APhA Member News
APhA Staff
A minute with …
Brandon Robert Berkemeier, 2023 PharmD candidate at
University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy
Pharmacy Intern, Bon Secours Mercy Health—
West Hospital, Cincinnati, OH
Member since 2019
“APhA galvanized my passion of advocating for the support and advancement of the pharmacy profession. I truthfully would not be who I am today without the experiences and support from APhA—empowering me to become a capable leader and provider eager to help shape the future of pharmacy!”
How has APhA helped you establish meaningful connections?
APhA–ASP has not only allowed me to make meaningful connections at a local level, but also at a regional and national level as well. The mentorship and networking I received at a chapter level enabled me to meet APhA–ASP members at a national level, where I was able to learn more about the organization and how our voices can truly shape the future of the profession. Through these connections, I was fortunate enough to be appointed to a regional position where I have been able to grow in wisdom and share my own unique guidance and leadership experiences with other members from across the country!
How has APhA helped prepare you for your career as a pharmacist (e.g., experiences in patient care projects, leadership opportunities, advocacy, etc.)?
APhA has prepared me to be a successful leader within not only the pharmacy profession, but the community as well. The organization provides extensive opportunities to hone one’s leadership skills with not only patients, but any team with which one may find themselves working. APhA has truly been a blessing in allowing me to grow as a practitioner and guide and I believe they have given me the tools and resources to help shape and lead the future of this great profession!
What excites you about the profession of pharmacy?
The profession of pharmacy is ever-changing. During the pandemic, the world was able to see how beneficial pharmacists are for communities across the world and how they are the most accessible and knowledgeable health care providers. What really gets me excited are the words “provider status.”
The future of profession rests on state and federal governments recognizing pharmacists for their contributions to patient’s health and reimbursing us as the providers that we are. The future is exciting, because we are the generation that will help shape the profession of pharmacy!
Can you share a meaningful story about a time you interacted with a patient? Perhaps a time you felt like you really made a difference for them?
Each patient I come across is unique and deserving of specialized care. Meeting and helping patients at my job in the emergency department (ED) has affirmed my love of serving and my love of learning. I meet many patients in the ED who present with no knowledge of what their medications are for and far more who are started on medications before being told what they are being used to treat. The patients and families I get the chance to talk to express the deepest gratitude that someone was willing to take the time to help explain what their medications are for and how they are helping.
Sadly, many patients do not realize the importance of pharmacothearapy and can be noncompliant and or nonadherent. I try my best to make sure all patients understand more about themselves and their medications than they did before we met, and my goal is to leave them feeling guided and comfortable in taking control of their health! ■
Cultural Aspects of Health Care: A Toolkit for Pharmacy Education
Did you know APhA has a resource designed to equip pharmacy educators with practical tools for learners to better serve individuals from diverse cultures, communities, and populations? This toolkit contains a collection of active learning strategies and reflection activities to help educators integrate cultural aspects into existing pharmacy courses and seminars. It is specifically designed to be a resource for educators to guide learners to evaluate and challenge attitudes and values about diverse cultures, develop a knowledge framework for serving diverse cultures, and develop skills to work with diverse cultures, communities, and populations. The learning activities within the toolkit are designed to complement chapters, textbooks, and websites on cultural competency, diversity, and health disparities. This toolkit is available to the public free of charge. Although designed for educators, anyone can use the toolkit to learn more about cultural competencies. You can visit pharmacylibrary.com/topic/culturaltoolkit to access these resources. to access these resources. ■