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 APhA as the leading professional organization as an educator.
- To enhance international collaboration.
- To enjoy participation at the APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition and be inspired for innovations.
Do you feel at home at APhA? If so, why?
Wherever we talk in affirmative, inclusive, and motivating way 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?
As an international member, of course, I was pleasently surprised how much of APhA programs, educational activities, and publications I can use at home, even if coming from a small country with limited opportunities to learn, implement, and innovate. I have enjoyed being the very first Croatian pharmacist able to complete advanced courses such as MTM, diabetes, immunization, and other courses, as that brought me a sense of international belonging and engagement. For the last 12 years, I have been participating at the APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition with a sense of pride and hope that we can have better practice and education for pharmacy in any corner of the world.
In what ways has APhA helped you establish meaningful connections?
I have met many friendly, kind, and easy-to-approach colleagues and leaders during our meetings at APhA. With time, I realized that there were smaller communities open for engagement and collaboration. This made joining natural and they were easily approachable.
Later, I established stronger collaborative relationships, and through some projects, I’ve also become an APhA-licensed partner in education. Today, I encourage my colleagues from the region to join, and I enjoy seeing how the international community is growing. It all started with trust and a kind welcome, but was also about being brave to accept and try something new.
How does APhA help you thrive in your everyday practice?
As an educator, I enjoy being updated and inspired by participation in APhA programs. The resources are fantastic and the methodology of learning strongly impacts my teaching style, too. I believe this environment was crucial to my self-esteem and confidence—definitely to the advancement of my career. I wish many more colleagues around the world feel the same, and I am happy to share how this can happen with them. ■
Learn
Achy Breaky Arteries
CVD is the leading cause of death in the United States, with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) significantly contributing to this burden. Pharmacists and student pharmacists play a crucial role in
addressing this challenge.
Achy Breaky Arteries—initially presented at the 2025 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition—is now available as an accredited eLearning course for members and nonmembers on APhA’s Learning Library. It’s designed to help you deliver patient-centered care and stay current on emerging therapies.
This 1-hour webinar covers pathophysiology of long-term LDL-C exposure, screening guidelines and risk enhancers for ASCVD, evaluation of current and emerging lipid-lowering treatments, and development of individualized treatment plans.
Understanding both established and emerging treatment options is essential for pharmacists. By staying informed about the full range of therapies, you can better tailor treatments to individual patients, optimize outcomes, and contribute to reducing the prevalence and impact of ASCVD.
Visit apha.us/AchyBreakyArteries to register for the eLearning course and earn CPE. ■
Communicate
Motivational interviewing
Your patients have questions—and sometimes doubts. The Comprehensive Motivational Interviewing Training (ComMIt) program from APhA gives you the tools to meet them where they are and guide them toward better health decisions.
Motivational interviewing (MI) builds trust, strengthens rapport, and encourages change—whether you’re helping patients manage diabetes, quit smoking, or address any other real-world issue.
ComMIt is an eLearning program based on real-life scenarios and discusses practical ways to integrate MI into pharmacy practice. Understanding MI and its role in health care will give you the tools you need to understand patient decision making and uncover what matters most to patients.
Empower yourself with the skills to motivate and inspire. Real conversations yield real results. Enroll today at apha.us/ComMIt and earn up to 8 hours of CPE credit! ■
Care
Addressing intimate partner violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue that affects millions of individuals, encompassing physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse by a current or former partner. People experiencing IPV often face significant barriers to seeking help, including fear, stigma, and lack of access to resources. As frontline health care professionals, pharmacy teams are in a unique position to recognize signs, offer discreet support, and connect individuals with critical services.
Addressing Intimate Partner Violence: A Guide for Pharmacy, an on-demand eLearning course, lets you learn on your own schedule. Enroll in this course to receive an overview of IPV, discuss opportunities for pharmacy team members to identify and support patients experiencing IPV, and explore best practices for trauma-informed communication. You will learn how to identify legal, ethical, and confidentiality considerations surrounding IPV in a pharmacy setting.
Visit apha.us/AddressingIPV to learn more. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the solution. ■