Spinal Cord Injury disease states, all ostomy, urinary, tracheotomy and wound care supplies. Mrs. Wood is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the UNM College of Pharmacy.

Daniel M. Park, PharmD is a clinical pharmacist specializing in anticoagulation.  The NMVAHCS anticoagulation clinic manages warfarin regimens, as well as handling LMWH dosing for peri-procedures.  Clinical pharmacists in anticoagulation also provide education for patients, family, and other health care professionals.

Ann D. Nawarskas, PharmD, CDE, PA is one of the primary care area clinical pharmacists and specializes in anticoagulation and diabetes management.  Anticoagulation management involves prescriptive privileges for warfarin and LMWH, warfarin and LMWH dosing, handling peri-procedures, and educating patients, their families/caregivers, and other health care professionals.  Diabetes management encompasses drug initiation and adjustments for type 1 and 2 diabetic, lifestyle and dietary modifications, targeting other disease states in cardiac risk reduction, and diabetic education.

Pamela McCoy, PharmD graduated from Nova Southeastern University located in Ft Lauderdale, FL and did her residency in Pharmacy Practice at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in Bay Pines, FL. She currently works at the New Mexico VA Health Care System as the pharmacist on the surgery ward. Her job includes monitoring all surgery patients for appropriateness of medications, their indications, and dosage. Part of her job includes interaction with medical staff and patients.

Justina M. Vigil, B.Pharm, Pharm.D. candidate, PhC candidate, is a primary care clinical pharmacist.  She has 15 years of service at the NMVAHCS and had been involved in the initial development of the pharmacist managed primary care clinics.  She wrote the first guidelines granting the clinic pharmacists prescriptive authority.  In additional to helping manage chronic disease states, she also works closely with the diabetic educators and is responsible for the formulary management of multiple diabetes medications.  She graduated from the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy in 1991 and then completed her residency at the NMVAHCS in June of 1992.  She is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the UNM College of Pharmacy.

Laurence Lavezo, PharmD, is a primary care clinical pharmacist who works in the general medicine clinics.  He has worked at the VAMC since 1990 in various positions including staff pharmacist, supervisor and clinical pharmacist.  He has been working in the primary care clinics since 1997.  The primary care clinical pharmacists have prescriptive authority and manage chronic disease states such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes.  They participate in smoking cessation programs and medication management.  He graduated from the University of the Pacific College of Pharmacy in 1989 and then completed his residency at the University of California Davis Medical Center in June, 1990.  Laurence Lavezo is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the UNM College of Pharmacy.

Dean Waring, RPh  is a clinical pharmacist specializing in hematology/oncology service. His primary responsibilities, in addition to chemotherapy issues, encompass the management of cancer related pain, cancer associated anemia, and adverse side effects from chemotherapy. He has full prescriptive authority in oncology supportive care and represents the NMVAHCS on the Human Research Review Committee.

Tara Arriola, PharmD, is an inpatient clinical pharmacist at the New Mexico VA Health Care Systems (NMVAHCS).   She is just starting her career and will be attending rounds with one of the general medicine teams.  Her role on the medical team is to advise providers on appropriate drug therapy for a variety of disease states, answer drug information questions, and consult on non-formulary drug requests.  She graduated from the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy in 2006 and completed her residency in June 2007 at NMVAHCS.

Jeff Fisher, PharmD, BCPS is an inpatient clinical pharmacist specializing in general medicine and cardiology. He attends rounds with the medicine team, makes pharmacotherapeutic recommendations and provides drug information. The inpatient clinical pharmacists work closely with doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals to provide optimal pharmaceutical care. He graduated from the University of New Mexico (UNM) College of Pharmacy in 1977 with a B.S. in pharmacy; he received his PharmD in 2001 from UNM. He received his BCPS in pharmacotherapy in 2003. Jeff is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the UNM College of Pharmacy.