Since my first year of pharmacy school, my involvement with ASHP has been significant. After attending the 2017 ASHP Policy Bootcamp, I was motivated to serve as an advocate for my profession. The bootcamp also showed me how much effort ASHP puts into advancing pharmacy by providing programmatic solutions and professional policies that provide a framework for health systems to tackle current issues and plan for the future.
This summer, I was selected to serve as a virtual ASHP extern with the Office of Practice Advancement (OPA). The opportunity allowed me to further my understanding of the policymaking process of ASHP's Policy Week and how ASHP develops strategies to ensure advocacy success.I also attended the ASHP-AHA-AMA-USP Summit on Safe Effective High-Quality Medicines to listen to experts engage in idea exchange on solutions to improve the safety of the global and domestic drug supply chains and regulatory enhancements to ensure medications are safe, of high quality, and accessible.
My rotation experience consisted of meetings with key ASHP staff, learning about their career paths, and what led them to ASHP. The OPA team consists of a variety of pharmacy professionals with several years of diverse practice experience who strive to ensure health systems are equipped with the best guidance to address today's challenges and providing a vision for tomorrow's opportunities. I expanded my network of professional contacts and I look forward to strengthening this network in the future. It was inspiring to speak with individuals and hear their passion for advancing the pharmacy profession.
With COVID-19 greatly impacting pharmacy operations, I worked on projects and attended conference calls that addressed business recovery after the pandemic. I completed a policy topic issue synopsis to highlight adapting practices to "the new normal" in the wake of the pandemic. I was also involved with the development of COVID-19 vaccine principles and a comparative, informational table on molecular and serologic testing – both which enhance my understanding of emerging tools and methods to contain this pandemic. I truly admire everything ASHP does to provide healthcare institutions with guidance to overcome barriers and leverage opportunities.
In closing, I want to thank my preceptor, co-extern, and the exceptional staff of ASHP who virtually welcomed me to the team and provided me with an opportunity to learn, grow, and engage with the organization. This rotation experience leaves me with a lasting impression of an organization that will help lead me to becoming a well-rounded leader and pharmacist.