Contact: Louise DuPont

Berger's research interests include interpersonal and organizational communication and psychology, and application of these disciplines to the pharmacist's role in treatment adherence and treatment outcomes. He is also interested in developing new service roles for the pharmacist.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 23, 2005) -- Bruce Berger, Ph.D., professor and head of the department of Pharmacy Care Systems at Auburn University, tomorrow will present the annual Rho Chi Lecture, sponsored by the Alpha Xi chapter of the Rho Chi Society.

The lecture will be held at 10 a.m., Feb. 24, at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy in the UK Hospital Auditorium HG611.

Berger’s lecture will be titled, “Self-Deception.” He also will present, “Ethical Obligations in Providing Pharmaceutical Care” during the annual Rho Chi initiation banquet being held at 6 p.m., Feb. 24 at Spindletop Hall.

Rho Chi Society is the national honor society for pharmacy and promotes the advancement of the pharmaceutical sciences through the encouragement and recognition of sound scholarship. High standards of intellectual and scholarly attainments are required for election to membership and are symbolized by the award of the Rho Chi key. 

Berger is a native of Cleveland, Ohio.  He received his B.S. in pharmacy from The Ohio State University. After practicing pharmacy for two years he returned to OSU and received his master’s degree and Ph.D. in social and behavioral pharmacy. He has taught at OSU and West Virginia University. He has been a faculty member at Auburn University since the early 1980s.

His research interests include interpersonal and organizational communication and psychology and the application of these disciplines to the pharmacist's role in treatment. . He is also interested in developing new service roles for the pharmacist.

Berger has written or presented more than 500 papers or seminars on these topics. Specifically, Berger has conducted workshops on leadership, interpersonal effectiveness, managing angry or difficult people, managing change, strategies for improving treatment, and managing resistance to change.  He has been awarded more than $2 million to support his research and has been a project leader in a re-engineering project for a major U.S. drug chain.

Berger also is the recipient of the Johnson & Johnson Award, the Lyman Award and the first American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy's Award of Excellence for his research.