Paving The Path So Others Can Follow

Written By: Christianna McCausland

Jill Molofsky, BSP ’81, knows a little something about Pharmapreneurship®, the term trademarked by the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy that represents the intersection of pharmacy science, research and practice, with entrepreneurship.

Along with fellow alumni Ellen Yankellow, BSP ’73, PharmD ’96, and now deceased James Tristani, BSP ’73, Molofsky helped build Correct Rx Pharmacy Services into a leader in its field, serving more than 200,000 patients annually at public and private jails, correctional centers, and prisons across the country. According to Molofsky, vice president of Correct Rx as well as a co-founder, one of the best parts of the company’s success is that it allows her to give back.

“We take pride in providing mentorship and helping people build their careers — especially women,” she says. “That’s what keeps you going, the employment you create and being at a point when you finally have the resources to give back and help others.”

Not surprisingly, Molofsky’s philanthropy at the School has centered on women and entrepreneurship. She serves on the advisory board of the School’s Center for Women in Pharmapreneurship and, recently, provided funding to support a marketing campaign that will promote the pharmapreneurship initiative to a national audience. Her goal is to ensure support for emerging entrepreneurs that was not readily available when she and her colleagues built Correct Rx.

“You want people to have the confidence that they can do this, to know they have someone to lean on and the support of other women in the profession,” she says. “You don’t want people thinking ‘But what if I fail?’ What you need is to think ‘What if I succeed?’ So in that way, my goals align with pharmapreneurship and that of the center.”

Molofsky’s support is very apt as no one understands the challenges and opportunities that exist for entrepreneurs, particularly women, more than she. Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD ’83, FAPhA, FNAP, the School’s Felix Gyi Endowed Memorial Professor in Pharmapreneurship, explains that Molofsky’s philanthropy supports programs and training that directly empower students. “The Center for Women in Pharmapreneurship in particular can really inspire women to take ownership of their lives and careers,” says Rodriguez de Bittner.

Rodriguez de Bittner says philanthropy from alumnae like Molofsky allows the School to explore visionary programs that may not fall within the strict structures of a grant or state funding. For example, Molofsky’s support of a marketing campaign will help spread the message that the School is a leader in pharmapreneurship and an innovative force in the field of pharmacy and health care to new and larger audiences.

“Jill believes it is important for pharmacy to be innovative, for pharmacists and scientists to be able to take risks, and to demonstrate to health care providers and society the capabilities that pharmacists have,” says Rodriguez de Bittner.

Molofsky says this is an exciting time to be engaged with the School, especially as it continues to roll out innovative programs.

“The future of our profession is of the utmost importance, and we need pharmacists trained for the future, not the past,” she explains. “The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy has done a good job of thinking about where the profession needs to be. Everyone should be engaged to keep it going for the next generation.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of Capsule Magazine.