APhA Member News
APhA staff
A Minute with...
Arijana Mestrovic, MPharm, FFIP
Director, Professional Affairs,
Pharma Expert, Zagreb, Croatia
Member since 2013
What are the top three reasons you joined APhA?
To engage with the leading professional organization as an educator.
To enhance international collaboration.
To enjoy participation at the APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition.
Do you feel at home at APhA? If so, why?
Wherever we talk in affirmative, inclusive, and motivating ways about our profession, it feels like home. At APhA, that is definitely the case. I feel included and respected for the international experience I bring, and I have great connections in my network among active members and leaders at APhA.
How would you say your membership has been valuable to your career?
The network I have developed dating back to my student pharmacist days to the present has played a significant role in the career opportunities I have enjoyed and my professional success. As speaker of the APhA House, a member of the Board of Trustees, and as a senior staff member, I have interacted with thousands of pharmacists and student pharmacists. I love the opportunities to share my passion for the profession, whether one-on-one at meetings or with groups small and large.
In what ways has APhA helped you establish meaningful connections?
I have attended every APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition since my first as a student member in 1977 (including some of the COVID-19–induced virtual ones)! If I had stayed home and just gone to work, my pharmacy world would be so much smaller than the one I now enjoy!
How does APhA help you thrive in your everyday practice?
Now that I am no longer engaged in full-time work in pharmacy, I remain active with APhA and several other pharmacy organizations as a volunteer. This keeps me up to date on key issues and in touch with both pharmacy leaders and the “rank and file.” That is enough! ■
Nominate
Pinnacle Awards
Nominations are now open for the Pinnacle Awards! Organized by the APhA Foundation’s Quality Center, the awards spotlight significant contributions in the medication use process. Nominees do not need to be pharmacists or APhA members. Self-nominations are allowed.
The categories are the Individual Award for Career Achievement and the Team Award for Collaboration, Innovation, and Impact. Up to two team awards are given annually, recognizing both small and large groups.
Nominations close on June 30, 2025, at 11:59 pm PT. Visit www.aphafoundation.org/pinnacle-awards to submit your nomination! ■
Insight
A Pharmacist’s Guide to Point-of-Care Testing
APhA has unveiled the comprehensive “A Pharmacist’s Guide to Point-of-Care Testing,” a vital resource for pharmacists nationwide. The much-awaited guide is now available, offering crucial insights for pharmacists and educators.
This guide is an indispensable resource for expanding pharmacy services and equipping student pharmacists for the future of diagnostics. It bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, ensuring pharmacists are well-prepared for modern health care challenges.
As states broaden pharmacists’ roles to encompass point-of-care testing, this guide provides essential insights and practical steps for implementing these services effectively. Pharmacists can now play a pivotal role in diagnosing and treating common conditions such as influenza, COVID-19, and diabetes. The guide covers setting up a CLIA-waived laboratory, patient assessment skills, and protocol requirements for point-of-care testing. It also addresses collaboration, documentation, communication, and financial sustainability, making it a one-stop resource for pharmacists.
Secure your copy now to stay at the forefront of pharmacy innovation and enhance your diagnostic capabilities. Visit apha.us/POCTesting to get your copy! ■
Watch
Rx Inspiration
APhA’s Rx Inspiration features inspiring stories from pharmacists and serves as a platform for pharmacists to connect and learn from each other’s tales and insights.
The series aims to uplift and empower pharmacists by sharing firsthand experiences of overcoming challenges and delivering exceptional patient care.
Tune in monthly to hear Randy McDonough, APhA’s president, engage with pharmacists who offer hope and inspiration. Check out APhA’s YouTube channel to watch episodes and hear from incredible pharmacists.
Visit apha.us/RxInspiration to watch the premiere episode. ■
Learn
Pharmacy-based OTC Hearing Aids Advanced Training Program
APhA offers a 3-hour, competency-based, interprofessional advanced training program on OTC hearing aids that provides a unique opportunity to improve your skills and patient care. Developed by a pharmacist and audiologist at the University of Pittsburgh, the Pharmacy-based OTC Hearing Aids Advanced Training Program equips pharmacists to recognize, screen, intervene, and refer patients with hearing loss effectively.
This course, which is suited for both pharmacists and student pharmacists, enhances pharmacist collaboration with hearing health care professionals.
The self-paced eLearning program reviews the epidemiology of hearing loss, laws and regulations related to OTC hearing aids, and the pharmacists’ OTC hearing aid patient care process. At the end of this training, pharmacists will know how to recognize, intervene, and refer patients with hearing loss to hearing health care.
Visit apha.us/HearingAidsTraining to enroll and find out more. ■