Marshall E. Cates has taught psychiatric pharmacy at McWhorter School of Pharmacy since 1995. As a clinical faculty member, he has held psychiatric pharmacist appointments in a variety of practice settings over the years, including a state psychiatric hospital, a VA medical center, a community mental health center, and a private hospital. He was among the first group of pharmacists to become board certified in psychiatric pharmacy in 1996. He founded and directed an ASHP-accredited residency in psychiatric pharmacy practice at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center. His primary classroom teaching responsibilities have been in psychiatric pharmacotherapy and a mental health-related elective course, and he has been a preceptor for a psychiatric pharmacy advanced pharmacy practice experience when not serving in an administrative role. He has been very involved in professional pharmacy organizations, including having served as president of both a state and a national organization. He has been involved in numerous clinical, laboratory, and pedagogical research projects, and he has published more than 55 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. His community involvement has especially centered on suicide prevention and mental health care for the medically underserved.

Degrees and Certifications

• PharmD, University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy
• BS, biology, Rhodes College
• Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency, University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy
• Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist, Board of Pharmacy Specialties

Expertise

• Psychiatric pharmacotherapy
• Pharmacy education

Awards and Honors

• Fellow of the Alabama Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 2020
• McWhorter School of Pharmacy Lifetime Achievement Scholar Award, 2019
• Samford University Outstanding Scholarship Award, 2018
• Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, 2016
• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Innovations in Teaching Award, 2015
• Pharmacy Practice Faculty Member of the Year Award, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2010
• Alabama Society of Health-System Pharmacists Service Recognition Award, 2016, 2014, 2006
• Pfizer Health-System Pharmacist of the Year Award, 2006
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmacy Leadership Award, 2005
• Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society, 2004
• Fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 2003
• McWhorter School of Pharmacy Teacher of the Year Award, 2014, 2009, 2004, 2000
• Mylan Pharmaceuticals Excellence in Pharmacy Award, 1991
• Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society, 1990

Publications

(2015-2020)

• Whitaker CC, Cates ME, Cruthirds DL, Gorman GS. Association between concentrations of chromium in drinking water and mortality due to suicide in Alabama. J Water Health. 2020;18(5):835-842.
• McGuire JM, Jackson CW, Cates ME. Major depressive disorder. In: Chisholm-Burns MA, Schwinghammer TL, Malone PM, et al., eds. Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice. 5th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2019:583-598.
• Cates ME, Mullins KM, Woolley TW. Description of an elective course about mental illness and treatment in the movies. Pharm Educ. 2019;19(1):108-115. Link
• Palmer A, Cates ME, Gorman G. The association between lithium in drinking water and incidence of suicide across 15 Alabama counties. Crisis. 2019;40(2):93-99.
• Cates ME, Cochran Hodges JR, Woolley TW. Pharmacists’ attitudes, interest, and perceived skills regarding suicide prevention. Ment Health Clin. 2019;9(1):30-35. Link.
• Fujii T, Hanya M, Kishi M, Kondo Y, Cates ME, Kamei H. An internet-based survey in Japan concerning social distance and stigmatization toward the mentally ill among doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and the general public. Asian J Psychiatr. 2018;36:1-7.
• Cates ME, Thomas AC, Hughes PJ, Woolley TW. Effects of focused continuing pharmacy education on pharmacists’ attitudes toward suicide prevention. Pharm Educ. 2017; 17(1):335-340. Link.
• Dopheide JA, Bostwick JR, Goldstone LW, Thomas K, Nemire R, Gable KN, Cates M, Caballero J, Smith T, Bainbridge J. Curriculum in psychiatry and neurology for pharmacy programs. Am J Pharm Educ. 2017;81(7):5925.
• Cates ME, Woolley TW. Effects of a psychiatric clinical rotation on pharmacy students’ attitudes toward mental illness and the provision of pharmaceutical care to the mentally ill. Ment Health Clin. 2017;7(5):194-200. Link.
• Baker JF, Cates ME, Luthin DR. D-cycloserine in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Ment Health Clin. 2017;7(2):88-94. Link.
• Jackson CW, Cates ME. Major depressive disorder. In: Chisholm-Burns MA, Schwinghammer TL, Wells BG, et al., eds. Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice. 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2016:583-597.
• White CW, Boyd K, Luthin DR, Cates ME. Posttraumatic stress disorder: disease characteristics and treatment. Consultant. 2016;56(6):496-501.
• Cates ME, Clark A, Woolley TW, Saunders A. Sleep quality among pharmacy students. Am J Pharm Educ. 2015;79(1):09.
• Cates ME, Hogue MD, Woolley TW. Effects of actual participation in drug testing on the attitudes of first-year pharmacy students toward a mandatory drug testing program. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2015;7(2):224-230.

Presentations

(2015-2020, national/international)

Invited Presentations

• De-Stigmatization of Mental Health Conditions – Considerations for US Pharmacy Curricula. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting (virtual). July 13-31, 2020.
• Psychiatric Pharmacy: Current Status and Future Directions. Asian Conference on Clinical Pharmacy. Manila, Philippines. June 27, 2019.
• The Association Between Lithium in Drinking Water and Incidence of Suicide. Research Community, College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists Webinar. December 13, 2017.
• Pharmacotherapy of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Asian Conference on Clinical Pharmacy. Seoul, South Korea. July 16, 2016.
• Innovative Course: Mental Illness and Treatment in the Movies. Innovations in Teaching Award, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting. National Harbor, MD. July 14, 2015.

Poster Presentations

• Cates ME, Holley S, Lott A, Cruthirds D, Gorman G. Effects of cannabidiol oil on in vitro metabolism of standard antidepressant medications. ACCP Virtual Poster Symposium. May 26-27, 2020.
• Whitaker C, Cates ME, Cruthirds DL, Gorman GS. Association between heavy metal content in drinking water and mortality due to suicide. Encore presentation. CPNP Annual Meeting. Salt Lake City, UT. April 7-10, 2019.
• Cates ME, McAvoy KE, Cruthirds DL, Gorman GS. Association between lithium in drinking water and mortality due to suicide and homicide. FIP World Congress. Glasgow, Scotland. September 2-6, 2018.
• Cates ME, George KR, Modi MS, Pearson CE, Sanders NH, Cruthirds DL, Gorman GS. Association between lithium in drinking water and mortality due to Alzheimer’s disease. Encore presentation. CPNP Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN. April 22-25, 2018.
• Cates ME, Sanders NH, Pearson CE, Modi MS, George KR, Cruthirds DL, Gorman GS. Association between lithium in drinking water and incidence of various cancers. Encore presentation. CPNP Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN. April 22-25, 2018.
• Cates ME. Effects of an elective course involving mental illness-themed movies on pharmacy students’ empathy toward mentally ill patients. CPNP Annual Meeting. Phoenix, AZ. April 23-26, 2017.
• Palmer AL, Gorman GS, Cates ME. Relationship of lithium in drinking water to suicide rates across fifteen Alabama counties. Encore presentation. CPNP Annual Meeting. Phoenix, AZ. April 23-26, 2017.
• Vaughan CP, Cates ME, Woolley TW. Pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in regards to prescription drug abuse. CPNP Annual Meeting. Colorado Springs, CO. April 17-20, 2016.
• Cates ME, Woolley TW. Effect of duration of clinical exposure to mentally ill patients on pharmacy students’ stigmatizing views. FIP World Congress. Düsseldorf, Germany. September 29-October 3, 2015.
• Cates ME, Woolley TW. Pharmacy students’ attitudes toward suicide prevention are improved after participation in a psychiatric pharmacy clinical rotation. FIP World Congress. Düsseldorf, Germany. September 29-October 3, 2015.
• Cates ME, Woolley T. Pharmacy students’ attitudes toward provision of pharmaceutical care to mentally ill patients are improved after participation in a psychiatric pharmacy clinical rotation. ACCP Virtual Poster Symposium. May 17-18, 2015.
• Cates ME, Woolley TW. Pharmacy students’ attitudes toward mental illness are unaffected by participation in a psychiatric pharmacy advanced pharmacy practice experience. CPNP Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. April 19-22, 2015.
• Cates ME, Thomas AC, Hughes PJ, Woolley TW. Effects of a focused continuing education program on pharmacists’ attitudes toward suicide prevention. CPNP Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. April 19-22, 2015.

Involvement

• Alabama Pharmacy Association
• Alabama Society of Health-System Pharmacists (Fellow; Past President; Past Council Director)
• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (Past Academic Leadership Fellow)
• American College of Clinical Pharmacy (Fellow)
• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (Fellow; Past State Delegate)
• College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (President; Past Board Member)