ANNOUNCEMENT
It is with great sadness that USP notes the passing of our former colleague Keith Johnson, a global public health leader, pharmacist and educator, on July 13.
Mr. Johnson served as a USP vice president from 1995 to 2000, having first joined the organization as a research director in the 1977. During his time at USP, he played a key role in the organization’s drug information publishing program, as well as its work in global public health.
Mr. Johnson led the USP Drug Information (USP DI) program from its inception in 1980 to its divesture to Micromedix in 1999. Under his leadership, USP DI was translated by or adapted for use in Australia, Brazil, Nepal, Spain, and the Russian Federation.
Mr. Johnson also helped lead USP’s first collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which promoted rational medication use. Through this program, 20 information centers and two networks in Nepal and Russia were established, improving knowledge about antimicrobial resistance and best practices for prescribing antimicrobial medications.
Most recently, Mr. Johnson worked at Management Sciences for Health from 2000 until his retirement in March, 2017.
While Mr. Johnson is greatly missed, he has left an enduring legacy through his contributions to advancing global public health.