APhA Member News

A minute with…

Sharifah Abdallah, 2022 PharmD candidate
Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy
Pharmacy Intern, CVS, Darien, IL
Member since 2018

Throughout my first year as a Midwestern University student pharmacist, I have found my home within APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA–ASP). It is through my membership in APhA that I have been able to engage in many opportunities that allowed me to hone my leadership skills, network with pharmacy giants both locally and nationally, and most importantly, serve the community.”

How has APhA helped you establish meaningful connections?

The best way to build your network in pharmacy school is through APhA. It is a well-rounded organization that does not focus on a singular career path in pharmacy, but rather opens you up to all the possibilities through patient care projects that provide hands-on experiences. Through Operation Diabetes’s medication therapy management (MTM) clinic volunteering, I met one of the pharmacists I look up to the most. Through the annual conference, I have been able to build connections on local and national levels and learn from some of the most passionate individuals who really want to move the profession forward. And the biggest positive of all is that our APhA advisors are, in fact, pharmacy giants, and we are lucky to be able to call them our mentors.

How has APhA helped prepare you for your career as a pharmacist?

Volunteering at MTM clinics through APhA has been the most rewarding and enriching experience of my first year as a student. Through MTM/CHAT, I regularly visited a free health clinic that helped prepare me for my career through consistent interprofessional collaboration, direct patient care driven by relationships of trust and compassion, and reinforcement of knowledge learned in the classroom. I was also able to partake in community-wide health screenings through APhA, as well as obtain free naloxone training and certification. At APhA national, I heard from pharmacists old and new and learned about advocacy efforts across the United States and how APhA is helping move those forward.

What excites you about the profession of pharmacy?

Pharmacy is quickly shifting toward longitudinal patient-centered care. This places more value on the knowledge base of pharmacists and allows us to provide critical preventive services to patients both in community and clinical settings. As the most accessible health care providers, pharmacists are in a unique position to contribute toward a healthier population.

Can you share a meaningful story about a time you interacted with a patient?

A third-year student and I were assigned a patient to see at the MTM clinic. Upon measuring her vitals and collecting her family and social history, we realized she had prediabetes and that many members of her family members had also developed diabetes. She came from a low-income background, and she shared that she and her family could not afford any doctor visits or medications and how grateful she was for this clinic. She knew very little about diabetes, but she said she wanted to stay healthy for her son’s sake and was ready to make the necessary changes to avoid developing the disease. We taught her about diabetes and discussed specific and achievable lifestyle modifications involving diet and exercise. We used the teach-back method to ensure she understood and went home with tangible changes to make prior to her follow-up. I valued this experience because it was truly impactful and preventive. It is rewarding and powerful to impart some of the knowledge we are taught in the classroom to patients, and for them to use it to propel positive change in their lives.

Did you know?

Marketing MTM Services resource

You already know pharmacists’ services make a difference in the lives of your patients. But do you know how to communicate that value to patients, providers, and payers? Help is here with APhA’s comprehensive new Marketing MTM Services resource!

This useful, in-depth guide explores the differences between digital and traditional marketing, provides considerations for marketing strategies and messaging, and lists marketing resources and tools. This free member resource was developed by APhA and the APhA–APPM Medication Management Special Interest Group. Check out the resource at www.pharmacist.com/marketing-mtm-services.

California-based pharmacist sends care packages to fellow pharmacists during pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to strain health professionals across the nation, California-based Jessica Louie, PharmD, wanted to recognize her fellow pharmacists on the front lines. She created “Spark Joy in Healthcare,” a movement to raise funds for health professionals and send care packages to pharmacists across the country.

What started as outreach to a few local pharmacists grew into a nationwide initiative. With the help of donations from various organizations, Louie has delivered more than 1,200 care packages to pharmacists across the country. Each care package included an individual baggie with a note of gratitude, affirmation cards, “joy check” notepad sheets, snacks, and personal care items.

Louie, who is also the creator and host of The Burnout Doctor Podcast, started the project to express her gratitude and appreciation for fellow pharmacists who may be feeling burned out or overwhelmed during the COVID-19 crisis. She also wanted to shed a light on the contributions of pharmacists, who are “often forgotten as critical health care professionals.” Read more about her story at www.apha.us/PharmacistCarePackages, and learn more about the project at  www.sparkjoyinhealthcare.com/pages/pharmacist-care-packages.

Members in motion

Task force on structural racism in pharmacy

In June, APhA announced its creation of a task force to address structural racism in pharmacy. The task force will be chaired by Andrew Gentles, PharmD, BCPS, AQ-ID, APhA Trustee-elect. Its members include Vibhuti Arya Amirfar, PharmD, MPH; Melissa J. Durham, PharmD, MACM, APh, BCACP; Leonard Edloe, ThM, PharmD; Meryam Gharbi, PharmD; Anne Lin, PharmD, FNAP; Michael A. Moné, BPharm, JD; Juan Rodriguez, PharmD Candidate 2022; Parth Shah, PharmD, PhD; and Adrienne Simmons, PharmD, MS, BCPS, AAHIVP.

The task force will recommend actions driving short- and long-term strategies to eliminate racism, discrimination, injustice, and the marginalization of individuals within the profession and communities that APhA members serve.

For more information, visit www.pharmacist.com/apha-task-force-structural-racism-pharmacy.