It was a successful day on Capitol Hill as 191 SLI attendees advocated on behalf of the pharmacy profession.

By Matthew Broadwater

The APhA–ASP Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) is a unique, one-of-a-kind experience. This past July, a total of 240 APhA–ASP Chapter leaders across all eight regions came together to further nurture their professional development and leadership skills with the hopes they will take back what they learned to make a true difference in their chapters and their communities. 

On the Hill, then the roof

SLI weekend started off on a humid, Washington, DC, Friday morning, as 191 student pharmacists descended on Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of the pharmacy profession. These student pharmacists went on to conduct more than 130 meetings with their congressional legislators and aides on the importance of having pharmacists on the health care team. Student pharmacists discussed how DIR fees are affecting pharmacy practice and clinical services, hurting the viability of community pharmacies, and increasing patient medication costs, and asked their legislators to support bill H.R. 1034/S. 640 to make DIR fees more transparent. 

An open mind, great timing, and some luck have served Jessica Marx well during the early part of her pharmacy career.

By Jessica Marx, PharmD

At 16 years old, I applied for a part-time job at the CVS down the street that was looking for a cashier. At the time, I had absolutely no idea how much this part-time job I took for a little extra cash would help to shape my entire trajectory.

I loved my job as a cashier. I would get to know the regular customers who would come in for their daily newspaper and gallon of milk. I remember the day when the pharmacy in the back was short staffed. My manager asked me if I would be able to stay a couple hours after my shift to help ring-up patients who were picking up prescriptions in the pharmacy. Having never worked back there before, I was a little hesitant, but I agreed. Until that day, I had no idea what really happened in a pharmacy or what a pharmacist did, but I quickly realized how much the community both trusted and relied upon their pharmacist. From counseling patients when they started new medication therapies to answering questions about first aid and possible side effects, the pharmacist knew so much about medication therapy. I had no idea. After spending some more time in the pharmacy, I eventually decided to transfer to the pharmacy permanently and went on to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician. 

My experiences at this part-time job triggered the formation of my future secondary education aspirations. I wanted to be a pharmacist, just like the pharmacists I worked with at CVS, and that’s exactly the path I traveled down. Many years, exams, and experiential rotation hours later, I graduated pharmacy school. I received my offer for a pharmacist position at CVS in 2016, just a few months before graduation. I worked as a staff pharmacist for just over 6 months before being promoted to Pharmacy Manager. My story could have ended here. After all, I had attained what I had already set out to attain in a matter of months. 

Whether it’s some ‘me time’ or ‘classmate time,’ Kristin Burge knows mental health should not be taken for granted.

By Kristin Cheyenne Burge

My experience as a student pharmacist in an accelerated 3-year pharmacy program has been anything but easy, but that’s not to say that I don’t love it. In fact, I try to cherish every moment of it because I know once I graduate, I will miss everyone that I grew close to through this experience. 
In addition to diligently studying, attending class daily, taking part in APhA–ASP Chapter activities, tutoring, and visiting my nursing home patients each week, I also take part in serving my Appalachian community. Such a hectic schedule begs the question, “How do I manage my time and keep sane with all of it?” Let me tell you how.