MRM Region 6 recap: Creative ideas and insightful discussions

Elizabeth Rayes is a final-year PharmD candidate at University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy and the 2022–2023 chair of the APhA–ASP National Policy Standing Committee.

The 2022 Region 6 Midyear Regional Meeting (MRM) felt like a beautiful culmination of my 4-year journey with APhA–ASP. Over the years, I’ve grown as a pharmacy advocate, met some of my best friends, and learned how to be a better health care provider. The weekend of October 21–23, at MRM was full of the same themes.

Inspired again in Dallas

I attended MRM as a first-year student pharmacist 4 years ago in Dallas. That meeting helped spark my passion for policy and advocacy through witnessing the policy proposal forum.

This year in Dallas, I was again inspired by all of the student pharmacists participating in the policy forum. There were so many creative ideas and insightful discussions about how we can improve the profession and the lives of our patients. It was also an incredible honor to share the knowledge I’ve gained over the past 4 years by leading the “I Can Policy!” session and hopefully helping other student pharmacists get started on their advocacy journey.

Outside of policy, one of my favorite moments from the weekend came from the first night. We were all instructed to write a conversation starter on the back of our name badges, then run around the room asking each other our questions. Some questions were deep, like “Why did you choose to become a pharmacist?,” and others were more lighthearted, such as “What is your favorite dance move? (and show me).” I had the best time getting to hear everyone’s questions and responses. I loved meeting people from all over Region 6; many of them already feel like good friends.

Project ideas for my chapter

This weekend also taught me many things that will make me a better health care provider. Speakers shared their unique career paths, insight on how to bust vaccine myths, and project ideas we could bring back to our chapters. My favorite session was led by a clinical toxicologist, who talked about a day in the life of a pharmacist at the poison control center and common trends they see among patients who call in. I learned so much about how a pharmacist can play a role in reducing harm from dangerous trends like the Benadryl or Tide Pod challenges!

I also loved the sessions addressing common vaccine misconceptions, particularly the one that busted common myths about the HPV vaccine. This session provided fantastic project ideas I’m excited to bring back to our chapter’s Operation Reproductive Health Committee. These include offering HPV vaccines during flu or COVID-19 vaccination clinics, partnering with the local health department for education opportunities, or hosting our own “Vaccine MythBusters”–style session.

MRM 2022 motivated me to continue to advocate for the profession, incorporate what I learned into our chapter projects, and be beyond excited to again see all of the new friends I had made at APhA2022 in San Antonio this past March.