Donald Kaplan – Los Angeles, CA

Senior Associate

Donald Kaplan is a California-based pharmacist with over 40 years of experience in pharmacy operations, pharmacy administration, and regulatory compliance. Currently, he is a consultant supporting the development of enterprise-wide pharmacy initiatives in a large healthcare organization.

Prior to his recent retirement, Don was the Southern California Regional Inpatient Pharmacy Director at Kaiser Permanente for the past 20 years. He supported pharmacy managers' preparation for, and responses to surveys by accrediting and licensing agencies; interfaced with accrediting and licensing agencies (including the California Board of Pharmacy); coordinated region-wide medication safety initiatives and operational improvements for inpatient pharmacies; mentored pharmacy managers; collaborated with other disciplines to improve hospital medication delivery systems; managed the development and implementation of state-wide inpatient pharmacy best practices, and participated in the design of inpatient pharmacies for new Kaiser facilities.

Don played an active role in the selection, configuration, and optimization of Kaiser Permanente’s enterprise-wide electronic medical record. He chaired a national inpatient pharmacy users group representing all Kaiser hospitals; which included active participation from vendor representatives and internal information technology personnel

Don has participated in over one hundred mock surveys at Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers - focused on assessing compliance with pertinent Joint Commission standards, CMS Conditions of Participation, pertinent California Health and Safety Codes, and California Board of Pharmacy Laws.

Don has held previous positions as an Inpatient Pharmacy Director and Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor at Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Los Angeles – a tertiary care teaching facility.

Don is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the Keck Graduate Institute School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, where he has given lectures on Pharmacovigilance and teaches a course on Quality and Performance Improvement.

Don is a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the California Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (CSHP). He was named CSHP Pharmacist of the Year in 2016.

Don received his Pharm.D. degree from the University of California, San Francisco.