Benjamin Pontefract, PharmD, BCPS

Benjamin Pontefract, PharmD, BCPS

Associate Professor
Pharmacy Practice
Email: [email protected]

Education

• Certificate, Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist, Board of Pharmacy Specialties
• PharmD, University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• BS, University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy

Graduate/Post-Graduate Training

• Fellowship, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Boise VA Medical Center, Boise, ID, United States
• Residency, PGY-1 Ambulatory Care, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States

Biography

Dr. Pontefract currently teaches infectious diseases and pharmaceutical calculations in the integrated pharmacotherapy course. He practices as an Internal Medicine pharmacist at CoreWell Health Blodgett Hospital where he precepts APPE students during their final year of pharmacy school. Research interests include antimicrobial stewardship (inpatient and outpatient), infectious disease epidemiology, and implementation science. Dr. Pontefract is also currently serving as the Immediate Past President for the Western Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (WMSHP) and serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP).

Publications and Intellectual Contributions

• Newsletter
  Pontefract, B. (2024). "July Community Member Spotlight," MSHP Monitor. (July 2024 Edition).
• Newspaper
  Pontefract, B. (2024). "WMSHP Update June 2024," MSHP Monitor.
• Newsletter
  Bernknopf, A. C., Girand, H. L., Pontefract, B., VanLangen, K. M. (2024). "Elevating Education: Harnessing AI Tools for Pharmacy Faculty and Students," AACP Connect Newsletter Winter 2024. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
• Book Chapter
  Pontefract, B., Klepser, M. E. (2022). "The antifungal agents," Understanding Pharmacology for Pharmacy Technicians, 2nd Edition.
• Journal Article
  Rovelsky, S. A., Remington, R. E., Nevers, M., Pontefract, B., Hersh, A. L., Samore, M., Madaras-Kelly, K. (2021). "Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Amoxicillin versus Amoxicillin-Clavulanate for Acute Sinusitis in Emergency Department and Urgent Care Settings," JACEP Open.
• Newsletter
  Vanderhorst, D., Sohn, M., Pontefract, B. (2021). "Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship – The Next Frontier," MSHP Monitor.
• Journal Article
  Madaras-Kelly, K., Hostler, C., Townsend, M., Potter, E., Spivak, E., Hall, S., Goetz, M., Nevers, M., Ying, J., Haaland, B., Rovelsky, S., Pontefract, B., Fleming-Dutra, K., Hicks, L., Samore, M. (2020). "Impact of Implementation of the Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship Within Veterans Health Administration Emergency Departments and Primary Care Clinics on Antibiotic Prescribing and Patient Outcomes," Clin Infect Dis. (ciaa1831).
• Journal Article
  Pontefract, B., Rovelsky, S. A., Madaras-Kelly, K. J. (2020). "Linezolid to Treat Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus," SAGE Open Medicine. (8). pp. 1-7. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2050312120970743
• Journal Article
  Pontefract, B., Ho, H. T., Crain, A., Kharel, M. K., Nybo, E. (2020). "Drugs for Gram-Negative Bugs from 2010 - 2019: A decade in review," Open Forum Infectious Diseases. 7 (7). p. ofaa276. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/doi/10.1093/ofid/ofaa276/5867191
• Journal Article
  Pontefract, B., Nevers, M., Fleming-Dutra, K., Hersh, A., Samore, M., Madaras-Kelly, K. (2019). "Diagnosis and antibiotic management of otitis media and otitis externa in United States veterans," Open Forum of Infectious Diseases. (6(11)). p. ofz432.

Presentations

• Oral Presentation
  MacFarlane, T. (Author & Presenter), Pontefract, B. (Author), Annual Convention and Exposition, "Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare," Michigan Pharmacist Association, Traverse City, (April 13, 2025).
• Oral Presentation
  Pontefract, B. (Author & Presenter), Great Lakes Infectious Diseases Conferences, 24th Annual, "Artificial Intelligence and Infectious Diseases," Ferris State University, Grand Rapids, (March 8, 2025).
• Oral Presentation
  Pontefract, B. (Author & Presenter), Pharmacy Grand Rounds, "Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare," Corewell Health, Virtual, (January 29, 2024).
• Poster
  Starmer, S. (Author & Presenter), Klepser, M. (Author), Pontefract, B. (Author), Dahal, K. (Author), Torney, N. (Author), Sohn, M. (Author), AMCP NEXUS 2024, "Outpatient Fluoroquinolone use in a Michigan Health System," Academy of Managed Care Pharmacists, New Orleans, (April 15, 2024).
• Oral Presentation
  Pontefract, B. (Author & Presenter), Spring Seminar 2024, "Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare," Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, Big Rapids, Michigan, (May 21, 2024).
• Lecture
  Pontefract, B. (Author & Presenter), Sohn, M. (Author & Presenter), Pogue, J. (Author & Presenter), Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship Innovations Symposium (OASIS), "Tracking Outpatient Antibiotic Use and Benchmarking - Statewide Examples with DHHS and CHARM," Ferris State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, (August 15, 2024).
• Panel
  Veve, M. (Panelist), Dumkow, L. (Panelist), Jense, K. (Panelist), Pontefract, B. (Panelist), Krahulik, R. (Panelist), Torney, N. (Moderator), Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship Innovations Symposium (OASIS), "Best Practices in Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship – Panel Discussion," Ferris State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, (August 15, 2024).
• Oral Presentation
  Pontefract, B. (Author & Presenter), 16th Annual Next Generation Dx Summit, "Point of Care Testing, Antimicrobial Stewardship, and the CHARM Project," Cambridge Innovation Institute, Washington D.C, (August 21, 2024).
• Poster
  Dahal, K. (Author & Presenter), Klepser, M. E. (Author), Pontefract, B. (Author), Sohn, M. (Author), AMIA 2024 Clinical Informatics Conference, "Collaboration to Harmonize Antimicrobial Registry Measures (CHARM)," American Medical Informations Association, Minneapolis, MN, (May 21, 2024).
• Oral Presentation
  Klepser, M. (Author & Presenter), Pontefract, B. (Presenter), Young, M. (Presenter), Ferris Homecoming 2024, "The Health Deli - Influenza Update for 2024-25," Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan, (October 5, 2024).