Lindsay Acree Receives WV DHHR Impact Award

Dr. Lindsay Acree, assistant professor, Pharmacy Practice Department at the UC School of Pharmacy, has been awarded the first-ever Impact Award from the WV Department of Health and Human Resources Office of Drug Control Policy and the Bureau for Behavioral Health.

The Impact Award for Commitment to Advancing the Field of Addiction Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery recognizes an individual who has made an “unparalleled impact on the field of addiction through excellence in leadership across the care continuum.” Acree was recognized for her efforts in increasing naloxone access around the state.

The Impact Award was one of five awards given to promote recognition to those who offer a commitment to the field of addiction in West Virginia.

“We know that we address this crisis one person, one community at a time and we are so lucky to have these individuals and organizations working every day to save the lives of our fellow West Virginians,” said Dr. Matthew Christiansen, Director of DHHR’s Office of Drug Control Policy.

In an interview with National Public Broadcasting, Acree said, “There were a number of things that made me want to get into addiction and recovery — just wanting to make an impact on individuals and save lives — one of those being I had a high school friend pass away from an overdose my first year of pharmacy school and another one right after I graduated. It has impacted me in a way that really made me want to do something else.”  University Of Charleston Professor Awarded For Naloxone Advocacy | WVPB (wvpublic.org)

The award recipients were announced at the 2022 West Virginia Appalachian Addiction and Prescription Drug Conference at the Waterfront Marriott in Morgantown on September 22, 2022.