The 2012 ASHP Policy Week was held September 17-20th and as students on APPE rotation with ASHP, Han, Salma, and I were lucky enough to attend. The purpose of ASHP Policy Week is to envision the future of the profession of pharmacy and develop strategies to achieve that vision. ASHP’s five councils and one commission convene during the third week of September each year in Washington, DC to fulfill this mission.
During Policy Week, councils and the commission have two days of discussion on topics and develop recommendations on each topic. Recommendations vary in scope, but examples include drafting ASHP policy, commissioning an AJHP article, and convening a summit. After healthy discussion and the development of recommendations, Policy Week concludes with visits to legislators on Capitol Hill to advocate for our profession.
I was the student member on the Council on Education and Workforce Development last year, so this was my second go-around with Policy Week. The experience was less intimidating this time around since I’d experienced it once before. I was excited to see some of my councilmates from last year were at Policy Week again this year, as well as many people from my home state of Minnesota- it’s always comforting to see a friendly face. In fact, I think the best part of Policy Week is getting to know everyone in attendance. Everyone has something different that they bring to the table. Although I didn’t realize it right away last year, I too brought something to the table during Policy Week. I was the student member on my council and that provided me with a unique perspective. As a future pharmacist, my perspective meant a lot to my council.
As a student observer of the council meetings this year, I met many board members, council members, students, fellows, residents, and ASHP staff that I bonded with. Policy Week is a great time and place to meet people. From meeting many great people during Policy Week, I realized that when you surround yourself with good people, you learn and grow. As I go out in search of a residency in the coming months, I’m going to keep that in mind.
I want to leave you with my outlook on council and commission meetings that occur during Policy Week. Many of you probably cringe and grimace when the word ‘policy’ is uttered- it’s boring! Rules, regulations, procedures, and a long, tedious process probably come to mind. During Policy Week, I learned that policy doesn’t have to be a dirty word. I equate ASHP’s policy development to “The Daily Show.” If you’ve ever watched “The Daily Show,” you know that wit, humor, and guest appearances can add a little spice to politics.
Wit was contributed to Policy Week by knowledgeable and opinionated council and commission members. Councils and the commission discussions are always respectful, but when strong opinions are brought to the table a little spice is added to policy development. Radical ideas brought up by members of the councils and commission helped push the envelope to develop progressive policy that will be useful in achieving our visions for the future.
Humor lightened the mood during several discussions. No council or commission had more humor during the 2012 Policy Week than the Council on Therapeutics. The members of the Council on Therapeutics acted out their topics of discussion. Last, but not least, guest appearances were provided by ASHP staff that were sometimes asked to assist the councils and commission in their discussion by providing more information on topics.
Over the years, several influential recommendations have come from councils. A recommendation from the 2007 Council on Pharmacy Management led to the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI) and the PPMI summit. A recommendation by the 2006 Council on Education and Workforce Development led to the ASHP Policy Position that “by the year 2020, the completion of an ASHP-accredited postgraduate-year-one residency should be a requirement for all new college of pharmacy graduate who will be providing direct patient care.” The work of the councils and commission impact the profession of pharmacy in big ways!
Policy Week is a great experience and I encourage each of you to get involved. Any ASHP member can be on a council or the commission- each has a student, a new practitioner, and several practicing pharmacist members. It’s my opinion that stand-out council and commission members are those that have unique experiences and opinions and aren’t afraid to share these with their council or commission. If that sounds like you, I encourage you to seek out nominations on your behalf from your colleagues and to nominate yourself for a spot on a council or commission- nominations are accepted through November 13, 2012.
-Kristine Widboom