Shirley Guthmiller

Shirley Guthmiller has been a licensed pharmacist since 1978, beginning her career in clinical pharmacy where she spent over ten years providing direct patient care and managing complex medication therapies. Her early work laid the foundation for a lifelong commitment to improving patient outcomes and supporting healthcare teams across multiple settings.

Following her clinical experience, Shirley joined Bayer (Bear Aspirin), where she worked for 14 and a half years. During her tenure, she conducted presentations and speaking engagements at every district, regional, state, and national meeting, focusing on new drug approvals and multiple indications for Bayer medications. Notably, her work with Cipro expanded from approximately 12 indications when she started to 18 by the time she concluded her work with the company. Shirley’s dedication and expertise earned her recognition as one of the top 13 pharmacists out of 5,600 representatives across the United States and Puerto Rico.

In addition to her industry work, Shirley spent three years at the South Dakota State Developmental Center, a residential facility serving approximately 160 individuals with disabilities. This experience allowed her to continue applying her clinical knowledge in a hands-on setting, demonstrating her versatility and commitment to patient care across diverse populations.

Since retiring from full-time pharmacy practice, Shirley has maintained her license and devoted herself to medical mission work. For the past 11 years, she has volunteered with Hope International Ministries in the Dominican Republic, serving as one of three to five pharmacists on teams of 250 to 300 volunteers. During five-day clinic trips each June, her teams treat over 1,000 patients and fill more than 5,000 prescriptions. Shirley finds this work deeply rewarding, combining her professional skills with service and faith to positively impact under-resourced communities.

Shirley’s personal life reflects the values of dedication, achievement, and family. Her son, Matt Guthmiller, set a world record at age 19 as the youngest person to fly solo around the world, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. He also achieved a perfect 36 on his ACTs as a sophomore, attended MIT, and later developed the 8flight app to assist pilots. Shirley’s career, volunteer work, and family accomplishments illustrate a lifelong commitment to excellence, service, and making a meaningful difference in every endeavor she undertakes.

• BS in Pharmacy from South Dakota State University

• BS Pharmacy

• Recognized as one of the top 13 pharmacists out of 5,600 Bayer representatives in the U.S. and Puerto Rico

• South Dakota State Pharmacy Association

• Hope International Ministries – Dominican Republic (11 years)
• Part of teams of 250–300 volunteers
• Provided care to over 1,000 patients per clinic trip
• illed over 5,000 prescriptions during 5-day clinics