Having spent nearly 27 years overseeing pharmacy services for John Muir Health before retiring as chief pharmacy officer, Martin Iyoya, PharmD ’83, offers a strategic perspective on how pharmacists have become essential members of health care teams.

“When I started out in hospital operations, pharmacists were just beginning to work side by side with physicians, assisting with writing orders and counseling patients,” Iyoya said. “First I sent pharmacists to critical care, and they expanded into the emergency department, intensive care, and pediatrics. Now they're pretty ubiquitous throughout our facilities. In fact, there are more pharmacists out on the units than there are in the main pharmacy.”

From chemistry to clinical pharmacy

Iyoya’s journey into pharmacy began with a love of chemistry and biochemistry, and from an introduction to the profession through a relative, the late Roy Nishimura, who became a licensed community pharmacist in 1954 and is also an alum of the UCSF School of Pharmacy.  

After completing his undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley (majoring in Bacteriology, which later morphed into molecular cell biology and integrated biology) Iyoya enrolled at UCSF, at the time one of just  three pharmacy schools in California. Upon graduation, he was encouraged by UCSF School of Pharmacy faculty to participate inThe Ninth Floor Pharmacy Project, a pioneering initiative that immersed pharmacists in direct patient care at a time when clinical pharmacy was still emerging.

“At San Jose Medical Center I was offered an opportunity to go straight to work without doing a residency,” Iyoya said. “Once I settled in as a staff pharmacist, UCSF faculty asked me to introduce the concept of clinical pharmacy and maybe start a clinical pharmacy program. I felt prepared to start the program, as I had received the necessary training at UCSF — everything from antimicrobial stewardship to pharmacokinetics to rounding with physicians.”

Building clinical pharmacy from the ground up

Those experiences set the stage for a career focused on expanding the pharmacist role on health care teams. Iyoya did indeed go on to become one of the first clinical pharmacists at San Jose Medical Center (now Regional Medical Center). He helped launch the hospital’s first clinical program, which eventually became a systemwide program. Later, he joined John Muir Health, where he spent nearly three decades leading pharmacy services across a growing health system.

Under Iyoya’s leadership, pharmacists became key members of the care team, contributing directly to patient outcomes while strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration.

“Even though I didn't do a residency, I wanted to start a residency program at John Muir Health. Fifteen years or so ago, there weren't a lot of residency programs out there for pharmacy school raduates to get into,” Iyoya said. “Residency programs were critical to providing the necessary training for pharmacists, as they were no longer entering orders, but rather initiating orders for physicians.”

Leading through change — and technology

Over the course of his career, Iyoya navigated sweeping changes in health care, from the expansion of specialty pharmacy and oncology services to increasing regulatory complexity and the introduction of advanced technologies.  

As AI begins to reshape pharmacy workflows, he acknowledges the uncertainty many young pharmacists feel, while remaining confident that technology will ultimately enhance, not replace, the profession.

Pharmacists’ greatest value is in medication management , Iyoya said, as it ties into their clinical judgment and communication skills while cultivating patient trust — qualities that are deeply human.  

A career rooted in service and leadership

Beyond the health system, Iyoya has played a leading role in professional advocacy through the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP). He has served in numerous roles, including on the CSHP Board of Directors from 2012 to 2015.  

During that time, the board helped secure passage of SB 493, landmark legislation that formally recognized pharmacists as health care providers in California. More recently, Iyoya helped lead efforts to modernize Title 22 regulations to better reflect contemporary pharmacy practice.  

He also founded  CSHP’s Hospital Leadership Council, and has supported the UCSF student chapter of CSHP, participating in mock interviews, mentor nights, and alumni outreach. In January, he was elected CSHP’s president-elect, succeeding fellow UCSF School of Pharmacy alum Elaine Law, PharmD ‘08.

“One of the first things I did when I graduated from pharmacy school was joining the local chapter of CSHP. Within five years after graduating, I was the president of a regional chapter. I've been involved with CSHP for about 40 years,” Iyoya said. “I tell students the most important thing for your career is to join an organization. Get involved and keep an open mind. It's not just for job opportunities, but for expanding your knowledge base and, most importantly, it’s about advocating for our profession and our critical role in patient care.”