Dr. Thomas Franko

Dr. Franko is a 2011 graduate of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. He completed a PGY1 residency at the Wilkes-Barre Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center. After residency he developed a pharmacist run medication therapy management clinic focused on chronic non-cancer pain at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. Dr. Franko joined the faculty at Wilkes University in 2013 with a focus in pain management and substance use disorder and maintains a clinical practice site at the Wright Center for Community Health in Wilkes-Barre. While at Wilkes Dr. Franko authored several papers on innovative education methodologies for pain management, opioid use, and pharmacist involvement with naloxone. He is the advisor for the Wilkes chapters of Rho Chi and Operation Substance Use Disorder, faculty liaison for SARPH (the pharmacist recovery program for Pennsylvania), and was named a Cardinal Health Generation Rx Champion for Pennsylvania in 2018. He is highly involved in the Pain, Palliative Care and Addiction Special Interest Group as well as the House of Delegates for the American Pharmacists Association and is a past president of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association.

• Doctor of Pharmacy, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA
• Pharmacy Practice Residency, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Wilkes-Barre, PA

• Basic Life Support
• Pennsylvania Licensed Pharmacist
• Pennsylvania Authorized Immunizing Pharmacist

• Aspects of Caring for the Pain Patient
• Pharmacotherapy of Pain, Headache and Substance Use Disorders
• Substance Use Disorder Care Lab
• Ambulatory Care Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience
• Pharmacotherapy of ADHD and Seizures
• Opioid management and calculations

• Franko T. Assessment of the Acute- and Long-Term Application of Naloxone Training on a Simulated Overdose Response. J Am Coll Clin Pharm. Nov 2022; 5(11): 1156-1160.
• Franko T. Effect of a simulated overdose response on student ability to counsel on naloxone use. J Am Coll Clin Pharm. 2022 March; 5(3): 319-323
• Franko T, Shah V, Bommareddy A, Hong K. Evaluation of long term retention and utilization of the situation, background, assessment, recommendation (SBAR) communication technique. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2021 Feb; 13(2): 122-126
• Tran T, Ball B, Bratberg J, DeSimone E, Franko T, Hill L, Koh-Knox Sharp C, Palombi L, Ventricelli D, Farrell D, Gandhi N, Moore T. Report of the 2020 Special Committee on Substance Use and Pharmacy Education. Am J Pharm Educ. 2020 November; 84(11) DOI: https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8421 external website
• Franko T. Removing the stigma of medication for opioid use disorder. Pharmacy Today. 2020 Oct 1; 26(10): 52-63.
• Franko T, Ventricelli D, Lambert J. Opioid Use Disorder Pharmacotherapy. Informational handout for the American Pharmacists Association.
• Bratberg J, Franko T, Free H, Ventricelli D, Vertino T,
• Villalobos M, Wall L, Ward A. Let’s Talk About Naloxone. Informational handout for the American Pharmacists Association.
• Franko T, Distefano D, Lewis L. A Novel Naloxone Training Compared to Current Recommended Training on an Overdose Simulation. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2019 May/June; 59(3): 375-378
• Franko T. Dispense to Prevent: Naloxone. American Pharmacists Association Institute on Substance Use Disorders. Salt Lake City, UT
• Franson K, Nichols J, Franko T. Ask the Experts: Town Hall Discussion on Medical Cannabis and Cannabidiol (CBD). American Pharmacists Association Institute on Substance Use Disorders. Salt Lake City, UT
• Nichols J, Franko T. MOUD 101: Understanding Medications for Opioid Use Disorder. American Pharmacists Association Institute on Substance Use Disorders. Salt Lake City, UT
• Franko T. Substance Use in Older Adults. Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association 2022 Pharmacology Conference. Philadelphia, PA
• Franko T, Leppien E. Open Forum: Pharmacists Pain Management and Substance Use Disorder Services. American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX
• Franko T. Yes You Can: Naloxone Distribution and Communication Strategies to Help Save Lives. American Pharmacists Association 2022 Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX

• President, Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association – 2021-2022
• Coordinator, Pain, Palliative Care, and Addiction Special Interest Group, American Pharmacists Association – 2021-2022
• Region 2 Councilor, Rho Chi – 2020-2024
• Cardinal Health Generation Rx Champion, Pennsylvania – 2018
• Pharmacists Mutual Companies Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award, Pennsylvania – 2017
• AACP Wal-Mart Scholar Recipient (Faculty Mentor) – 2017
• Advisor, Operation Substance Use Disorder
• Advisor, Rho Chi