Daniel Wermeling, Pharm.D., professor emeritus at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Paul F. Parker Award, recognizing a lifetime of achievement.
The award honors a past resident of the University of Kentucky Pharmacy Residency Program or an individual closely associated with its success who exemplifies sustained contributions to pharmacy practice, teaching or research; a commitment to excellence; leadership and innovation; and a passion for encouraging the personal and professional growth of others. The award is named after Dr. Paul F. Parker, who helped establish the University of Kentucky's nationally recognized pharmacy residency program and advance the development of clinical pharmacy practice and education.
Wermeling’s career has brought together research, teaching, entrepreneurship and public health around a central goal: finding practical ways for pharmacy to improve and save lives. Perhaps his most far-reaching contribution came through his work to make naloxone easier to administer during an opioid overdose. Recognizing that traditional injectable forms could be difficult to use in an emergency, Wermeling pursued a needle-free approach that could put the lifesaving medication into the hands of family members, first responders and others without medical training.
In 2009, he founded AntiOp Inc. to develop a nasal spray formulation of naloxone. For years, Wermeling and his collaborators worked through scientific, device and regulatory challenges to make intranasal naloxone a reality. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first prescription intranasal naloxone in 2015, followed by the first over-the-counter version in 2023.
His work extended beyond the laboratory. Wermeling taught community groups how to recognize and respond to overdoses, advocated for pharmacist-led standing orders in Kentucky and worked with law enforcement and families to expand access to naloxone. Today, naloxone nasal spray has become a widely available tool for responding to opioid overdoses.
Wermeling also spent decades preparing future pharmacists and researchers. At the UK College of Pharmacy, he developed courses in drug development and regulation, led curriculum committees and mentored students, residents and fellows.
“Dr. Wermeling’s service reflects the ideals at the heart of the Paul F. Parker Award,” said Interim Dean Craig Martin, Pharm.D., M.B.A. “Dr. Wermeling saw a devastating public health problem and pursued a practical solution that has helped put lifesaving treatment within reach of people when they need it most. Just as importantly, he has helped prepare generations of pharmacists to approach their own work with that same sense of purpose."
Wermeling earned his Pharm.D. from the UK College of Pharmacy in 1983 and completed the UK’s residency program in 1985. He later completed the Drug Product Evaluation Unit Fellowship at the UK College of Pharmacy in 1987.
In addition to the Paul Parker Award, Wermeling has received numerous honors including being named the 1988 Kentucky Society of Hospital Pharmacists (KSHP) Research Pharmacist of the Year. He has also received the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Research Institute Award, the Thomas S. Foster Lecturer Award and the William T. Miles Award.
Wermeling will be honored during the 2026 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting in Orlando, Fla. The Paul F. Parker Award Luncheon will take place Dec. 8. For ticket information, please visit the event website.
