Top 10 Reasons to be Involved in Your State Pharmacy Association

5/2/19
Being involved in your state pharmacy association is essential to practicing pharmacy no matter what stage in school or career you may be in. As an active member of APhA-ASP at Mercer, membership in the Georgia Pharmacists Association (GPhA) is automatic for me, but I encourage every student pharmacist to begin learning about the many benefits of being a part of your local association. I am also involved in the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) as it’s my home state and I may return to practice there at some point in my career. My top 10 reasons (in no particular order) to be involved are as follows:

Leadership Opportunities. This semester I approached the CEO of GPhA with an idea to implement a Student Leadership Board in the association. Over the past few months we have created a board including students from all 4 colleges of pharmacy in the state, and look forward to contributing to tons of projects over the next year!
Networking. This may be one of the most important reasons listed. The ability to make lasting connections with pharmacists practicing in the state and students from other schools will serve you long after you graduate. Pharmacy is a small world, and it is important to make relationships within it!
Convention. As a member of both GPhA and TPA I will be attending 2 summer meetings this year! GPhA convention is held on the beach in Amelia Island and the student leadership board and staff have been working hard to create a full schedule of student focused events throughout the weekend. The TPA meeting is being held in Murfreesboro, my home town, and I am so excited to continue strengthening my connections with students from the 6 pharmacy schools in the state.
Job opportunities. I recently spoke to a P4 student at Mercer who explained to me that she had received 3 job offers from connections she made being involved in GPhA. In this job market, that is a huge asset! Being able to potentially secure a career upon graduation due to your involvement in your state pharmacy association would definitely be worth it!
Fun events. For GPhA this includes Day at the Dome, pharmacist advocacy days at the Capitol, and Regional meetings. Both students and current pharmacists participate in all of these events, and they are all such a great opportunity to speak to legislators and learn more about the issues that are priorities in your state.
Advocacy. The legislative priorities of the profession are set yearly by each state association, and many make it all the way to laws by the end of the session each Spring! Every state association typically takes suggestions from all its members on what the most pertinent issues are for the year and helps develop bills and find sponsors in legislators friendly to the profession.
Making lasting effects on your practice. If the bills that you advocate for actually become law in your state, they directly effect how you are able to practice every day! They change the level of care patients are receiving, and truly make a difference in what being a pharmacist means for future generations.
Resources. GPhA specifically offers CE that is required to renew your license every 2 years as a pharmacist, scholarships for students, professional insurance, and many more membership benefits! Take full advantage of all those resources both as a student and upon graduation.
Mentorship. I have been lucky enough to interact directly with leadership of my state associations quite a bit over my first year in pharmacy school. Your director, president, or CEO of the state association wants to help you be successful and can connect you with tons of pharmacists who practice in areas relevant to your interests. Don’t be scared to ask for a meeting or visit to the headquarters!
Up to date knowledge regarding relevant news effecting your practice. Following your state association on social media is an easy way to stay updated on issues in the healthcare field in real time. They often post updates on legislation, as well as interesting facts about new drugs, disease states, or important events. GPhA also sends out a regular email called GPhA Buzz that is even more detailed about the happenings in the pharmacy world, and super comedic as an added bonus!