Meet Megan Russell, a third-year PharmD candidate at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy.

As an APhA–ASP member, you are automatically an International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) member, meaning you have access to all of the international opportunities that IPSF offers. One of the high-level opportunities IPSF members have is that they can apply to serve as an IPSF official delegate at the World Health Assembly (WHA).

The Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) APhA–ASP chapter has made major advancements over the past 3 years in policy, social media presence, professionalism, and collaborations with other professional organizations and chapters across the country. We embraced innovation during the pandemic, and to our surprise were honored to receive the APhA–ASP Most Improved Chapter Award at APhA2022 this past March.

When the COVID-19 pandemic first struck in March of 2020, APhA–ASP chapters were forced to answer an unexpected question that would impact their activities for the next year: “How can we adapt to a world that became virtual?” As students in a profession that largely requires us to be on our feet and personally face patients as part of providing care, we were forced to think creatively of ways we could impact our communities and advance our profession through the technology and screens in our homes.

Student pharmacists at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy regularly engage with the local community through in-person patient care outreach and philanthropy. Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic placed strict restrictions on our ability to organize patient care events such as flu clinics and patient education. The new virtual environment inspired us to brainstorm new ways to connect with the local community, especially through social media engagement and virtual platforms.