Douglas Thornton

Dr. Thornton is an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy and Director of the Prescription Drug Misuse Education and Research (PREMIER) Center at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy. Dr. Thornton practiced as a board-certified, clinical pharmacist while completing his PhD in Health Services and Outcomes Research at West Virginia University. Before finishing the PhD in 2017, he graduated from the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy with a professional pharmacy degree (PharmD) and completed a post-graduate year-1 pharmacy practice residency at Saint Mary's Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia where he saw opioid abuse destroying lives and families first-hand. His research focuses on optimizing the management of pain and opioid use disorder though the effective use of medications and related health care services. Through his opioid-related research projects, he has worked with patients, pharmacists, law enforcement officers, and faculty as well as undergraduate, professional, and graduate students. He is currently working with multiple federal and state organizations to prevent prescription drug misuse in Texas and beyond.