Guest blog from Alex Varkey, PharmD, MS, FAPhA
There are moments in a career that invite reflection—not because something is ending, but because a chapter has come full circle. This is one of those moments for me.
After 25 years as a member of APhA, and more than 20 years of active service in a variety of leadership roles, my term as Immediate Past President concluded at our Annual Meeting & Exposition in Los Angeles—bringing to a close my time as a Presidential Officer.
It’s a natural completion of a massive chapter that has meant more to me than I can fully express.
I’m not looking at this as some sort of ride into the sunset, especially with plenty of years of work ahead. I’m simply returning to where it all began for me—as an APhA member, grateful for what this journey has given me, and motivated to keep doing my part alongside so many of you.
A place that became part of me
When I joined APhA in 2001 as a student pharmacist, I didn’t fully understand what it would become in my life. I was looking for connection. For direction. For a way to feel like I was part of something meaningful.
What I found was a community that challenged me to grow, expected more of me than I expected of myself, and ultimately helped shape the pharmacist, and the person, I would become.
Serving as APhA–ASP National President in 2004–2005 was a defining experience. It gave me an early understanding that leadership in this profession is more about responsibility than it is about a position or title. That experience stretched me, grounded me, and prepared me in ways I didn’t fully appreciate at the time, but have relied on every day since.
Everything I’ve done in the last 20 years—as a health–system pharmacy leader, as a colleague, and as an advocate—has roots in what I learned through APhA.
And while student engagement today may look different than it did when I was coming up, one truth remains: student pharmacists are the lifeblood of this profession. They represent our future, our energy, and our willingness to push this profession forward. I have no doubt they will take us places we have only begun to imagine.
The Power of Showing Up
APhA has been advancing pharmacy practice for 174 years; not because of any one leader, but because of generations of pharmacists, student pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, and pharmacy technicians who chose to show up.
Who chose to advocate when it was difficult. To engage when it was easier to step away. To invest in something bigger than themselves.
In recent weeks, we celebrated that continued legacy of leadership.
Randy McDonough, PharmD, has concluded his term as the 170th President of APhA, having led with authenticity and an unwavering commitment not only to community pharmacy and independent pharmacy owners, but to all of pharmacy. His powerful advocacy—especially in the ongoing work toward PBM reform, including taking that message to Congress—has helped move meaningful change at both the federal and state levels.
Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD, has officially been installed as the 171st President, and I know she will lead with purpose, compassion, and a deep commitment to patient care and professional advancement as she has throughout her historic career.
And Brandi Hamilton, PharmD, APhA’s 172nd President–elect and a dear friend, represents the next chapter of leadership—one I am incredibly excited to watch unfold.
These moments matter. But perspective matters, too.
There have been 171 Presidents in APhA’s history. There have also been hundreds of thousands of APhA members.
And it is the members, day in and day out, who have shaped this profession in meaningful, lasting ways. You don’t have to hold a title to make a difference here. You just have to be willing to show up.
Weight of the arena
There’s something you learn when you choose to step into leadership—when you decide to put your name, your voice, and your energy into the arena.
You will feel it. The responsibility. The expectations.
And at times, the criticism.
There were moments during my journey—particularly over the past few years—when that weight felt heavier than I expected. Moments when things that were said about the work… about the organization…felt personal in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Not because they were always intended that way, but because when you care deeply, it’s hard to separate yourself from the mission you’re serving.
I had to learn how to sit with that.
To listen without losing perspective. To stay grounded in purpose, even when the noise was loud. To keep showing up, even when it would have been easier to step back. And what I came to understand is this:
If you choose to step forward in service, you are also choosing growth. Not the easy kind, but the kind that refines you. Strengthens you. Shapes you.
And as gut-wrenching as some of those growth moments were, I would make that choice again every single time.
What APhA Membership really means
One of the most important things I’ve come to appreciate is that membership in APhA doesn’t mean you’ll agree with everything.
It means you care enough to be part of it anyway.
It means having a voice in the conversations that are shaping our profession. Conversations on payment for pharmacist-provided patient care services, on payment reform, on workforce sustainability, and on patient access.
APhA is in those conversations.
APhA is advocating at the national and state levels.
APhA is working to create pathways for pharmacists to practice in ways that better serve patients and support the profession.
But none of that happens without members who are willing to engage.
If you’ve ever felt frustrated, or wondered whether your voice matters—it does! And you need to use it to create impact.
One profession. United.
During my APhA presidential year, I had the privilege of advancing a theme that continues to stay with me:
All in: One profession. United.
I was humbled by the unity I saw during that year, but I also walked away knowing there is still more work to do.
Because while there are differences that may divide us, there is far more that connects us. And in a time when those divisions can be amplified, the responsibility to come together becomes even more important.
Not just for us, but for the patients who are depending on us.
We know the gaps that exist in our health care system. We know access is not where it should be. And we know that pharmacy represents the most viable solution.
We cannot afford to let fear—whether it’s fear of change, fear of roles evolving, or fears of stepping into new spaces—hold us back from doing what we know is right for the patients and communities we serve.
At the same time, we have to continue fighting for the sustainability of our profession. For payment models that recognize the value of everything that pharmacists do. For our colleagues, especially those in community pharmacy, who are navigating challenges that cannot be ignored.
This work is not easy. But it matters.
Leaders like Tom Menighan, BSPharm, MBA, ScD—who was recently honored with the Remington Medal at APhA2026—have shown us what it looks like to bring people together in pursuit of something bigger throughout his entire career. That ability to unify, to listen, and to lead with purpose is something our profession needs now more than ever.
Gratitude
It’s difficult to fully put into words what this journey has meant to me.
I have been incredibly fortunate, not just in the opportunities I’ve had, but in the people who have surrounded me along the way. Mentors who poured into me. Colleagues who challenged me. Friends who supported me when I needed it, and who reminded me to stay grounded when it mattered most.
I carry all of that with me. And I am eternally grateful.
Still all in
This chapter may be coming to a close, but the work is not.
I’ll still be here. Still showing up. Still engaged. Still doing my part to move this profession forward in whatever ways I can.
Because APhA is not something separate from us. It is all of us. And it will only be as strong as the people who continue to invest in it.
So stay engaged! Stay involved! Keep showing up—even when it’s hard.
Because this profession matters. The work matters. And the people we serve need us to keep moving forward—together.
I’m still all in. And I hope you are too.
