APhA Member News
APhA staff
A Minuite with...
Christine Nguyen, PharmD
Regional Director of Pharmacy,
North West Food and Drug Division, H-E-B, Dallas
Member since 2018
What are the top three reasons you joined APhA?
Regardless of your practice setting, APhA is an organization for all pharmacists, in addition to being a leader in advocating for our profession while providing a community to engage in as we navigate our careers and the ever-changing nature of our profession.
Do you feel at home at APhA? If so, why?
APhA is welcoming and makes it clear that we represent all pharmacists and all of pharmacy, regardless of which sector of pharmacy you practice in. APhA is also consistent in the opportunities to serve and platforms available to develop your leadership, which has helped me become both involved and engaged from the very beginning of my membership.
How would you say your membership has been valuable to your career?
APhA has provided a spectacular platform for networking and meeting practitioners from across the country. It’s given me another level of connection with fellow practitioners and has broadened my perspective and the opportunities that come with that. Like nearly all pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic, we were administering immunizations at an intense and rapid rate. It was challenging to keep up with best practices and guidelines, but APhA’s resources such as Vaccine Confident (https://vaccineconfident.pharmacist.com/) and our communities on Engage were value-added tools to use in our practice settings.
In what ways has APhA helped you establish meaningful connections?
APhA provides a platform for communities to engage with one another, while launching events and projects that foster networking and partnerships. Being involved in different committees, moderating sessions, and attending events such as the APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition has helped me establish meaningful connections and learn from others in my profession.
How does APhA help you thrive in your everyday practice?
APhA provides a robust community of members asking relevant questions, and resources to navigate best practices across the profession. It’s further strengthened my confidence in our profession. ■
Treat
COVID-19 knowledge
Pharmacists continue to play a crucial role in COVID-19 care—especially when it comes to testing and antiviral treatments. APhA, with support from Pfizer, has launched a new quiz: “Show You Know: COVID-19 Antiviral Treatment.”
This quiz is designed to challenge and expand your knowledge. Quizzing yourself only takes 5 minutes and offers quick and actionable insights that you can immediately implement into practice. You can test yourself on COVID-19 best practices surrounding key risk factors, treatment options such as Paxlovid, and the latest CDC recommendations. This quiz is a credible, fast, and free way to sharpen your clinical expertise with Q&A’s that offer research-based rationale.
COVID-19 hasn’t gone away—and staying informed on the latest treatments ensures you can better support patients and public health efforts.
Visit https://aphanet.pharmacist.com/quiz/show-you-know-paving-the-way-COVID-19-antiviral-campaign to take the quiz today and keep your skills sharp. ■
Explore
Vaccine access maps
APhA has created two interactive maps in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh that were designed to improve vaccine access for both health care providers and patients. These maps, developed through a CDC grant, are especially useful for identifying vaccination sites in areas that are medically underserved and socially vulnerable.
The health care provider map of vaccine access is a free-to-use tool for pharmacists and other health care professionals to locate pharmacy vaccination locations. By searching an address or zip code, providers can easily find pharmacy sites that offer vaccines, as well as important details such as:
- Walk-in availability
- Handicap accessibility
- Hours of operation
- Languages spoken
Providers can also filter the map by county, state, social vulnerability, medically underserved areas, and health professional shortage areas to ensure their patients receive the care they need.
Visit https://vaccineconfident.pharmacist.com/Maps/Health-care-provider-vaccine-access to access the provider map.
The public map of vaccine access is designed for patients who want to find nearby pharmacies offering vaccinations. With easy-to-use filters, patients can search by address or zip code and discover pharmacies that:
- Administer vaccines without an appointment
- Offer handicap accessibility
- Have convenient hours of operation
- Speak the patient’s preferred language
With just one click, patients can send their selected pharmacy location to Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze for easy navigation. Visit https://vaccineconfident.pharmacist.com/Maps/Public-vaccine-access to access the provider map.
These tools aim to make it easier than ever to support vaccination efforts, ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to the care they need. Start exploring today! ■
Prevent
HIV training
The Pharmacy-Based HIV Prevention Services Certificate Training Program from APhA prepares pharmacists and student pharmacists to take an active role in HIV prevention through accessible, patient-centered services.
This self-paced program blends clinical insights with communication strategies to help you support patients who need you most. This comprehensive training program reviews HIV as a disease state, pharmacology of currently available PrEP and PEP medications, CDC guideline recommendations for provision of PrEP and PEP, and the building blocks of communication methods for discussing sexual health.
This certificate training program provides:
- 12 hours of CPE
- Knowledge to initiate and manage PrEP and PEP
- Cultural competency tools to reach diverse patient populations
- Real-world case studies and patient scenarios
- Access to an optional service implementation microcredential for 4 additional hours of CPE, at no additional cost
Visit www.pharmacist.com/Education/Certificate-Training-Programs/Pharmacy-Based-HIV-Prevention-Services to set yourself up for success when providing HIV prevention and sexual wellness services to patients. ■