PhARM Program | The University of Texas at Austin

The Pharmacy Addictions Research & Medicine (PhARM) Program provides continuing education to health professionals via the Texas Opioid Training Initiative, leads opioid poisoning prevention efforts through Operation Naloxone, and conducts innovative research to identify and address gaps in access to substance use disorder treatment and harm reduction resources.

Meet The Team

Lucas G. Hill, PharmD, BCACP

Director & Lead Instructor

Dr. Hill graduated from the UMKC School of Pharmacy and completed a combined residency/fellowship in the UPMC Department of Family Medicine. He is now a clinical associate professor at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy where he founded the PhARM Program and Operation Naloxone. Dr. Hill is the principal investigator for a five-year $25 million Texas Targeted Opioid Response grant with co-investigators at the Dell Medical School, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, and Moody College of Communication.

Claire Zagorski, MSc, LP

Coordinator & Harm Reduction Instructor

Ms. Zagorski earned a Bachelor’s Degree at The University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s Degree at The University of North Texas Health Science Center. She has practiced clinically as a paramedic in multiple treatment settings, including as a member of the Austin Harm Reduction Coalition. She founded Longhorn Stop the Bleed and is committed to supporting healthcare professionals who seek to integrate harm reduction principles in their practice.

Lindsey J. Loera, PharmD

Inaugural PhARM Fellow

Dr. Loera graduated from The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy in 2020 and is currently completing a two-year fellowship with the PhARM Program. In this role, she will develop an innovative clinical pharmacy practice at CARMAhealth and conduct statewide research exploring the pharmacist’s role in addiction treatment. She previously served as President of the Student Pharmacist Recovery Network and co-founded the Addiction Medicine Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience.

Carlos F. Tirado, MD, MPH, FASAM

Medical Consultant & Clinical Instructor

Dr. Tirado earned his MD and MPH degrees at UT Health, completed a residency in psychiatry at UT Southwestern, and completed a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He is board-certified in general and addiction psychiatry, and he is the founder and chief medical officer of CARMAhealth – a primary care medical home for people with substance use and psychiatric disorders.