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The University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy welcomed 93 faculty, researchers, practitioners, graduate students and industry leaders to Columbia for the 2026 Southern Pharmacy Administration Conference, held June 18-20. The event marked the college's first time hosting SPAC since 1988, when USC held just the second meeting in the conference's history.

This year's theme, "From ECHO to Action," honored the ECHO model — Economic, Clinical and Humanistic Outcomes — introduced in a 1993 publication by alumnus and affiliate faculty member Chris Kozma, Distinguished Professor Emeritus Gene Reeder and Professor Emeritus Richard Schulz that reshaped how healthcare interventions are evaluated. A highlight of the conference reunited the three researchers for a panel reflecting on the model's lasting influence. John M. O'Brien, president and CEO of the National Pharmaceutical Council, also delivered a featured presentation.

"Having the opportunity to bring the original ECHO authors together was one of the highlights of the conference. It gave attendees a chance to hear firsthand about the origins of the ECHO model and how its influence continues today,” says Tessa Hastings, associate professor and executive director of the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation at the USC College of Pharmacy.

The program also featured a second panel discussion, "Innovation in Action: From Ideas to Impact," with Salisa Westrick of Auburn University and J. Douglas Thornton of the University of Houston, exploring how innovative research can be translated into meaningful improvements in healthcare policy and practice.

Having the opportunity to bring the original ECHO authors together was one of the highlights of the conference. It gave attendees a chance to hear firsthand about the origins of the ECHO model and how its influence continues today ...

Participants traveled from institutions across the Southeast and beyond, including Auburn University, the University of Mississippi, the University of Kentucky, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Houston, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and GSK.  

The event featured 12 student podium presentations, 23 research posters and eight SPAC Spark presentations from faculty and students combined, along with awards recognizing top research.

"Hosting SPAC provided an opportunity to showcase our college's work in health economics and outcomes research while creating meaningful opportunities for faculty, students and colleagues from across the country to connect, share research, and build new collaborations," Hastings says. "This conference gives graduate students valuable opportunities to present their research, receive feedback, build professional networks, and engage with leaders in the field.”

The conference was organized by College of Pharmacy faculty, staff and graduate students, with support from USC's Continuing Education and Conferences and Events office, GSK, Cencora, AbbVie and Nephron Pharmaceuticals.

 

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Topics: Research, Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation