Dr. Lowry is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics at Pitt Pharmacy and is Co-Director of the Geriatrics and Palliative Care Area of Concentration. She also serves as the Clinical Director of Pharmacy Services with UPMC Palliative and Supportive Institute. She received her PharmD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. She then completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice and PGY2 Geriatric Residency at UPMC St. Margaret as well as an Interprofessional Faculty Development Fellowship through University of Pittsburgh Department of Family Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA. After completion of her training, she served as a Palliative Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at MedStar Health for 3.5 years where she was awarded the Dr. Thomas Wilson Clinician of the Year Award in 2019 before joining the Pitt Pharmacy faculty. Dr. Lowry is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and a Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist.
Lowry’s current clinical practice sites include the inpatient palliative care consult service and outpatient palliative care clinic. She provides clinical pharmaceutical expertise to the palliative care service line within UPMC.
Tara E. Cook Memorial Teaching Award, UPMC Palliative Care 2023-2024
SSHP Faculty Member of the Year, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy 2023-2024
Richard Simmons Speak up for Patient Safety Award, UPMC 2024
Felton MA, Tannenbaum C, McPherson L, Pruskowski J. Communication techniques for initiating a deprescribing conversation #369. J Palliat Med. 2019 Feb;22(3):335-336. PMID: 30794498
DeAngelis J, Lowry MF*. Hospital readmissions in hospice patients: Evaluation of medication-related causes for readmission. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine. 2021 Jul;38(7):745-749. PMID: 32935551
Cook H, Walker KA, Lowry MF*. Deprescribing interventions by palliative care clinical pharmacists surrounding goals of care discussions. Journal of Palliative Medicine 2022 Jun 14. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2021.0560. Online ahead of print. PMID: 35704875
Lockman K, Lowry MF, DiScala S, Lovell AG, Uritsky TJ, Kematick BS, Schmidt M, Wetshtein AM, Scullion B, Herndon CM, Atayee RS. Development of entrustable professional activities for specialist hospice and palliative care pharmacists. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2022 Jul;64(1):37-48., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.03.004.
Lowry MF. Re: Olanzapine for non-chemo related nausea and emesis in patients with palliative care consult. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2023 Aug 21; online ahead of print. PMID: 37611880; doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.08.018
Lowry MF, Lockman K, Herndon C, Atayee R, Juba K, Pawasauskas J, Phantumvanit V, Ray J, Pruskowski J. Development and Validation of a Performance-Based Palliative Care Assessment Tool for Student Pharmacists. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 2023 Dec 29:S1877-1297(23)00307-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cptl.2023.12.003. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38158329.
McCormick C*, Bhatnagar M, Arnold R, Lowry MF. Description and Outcomes of a Palliative Care Pharmacist-Led Transitions of Care Program. Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2024 Mar 6; online ahead of print. doi: https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2023.0515
Lowry MF, Childers J. Fast Facts and Concepts #484: Opioid diversion risk and management in palliative care. J Palliat Med. 2024 Jun 25; online ahead of print. doi: https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2024.0196
Robbins-Welty GA, Chammas D, Silverman E, Lowry MF, Hale E, Martinez C, Nakatani MM, Shalev D, Noufi P, Riordan PA, Brenner KO, Rosa B, Jones C. Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Fatigue. In press; J Palliat Med, May 2024. PMID: 39052494.
Lowry MF, Ardeljan D. Palliative Pearls: Deprescribing in Your Clinical Practice. [Invited Speaker]. Maryland Society of Health-System Pharmacy (MSHP) Fall Seminar. November 15, 2019.
Lowry MF, Hirst J, Jordan A, Prommer E, Pruskowski J. Is dopamine the golden ticket for symptom management in palliative care? Role of antipsychotics for off-label uses [Seminar] The Annual Assembly Hospice and Palliative Care. Virtual Assembly. February 2021.
DiScala S, Hui D, McPherson ML, Lowry MF, Prommer E. Truth be told or still not sold? The case for Benzodiazepines in the Palliative Management of Delirium [Seminar]. The Annual Assembly Hospice and Palliative Care. Virtual Assembly. February 2022.
Lowry MF. Palliative care pharmacist Interventions surrounding Medication Prescribing Across Care Transitions (IMPACT) [Roundtable]. State of the Science in Hospice and Palliative Care. Virtual Conference. February 2022.
Lowry MF. Lessons learned from a pharmacist-led palliative care opioid deprescribing pilot program. [Podium] The Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care. Phoenix, AZ. March 21, 2024.
Lowry MF. Opioid Stewardship Principles: Managing Pain in Older Adults across the Care Continuum. ASCP Pennsylvania Chapter Education Day [Invited Speaker, Continuing Education]. April 13, 2024.
Lockman K, Lowry MF, Atayee R. Transformative teaching: Integrating whole-person care in pharmacy education. [Podium] American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting. Boston, MA. July 21, 2024.
Lowry MF. Opioid Stewardship Principles: Managing Pain in Older Adults across the Care Continuum. ASCP MidAtlantic Regional Meeting. [Invited Speaker, Continuing Education]. August 2, 2024.
