A minute with …
Allison Waldvogel, PharmD,
clinical pharmacist,
Northwestern Medicine, Huntley, IL
Member since 2016
APhA has given me a home within pharmacy and an opportunity to be fearlessly authentic in embracing my calling as I strive for excellence in my pharmacy career. APhA has provided me a place to foster relationships with people who encourage me to relentlessly pursue the goals I have set for myself in my future career. APhA is an organization that ignited a fire inside of me to boldly pursue my passion for pharmacy alongside other pharmacists who share the same common goals.”
How has APhA helped you establish meaningful connections?
APhA has provided me with the opportunity to establish connections with students, faculty members, and other pharmacists who will remain a part of my network for years to come. Through APhA’s network, I have reached peers across the entire country and have discovered a true meaning of connection to others who share similar goals.
What excites you about the profession of pharmacy?
The dynamic environment and change that we see coming within our profession excites me. Pharmacy is a well-respected and appreciated profession by both members of the health care team and patients, and I am excited to be a key contributor in upholding the standards against which we are held. The pharmacist can provide valuable insight in medication management that can improve the lives of patients in a variety of settings throughout health care.
As we enter an era of “thinking big,” I am excited to play an integral part in paving the way for future pharmacists. I am energized to contribute to the progress that has already been made in our profession but am eager to keep pushing those boundaries and be one of the many pharmacists striving to see our profession make a difference in patient care.
Can you share a meaningful story about a time you interacted with a patient? Perhaps a time you felt that you really made a difference for them?
At an APhA blood pressure screening event, I had an opportunity one day to talk with a married couple about the husband’s blood pressure medication.
While I took their blood pressure as part of our patient care event, I also used this encounter to ask more questions about the couple’s medications, any medication-related problems, and any potential issues with adherence. I let the responses lead our conversation, and I was able to break down the pathophysiology of high blood pressure in patient-friendly terms. I also described how the medication helped lower their blood pressure and discussed other lifestyle modifications, including diet and exercise for both the husband and wife.
This was a very rewarding experience for me because I practiced communicating disease state and medication knowledge in a patient-friendly way that we don’t often get to practice during a didactic lecture. This couple was extremely grateful for the time I spent explaining their medication to them and the importance in taking it every day. Knowing how easily accessible pharmacists are in the community, it makes me excited for the future to know that I will be involved in many more of these types of conversations.
Did you know?
APhA has launched a pharmacy-based medication administration services training program
Access our free three-part training program on pharmacy-based medication administration services (MAS) and earn 2 hours of continuing pharmacy education at your convenience. Module one provides an overview of MAS in community pharmacies, and modules two and three focus on techniques for administering injections.
To take advantage of the training program, visit https://elearning.pharmacist.com/products/6575.
Get involved in APhA
Public Health SIG
The primary purpose of APhA’s Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA–APPM) Public Health Special Interest Group (SIG) is to serve as the leading convening body across APhA and the profession to promote and advance pharmacists’ role in public health. The group aims to accomplish four goals through its work: highlight pharmacists’ role in public health; expand practice models that demonstrate pharmacists impact in public health; strengthen workforce development opportunities for pharmacists interested in public health, including education and postgraduate training; and convene stakeholders to advance pharmacists’ role in population health.
Interested in getting involved in the Public Health SIG? Learn more at http://apha.us/PHSIG.
Members in motion
Student pharmacist Misty Lefler recognized as ‘Woman of Distinction’
Pharmacists by nature are in the field of helping others, often giving their time and energy to improving the lives of their patients. Even so, there are those who truly go above and beyond to serve others, putting the lives of those around them above their own to make the world a better place.
Third-year student pharmacist Misty Lefler is just such a person.
Lefler gives her time generously, volunteering to help with COVID-19 testing and vaccinations at health fairs, flu clinics, and other community wellness events. The improved access to care granted by these events is a passion of Lefler’s, and she has published several articles on the ways pharmacists can promote equitable health care for all patients. In the past year, as president of the Washington State University (WSU) Spokane Chapter of APhA’s Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA–ASP) , she has also found new ways to keep students socially connected virtually.
In honor of all that she does for Washington State University and the community around her, Lefler was recently awarded the WSU 2021 Graduate Student Woman of Distinction.
She and five other Women of Distinction were recognized by the university during a virtual ceremony April 16, 2021. Lefler was nominated by fellow WSU student pharmacist and WSU Spokane APhA–ASP Chapter President-Elect and 2023 pharmD candidate Kennedy Erickson.
“Misty leads by empowering and lifting others, and she embodies what it looks like to provide empathetic help and care to students and community members alike,” said Erickson. “She continually works to make the world a better place, and I have been honored to have her as a trusted mentor and role model within my life.