TUPELO, Mississippi—Amanda Summers, Pharm.D., CSP, clinical operations manager for North Mississippi Medical Center’s Specialty Pharmacy, recently completed certification with the Specialty Pharmacy Certification Board (SPCB).

The SPCB, established in 2012, is the certifying board for the Certified Specialty Pharmacist (CSP) credential. The mission of the SPCB is to provide independent, verifiable evidence of proficiency in specialty pharmacy practice through a nationally recognized, accredited and rigorous certification program.

Summers joined NMMC in 1991 and has previously worked as a night pharmacist, decentralized pharmacist, IV Lab pharmacist and Home Infusion pharmacist.

Summers is a graduate of Mantachie High School and attended Itawamba Community College in Fulton. She attained a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy and a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy.

 “My measuring stick has always been to treat people the way I’d want my mother to be treated,” Summers said. “That has always worked well for me in every aspect of life, but especially at my job. So much of sickness is out of our control, and it’s scary. I want to do what I can to help make any part of that easier—or at least more tolerable or less confusing—for patients and caregivers. The need is so great, and people are so thankful. It truly is humbling work.”

She and her husband Mark have two children—Lincoln, 15, and Evan, 13. They reside in Mantachie.