Current Pharmacy Residents

L to R: Blessing Akinwale, PharmD, Lauren Boecker, PharmD and Ben Duren, PharmD, MBA.

Blessing Akinwale, PharmD

Blessing Akinwale, PharmD, was born and raised in Oyo, Nigeria. Dr. Akinwale completed her Doctorate of Pharmacy at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Her areas of interest include ambulatory care, diabetes management, and transitions of care. Her residency major project is titled “Assessment of Inhaler Initiation and Escalation in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Exacerbations”. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.

Lauren Boecker, PharmD

Lauren Boecker, PharmD, was raised in Eagle City, Oklahoma. Dr. Boecker went on to complete her Doctorate of Pharmacy at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma. Her current areas of interest include cardiology, ambulatory care, and emergency medicine. After completing her residency, she is considering pursing a PGY-2 in cardiology or ambulatory care. Eventually, Dr. Boecker would love to pursue a career in academia to help mold the next generation of pharmacists into wonderful and capable health professionals! In her spare time, she enjoys helping out at her family’s farm, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

Ben Duren, PharmD, MBA

Ben Duren, PharmD, MBA, was born in Oklahoma City and raised in Guymon, Oklahoma. Dr. Duren completed his Doctorate of Pharmacy at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. His current areas of interest include diabetes education and management as well as cardiology; he plans to apply for a PGY-2 Residency and eventually get a position in an outpatient clinic to conduct visits with patients to discuss effective disease state management strategies. His major residency project is titled, “The effect of maximized guideline therapy at discharge on the 30-day readmission rate in patients hospitalized with an acute exacerbation of HFrEF.” In his free time, Ben loves to listen to albums, play the drums, and spend time with his friends.