91ÉçÇø

Background

Phil Hughes joined the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at 91ÉçÇø in January 2026. He is also a research fellow at the Knee Regulatory Research Center in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. He was previously a research assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He has a doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences (outcomes and policy) as well as a master’s degree in clinical psychology.

Hughes’ primary research interests center around mental health and substance use treatment services, with a focus on using methods from pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics to improve access to high-quality treatment services. Specific interests include prescriptive authority for non-medical providers (e.g., psychologists, pharmacists, etc.), health workforce policy, psychotropic polypharmacy, medications for substance use disorder and demand-side substance use policy.

Education

• BS, Auburn University at Montgomery

  MS, Auburn University at Montgomery

  PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Research Interests

• Mental health
• Substance use
• Health policy/workforce/equity/economics

Awards

• 2024 John D. Preston Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Psychopharmacology (Division 55, American Psychological Association)
  
• 2023 Patrick H. DeLeon Prize for Outstanding Student Contribution to the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy (Division 55, American Psychological Association)
• 2022 Top-cited article in the Journal of Rural Health, 2021-22

Research Profile