SDSU’s Van Klompenburg named Distinguished Young Pharmacist

South Dakota Pharmacists Association has selected South Dakota State University pharmacy educator Emily Van Klompenburg, of Bruce, as its Distinguished Young Pharmacist.

Van Klompenburg, a 2015 Pharm.D. graduate from South Dakota State University, received the award at the association’s annual conference in Brookings Sept. 13. The award goes to a pharmacist less than 10 years in the practice who has participated in professional programs and community service.

Van Klompenburg serves as an ambulatory care pharmacist at Avera Medical Group Brookings as well as an assistant professor in clinical pharmacy with the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions at SDSU.

Van Klompenburg, who recently had a paper accepted for publication on the value of the work she does at the Brookings clinic, said, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be recognized for the things I am doing to advance the profession.”

At the clinic, she sees patients daily for blood thinner management and chronic disease states like blood pressure and diabetes, and providing drug information as well as, in earlier years, COVID consultation.

Van Klompenburg added that the clinic recently added a second pharmacist to its staff because it sees the value in the position.

“We’re able to look at medications and figure out what is the best fit for the patient. Doctors diagnose. We (pharmacists) can finetune and counsel how to take medications in the most cost effective way, such as generic alternatives. We can figure out priorities of the patient and how we can fit all the pieces together to control their disease state better,” Van Klompenburg said.

She also is a member of the South Dakota National Guard, joining in 2010. After graduation, she took a one-year postgraduate community pharmacy residency in Milbank and followed that with a one-year postgraduate residency at the Michael DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston.

In August 2017, Van Klompenburg started with the VA Health Care System in Sioux Falls in a shared position with SDSU. In 2021 she transitioned into a similar position with Avera Medical Group in Brookings. She teaches pharmacy practice law, geriatrics and pharmacy skills. Her students spoke of her level of commitment to them and the profession when nominating her for Teacher of the Year in 2022.

Her research interests include diabetes, chronic disease state management and the scholarship of teaching and learning. She also has served as faculty adviser for Kappa Psi pharmacy fraternity since 2017. 

Van Klompenburg, who serves as a medical service corps officer with the South Dakota Army National Guard in Sioux Falls, is originally of Montevideo, Minnesota.