As a student pharmacist, my first exposure to policy was during my orientation week of pharmacy school. I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Mark Comfort, who at the time was the Immediate Past President of the Texas Pharmacy Association (TPA), speak about the importance of advocating for our profession. That moment piqued my interest in policy, and it launched my journey of learning how I could contribute as a student pharmacist.

Throughout my time in pharmacy school, I sought leadership opportunities in multiple organizations, hosting legislative panels for students so that we could all learn about and discuss issues affecting health care law, trends, and the impact of those issues on patient care and the pharmacy profession. However, during my third year of pharmacy school, COVID-19 turned our world upside down and my involvement in policy fell by the wayside.

In my final year as a student pharmacist, I was determined to reignite my drive for advocacy and saw a rotation with TPA as my ticket back. I wanted to learn how TPA serves its members and advocates for the profession of pharmacy in Texas. Each day on rotation revealed more surprises than the previous, as I discovered more about the inner workings of pharmacy advocacy than I ever could have imagined. I soon realized that in order to fully immerse yourself in advocacy, you have to be willing to engage in uncomfortable conversations to prove your value as a pharmacist in the larger health care system.

While on rotation, I had the opportunity to participate in several meetings with TPA’s various councils and committees. Most memorable was witnessing the Nominating Committee as they interviewed and slated nominees for the Board of Directors. This meeting gave me a comprehensive understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each position on the board, and the interviews showed me how each member strives to enhance the profession of pharmacy in their own way. The caliber of nominees left me inspired and exhilarated about the Association’s future leadership.

Because I began my rotation in the midst of the 88th Texas Legislature, I also had the privilege of attending multiple legislative committee hearings at the state Capitol where TPA members testified in support of our priority bills. I watched how my preceptor, TPA CEO, Debbie Garza, worked with our pharmacist members and lobbyists to advance legislation that would benefit our profession and patients. I saw firsthand how the team spent countless hours building relationships with legislators to ensure that priority bills were heard and progressed this session.

All of the hard work done by the TPA staff, Board of Directors, and lobbyists would not be possible without a strong membership. Unfortunately, our priorities face strong opposition, especially from physician groups. With our voice overshadowed by physicians who are wary of any expansions to our scope of practice, involvement by pharmacists and student pharmacists is more important now than ever to highlight our value and demonstrate our impact on patient outcomes. We must come together as one unit, no matter our differences, to overcome our opposition and forge the future of pharmacy.

I am sad that my rotation with TPA has come to an end, but my passion to advocate for my profession will not. I am forever grateful for my rotation with TPA and the unique individuals with whom I had the pleasure of working.

The question I keep asking myself is, “What’s next after graduation?” I am sure many of my fellow student pharmacists wonder this as well. No matter how worried you are about finding a job, paying off your loans, or the myriad things we must take care of as new practitioners, you have to stay active in your local and state pharmacy associations—whether it’s simply paying your membership dues until you find the time to volunteer, getting involved by serving on one of TPA’s councils, or some day running for the Board of Directors. We have to keep fighting for our profession because advocacy is not temporary, it is lifelong.