PQS Associate Director of Pharmacy Accounts, Nick Dorich, PharmD, wraps up APhA 2023 with a set of interviews with Sidrah Alam, PharmD, MS PGx, Jessica K. Marx, PharmD, BCPS, and Sandra Rosa, B.S., R.PH.
The group speaks about the importance of professional involvement at APhA, connecting with friends and pharmily, and the mental rejuvenation after attending the conference.
PQS Associate Director of Pharmacy Accounts, Nick Dorich, PharmD, wraps up APhA 2023 with a set of interviews with Sidrah Alam, PharmD, MS PGx, Jessica K. Marx, PharmD, BCPS, and Sandra Rosa, B.S., R.PH.
The group speaks about the importance of professional involvement at APhA, connecting with friends and pharmily, and the mental rejuvenation after attending the conference.
00:00:00:16 - 00:00:36:12
Speaker 1
It was, you know, great to see all my old friends. Like I said, I've been coming since 1997. And these people invigorate me. They're doing different things. I've done different things. I've done just about everything you mentioned. Community hospital, long term care, geriatrics, mental health, academia, outreach. It's it's been gratifying. It's been a gratifying experience. And ADHD ticks off several boxes every year of something else I'm interested in not just what I'm currently doing, but what I want to do in the future.
00:00:36:24 - 00:00:42:11
Speaker 1
So that's the most exciting part, is like, Oh, what can I do next?
00:00:43:17 - 00:01:08:10
Speaker 2
Welcome to the Pharmacy Quality Solutions Quality Corner show where quality measurement leads to better patient outcomes. This show will be your go to source for all things related to quality improvement and medication use and health care. We will hit on trending topics as they relate to performance measurements and find common ground for payers and practitioners. We will discuss how the platform can help you with your performance goals.
00:01:08:20 - 00:01:32:10
Speaker 2
We will also make sure to keep you up to date on pharmacy quality news. Please note that the topics discussed are based on the information available at the date and time of reporting. Information or guidelines are updated periodically and we will always recommend that our listeners research and review any guidelines that are newly published. Buckle up and put your thinking cap on the quality corner show starts now.
00:01:44:13 - 00:02:11:13
Speaker 3
Hello, Quality Corner show listeners. Welcome to the PQS podcast, where we focus on medication use quality improvement and how we can utilize pharmacists to improve patient health outcomes. I'm your host, Nick Dortch. Now, at the time of recording here, we're a few weeks past the 2023 APA or American Pharmacists Association annual meeting. This year's meeting was held in Phenix, Arizona, and as an attendee, I can say it was a truly wonderful experience.
00:02:11:21 - 00:02:32:05
Speaker 3
It's now the second year in a row that the meeting that the conference has been back in person and the feeling of the meeting was, from my own experience, quite electric. A lot of folks always attend the meeting and say that it's a good way to recharge their batteries or to learn about new things that are happening in the profession or to be a part of the change that is occurring in the profession of pharmacy.
00:02:32:10 - 00:03:03:11
Speaker 3
As we look to be or as we look to be valued and identified as health care providers. Now, this year's meeting was in particular very, very unique, whereas last year's meeting people were just excited to be back in person again and yes, attend some sessions. This year's meeting really had a positive feeling from the entire audience, recognizing that yes, there are challenges and there are barriers and health care that we must overcome, but also recognize that we must be the change, we must be the leaders to make it happen.
00:03:03:18 - 00:03:34:24
Speaker 3
Changes aren't going to happen without action and without decisive input from ourselves. As pharmacists. As members of this association. APhA being the leading organization that represents pharmacists as professionals. So what we did this time around is we've lined up some quick interviews with some other attendees of the meeting, folks that I genuinely had a good conversation with a chance to reconnect at the meeting, learn a little bit more about what they're doing in pharmacy and in particular why they wanted to attend this year's meeting.
00:03:35:10 - 00:03:53:08
Speaker 3
So the interviews that you're going to hear today are from Dr. Sidrah Alam, Dr. Jessica Marx and Sandy Rosa. So you'll hear them one after the other. I'll give a brief introduction for each one and then we'll talk with our guests. We'll talk about what they valued at the meeting and why they're looking to attend this meeting again in the future.
00:03:53:15 - 00:04:11:16
Speaker 3
So I hope you enjoyed this episode and we're going to roll the interviews. All right, folks, we're here with our interview about the 2023 APA annual meeting. And I'm pleased to have with me today Dr. Sidrah Alam. Sidrah, how are you doing today?
00:04:11:23 - 00:04:12:20
Speaker 4
I'm doing great.
00:04:12:20 - 00:04:14:18
Speaker 2
I'm so excited to be here. Thanks so much.
00:04:14:18 - 00:04:15:17
Speaker 4
For having me today.
00:04:16:12 - 00:04:35:06
Speaker 3
Absolutely. It is. It is my pleasure. And I'm excited for our audience to get to know you. We're going to have a brief window for them to do so. But you're someone that you and I have had a chance to meet now. I think over the last two APA annual meetings and someone that I really appreciate. So can you explain for our audience who you are?
00:04:35:06 - 00:04:41:07
Speaker 3
What is your current role in pharmacy and then maybe a little bit about your involvement with the American Pharmacists Association?
00:04:42:07 - 00:05:15:03
Speaker 4
Of course. So I'm currently a PGI one pharmacy registered at the University of North Carolina Medical Center. For me, APhA has honestly always been my pharmacy home throughout my student pharmacist career and continues to be so I was super involved as a student pharmacist at my chapter level, serving locally, regionally, nationally. But honestly, my most rewarding experience with APJ was serving on the National Executive Committee last year as national member at large for APJ AC.
00:05:15:20 - 00:05:30:23
Speaker 4
Currently, I actually serve on the APhA Pharmacy Residency Standing Committee and then this upcoming year I'm excited to be a part of the new practitioner network on the Communications Committee. So I'm super excited to continue my involvement with APhA always as it is my pharmacy.
00:05:31:14 - 00:05:53:04
Speaker 3
Excellent. And you and I have have gone similar path with our involvement, which I think is perhaps why we get along so well here, looking for kind of the same thing and share a lot of the same thoughts about what, about what it means to be a pharmacist and what the profession of pharmacy can be. Now, you did attend and we did have a chance to catch up at the 2023 annual meeting in Phenix, Arizona.
00:05:53:04 - 00:06:07:22
Speaker 3
I think I'm still recovering from the the jet lag with that three hour timezone difference. But as for the meeting itself, what did you find valuable? Were there particular sessions or educational components? What really meant the most to you as a pharmacist?
00:06:08:00 - 00:06:30:18
Speaker 4
That's a hard one to take, like just one session. I think in general the conference just really rejuvenated me, but I really appreciated the diversity of the sessions in advance. And APhA is an umbrella organization for pharmacy, so you can really see that at the conference there were sessions geared towards student pharmacists, new practitioners, just pharmacists from all practice sites.
00:06:31:02 - 00:06:54:17
Speaker 4
So I honestly had trouble picking like one session to go to since there were so many happening at the same time. But I also really just appreciated the different town halls that were encouraging members to just vocalize their opinions and be a part of all those conversation ends. So if I could truly just take like one session, I think it would have been the keynote speaker at the APhA ACP opening general session.
00:06:54:17 - 00:07:20:08
Speaker 4
So the theme at APJ and all this year was Rice advancing in the face of adversity, and Dr. Alex Varkey, who is now president elect of APhA, gave the keynote for the ACP session and he just addressed all types of adversity. So for me it was a much needed reminder about resilience and how pharmacies can rise for ourselves, our profession and obviously of course, our patients.
00:07:20:21 - 00:07:41:00
Speaker 4
And so as a resident, a lot of his words just really hit home. And if I'm being honest, I was sitting in the front row with some of my friends and we were just like tearing up as we really resonated with everything that he was saying. Burnout is a legitimate concern in our profession, and it was just really inspiring to hear personal stories from leaders like Dr. Varkey.
00:07:41:05 - 00:07:46:03
Speaker 4
So I got the boost of energy that I needed to come Dr. residency and just like finish the year strong.
00:07:46:13 - 00:08:18:00
Speaker 3
That's a great call that a lot of folks talk about the meeting as a way to recharge their personal or professional batteries. And I think particular my own experience was that this year that was amped up even more than typical for a lot of folks at the meeting, which I think is very much a positive and quick, quick side note for those, if you haven't heard Dr. Alex Varkey, we've actually had him previously on the podcast here, so you can go back and check out our Season three episode 11 that was released March 15th, 2022.
00:08:18:08 - 00:08:45:13
Speaker 3
Alex is a great speaker, a great representation of the pharmacy profession. Well, Sidra, next question. I'll post you here. You mentioned that there were a lot of sessions and a lot of input, a lot of feedback, a lot of conversation about how we change pharmacy and how we improve patient care. Did you discover something that was, you know, most intriguing or most interesting about the future of pharmacy practice and how we can continue to innovate in patient care?
00:08:45:20 - 00:09:13:05
Speaker 4
So in my opinion, pharmacists really have a unique role in health care where we can truly personalize health care for patients, and that means multiple avenues, whether that's utilizing treatment based on someone's genetics, whether it means like developing technology that can help us individualize care. But I think for me, most importantly, it's just realizing that everyone has their own story and we need to remember that when we care for them.
00:09:13:14 - 00:09:42:08
Speaker 4
And so this year I saw that there was a lot more diversity incorporated into a lot of the patient care sessions. So I actually went to a session that spoke about Ramadan, which is the holy month for Muslims, where they're fasting from sunrise to sunset every year and the session was really just geared towards caring for this patient population and adjusting medications and regimens to ensure that they're still able to adhere to their medications while fasting.
00:09:42:16 - 00:10:10:20
Speaker 4
And so for me, what was intriguing is that there's actually guidelines to support providers when adjusting these regimens. So there's a guidance on how to adjust insulin during the month or what medications can be taken without invalidating someone's past. So I think I just found it intriguing and honestly, super invaluable that there were so many diversity sessions to ensure that as pharmacists, we're just truly equipped with all the tools to provide the best care and advocate for our patients.
00:10:10:20 - 00:10:17:11
Speaker 4
So I think I just really appreciated seeing a lot more diversity built into the conference, and I'm excited to keep saying that.
00:10:17:22 - 00:10:45:12
Speaker 3
It's a great call out there when it comes to the medication, right? Patients, they they know and they trust their their pharmacist. And if there are different aspects of their daily life that are very personal, very religious, very spiritual, that to them there could be a lot of aspects that impact whether or not they can take, you know, is it okay that they take this medication without food or does the medication have certain products or different items that are in there that may be an issue with their religious or spiritual beliefs?
00:10:45:12 - 00:11:05:14
Speaker 3
So there's a lot as pharmacists that it's not always just just about, you know, how do we prevent that heart attack or how do we keep this patient adherent and picking up their medication every month? A lot of it comes down to just the how do we answer some simple questions and meet the patient where they are. And, you know, they're they're they're key priorities as an individual.
00:11:05:14 - 00:11:20:07
Speaker 3
So, Sidra, great, great call out there. That's been a topic that's actually been on my mind and I've been thinking about bringing onto the podcast for a while, so I may need to dig into that one a little bit further from speakers at Aperture, but also maybe I might have to have you back and take a look at that further as a project.
00:11:20:17 - 00:11:33:12
Speaker 3
Now Sid, your last question that I have for you today, and actually I'll make it a two part question. Are you planning to attend the annual meeting next year in, in Orlando, Florida? And if so, what do you hope to experience?
00:11:33:19 - 00:11:55:00
Speaker 4
So funny enough, last year was actually my first annual when I was serving on the National Executive Committee. But since then I have vowed to never miss an annual. When I started residency this year, that was like my first thing to my program director that I know I'm going to APhA Annual in March, so I definitely will be there in Orlando next year.
00:11:55:17 - 00:12:29:06
Speaker 4
And like I said before, APJ has always been my pharmacy home, which means I think the thing I'm obviously most excited about is to see my family next year, but I'm also just really excited to experience House of Delegates again. I think that's always a fun opportunity as both student pharmacists and pharmacists to really just advocate for the profession, and I'm super excited to see what new sessions are offered next year so I can continue to expand my knowledge that to just enhance patient care and obviously hope to see a lot of new and familiar faces at APAC 2024.
00:12:29:19 - 00:12:47:22
Speaker 3
Excellent. Well, Sidrah, I thank you for the time this morning. It was I'm really glad that we were able to reconnect at the meeting. That's definitely, as you stated, one of the benefits that we get to meet other pharmacists that are coming from different experiences, coming from different considerations on how we change the profession and how we continue to improve patient care.
00:12:47:22 - 00:12:53:21
Speaker 3
So I'm glad that brought us together and I'll look forward to seeing you in Orlando, Florida next year, if not before then.
00:12:54:00 - 00:12:57:11
Speaker 4
So excited. Thank you.
00:12:57:11 - 00:13:10:14
Speaker 3
All right, folks, this is our next interview or a recap from the 2023 APA meeting that was held in Phoenix, Arizona, For this next segment, I've got with me Dr. Jessica Marx. So, Jess, how are you doing today?
00:13:11:07 - 00:13:13:08
Speaker 4
Hey, Nick. I'm doing well. How are you.
00:13:14:04 - 00:13:31:23
Speaker 3
Doing? Well, happy to be here and happy to connect with you about your experience from the 2023 APhA meeting. So before we get started, I know who you are, but our our listening audience today may not know who you are. So do you mind giving us a quick background on what you do in your job as a pharmacist and then how you've been involved with?
00:13:31:23 - 00:14:00:03
Speaker 4
AP Yeah, absolutely. So I work as a clinical pharmacy manager and PD one pharmacy program director, residency director at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I've been involved with AP since I was a student, though a little interesting involvement, I guess I started off with outside of my chapter involvement really as a APhA ambassador for the APhA Institute.
00:14:00:03 - 00:14:14:04
Speaker 4
And then since then I've been very involved in the new practitioner network and then more recently within the academies in terms of standing committees, and then most recently the APJ Foundation Women in Pharmacy Committee.
00:14:14:04 - 00:14:29:13
Speaker 3
So excellent suggests it's if I'm going to summarize it, it sounds like you've done a little bit of everything in your career so far, both as a student and now as a pharmacist, which is part of why I wanted to make sure to chat with you. And beyond that as well, I know your own experience. You've worked as a community pharmacist on the front line.
00:14:29:13 - 00:14:49:03
Speaker 3
You're now you've transitioned to the hospital sector, so you bring a pretty unique experience into the pharmacy part of it. Our degree and our career can be very valuable. You've got a lot of that experience. So my first question for you, when it comes to the annual meeting, each meeting has a little bit of a different theme, and that may be influencing some of the sessions that are at the meeting.
00:14:49:16 - 00:14:51:20
Speaker 3
What were your highlights from this year's meeting?
00:14:52:02 - 00:15:13:10
Speaker 4
Yeah, I mean, it's a lot of the same reasons why I come back year to year. So in terms of sessions, I just feel like in general the programs that APha puts on are very high quality. I feel like they really try to get subject matter experts to talk about the various topics. So the sessions themselves are very high quality.
00:15:13:10 - 00:15:50:06
Speaker 4
I will highlight one that focused on nutrition from a pharmacy science standpoint. So I thought that that one was super interesting and something that was a little out of left field, but I appreciated the inclusion of that and the programing this year. In addition, I would say one of the big reasons I come back is the people. So those people, including yourself, Nick, that I get to see at meetings and otherwise, but you get to reconnect with your friends and family, as some people say, from all over the country, and see what what they're up to and what awesome things that they're doing in pharmacy and otherwise.
00:15:50:22 - 00:16:05:07
Speaker 4
And then how to delegate for sure. I've always been involved in the House of Delegates, even in the quote unquote big house as a student. So that holds a special place in my heart. And I appreciate being able to serve as a delegate and kind of have a voice in our policy process.
00:16:05:07 - 00:16:23:20
Speaker 3
So I'm glad you shout it out. The House of Delegates at the time just that we are recording, I haven't given my introduction for this episode and what we're going to cover, but the House of Delegates to me is the most important part of the meeting. There's a lot of great things, but that's really one that's most impactful for what the association does and what the profession of pharmacy does.
00:16:23:20 - 00:16:49:05
Speaker 3
So great to hear that. It's also on top of your mind when it comes to why you go back for every year. Now, just the next question I want to ask is, I guess if we're doing a soap note for a patient, this would be the subjective feeling from from that interview. We've had a couple of tough years in pharmacy with 2020, the start of COVID 2021 with a lot of immunization tests and treat efforts.
00:16:49:05 - 00:17:12:24
Speaker 3
I know you were involved in some of those both of your day job and volunteer and other aspects. But overall, I think I sense some optimism from the conference and from pharmacies that are there that, yes, there are challenges that are ahead, but we're going to be facing those head on. So what were your feelings about the meeting, the attitude of the pharmacists that were there and how we're looking to approach the future of pharmacy practice?
00:17:13:07 - 00:17:31:21
Speaker 4
Yeah, absolutely. And I would definitely agree with the optimism. I would say that there was a lot of positivity in general that I felt throughout, you know, a general vibe or feeling while at the meeting. I think people are really optimistic in that there is kind of a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of COVID anyway.
00:17:31:21 - 00:18:09:20
Speaker 4
We're starting to see restrictions getting lifted, but at the same time we've been able to demonstrate what we're capable of as a profession, which I think is awesome and hopefully will open up a lot of doors, legislative wise, payment wise, etc. that will allow our profession to continue to advance. So I agree 100% with that feeling of optimism, etc. And I'm hopeful myself in hoping that what we're thinking has come out of the last few years, although very, very challenging, will pay off in the long run in terms of what we're able to accomplish, though.
00:18:10:00 - 00:18:29:16
Speaker 3
Excellent. Just now, the final question I have for you today is looking ahead to the future. Now, next year's meeting is going to be in Orlando, Florida. And you and I both know that you rarely, if ever, turn down a trip to Orlando, Florida, that regardless of location. Are you planning to attend the meeting next year? And what are you looking forward to for the next meeting?
00:18:29:16 - 00:19:11:03
Speaker 4
Yeah, I mean, this is probably the easiest question you've asked me thus far. Maybe easier than introducing myself. I will absolutely be attending the fact that it's in Orlando is an added bonus. I definitely wouldn't miss it, but I'm excited for a lot of the same stuff. I mean, seeing the people that I'm able to reconnect with again, how's the delegates and then any kind of different sessions that APhA is able to offer that might be either a little different or, you know, very useful to myself as a pharmacist, even as a health systems pharmacist, I get a lot of benefit out of attending the annual meeting, though some of my colleagues may not realize
00:19:11:15 - 00:19:24:18
Speaker 4
the different material or sessions that are offered that benefit us in this practice setting, I do feel like that there's plenty of material that is catered toward health systems, pharmacist or pharmacist in general.
00:19:25:01 - 00:19:50:16
Speaker 3
Yeah, exactly. Just I appreciate it. I really appreciate your insight here and thinking through it because you have that unique experience, right from the community pharmacy side from a little bit on the academia with relation to that residency program as well. But then the health system, there is a little bit of something for everybody when it comes to the APhA meeting and you're an ambassador for the organization in a lot of different ways.
00:19:50:21 - 00:20:06:01
Speaker 3
So that's that's one item that I always recommend to folks that if you hear and see someone talking about it, connect with them directly, you know, why are you attending? And they may not go for the same sessions, right? Just the reasons you go to the sessions you go for may not be the same as what that person is looking for.
00:20:06:05 - 00:20:25:21
Speaker 3
But you probably know other people at the conference that can help them find those items. So definitely recommend it. Just before we go, one final question, and you mentioned that you've been involved with the new practitioner network. What specifically would you say to new practice owners, our colleagues that are just out of pharmacy school or maybe just finished residency, That can be a really tough transition.
00:20:25:21 - 00:20:32:07
Speaker 3
So what would you recommend for them when it comes to getting involved, going in attending the meeting, and then staying involved with the association?
00:20:32:09 - 00:21:08:22
Speaker 4
Yeah, honestly, all I can say is just do it to stay involved or get involved. If you haven't been involved Traditionally, I have gained so much from my involvement with APA. It has helped me professionally, it has helped me personally. I think the new practitioner network is a great place to be able to relate to a lot of people who are in the same phases of their lives in a lot of ways and then just kind of finding your place within the profession and kind of like you just said, and you just are focused on in terms of being a home for everyone and having something for everyone.
00:21:08:22 - 00:21:26:03
Speaker 4
I love that APhA is the organization for all pharmacists. We don't focus in on a certain sector or anything like that. So I all I can say is, you know, I know life gets busy and life happens, but get involved. Stay involved. Keep showing up.
00:21:26:16 - 00:21:34:14
Speaker 3
Excellent. Well, just thank you for the time today. It was great to connect with you again at the meeting this year, and I look forward to doing it again next year when we're down in Orlando, Florida.
00:21:35:12 - 00:21:38:22
Speaker 4
Me too. Thanks, Nick.
00:21:38:22 - 00:21:51:02
Speaker 3
Hey, everyone. We are back with another interview about the 2023 APhA annual meeting. And for this interview I've got with me Sandy Rosa. Sandy, welcome to the show. And how are you doing today?
00:21:51:12 - 00:21:53:22
Speaker 1
I'm doing great, Nick. Thank you very much for asking.
00:21:54:24 - 00:22:17:16
Speaker 3
Great. Well, I'm excited to have you here for all of our listeners. All and everyone know Sandy is one of my usual favorite people that I get to see at the annual meeting each and every year and really have my own personal story helped me to figure out and to navigate the meeting. So I'm excited to have Sandy here today providing some input and experience from the annual meeting.
00:22:17:16 - 00:22:23:23
Speaker 3
So Sandy, as we get started, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and then what some of your involvement with APA has been?
00:22:25:14 - 00:22:57:22
Speaker 1
Sure. Nick I'd be happy to. I've been a pharmacist for almost 50 years and have had a multitude of different kinds of jobs in pharmacy and I've been with APA since 1997. Before that I actually was in student APAC, but in 1997 I started going to the APA meetings, and at each meeting I was able to meet new people and find new pathways and different ways to practice pharmacy.
00:22:57:22 - 00:23:24:06
Speaker 1
It was extremely invigorating and through the years I've come to know a lot of people and these people are my friends from years and years and years and years, and they've given me the benefit of all their wisdom and pearls, and I can't be more grateful. Of course, I've known you since you were a student, and I helped you campaign for Representative of Aspie at large.
00:23:24:06 - 00:23:28:01
Speaker 1
And so I feel that I. Oh, I am owed a small part of your success.
00:23:29:10 - 00:23:48:18
Speaker 3
More than a small part, Sandy, That's for sure. And I'm excited to have you here. You've certainly been a leader and mentor to many students myself, absolutely included with that. But you bring a lot of great experience. And as you mentioned, you've worked in various fields of the profession of pharmacy. It's one of the wonderful things about being a pharmacist.
00:23:48:24 - 00:24:08:00
Speaker 3
You want to work in a hospital setting, you can do that, you want to work in community, you can do that, you want to work in long term care or geriatrics. There's a million different things to do. So, Sandy, my first question for you about the about the meeting and as you've gone through your career path and tried different items, there's always something about that that brings you back to it.
00:24:08:05 - 00:24:19:00
Speaker 3
And I want to ask you from your perspective this year, what brought you back this year? Were there any particular meetings or sessions that you had to attend or that were really valuable for you?
00:24:19:10 - 00:25:05:20
Speaker 1
Well, there were a lot of valuable sessions and meetings. I there was an awful lot on the diversity and social determinants of health, for which I am very excited to hear about the different initiatives and and how to go about treating patients with disabilities and transgender. And all of this is, is very exciting to me. Um, you know, I'm heading sort of into retirement, so I'm going to be volunteering in a lot of places and I'm liking how this will enable me to continue to be a pharmacist while volunteering in the community, Apache is offered a lot about stress and burnout, and it's it's so important to be able to be able to sit back
00:25:05:20 - 00:25:33:13
Speaker 1
and relax and enjoy your life and enjoy your profession. It was great to see all my old friends like I said, I've been coming since 1997 and these people invigorate me. They're doing different things. I've done different things. I've done just about everything. You mentioned community hospital, long term care, geriatrics, mental health, academia, outreach. It's it's been gratifying.
00:25:33:13 - 00:25:49:14
Speaker 1
It's been a gratifying experience. And APhA ticks off several boxes every year of something else I'm interested in not just what I'm currently doing, but what I want to do in the future. So that's the most exciting part, is like, Oh, what can I do next?
00:25:50:13 - 00:26:16:12
Speaker 3
Yeah, that's that's a great absolutely a great call it I've heard Apache described in some ways Sandy and you can confirm or deny this or remain silent. Your choice about it being one of the largest silent job fairs or pharmacist where you may go, you know, going for a certain experience or certain education, but you go and find out about a new topic or you meet with other pharmacists that are doing really great and innovative things that may spark a passion for you.
00:26:16:12 - 00:26:22:02
Speaker 3
And then one thing leads to the next, and it it becomes a new opportunity for folks. So I find that.
00:26:22:02 - 00:26:22:19
Speaker 1
Absolutely.
00:26:22:24 - 00:26:23:12
Speaker 3
To connect.
00:26:24:11 - 00:26:28:17
Speaker 1
Absolutely is a great way to connect. It's a great thing to do. They do that well.
00:26:29:13 - 00:26:53:03
Speaker 3
Yeah. So, Sandy, my next question and looking at the APhA meeting and from your experience, what what do you think about the future of pharmacy practice based on what you what information you gathered and and the sessions that you attended, what's coming next and what's right for the future of pharmacy in ourselves as pharmacist practitioners?
00:26:53:03 - 00:27:23:05
Speaker 1
Well, clinical opportunities are expanding. Many states have developed protocols for pharmacist prescribing under conditions. And it's that's an exciting, exciting and challenging thing for people, especially older pharmacists who have just been dispensing for a long period of time. And that makes me very excited because now our interactions with patients are coming to the forefront. You know, people don't realize how accessible we are, how easy we are to talk to.
00:27:23:10 - 00:28:01:17
Speaker 1
And now being able to provide professional services as well as just delivering medications is an exciting, exciting thing coming up. And I'm so looking forward to seeing how far we can take this so that pharmacists will now become like your PCP. You'll go to your PCP and then you'll go to your pharmacist and we'll be right there in the front lines as we're very, very able, you know, through during COVID, we were out there in droves testing and immunizing, and we were just there the whole time.
00:28:01:17 - 00:28:35:07
Speaker 1
We were always open, you know, delivering medications, delivering services as best we could during COVID. So I think we're no longer silent. We're no longer the stealth profession. We are now out there in the front. People have really realized how important we are. And now the challenge for us and the exciting challenge for us is to be able to provide them with even more, especially in rural areas like my home state of Vermont, where, you know, pickups are scarce on the ground and long distances away.
00:28:35:19 - 00:28:56:13
Speaker 3
Yeah, that's absolutely a great call out. Whether it's Vermont on this podcast, we've had lots of guests in the past from states like Iowa or Washington, where, yeah, it's difficult to have prescribers offices or primary care locations for patients. So in some cases a pharmacist might be the only health care professional that's available for them during a weekday.
00:28:56:19 - 00:29:16:11
Speaker 3
So we really need to be able to continue to show that we're able to provide the services that we currently do. But even beyond that, what we can do based upon our education, our training and making sure that we're taking notes from some other states, perhaps, or perhaps even countries where pharmacists scope of practice is expanded beyond what we currently have now.
00:29:16:15 - 00:29:39:09
Speaker 3
Sandie I asked you this question about the future, but I actually wanted to take a quick moment to look back into the past. If you can give us all a quick kind of history lesson, but history lesson and then what, what has changed coming to where we are now? But I know you as one of the original will call it one of the original women in pharmacy ladies.
00:29:39:09 - 00:29:51:08
Speaker 3
So can you do you mind giving a quick a quick description on what you and others started and how that has evolved in a much into a much larger initiative that is really celebrated on the stage?
00:29:51:20 - 00:30:25:23
Speaker 1
Absolutely. We started out, just five of us. We called ourselves Pharmacy Girls. We just to be interesting and delivered pink ribbons to the APC attendees and as the momentum grew, it got more and more involved. Our original thesis was how to give get women to maintain a productive home life and a productive and satisfying professional life by working either part time, taking time off and things like that, working fewer hours.
00:30:25:23 - 00:30:54:24
Speaker 1
And this you know, made us able to do everything we do better. They had a home balance. We had a professional balance because we spent a lot of time in school and we don't want to waste any of those skills. And this was like 25 years ago. Well, now morphing into the future, everybody needs help with stress and burnout and they need accommodations to be able to work part time and step back a little bit and to maintain a big work life balance.
00:30:54:24 - 00:31:30:09
Speaker 1
And I think we planted the seed of this way back when in APhA, and I think people are now paying more attention to workplace issues and professional satisfaction and things like that. And we're hoping, you know, it's more than we hoped actually, that people are now becoming more involved in APJ and in their state organizations because now they know what they need as opposed to having just been listening to the man and working and working and working.
00:31:30:09 - 00:31:37:06
Speaker 1
So I think hopefully this will will spread to men and women in pharmacy.
00:31:37:06 - 00:32:02:19
Speaker 3
Yeah, absolutely. And Sandy, I would say from my own perspective, it's an item that was certainly long overdue to have more engagement from women in the profession. So that's a personal kudos to you and to the other four that were part of that original group. And especially when I look at my experience with APhA, so many of the leaders over the last, at least during my experience 15 years have been women.
00:32:02:19 - 00:32:28:24
Speaker 3
And especially when you look at some of the old pictures and the boardroom of past presidents, we're definitely seeing a lot more women in those positions than what there was previously. So that's a personal tip of the hat to you and to the others to really making that an area and topic. But as you said, many of the reasons why the group was originally founded, those are items, those are pressures that now really many people face in the pharmacy profession.
00:32:28:24 - 00:32:47:14
Speaker 3
So it's just as important now and there's still a lot more work to be done. I know you are not resting on your laurels and that you're attacking this head on. So we're going to be all going forward to support women in pharmacy. But more broadly in that as well, the entire profession of pharmacy. Yes. All right, Sandy, last question for you.
00:32:47:18 - 00:32:57:17
Speaker 3
I'm going to change it up a little bit because the last question is, am I going to see you at next year's annual meeting? The answer I know is I know that answer to be yes. So I'm ready.
00:32:57:18 - 00:32:58:19
Speaker 1
Absolutely. Yes.
00:32:59:10 - 00:33:18:15
Speaker 3
Yes. I've so I'm giving you a little bit of a different question from this experience. As someone who's been attending now for 25 plus years, if they're on the fence or if they're not sure that they should attend, what's your elevator pitch to them? What's the what's the reason why they must attend and why they should attend next year and every year coming after that.
00:33:19:16 - 00:33:47:17
Speaker 1
Well, they should first determine why they went into pharmacy in the first place. You know, in my academic career, most most students say to me, Oh, I want to help people. I want to work with patients. Well, you know something? This is the absolute positive best way to do that, because you meet with people that are doing the things that you hadn't thought of doing and their love of their patients will definitely transform your own practice.
00:33:48:14 - 00:34:03:07
Speaker 3
Perfect. Well, Sandy, I appreciate you coming on this afternoon for you. And I get a chance to chat to reconnect. It was great to reconnect with you in person in Phenix for the meeting and I'll absolutely look forward to seeing you in Orlando for next year's meeting. If not before then, definitely.
00:34:03:20 - 00:34:06:09
Speaker 1
Oh, it's no thanks. Thank you.
00:34:07:17 - 00:34:34:20
Speaker 3
Thanks everyone for tuning in to this episode. I really hope you enjoyed the information that work that was provided by Sidrah, by Jessica, and by Sandy. These are three people that had been involved with the association and have been involved with promoting the provision of pharmacy in unique and in different ways. And I think that was really the point as I prepared this episode and as I prepared to think about what can we share with pharmacist about why professional involvement is necessary.
00:34:34:20 - 00:35:01:02
Speaker 3
I was recently involved with a law, a pharmacy law course, providing some feedback to students of pharmacy, and one of the key messages that I provided to them was that the is going to change around us constantly. There are challenges and there are barriers we face. There's also winds and and tailwinds that can propel us forward. But if we're not each actively and individually involved with making those things happen, the rest of the world doesn't stop.
00:35:01:08 - 00:35:28:17
Speaker 3
So it's important to be involved as an individual and as a pharmacist to continue to be an agent of change. And the APhA meeting and APhA as an association really provide pharmacists with many different opportunity is where you can join your passion with involvement and engagement to be the change. So I hope that our guest provided some input, provided some information on different ways that you can be engaged and really just the positive experiences that they had.
00:35:29:01 - 00:35:45:02
Speaker 3
So I hope that you join me and our three guests at next year's APhA meeting, which will be in Orlando, Florida. It's a ways off from now, but if you are planning to attend the meeting, please reach out to be on social media either now or as we get closer to that meeting, let me know that you're there.
00:35:45:02 - 00:36:02:24
Speaker 3
I would love to meet up, would love to meet new folks, would love to meet listeners of the show, and perhaps identify some new guests and new topics for future episodes of the Quality Corner show. But with that, we've wrapped up this episode of the show, and I thank you for joining us today and hope you listen to our next episode of the Quality Show.
00:36:03:07 - 00:36:06:15
Speaker 3
Before we go, I have one final message from the podcast.
00:36:07:13 - 00:36:28:09
Speaker 2
The Pharmacy Quality Solutions Public Money Show has a request for you. Our goal is to spread the word about how quality measurement can help improve health outcomes. And we need your help in sharing this podcast to friends and colleagues in the health care industry. We also want you to provide feedback, ask those questions and suggest health topics you'd like to see covered.
00:36:29:03 - 00:36:51:08
Speaker 2
If you are a health expert and you want to contribute to the show or even talk on the show, please contact us. You can email info at pharmacy quality dot com. Let us know what is on your mind. What we can address so that you are fully informed. We want you to be able to provide the best care for your patients and members, and we wish all of you listeners out there well.