Honoring Excellence in Research Pharmacy: A Conversation with 2025 RPS Award Winner Janet Mighty

Each year, the Research Pharmacy Summit (RPS) brings together dedicated research pharmacy professionals who are shaping the future of clinical trials through leadership, innovation, and collaboration. One of the most meaningful moments of the Summit is the presentation of the RPS Award for Excellence and Innovation, recognizing an individual whose contributions have made a lasting impact on the research pharmacy community.

At the 2025 Research Pharmacy Summit, we were proud to honor Janet Mighty, BSPharm, MBA, FASHP as the 2025 award recipient, recognizing her commitment to advancing research pharmacy practice, supporting peers, and strengthening collaboration across institutions. The award reflects not just individual achievement, but the collective effort of the teams, residents, and colleagues who contributed to her work. As we look ahead to the 2026 Research Pharmacy Summit this September, we sat down with Janet to reflect on her journey, the evolution of research pharmacy, and what continues to inspire her about this field, including her vision for where it is headed and why innovation isn’t optional, it is essential.

Q: Janet, congratulations on being named the 2025 RPS Award Winner. What did this recognition mean to you?

Janet Mighty: Thank you. Being recognized by the Research Pharmacy Summit community was truly an honor. Research pharmacy is built on collaboration, and none of us do this work alone. This award felt like a reflection of the teams, mentors, and peers I have worked alongside throughout my career. RPS is a space where research pharmacists feel seen, heard, and supported, and being recognized by this community was incredibly meaningful to me.

Q: Let’s start big picture. What are your hopes for the future of research pharmacy?

Janet Mighty: Research pharmacy must be aligned with the future of clinical trials research. We exist to support the development of new treatments, improve patient outcomes, and advance science. Our specialized practice touches trial design, feasibility, recruitment, site engagement, operations, budgeting, and patient outcomes; the list goes on.

Think about how things are changing. If we focus on site engagement and operations, any strategy that improves trial execution, streamlines start-up, or advances trial delivery is favorable. There is also a growing emphasis on becoming more patient-centric through decentralized clinical trials, moving science out of academic medical centers and into the community. That increases patient convenience and, ultimately, the speed and completeness of enrollment.

On the science side, we have learned that one size does not fit all. As we explore precision medicine and biomarker-guided research, our role becomes even more nuanced. And then there is AI, which I believe will transform healthcare practice as it continues to evolve, increasing efficiency and reducing cost.

My hope, simply put, is that we advance our practice as clinical trials research advances. The two are inseparable.

Q: What excites you most about where the field is headed?

Janet Mighty: Artificial intelligence, without question. I am most excited about the integration of AI into clinical trials research and what that will look like in practice. How will AI transform healthcare and the drug development process? We still have so much to learn, and that is genuinely exciting to me.

I also recognize that there are real concerns: questions about the role of human expertise, accountability, transparency, and ethics. These are not concerns to dismiss. Other disciplines, including medical imaging, have been working with AI for some time, and there are lessons to be learned from how they have navigated those questions.

My guidance to the research pharmacy community is to stay current. Read the literature, follow the regulatory landscape. The FDA released draft guidance titled Considerations for the Use of Artificial Intelligence to Support Regulatory Decision-Making for Drug and Biological Products; that is required reading. The comment period has been open, and our community has an opportunity to contribute to how this technology is governed. We should take that seriously.

Q: How can research pharmacy professionals shape and influence the future of the field?

Janet Mighty: Be prepared! Pharmacy is a profession that demands lifelong learning, and research pharmacy is no exception.

As a community, we need to increase our knowledge, through continuing education (CE), educational programming, advanced degrees, and certifications. We need to deepen our engagement, understanding research at our own institutions and across the global landscape. And we need to champion innovation, encouraging creativity and the thoughtful use of technology to improve operations.

I think about what research pharmacy looked like before tools like Vestigo® existed at my own practice site, and I cannot imagine how we would operate today without that technology. That is what meaningful innovation looks like: it becomes so integrated into practice that you cannot picture operating without it. Wearables that collect patient-level data are a current example; understanding both the technology and its implications for data collection is part of where we need to be headed.

There is also a significant need for our community to develop metrics and best practices. If you have worked on quality improvement projects or consulted on operational improvements, you know the void that exists around benchmarking data for research pharmacy. Our Investigational Drugs and Research residency programs are helping address this, and the work being done by residents and staff across practice sites is excellent. That momentum needs to continue.

Q: What trends, challenges, and needs do you anticipate for research pharmacy in the years ahead?

Janet Mighty: On the trend side: increased use of AI and technology, with continued pressure to drive down cost and increase efficiency. Those two forces will shape a great deal of what we do.

On the challenge side, I see four areas that demand our attention.

The first is workforce development: recruiting, training, and retaining skilled pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in a competitive environment.

The second is the expansion of practice and services. Decentralized clinical trials allow us to think differently about how and where pharmacy services are delivered. Supporting community-based research, using technology to remotely monitor patients, and efficiently educating study participants across multiple languages; these are real operational challenges that require real solutions.

The third is resources. How do we decrease cost while increasing efficiency? That tension is not going away.

The fourth is cybersecurity and data integrity. As we become more dependent on technology and digital infrastructure, we must also prepare for cyber threats. This is not a theoretical risk; it is a present and growing one.

Q: You mentioned innovation multiple times. Why is it so essential to research pharmacy specifically?

Janet Mighty: Innovation is defined as the process of bringing about new ideas, methods, products, services, or solutions that have significant positive impact and value, transforming creative concepts into tangible outcomes that improve efficiency and effectiveness, or address unmet needs.

I return to the core mission of research pharmacy: our expertise supports clinical trials research, which drives new treatments, improved patient outcomes, and advances in science. That work ultimately impacts patients. Everything we do traces back to that.

By integrating innovation and operational excellence, research pharmacy can improve efficiency, effectiveness, and the ability to address unmet patient needs. That is not aspirational language – it is mission-critical. The key to growth is innovation, and for research pharmacy, growth means better outcomes for the patients we serve.

Q: What message would you like to share with the research pharmacy community ahead of the 2026 Research Pharmacy Summit?

Janet Mighty: Come ready to engage. The summit is one of the most valuable opportunities we have as a community to connect, share what we are learning, and push each other forward. Whether you are a seasoned IDS pharmacist, a pharmacy technician, or earlier in your career, there is something here for you, and more importantly, you have something to contribute.

Research pharmacy is at an inflection point. The conversations we have this September will help shape the direction of this practice. I hope to see you there.

As we prepare for the 2026 Research Pharmacy Summit, we look forward to continuing these important conversations and recognizing the leaders who are shaping the future of research pharmacy. If you are passionate about advancing your practice, learning from peers, and strengthening the research pharmacy community, RPS is the place to be. The 2026 Summit returns September 16, 17, and 18, and there are two meaningful ways to get involved right now.

If your organization is looking to connect with IDS leaders and key decision-makers, sponsorship packages are available now. Download the Sponsor Prospectus to explore how your organization can secure brand visibility and demonstrate thought leadership with a highly targeted research pharmacy audience.

And if you know someone who deserves to be recognized the way Janet was, nominations for the 2026 RPS Award for Excellence and Innovation are open through July 6, 2026. This year’s award celebrates professionals who have THRIVED through impactful achievements and professional growth over the past five years. Colleagues and self-nominations are both welcome. Review the full award criteria and submit a nomination here.

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