It is with deep sadness that the Drug Therapy Committee acknowledges the passing of its long-time Chair, Dr. Allan I. Sandler, after a long illness. He was a true physician who had a deep devotion to his patients. This passion for excellent medical care led him to be a strong advocate of effective and safe drug therapy. During his thirty years on the Committee, he sought out proven effective medications while being a patron of new ideas and therapies. His was an effective chair as he listened to all opinions before establishing a consensus. His passion for the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Committee was obvious. He recognized many changes during his long career and in these changes he found opportunities to deliver better therapy.

During his tenure, the role of the Committee expanded and its significance broadened. The predecessor of the present Committee, the Pharmacy Committee, was established in the late 1940's, one of the first committees of its kind in the country. The Pharmacy Committee was responsible for maintaining the hospital formulary, providing oversight to the operations of the Pharmacy and the review of research protocols. Under his leadership, the Pharmacy Committee expanded its role and became the Drug Therapy Committee. With the name change came increased responsibility, including drug therapy oversight for the MGH, the MGPO, Partners Community Healthcare Inc (PCHI) and for the Partners Healthcare System employee prescription drug benefit program. With all these changes, his enthusiasm and sense of mission persisted. Even while he was ill, he was actively reading about new therapies and would insist on receiving the agenda and the minutes of each meeting. During this time, he would find a new therapy that was just published, send copies of the reprints to all members, and champion the change.

Beneath all the technical detail, he engendered a strong desire to serve his patients. He saw the Pharmacy Committee as a lighthouse on the journey. He felt that the future of medicine may lie beyond our vision, but a good foundation can be established by a critical review of the literature. Those of us who had the privilege of working with Allan remember him for the passion of his conviction, enthusiasm, his wit and wisdom, his encyclopedic understanding of the game of baseball and, most of all, his humanity.

Allan thought that we live in the great age of medicine. Indeed we do, but all the less great because of his passing.