Hello ASHP members!
First, I would like to start by saying how honored I am to have been named one of the twelve recipients of the 2014-2015 ASHP Student Leadership Award. I have been asked to share the essay that I wrote for increasing PPMI awareness, from a student's perspective. This is also my first time posting a blog so I encourage any comments or feedback!
Pharmacy is an ever-changing profession and the future of this profession lies within the hands of student-pharmacists. Therefore, it is crucial that students fully understand the profession that lies before them once they move beyond the classroom and into the role of a practicing pharmacist. A strong foundational knowledge of the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI) is vital to this understanding. As I am only a second year pharmacy student, I have had limited exposure to PPMI and its components. For this reason, I have taken it upon myself to research and fully understand this initiative. As SSHP President-Elect and future SSHP President, I feel that it is my duty to educate the membership on PPMI so that they too can fully grasp the wave of change that will benefit the pharmacy profession. Being part of the SSHP executive committee at Jefferson School of Pharmacy (JSP) has already allowed me to take part in educating students through various guest speakers, projects, and initiatives. I plan to further this education as SSHP President by enhancing the existing educational opportunities, while developing new opportunities along the way.
During the fall semester, myself and the other members of the JSP-SSHP executive committee have helped to increase awareness of PPMI in a number of ways. First, we have had two guest speakers address our students. The first was Dr. David Warner, ASHP’s Director of International Residency Program Development in the Accreditation Services Office, who spoke about PPMI and residency opportunities. This talk was available to our students and to the students of the surrounding pharmacy schools in Philadelphia. The second guest speaker was Dr. Bill O’Hara, a clinical pharmacist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, who spoke about Collaborative Practice Agreements, which extend pharmacy services, scope, and patient access. Secondly, our SSHP executive committee has helped to implement a new program, the HCAHPS Initiative, which embraces key components of PPMI. This program lead to a partnership with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and allows the JSP-SSHP membership to provide medication reconciliation or counseling to patients receiving anticoagulation therapy. Lastly, our executive committee has worked closely with our Grassroots Committee to develop a newsletter for the students that updates the membership on policy, legislation, and initiatives that advocate for the pharmacy profession.
As future SSHP President, I plan to expand upon all of these opportunities to learn more about PPMI. In addition, I would like to develop new opportunities. Many of these new opportunities will stem from things that other pharmacy schools are already doing. One such idea is eventually assembling a PPMI Task Force, which will focus solely on educating JSP students on PPMI. This task force will be in the form of a subcommittee, including members from each of the SSHP committees. Another idea will be to hold a PPMI week at JSP that will include guest speakers and different activities that students can participate in that encompass different components of this initiative. Finally, I want to come up with a way to educate other healthcare professionals about PPMI and help them to understand the true scope of a pharmacist. I believe that this can be accomplished by opening PPMI events up to the other schools of healthcare professions within Jefferson. This would include medical students, nursing students, physician assistant students, and more. Increasing PPMI awareness among other healthcare professionals will be crucial in the recognition of pharmacists as vital members of an interdisciplinary healthcare team to improve patient-care outcomes.
Overall, I firmly believe that my role as SSHP President-Elect and future SSHP President is a launching pad for educating students about PPMI and its components. I want to motivate students to take a proactive approach on truly grasping the ever-changing pharmacy profession. The best way to enhance the profession is to start by educating its future – the students. Once the students understand PPMI, the future of this initiative can begin to take form. It is my duty as a student-leader to provide any resource or opportunity that I can to help prepare pharmacy students as they transition from the classroom and into practice. I plan on maintaining my leadership beyond pharmacy school by serving as a preceptor for pharmacy students. The world of pharmacy is known for its life-long learning so providing an environment for pharmacy students to learn and grow is one of the main goals of my career as a future pharmacist.