John Rovers, BS, PharmD, MIPH

Biography

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• APhA
• AACP
• IPHA
• IPA

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

• Iowa Public Health Association, Board of Trustees member 2022-Present
• Iowa Pharmacy Association Honorary President & Member Board of Trustees, 2018-2019
• APhA-APRS 2002-2011

UNIVERSITY SERVICE

• Member, Concentration in Global & Comparative Public Health

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Honorary President, Iowa Pharmacy Association 2018-2019
• Fellow of the American Pharmacists Association 2008
• Drake Honors Program Teacher of the Year 2007-2008
• Pharmacy Teacher of the Year Award, 2006-2007
• Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand. Best Research Poster Award. 2000
• American Pharmacists Association Quality Center. Pinnacle Award. 1999
• National Council on Patient Information and Education. Paul G. Rogers Medication Communicator’s Award. 1999
• Phi Lambda Sigma. 1996
• Iowa Pharmacists Association Appreciation Award. 1995
• Hoescht-Rousell Excellence in Clinical Pharmacy Award. 1987
• Rho Chi. Psi Chapter 1987

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 

To provide students with the tools to be agents of change in their professional lives.

EXPERIENCE

• Professor of Pharmacy & Health Sciences and John R. Ellis Distinguished Chair of Pharmacy Practice Drake University, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences 2008 – present
• Associate Professor with Tenure and Residency Program Director, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences 1999 – 2008
• Assistant  Professor, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences 1991-1999
• Lecturer, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 1988- 1991
• Community/Hospital Pharmacy Practice 1979-1991

Areas of Expertise

• Vaccine hesitancy
• Practice-based research
• International public health pharmacy

Research Projects in Progress:

• Men's Health in the Toledo District of Southern Belize
• Vaccine Hesitancy

Currently Accepting Student Researchers?   By invitation

Education

• BS University of Toronto
• PharmD, Massachusetts
• College of Pharmacy MIPH, University of Queensland
• Residency in Drug Information, University of Toronto
• Fellowship in Infectious Disease, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Courses Taught

• HSCI 144 – Introduction to Public Health
• HSCI 180 - Public Health Programming
• JBC 035 - Seminar in Media and Data Literacy

Selected Publications

Hergott M, Andreski M, Rovers J. Vaccine Hesitancy Among Health Paraprofessionals: A Mixed-Methods Study, PLOS One. 2025;20(1):doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312708 

Newman K, Alexander D, Rovers J. Sadness, Hopelessness and Suicide Attempts in Bullying: Data from the 2018 Iowa Youth Survey. PLOS One 2023;18(2):e0281106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281106

Rovers J, Ulrich E. Ethical decision-making: when cultures clash. In: Covvey JR, Arya V, Gilman N, Herring M, Lukas S, Ochs L, Waddington L, eds. Public health in pharmacy practice: a casebook. Genesco, NY: Open SUNY Textbooks; 2019.

Rovers J, Becker M, Andreski M, Grey J. Short-Term Experiences in Global Health: What is the Cost of Cultural Competence? Med Sci Educ. 2020;30:927-932.

Rovers JP, Andreski M, Becker MD, Grey J. Short-Term Medical Service Trips: What is the Cost of Patient Care and Student Training? Int Health. 2019; https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihz110.

Leeson W, Resnick A, Alexander A, Rovers J. Natural Language Processing (NLP) in Qualitative Public Health Research - A Proof of Concept Study. Int J Qual Methods. 2019;18:1-9.

Johnson KL, Alsharif NZ, Rovers J, Connor S, White ND, Hague MD. Current Recommendations in global/international short-term pharmacy service trips (PST). Am J Pharm Ed. 2017;81(2):Article 23 [online].

Rovers J, Mages M. A model for a drug distribution system in remote Australis as a social determinant of health using event structure analysis. BMC Health Services Research 2017;17(1):677 [online].

Kjos AL, Binh NT, Robertson C,Rovers J.  A drug procurement, storage and distribution model in public hospitals in a developing country. Res Soc Admin Pharm. 2016;12:371-383. 

Rovers J. , Japs K, Truong E, Shah Y. Motivations, barriers and ethical understandings of healthcare student volunteers on a medical service trip: a mixed methods study. BMC Med Educ. 2016; 16:94 [online]

Rovers J. Interview with the medicine man: a case study of a traditional Malian healer. INNOVATIONS in pharmacy. 2014;5(3):Article 177 [online]

Gitua J, Beck A, Rovers J. Quality and stability of artemether-lumefantrine stored under ambient conditions in rural Mali. Malaria J 2014;13:474 [online].

Rovers J, Andreski M, Gitua J, Bagayoko A, Devore J. Expanding the scope of medical mission volunteer groups to include a research component. Globalization and Health. 2014;10:7.

Rovers J, Hagel H. Self-assessment too for screening patients at risk for drug therapy problems. JAPhA 2012;52:646-652.

Rovers J. Advancing Pharmacy Practise Through Social Theory. INNOVATIONS in pharmacy 2011;2(3):Article53.  

Rovers J, Miller MJ, Koenigsfeld C, Haack S, Hegge K, McCleeary E.  A guided interview process to improve student pharmacists' identification of drug therapy problems.  Am J Pharm Educ 2011;75(1) Article 16

Chawla K, Rovers J.   Survey of Patient Opinions on Eyeglasses and Eye Care in Rural and Slum Populations in Chennai.  Internet Journal of Epidemiology [online]. 2010:8(2).

Rovers JP, Currie JD   A Practical Guide to Pharmaceutical Care 3rd edition: A Clinical Skills Primer.   2007 American Pharmacists Association.  Washington, D.C.

Sather BC, Forbes JJ, Starck DJ, Rovers, JP.  Effect of a personal automated dose- dispensing system on adherence:  A case series.  JAPhA 2007;47:82-5

Hagel HP, Rovers JP (eds).  Managing the Patient Centered Pharmacy 2002 American Pharmaceutical Association.  Washington, D.C.

Personal Information: Has taught, consulted, practiced, or researched in China, Vietnam, India, Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Belize, and Canada