08/10/2026
The Illinois Pharmacists Association mourns the passing of Dr. Peter H. Vlasses, a fellow Illinois pharmacist whose leadership and dedication to pharmacy education left a lasting impact on our profession. Pete’s legacy will live on through the countless pharmacists, educators, and leaders he influenced throughout his remarkable career. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.
We are very sad to announce that Peter H. Vlasses, former ACPE Executive Director, passed away on August 1st. He passed peacefully surrounded by family.
Dr. Vlasses was an integral part of ACPE for 20 years and was a leader in the pharmacy profession for more than 45 years. Dr. Vlasses oversaw many changes at ACPE aimed at improving pharmacy education and the broader profession. When Dr. Vlasses joined ACPE, the profession was transitioning to a single, entry-level Doctor of Pharmacy degree. He oversaw ACPE’s professional degree accreditation program during a period of transition, evolution, and unprecedented growth. In ACPE’s CPE division, Dr. Vlasses led the development of standards for commercial support, championed interprofessional collaboration in education and accreditation, advocated for the adoption of continuing professional development, and partnered with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) in the development and implementation of CPE Monitor®.
Dr. Vlasses was instrumental in the creation of ACPE’s International Services Program. He championed ACPE’s International-Accreditation program and worked to create, ensure and support the sustainability of the program. ACPE’s international efforts are a testament to Dr. Vlasses’s vision to enhance the quality of pharmacy education worldwide.
Dr. Vlasses collaborated with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in the accreditation of pharmacy technician education programs, helped found the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC), and worked to gain support of the profession for national standards for pharmacy technician education. Dr. Vlasses served on numerous professional organizations and received many professional honors and awards including the Re*****on Honor Medal, the highest and most prestigious award in American pharmacy, in 2022. He was a founding member and president of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.
This is just a small list of all Dr. Vlasses accomplished and does not begin to address his overall impact on the broader pharmacy profession, both in the United States and worldwide. He will be very much missed.
For those interested in contributing, the family has established a memorial scholarship to establish a lasting tribute to Dr. Vlasses’s legacy of research and education. Gifts may be directed to the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). Please visit accp.com/Vlasses to give online.
We know that Dr. Vlasses had a profound and lasting impact on ACPE and profession of pharmacy. Though he is no longer with us, his spirit and vision for the pharmacy profession remain in the initiatives he fostered at ACPE, and we will continue to carry that work forward.
