Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year! In addition to the plethora of holidays, the APhA–ASP policy development process is under way. If you are as excited as I am to maintain the momentum after the APhA–ASP Midyear Regional Meetings (MRM), rest assured that there are plenty of opportunities to continue raising your voice.

Review the conference schedule. Iron and lint roll my blazer. Is my school badge visible? Wait patiently to talk with presenter. When is the appropriate moment to enter the conversation? I should mentally review my elevator speech. Remember that, when I get the chance, my handshake should be firm but not too firm. I should provide the presenter with my contact information. Why did I not buy business cards this year? They are free. Smile, take a deep breath, extend hand: “Hi, my name is …”

We’ve all made financial decisions that probably weren’t the smartest. We may have thought the decision was rational and logical when in reality it wasn’t. Maybe you didn’t take advantage of matching retirement funds from an employer or bought an expensive item and thought you would easily be able to make the monthly payment. These financial choices all trace back to behavior.  

Behavioral economics, or behavioral finance, blends both economics and psychology and shows why and how people make irrational and illogical decisions with their money. Unfortunately, our financial behavior can lead us to be broke, even with a high income. To be financially successful, it is imperative to look at your behavior with a critical eye. By doing so, you may be able to break bad habits or improve how you make decisions that move you closer to your financial goals.

The Sexual Health Committee within Temple University School of Pharmacy’s APhA–ASP Chapter is unique in that it is one of the few to exist amongst APhA as a whole. In addition, sexual health is a prevalent public health concern in Philadelphia, giving us an opportunity to make a substantial impact in our community. 

We have educated our community on sexual health topics such as safe sex practices, prevention of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, and HIV education/prevention. As the demographic surrounding Temple University is largely college-aged students and an underprivileged population,  this sexual health education reaches a community that can directly use the information that we provide. 

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in 2017, there were 137 natural disasters declared in the United States, 59 of which President Trump classified as a major disaster. In the same year, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre estimated that more than 1.6 million Americans were displaced by natural disasters alone.

The largest portion to this staggering displacement statistic included major hurricanes named Harvey, Irma, and Maria, with almost two-thirds of that estimate. People displaced by natural disasters face many obstacles and challenges during evacuation. It is important during those difficult times that medical needs are not neglected.