Directory Profile

Prof. Skledar currently serves as the Director of Experiential Learning and Continuing Professional Development. She is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacy & Therapeutics at the School of Pharmacy, precepting students and lecturing in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. She has been a faculty member since 1992. She received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Master of Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh (PITT). She is a Fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She was awarded Pitt Pharmacy Preceptor of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2016, and Teacher of the Year in 2021.

In her role in Experiential Learning since 2016, Prof. Skledar works with students, preceptors and faculty in the Pittsburgh region, and around-the-globe, to create meaningful and robust real-world student learning experiences. Over 500 preceptors and 1000 learning sites are part of the Pitt Pharmacy experiential learning network, and collaboration with the experiential learning core team and course faculty sustains these experiences to foster personalized learning for our students. She is responsible for development and evaluation of student introductory and advanced pharmacy practice learning sites and delivery of peer-reviewed practitioner continuing education programs. Her didactic focus is application of learning to the hospital/health-system and community/public health environments.

Prior to her work in experiential learning, Prof. Skledar’s experiences in clinical practice were based in hospital and health-system pharmacy. Prior to 2016, she served as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and Pharmacy Director in formulary management and drug use policy at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). From 1996 – 2012, she was Director for the UPMC Presbyterian Drug Use and Disease State Management Program, leading work in medication use policy/protocol and evidence-based guideline development, medication shortage plans, core quality measures, and implementing technology, such as “smart” infusion pumps. Precepting student learners has been a continual thread throughout her career.

Prof. Skledar has received national and regional recognition for her work from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), American Pharmaceutical Association, Institute for Safe Medication Practices, National Association of Healthcare Quality, Hospital and Health-System Association of Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She, as part of interdisciplinary care teams, is a two-time honoree of the ASHP Best Practices Award in Health-System Pharmacy in 2000 and in 2012. She was an individual winner of the APhA Pinnacle Award for Healthcare Quality Improvement. In 2013, she received the ASHP Distinguished Service Award for her work in inpatient pharmacy practice advancement and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Prof. Skledar has authored over 85 publications, book chapters, and articles, and over 125 posters related to her areas of focus in hospital/health-system pharmacy and innovative teaching strategies.

Prior to 1996, Prof. Skledar spent seven years in hospital pharmacy leadership at UPMC as Pharmacy Manager and Director to implement clinical and decentralized pharmacy services to the critical care and anesthesiology/operating rooms areas, Investigational Drug Services, and develop staff education programs.