Dr. Orth is an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, where his teaching, clinical practice, and research activities focus on optimizing the medical care of pediatric patients. Within the curriculum, Dr. Orth teaches in the Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacotherapy, and Capstone courses across all Doctor of Pharmacy programs. He is also the course director for two Pediatric Pharmacotherapy electives. In addition to his teaching roles, Dr. Orth practices as an embedded pharmacist within the Special Care Clinic at Children's Hospital Colorado, a patient-centered medical home for ~6,000 children with medical complexity. Within this role, Dr. Orth works collaboratively with providers and multidisciplinary staff to provide comprehensive pharmacotherapy recommendations, patient/caregiver education, and other medication-related support to children with medical complexity and their families. His current clinical research focuses on optimization of medication therapy management practices in children with polypharmacy, and expansion of pharmacy services to children with medical complexity. Additional scholarship interests include pediatric critical care and emergency preparedness, pharmacoepidemiology, medication safety for children with neurocognitive impairment, and pediatric practice management.
Education, Licensure & Certifications
- Doctor of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy (2011-2015)
- Pharmacy Practice Residency, UF Health Shands Hospital (2015-2016)
- Pediatric Pharmacy Specialty Residency, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital (2016-2017)
Awards
- Fellow, American College of Clinical Pharmacy (2025)
- Chancellor's Teaching Recognition Award (2025)
- Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award, Colorado Pharmacists Society (2024)
- Outstanding Preceptor of the Year, University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy (2023)
- Top 25 Article of the Year, American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (2022)
Affiliations
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
- Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital Colorado
Courses
- Pediatric Pharmacotherapy
- Pharmacotherapy IV
- Clinical Pharmacokinetics
- Clinical Capstone
- Dermatology & HEENT II (School of Medicine CHA/PA program)
Research
- Polypharmacy
- Pediatric Medication Therapy Management
- Pediatric Pharmacoepidemiology
- Medication Safety in Children with Neurocognitive Impairment
Publications and Presentations
Orth LE, Feudtner C, Kempe A, et al. A coordinated approach for managing polypharmacy among children with medical complexity: rationale and design of the Pediatric Medication Therapy Management (pMTM) randomized controlled trial. BMC Health Services Research. 2023 Apr 29; 23(1):414.
Feinstein JA, Orth LE. Making polypharmacy safer for children with medical complexity. Journal of Pediatrics. 2023 Mar; 254:4-10.
Marquez C, Thompson R, Feinstein, JA, Orth LE. Identifying opportunities for pediatric medication therapy management in children with medical complexity. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. 2022 Sep-Oct; 62(5):1587-1595.e3. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2022.04.005.
Begum A, Hosokawa P, Orth LE, Feinstein JA. Annual medication use and costs among children. JAMA Network Open. 2025 Mar; 8(3):e251529.
Feinstein JA, Friedman H, Orth LE, et al. Complexity of medication regimens for children with neurological impairment. JAMA Network Open. 2021 Aug; 4(8):e2122818.
Feinstein JA, Feudtner C, Kempe A, Orth LE. Anticholinergic medications and parent-reported anticholinergic symptoms in neurologically impaired children. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2023 Feb; 65(2):e109-14.
Dreyer JE, Glasheen JJ, Orth LE, et al. Improving metabolic monitoring of atypical antipsychotics in a developmental and behavioral pediatrics ambulatory clinic. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. 2025 Nov; 46(6):e551-7.
Orth LE, Allan K, EL Ross, Lemons A. Concern for patient harm due to potentially supratherapeutic clonidine dosing resulting from physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling. Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 2025 Jun 9; 30(3):414-17.
Sierra CM, Capino AC, Cober MP, Eiland LS, Fenn NE, Fusco NM, Orth LE. Incorporating pediatrics in clinical education: a call to action in inpatient pharmacy practice. Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 2025 Feb; 30(1):4-7.
Elias ER, Orth LE, Xu L, et al. Cholic acid increases serum cholesterol in Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome: a pilot study. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism Reports. 2023 Nov 28; 38(1):101030.
Orth LE, Kelly BK, Lagasse CL, et al. Safety and effectiveness of albuterol solutions with and without benzalkonium chloride when administered by continuous nebulization. American Journal of Health-Systems Pharmacy. 2018 Nov 15; 75(22):1791-7.
Orth LE, O’Mara KL. Impact of early versus late diuretic exposure on metabolic bone disease and growth in premature neonates. Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 2018 Jan-Feb; 23(1):26-33.