UWSOP student as an APhA-ASP Regional Delegate

Second year pharmacy student Karen Craddick was recently selected to be our region's ASHP-ASP Delegate. The following is an excerpt from a write up from Karen in regards to her new position, the extended version will appear in our Winter tablet.

"I am serving in a one year position as a Regional Delegate for the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP). The University of Washington School of Pharmacy (UWSOP) is in Region 7 with other APhA-ASP Chapters from schools of pharmacy from Oregon, Utah, Idaho and Montana. In total, APhA-ASP is comprised of 8 regions. Each region has 1 Regional Delegate. As Regional Delegate, I am responsible for promoting policy and advocacy activities in Region 7.

As Regional Delegate I serve as a member of the APhA-ASP Resolutions Committee where we rank and decide which proposed resolutions that have been submitted by APhA-ASP chapters will be voted on during the APhA Annual Meeting in March... The goal is that our passed resolutions will be implemented by APhA. The proposed resolutions range in topic from patient safety, reimbursement, the role of the pharmacist in patient care and advancing the practice of pharmacy.

I am serving as Regional Delegate because I am passionate about advancing the profession of pharmacy and I’m interested in health care policy and public health. APhA-ASP has been instrumental in advancing pharmacy practice and I would like to help continue this legacy... As student pharmacists we are in a powerful position to shape the future of our profession and improve the health of our communities. We can effect change through perfecting and expanding our clinical skills, but we must not forget that LEADERSHIP is essential to effecting change... My goal as Regional Delegate is to encourage student pharmacists to become involved in policy and advocacy issues now and in the future."

November 30 - December 2, 2009: World Aids Day

World AIDS Day efforts consisted of fundraising for a local organization that works with women with HIV/AIDS and culminated in an educational speaking event by an AIDS patient. More than $400 was raised by student pharmacists for donation from over 85 t-shirt and countless AIDS ribbon sales.

UWSOP student as an ASHP-SSHP Advisory Group Member

The following is a write up by 1st year UW School of Pharmacy Student Steve Larson, who was selected to be a member of the ASHP-ASP Advisory Group.

Perhaps it is odd but I came to pharmacy school with a plan to become a specialized pharmacy practitioner. During the years leading up to pharmacy school I considered going into drug research, infectious disease pharmacy, and oncology pharmacy practice. Through the process of time and by gaining different experiences, oncology pharmacy became my area of interest and focus. This interest led me to talk to Brian and Stephanie at Pack Forest and express my intention in joining ASHP, the group to which I would belong as an oncology pharmacist. It was during this chat that I learned of the position on the ASHP Advisory Group for a first year pharmacy student. After doing some research I decided to apply for the position because I thought it would be a great way for me to be able to reach out to and assist other pharmacy students. As a member of the ASHP Advisory Group I thought I could help others gather the information they needed to make career impacting decisions. It just so turns out that this is what I will be doing for the next year. As a member of the Meetings and Programming Advisory Group, I have accepted the responsibility to ensure the information shared at the MCM is contemporary, interesting, relevant, and easily accessible. My main goal this year is to help first year pharmacy students, many of whom are new to the world of health care, feel comfortable at the MCMs so they can focus on learning something directly applicable to them. If you are going to the MCM this year, please find me and let me know some of your thoughts and ideas on how to improve it; ie. what you liked and didn’t like, topics you wish were addressed, etc.