Ilisa Bernstein, PharmD, JD, FAPhA

American Pharmacist Association


Dr. Bernstein is the interim chief executive officer at APhA.

She has over 30 years of experience advocating for pharmacy and patients at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where she has held several senior leadership positions. Prior to joining APhA, Dr. Bernstein was deputy director of FDA’s Office of Compliance in the Center for Drug Evaluation & Research, leading domestic and global policies, compliance, and enforcement in areas such as drug compounding, supply chain security, drug quality, drug shortages, and post-market drug safety. Dr. Bernstein also served as director of pharmacy affairs for FDA and senior advisor for regulatory policy in the Office of the Commissioner. She started at FDA as clinical pharmacology reviewer of investigational and new drug applications.

Previously, Dr. Bernstein was senior associate director of worldwide regulatory affairs for Pfizer and completed a post-doctoral clinical residency at the National Institutes of Health. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Michigan and her Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law.