Lopez Recognized With 2025 UCSF Alumni Humanitarian Service Award

Maria Lopez, PharmD ’01, a first-generation college graduate and student-athlete who is the recipient of the 2025 UCSF Alumni Humanitarian Service Award, didn’t just want to own a pharmacy. She wanted to redefine what one could be.  

With her passion for chemistry and patient care, she pursued her PharmD despite moments of doubt. “I wanted to create something different, something more personal,” she said about the vision that led her to establish Mission Wellness Pharmacy, the first accredited specialty pharmacy in San Francisco. 

For nearly two decades, Lopez has innovated clinical services in her Mission District 
business, creating models now used nationwide. Her pioneering practices led to legislation enabling pharmacists to prescribe HIV prevention drugs, a policy since adopted in more than half the states.  

Building a thriving community pharmacy hasn’t come without challenges, but her grit and compassion have served her and her patients well “For women entrepreneurs, and even more so for Latinas and other women of color, doors close constantly,” she said. “But resilience means learning that if one door closes, another is meant to open.” 

More 

• Alum Maria Lopez fights for underserved communities 
• Maria Lopez, PharmD ’01 : Community Pharmacy Pioneer