John M. O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, is president and chief executive officer of the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC), a 70-year-old health policy research organization in Washington, DC. NPC’s research contributes to the scientific foundation for informed discussions about healthcare access, coverage, appropriate use, and value. Dr. O’Brien’s experience spans the private sector, academia, and government. Prior to joining NPC, Dr. O’Brien was senior advisor to the US Secretary of Health and Human Services and deputy assistant secretary of planning and evaluation (health policy). He has also held senior roles in the life sciences and managed care industries, was a career official at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) during the Obama administration, and served as a health policy fellow in the US Senate. Dr. O’Brien earned his doctorate in pharmacy at Nova Southeastern University, his master’s degree in public health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, studied pharmacy and public policy at the University of Florida and is a graduate of the AHIP-Kellogg Certified Health Insurance Executive program. He has held a number of academic appointments, including senior fellow at the USC-Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, clinical assistant professor at the Rutgers Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship program, and assistant professor of clinical and administrative sciences at the Notre Dame of Maryland University College of Pharmacy, the first program of its kind created by a U.S. women’s college. Dr. O’Brien has served on the boards of Pharmacy Quality Solutions, Kennedy Center Circles, and the Congressional Chorus and is an instrument-rated private pilot.