Benjamin Pontefract, PharmD, BCPS

Associate Professor
Pharmacy Practice
Email: [email protected]

Education

Certificate, Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist, Board of Pharmacy Specialties
PharmD, University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
BS, University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy

Graduate/Post-Graduate Training

Fellowship, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Boise VA Medical Center, Boise, ID, United States
Residency, PGY-1 Ambulatory Care, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States

Biography

Dr. Pontefract teaches in and coordinates the infectious diseases portion of the Integrated Pharmacotherapy (IP) course series. He practices as an Internal Medicine pharmacist at CoreWell Health Blodgett Hospital where he precepts APPE students during their final year of pharmacy school. Research interests include antimicrobial stewardship (inpatient and outpatient), infectious disease epidemiology, and artificial intelligence in healthcare. Dr. Pontefract is also currently serving on the E-Board of the Western Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (WMSHP) and on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP).

Publications and Intellectual Contributions

Research Report
Pontefract, B., Dahal, K., McDonnell, J. (2026). "Differences by Patient Race in Guideline Concordant Outpatient Antibiotic Use in Adult patients in Michigan," In M. Klepser (Ed.), M. Sohn (Ed.), INNOVATIONS in Pharmacy.
Newsletter
Fox, T., Briggs, M., Carriere, A., Tran, V., Klepser, M., Pontefract, B. (2026). "OneHealth: Antimicrobial Stewardship Throughout All of Society," MHSP Monitor.
Newsletter
Pontefract, B. (2026). "Stronger Together: Past Successes and Present Struggles," MHSP Monitor.
Newsletter
Brown, K., Hickson, M., Pontefract, B. (2026). "Challenges Facing Healthcare in 2026," MHSP Monitor.
Journal Article
Vo, T., Dahal, K., Klepser, M. E., Pontefract, B., Caniff, K., Sohn, M. (2025). "Collaboration to harmonize antimicrobial registry measures (CHARM) database analysis of antibiotic prescribing in urgent and non-urgent care: a retrospective study on demographic factors," Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology. 5 (1). Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2025.10197
Journal Article
Vo, T., Dahal, K., Klepser, M. E., Pontefract, B., Caniff, K., Sohn, M. (2025). "Evaluation of large language models for antimicrobial classification: implications for antimicrobial stewardship programs," Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology. 5 (1). Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2025.10235
Book Chapter
Pontefract, B. (2025). "Lower Respiratory Tract Infections," NAPLEX Review Guide 5th Edition. McGraw Hill.
Newsletter
Mcwain, C., Pontefract, B. (2025). "Wrestling Skin Infections: Prevention, Management, and Best Practices," In L. Hsaiky (Ed.), MHSP Monitor.
Journal Article
Sohn, M., Pontefract, B., Dahal, K., Klepser, M. (2025). "Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship During the COVID-19 Era: Analysis of Prescribing Trends and Guideline Compliance," Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology. 5 (1). p. e168. Cambridge University Press.
Newsletter
Pontefract, B. (2025). "How to “Empower, Engage, Enact” with Local and State Pharmacy Organizations," MSHP Monitor. (March 2025).

Presentations

Oral Presentation
Pontefract, B. (Author & Presenter), Spring Seminar 2026, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare," Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, Big Rapids, MI, (May 18, 2026).
Oral Presentation
Pontefract, B. (Author & Presenter), McLaren Hospital Monthly Pharmacist CE, "Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare," McLaren Hospital, Virtual, (February 5, 2026).
Oral Presentation
Pontefract, B. (Author & Presenter), Worden, L. (Author & Presenter), Hsaiky, L. (Author & Presenter), Great Lakes Infectious Diseases Conference 2026, "The Monetary Benefits of Antimicrobial Stewardship," Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, Grand Rapids, MI, (March 21, 2026).
Poster
Vo, T. (Author & Presenter), Sohn, M. (Author), Klepser, M. E. (Author), Pontefract, B. (Author), Caniff, K. (Author), deVoest, M. (Author), APhA Annual Meeting 2026, "Antibiotic Stewardship in Transitions of Care: Concordance Pattern Analysis using Collaboration to Harmonize Antimicrobial Registry Measure Dashboard," Los Angeles, CA, (March 28, 2026).
Oral Presentation
Pontefract, B. (Author & Presenter), Prajapati, M. (Author & Presenter), RPR April 2026, "Writing Exam Questions," Ferris Professional Development Committee, Virtual, (April 2, 2026).
Poster
Vo, T. (Author & Presenter), Klepser, M. (Author), Pontefract, B., Caniff, K. (Author), deVoest, M. (Author), Annual Meeting and Exposition, "Antibiotic Stewardship in Transitions of Care: Concordance Pattern Analysis using Collaboration to Harmonize Antimicrobial Registry Measure Dashboard," American Pharmacist Association (APhA), Los Angelas, CA, (March 27, 2026).
Poster
Caniff, K. (Author & Presenter), Dahal, K. (Author), Klepser, M. (Author), Pontefract, B. (Author), Sohn, M. (Author), National Oral Health Conference 2026, "Evaluation of Clindamycin Prescribing in Dental Encounters at Federally Qualified Health Centers," American Association of Public Health Dentistry, Oklahoma City, OK, (April 11, 2026).
Poster
Vo, T. (Author & Presenter), Sohn, M. (Author), Klepser, M. E. (Author), Pontefract, B. (Author), Caniff, K. (Author), deVoest, M., Michigan Pharmacist Meeting, "Antibiotic Stewardship in Transitions of Care: Concordance Pattern Analysis using Collaboration to Harmonize Antimicrobial Registry Measure Dashboard," Lansing Mi, (April 17, 2026).
Poster
Beck, S. (Author), Pontefract, B. (Author & Presenter), Worden, L. (Author), Annual Meeting 2026, "Woundn’t You Like to Know: Impact of Penicillin Binding Protein 2a Screenings on Staphylococcus aureus Wound Infections," Making a Difference in Infectious Diseases (MAD-ID) and Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP), Orlando, FL, (May 16, 2026).
Poster
Vo, T. (Author & Presenter), Sampada, F. (Author), Pontefract, B. (Author), Klepser, M. (Author), Sohn, M. (Author), Annual Meeting 2026, "AI-Assisted ICD-10 Bucketing to Accelerate Antimicrobial Stewardship Surveillance: A CHARM Initiative," Making a Difference in Infectious Diseases (MAD-ID) and Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP), Orlando, FL, (May 16, 2026).

Benjamin Pontefract, PharmD, BCPS