As a student pharmacist, it often feels like our pharmacist days are a million years away. We are hyperfocused on checking our boxes and getting the grades, never giving much attention to the world outside of our pharmacy school bubble. After all, there is already so much to learn and so little time! The thought of tackling government affairs and politics on top of the many hats we already wear presents a monumental challenge, so we leave it on the back burner until it is really important.

Like many of us, I had little to no regard for the importance of advocating for my profession during pharmacy school. However, I took advantage of the unique opportunity to do a fourth-year rotation at the Texas Pharmacy Association in an effort to learn something new and experience something out of my comfort zone. Ignorance may have been bliss, but watching TPA lead the efforts to unite and empower everyone in pharmacy, regardless of their practice setting, ignited a newfound passion for advocacy.

Right off the bat, I was immersed in all things TPA. I had the privilege of starting my rotation by sitting at the table as TPA’s Nominating Committee interviewed nominees for the Board of Directors. It was a great way to understand the roles and responsibilities of each position while learning from a group of passionate pharmacy role models.

Throughout the remainder of my rotation, I had the chance to experience the many aspects of TPA. From sitting in on various TPA meetings as well as a Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) Informal Conference with TPA’s Professional Recovery Network, I had the chance to observe TPA as the exclusive association leading the grassroots movement to drive our profession forward.

In addition, I was afforded the opportunity to sit in on multiple meetings with the Texas Department of State Health Services, where TPA was the first to receive the latest information on the rapidly changing COVID-19 guidelines and recommendations implemented in pharmacies across the state. Lastly, I had the chance to attend a TSBP meeting and watch as TPA’s CEO, Debbie Garza, led the way with testimony in favor of initiatives that would later be proposed rules regarding non-sterile compounding and patient counseling.

Despite all the wonderful efforts TPA is making, the Association’s greatest strength is its members’ presence. Unfortunately, the numbers do not accurately reflect our profession’s strength. With our profession evolving and the pandemic highlighting our value, pharmacy’s visibility and involvement are now more paramount than ever.

Of course, as pharmacists, we are the drug experts. Yet, the countless images depicting pharmacists as behind-the-counter pill counters do not accurately represent our profession’s expanding scope of practice. Despite our individual pursuits of different avenues within pharmacy, we all must unite to move our profession forward and overcome the outdated depiction of a pharmacist.

While my six-week rotation with TPA has come to an end, my efforts to stay involved and move our profession forward have not. My TPA rotation challenged me, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and showed me so many things I didn’t even know I did not know! I am so grateful I had the opportunity to meet the incredible team dispensing the prescription for change, and I am looking forward to applying everything I learned at TPA to my role as a pharmacist.

Chebat completed a six-week rotation with the Texas Pharmacy Association during the spring of 2022.