About Our Pharmacists

Darren Augenstein

Registered Pharmacist, Vice-President

I began my career in pharmacy at the Creighton University School of Pharmacy in Omaha, Nebraska. I completed my Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree there in 1994 followed by a Master of Business Administration degree in 1995. My true interest in practicing HIV-focused pharmacy began in pharmacy school when I cared for a number of individuals who were living with or dying from HIV. My most significant learning experiences in HIV came from internship time at Tulane University Medical Center and Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana during my final year of pharmacy school where I completed some of my internal medicine and infectious disease training. It was here that I first contributed to the care of some of the most colorful and vibrant people whom I will never forget as long as I live. After pharmacy school & while I was completing my MBA, I was given the opportunity to practice pharmacy in the “gayest” neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska when all we had was AZT, DDC, DDI, and D4T. I then moved to Seattle where I began a research fellowship and PhD program in pharmaceutical outcomes research at the University of Washington. Roche Laboratories funded my training. As such, I was invited to join the research teams that helped to bring the first protease inhibitor to market – saquinivir – as well as a medication now commonly used to treat CMV infection – valganciclovir. After spending three years in this program, I decided it was time for a rest break – maybe a year at most. I then took a job with a pharmacy in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle where I was able to care specifically for people living with HIV/AIDS. It was here that I learned the art of community involvement and how this involvement provided greater meaning to my work. It is an honor to be able to serve the Seattle community as a pharmacist in my own community.