Brian Erstad inducted as fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians

Brian Erstad, PharmD, interim dean and professor of pharmacy practice and science at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, was inducted as a fellow into the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST). Of this year's 122 new fellows, who represent seven countries and 31 of the 50 U.S. states, Erstad is the only doctor of pharmacy honoree. 

CHEST is the leading professional association in innovative chest medicine. It is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research and team-based care. The association has more than 18,000 members in the chest medicine community worldwide. 

Erstad received application approval from the CHEST Board of Regents this month but will accept the award at the organization's annual meeting in Chicago this October. Fellows of the American College of Chest Physicians must have demonstrated excellence, commitment and leadership in chest medicine. They also must have exhibited professional contributions to CHEST, other medical associations or to the field of chest medicine. 

 “I am humbled by the physicians who volunteered to write letters of support for my Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians application, given that they are internationally recognized leaders in the field of critical care medicine,” Erstad said. “I am also pleased that the American College of Chest Physicians is willing to recognize me as a pharmacist, not a physician, for this honor.”

Erstad joined the College of Pharmacy faculty in 1988 and went on to lead the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science for more than a decade, serving in that role until 2024. He became interim dean of the college in July 2025. In addition to more than 350 peer‐reviewed publications and 60 book chapters, he is the editor of the renowned textbook “Critical Care Pharmacotherapy”. He is an international expert who has made major contributions and held leadership roles in numerous professional organizations.

“I would also like to highlight that Dr. Erstad may be one of the best-qualified (fellow) candidates in the history of our organization,” wrote Curtis N. Sessler, MD, associate chair of faculty development at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, in his nomination letter. “Not only is he a tenured professor at a major research institution and past department head, he is past president of the American College of Clinical Pharmacists, a Master Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine and the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, among countless accolades.”

Sessler first worked with Erstad 20 years ago at the American College of Clinical Pharmacists Critical Care Institute and on an important institute task force to publish a series of multiprofessional expert reviews on ICU Pain Management in the CHEST journal. 

Erstad has been a member of the American College of Chest Physicians for almost 20 years. During that time, he has served on task forces, panels and committees that published approximately 20 consensus statements or clinical practice guidelines for clinicians providing care for critically ill patients.