Association Perspective
Michael D. Hogue, PharmD, FAPhA, FNAP, FFIP, Executive vice president and CEO of APhA
This month I’m writing my Pharmacy Today column with Miranda Montoya, 2024–2025 APhA–ASP national president. Miranda was a final-year student pharmacist at University of New Mexico and was a member of the APhA Board of Trustees by virtue of her office. We thought it would be important to share with readers some of the significant impacts student pharmacists are making on health care, just reflecting back on the past year of Miranda’s presidency.
With six National Patient Care Projects, student pharmacists nationwide are making a profound impact in their communities through Operation Diabetes, Operation Heart, Operation Immunization, Operation Reproductive Health, Operation Substance Use Disorders, and OTC Medicine Safety.
As diabetes and heart disease rates rise in the United States, student pharmacists strive to tackle low health literacy and offer free health screenings to patients.
During the 2023–2024 reporting year, over 20,000 patients received blood glucose tests and ADA risk assessments for diabetes from student pharmacists nationwide. Twice as many patients received cardiovascular screenings, including free BP readings and tobacco cessation education.
Through the efforts of more than 100 APhA–ASP Chapters, over 50,000 patients received vaccines, reaching even the most rural areas; 6,679 student pharmacists administered flu shots, HPV vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines, and more!
Through Operation Substance Use Disorders, student pharmacists worked to reduce stigma and promote harm reduction. Over 17,000 pounds of medications were collected during medication takeback days. Chapters educated over 257,000 individuals in their communities by offering naloxone training sessions and crafting opioid recovery kits. Social media campaigns impacted over 870,000 individuals.
Focusing on fifth through eighth grade children and their families, student pharmacists educated over 39,000 individuals on the safe use of OTC medications.
Each chapter carefully crafted events catered to the needs of their community. Unique events such as Dance for Diabetes through free Zumba classes and Orange Theory Fitness sessions were clever reminders that staying healthy can be fun!
Social media platforms such as TikTok provided a creative space to generate viral videos like the one in which professors danced to what they believed a heart arrhythmia looked like.
Continuing that love to serve others, Boo at the Zoo, a significant health fair organized by our student pharmacists with a fun twist to the holiday theme, became a place where community members engaged in free BP screenings, blood glucose testing, and educational activities.
“This experience has prepared us to become better pharmacists as understanding our patients is one of the most essential qualities of an outstanding pharmacist,” said Minhwan Cho, a student pharmacist from Notre Dame of Maryland University.
This level of impact isn’t achieved overnight or by one person—it takes an entire team working toward a shared goal. While our aspirations may differ, we are united by a passion for serving others. These numbers represent just 1 year of hard work and dedication to our profession. Imagine how much more we could do—how many more lives we can impact given more time.
This is the power of student pharmacists—Each of Us, For All of Us—steadfast in becoming the next generation of servant leaders.
As you can see, our student pharmacists are service minded. Despite the increasingly difficult challenges of balancing a Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum, work, and other life demands, student pharmacists are still impacting health care in significant ways.
Yes, the work is hard, but the reward is tremendous. Pharmacy is worth it. Our patients are worth it.
For every pharmacist. For all of pharmacy. ■