Amy K. Kennedy, PharmD

Amy K. Kennedy, PharmD, BCACP, FAPhA, is an associate professor and assistant department head in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. Dedicated to expanding clinical pharmacy services for vulnerable populations, she also serves as a clinical pharmacist and the pharmacy residency program director at El Rio Health.

Dr. Kennedy completed her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. To specialize in community-based care, she completed a residency in community pharmacy practice and a fellowship in community-based research at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also board-certified in ambulatory care pharmacy.

Early in her career, Dr. Kennedy worked as a clinical pharmacist at a healthcare center for people experiencing homelessness. In this role, she evaluated and optimized complex medication plans, mentored pharmacy students, and worked within a team of doctors and nurses to provide comprehensive care.

At El Rio Health, Dr. Kennedy provides personalized care to patients living with chronic pain. She operates under a collaborative practice agreement, which allows her to work directly alongside primary care doctors to design, monitor, and adjust drug therapies to ensure they are both safe and effective.

As a program director, she also leads and shapes the clinical training for El Rio Health’s pharmacy residents, preparing them to serve the unique needs of diverse communities.

Dr. Kennedy’s research and advocacy center on healthcare equality and improving treatment outcomes for underserved populations. Her primary research interests include:

• Chronic Pain & Trauma-Informed Care: Studying how past trauma and life experiences affect a person's physical pain and how providers can deliver more supportive, holistic care.
• Medication Adherence & Mental Health: Researching how helping patients consistently and safely take their prescribed medications improves their mental well-being.
• Preventative Health & Lifestyle Medicine: Evaluating how simple, structured lifestyle changes like diet and exercise modifications can help patients manage high blood pressure.
• Expanding the Pharmacist's Role: Finding new, effective ways for clinical pharmacists to care for historically underserved individuals and communities.