Board members

Amy Burns, PharmD, is the Vice President of Benefit Management and Pharmacy Services at AllCare Health a Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) in Grants Pass.

Amy received a doctorate of pharmacy from the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University in 2011 and holds a board certification in pharmacology.

Dr. Burns has spent her career as a pharmacist looking at ways to control rising prescription costs on a limited budget while providing the best care possible for Oregon Health Plan members and Medicare beneficiaries. She understands the challenges in making prescriptions more affordable and available and how access is a barrier to more affordable medications.

Dr. Burns notes that as many rural Oregonians live in areas that are pharmacy "deserts" others may have access to pharmacies close to their home, but the pharmacies do not speak their language and/or understand their cultural needs.

Dan Hartung, PharmD, MPH,is a tenured professor of pharmacy practice in the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University.

Over the last two decades he has conducted pharmaceutical health services research with an emphasis on substance use disorders and prescription drug policy. Dr. Hartung’s work has been supported by several federal agencies including AHRQ, CDC, and NIH (NIDA) and he has published over 100 papers in the peer-reviewed medical literature.

His research portfolio involves investigating the causes and consequences of rising prescription drug costs with a specific emphasis on medications for multiple sclerosis (MS).  Through this work, he has developed a deep understanding about how the dysfunctional pharmaceutical ecosystem has contributed to rising prescription drug prices and expenditures.

As a health services researcher and pharmacist, he is well positioned to serve on this board to assist the state in its development of informed policy to address prescription drug affordability challenges for Oregonians.

Michele Koder is pharmacy director for the Multnomah County Health Department. As a leader in Multnomah County’s federally-qualified health center, Koder has diverse experience in budget development and management, clinical pharmacy services, and Medicaid managed care. Koder served on the Oregon Pain Management Commission as a pharmacist member from 2013-21 and on the Oregon Health Resources Commission, participating in three of its subcommittees. She was also part of the Oregon Health Authority’s statewide viral hepatitis planning group. Before joining Multnomah County’s leadership team, she worked as assistant director of pharmacy for CareOregon and as clinical specialist for Medicaid programs for Oregon State University. Koder holds a doctorate degree in pharmacy from University of Rhode Island. She did her residency in family medicine and managed care at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

Christopher Laman, PharmD, MBA, is vice president of strategy, focusing on vision and mission at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria. He has been with the Columbia Memorial Hospital since 2006, also serving as pharmacy manager and director of Pharmacy and Cancer Center Services. Chris is a third generation pharmacist, following after his grandfather and father, who ran a chain of community pharmacies. Chris met his wife in pharmacy school and moved to rural Oregon. Chris has opened two retail pharmacies, a 340B program and a cancer center. He has seen firsthand the inequities and effect that prescription drug prices can have on underserved members of the community, as well as the incredible burden on the healthcare system. Chris worked as the incident commander for the Covid Vaccination Task Force in Clatsop County, a role that opened his eyes to health inequities in rural communities. His experience in a broad range of practice settings will allow him to bring a unique perspective and value to the board. “When individuals from diverse backgrounds come together, they bring unique perspectives, experiences, and ideas,” he said. “This diversity of thought encourages innovative solutions and promotes out-of-the-box thinking crucial to success in our ever-evolving world. I’m very excited to bring that experience to the board and look forward to doing the work.”

John Murray, RPh, is a licensed pharmacist and co-owner of Murrays Drugs with his wife Ann who is also a pharmacist. John also has 2 adult children who are pharmacists and involved in the business.

“Murrays” started in 1959 and operates 3 rural pharmacies, also known as critical access or “frontier” pharmacies in the towns of Heppner, Condon and Boardman Oregon and serves over 3,000 square miles as the only local pharmacy providers. John has served for 19 years on the Morrow County Health District board and as chair the past 8 years.

Murrays Drugs in Heppner has provided contracted pharmacy services to MCHD’s Pioneer Memorial Hospital for the past 40+ years and is the contracted pharmacy for the district’s 340B program. John oversees the day-to-day pharmacy operations of filling 200-300 prescriptions per day and the delivery of clinical services including vaccinations. He sees first-hand the impact of high cost, unaffordable medications and how it affects the patients that need them. John is committed to preserving the rural way of life for the next generation including access to affordable, equitable, and quality health care.

John says, “Turning in a prescription for filling should not fill a patient with worry and trepidation that they won't be able to buy groceries that week. As a practicing pharmacist in rural eastern Oregon I have seen this happen far too many times, the last time no easier to see than the first.”

Dan Kennedy, RPH, was a community pharmacist for 31 years, working as a senior manager at Providence Health Plan Portland and as outpatient pharmacy operations manager at Oregon Health and Science University. He is a graduate of the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy. He is the outgoing president of the Oregon State Pharmacy Association, has been on the board of trustees of the American Pharmacists Association (APA), and served as president of the Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management within the APA. “I have a distinct interest in drug policy and affordability specifically because it is well known that the most expensive medications are those that are not taken,” he said. “If a medication is prescribed but it’s too expensive and it’s filled but not picked up by the consumer or patient, that can lead to secondary or tertiary issues. I’m very interested in using my knowledge and experience to help the state of Oregon to look at better drug availability and affordability.” Dan lives in the Portland area but grew up in Umatilla and is well acquainted with Eastern Oregon. “Drug pricing is a particularly complex, convoluted system. I’m hoping my expertise in pharmacy will help to unravel some of that complexity.”