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۽ֱ Pharmacy students making a difference

October 9, 2015

Every year the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) creates a national theme to encourage and advocate for the profession of pharmacy, and the ۽ֱ School of Pharmacy has joined the movement. This year’s theme is “Live Your Why.”

As part of this campaign and in honor of October being American Pharmacists Month, the ۽ֱ chapter of APhA-ASP partnered with Xavier University to launch a statewide campaign on October 1.

Pharmacy Live your why

Together, ۽ֱ and Xavier are sharing facts about the medical needs of Louisiana and how Louisiana pharmacists are making a difference.

Dr. Anthony Walker, faculty adviser for American Pharmacist Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), ۽ֱ Chapter, said since ۽ֱ and Xavier have the only two pharmacy school programs in Louisiana, by collaborating with each other, “we show a more unified front on our pharmacists awareness campaign.” 

“Student pharmacists from each school represent the majority of our state's parishes,” Dr. Walker said. "What better way to spread the word about how pharmacists can make a difference in their patient's health than for a student to take the message back home with them?"

۽ֱ’s School of Pharmacy plans to use its Facebook page to share articles, facts, and student pharmacist “whys” all month with the hashtags #LouisianaIsOurWhy and #GeauxAPhA, according to Hannah Holbrook, vice president of Patient Care, APhA-ASP ۽ֱ Chapter.

“We hope to involve all of the alumni who are Louisiana Pharmacists as well,” Holbrook said. “The hashtags were made with the idea of incorporating all of the future Louisiana Pharmacists into this campaign.”

Dr. Walker said ۽ֱ’s student organizations are committed to offering various forms of service throughout our local and surrounding communities. 

“Whether we are providing health-related assistance or offering helping hands during our city's cleanup events, our communities deserve it,” Dr. Walker said. “Since our parish, as well as many other Louisiana parishes, fall under ‘medically underserved areas,’ it gives our faculty and students excellent opportunities to become involved in our patients' care and make a difference.”

American Pharmacists Month (APhM) is celebrated annually during October and serves to promote pharmacists as medication experts, an integral member of the health care team, and directly involved in patient care. APhM aims to educate the public, policy makers and other health care professionals about the role pharmacists play in the reduction of overall health care costs and the safe and effective management of medications. Pharmacists have a significant role in assessing patients’ medication management and referring them to physicians.