A Minute With...
Meagan A. Brown, PharmD, BCACP
Clinical Associate Professor, Dept of Pharmacy Practice,
and PGY-1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Director, University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, Jackson, MS; Clinical Pharmacist, G.A. Carmichael Family Health Center,
Yazoo City, MS
Member since 2006
"I have truly enjoyed being engaged in APhA. I feel that APhA has opportunities for all who want to be involved—through special interest group work, subcommittees, leadership, you name it! It is truly an organization that makes you feel ‘at home’ when you come to conferences, and one that leaves you feeling invigorated as you return home.”
How has APhA helped you establish meaningful connections?
As a residency program director, it’s been really fantastic to find commonality but also celebrate the uniqueness of community residency, and APhA has facilitated a lot of my connections in this space. I have had the opportunity to work with individuals on committees who I otherwise may not have met.
How does APhA help you thrive in your everyday practice?
As a member, I rely on trusted information from APhA on everything, from vaccines to the latest on pandemic-related issues, to provide me with resources for my students and patients.
What excites you about the profession of pharmacy?
I am excited most to see how some of the creative things we learned during the pandemic can really transform how we view our profession, by highlighting all the amazing ways pharmacists continue to provide care for patients and how we can turn this into a sustainable model that emphasizes the value of having a pharmacist on your team.
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?
I have the privilege of running a cardiometabolic consult service in a federally qualified health center, serving the underserved, under a collaborative practice agreement in rural Mississippi.
I was working diligently with a patient who went from nonchalantly telling me she “had to die from something” to jumping out of her chair and hugging me when we were finally able to get her A1C from double digits almost to her goal.
She had never seen an A1C near 7 in her 15 years of dealing with diabetes, which I’m sure made her believe it was unachievable. It took us about 3 years to convince this patient that she was worth it—making the changes we asked and adhering to her regimen, while asking questions that helped us understand why she may have been hesitant to accept our suggestions at times. We are still seeing her today, she is still making great choices for her health, and we have empowered her in a way that no one had before. ■
Get involved
Looking to join a professional community dedicated to caring for underserved patient populations? Look no further than the Care of Underserved Patients (CUP) Special Interest Group (SIG)! As a member of this community, you’ll network with practitioners, administrators, and educators who share your passion for providing patient-centered care to underserved patients. Whether you’re currently practicing in a clinical setting or looking to get involved with federally qualified health centers, free and charitable health clinics, or other community-based pharmacy settings, this community is for you.
“The CUP SIG is passionate about improving health equity by finding ways to address social determinants of health,” said Anna Staudt, SIG coordinator. “The SIG offers many invaluable resources and networking opportunities related to improving medication access as well as linkage to other services because medication use is only one part in a holistic approach to care.”
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and make a real difference in the lives of underserved patients. Join the CUP SIG today by visiting apha.us/UnderservedSIG to learn more! ■
Did you hear?
APhA’s new podcast, The First Fill, allows pharmacists to grab bite-sized CPE credits on the go! Get your 5-minute doses now on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or APhA’s website.
Each month, APhA releases five, 5-minute podcast episodes offering a fresh dose of education highlights, practice pearls, and insights to inform your pharmacy practice and advance patient care.
Listen to brand-new episodes at your convenience! The First Fill allows you to earn CPE on the go and is available at www.pharmacist.com/Podcasts/TheFirstFill. The first six months are free. ■
Get published
APhA’s Books and Digital Publishing department is looking for new authors to contribute to an Open Access resource on PharmacyLibrary, Cultural Aspects of Health Care: A Toolkit for Pharmacy Education. This resource is designed to equip pharmacy educators with practical tools for learners to better serve individuals from diverse cultures, communities, and populations. The current collection of 33 active learning strategies and reflection activities enables educators to integrate cultural aspects into existing health care courses and educational seminars within pharmacy and other related disciplines.
The overarching purpose of the toolkit is to provide educators with a resource to guide learners to
- Evaluate and challenge attitudes and values about diverse cultures, communities, and populations.
- Develop a knowledge framework for serving diverse cultures, communities, and populations.
- Develop skills to work with diverse cultures, communities, and populations.
If you are interested in con-tributing, please send your CV to aphabooks@aphanet.org. ■