AAPM members are invited to nominate fellow members for our monthly AAPM Member Focus feature by filling out the form found here. Below is this month’s focus member.
This October, in celebration of American Pharmacist Month, AAPM is proud to spotlight Dr. Lisa Luciani, a passionate Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner specializing in pain management and substance use disorder care. Her journey is a powerful reminder of how pharmacists are advancing patient-centered, multidisciplinary pain care across the country.
Dr. Luciani currently serves as the Pain Management and Opioid Safety Program (PMOP) Coordinator at the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center in Altoona, Pennsylvania. She also holds academic appointments as Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy.
After earning her PharmD from the Temple University School of Pharmacy in 2016, Dr. Luciani pursued a PGY-1 residency at the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center, followed by a PGY-2 residency in Pain and Palliative Care at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. Her training shaped a deep commitment to ensuring that patients living with chronic pain and substance use challenges are never left behind.
“Every patient has a story—my role is to listen, advocate, and walk with them on their journey toward safer, more effective pain management,” she shares.
For Dr. Luciani, pharmacy is advocacy. She’s passionate about increasing the visibility of pharmacists as essential members of the pain care team, bringing both clinical expertise and compassionate care to patients often overlooked or underserved. Her voice is especially important as pain clinicians nationwide work to close treatment gaps and support patients with complex needs.
“I had seen far too many patients abandoned—dismissed from clinics, cut off from medications, or fearful of change. Pharmacists can help fill that gap.”
Known for her collaborative approach and dedication to advancing evidence-based care, Dr. Luciani also believes in pushing through discomfort to grow, whether that means mentoring future clinicians, leading quality improvement initiatives, or working closely with patients navigating behavioral health challenges.
Outside of her clinical and academic roles, Dr. Luciani is a strong advocate for the pharmacy profession and a trusted leader in the VA system. We’re proud to feature her as this month’s Member Focus, and we thank her and all of our pharmacy colleagues for their tireless commitment to patients and progress in pain medicine.
Nominate a fellow AAPM member who exemplifies our mission to advance multidisciplinary pain care innovation, education, advocacy, and research by completing the nomination form here.