We had the pleasure of rotating for six weeks with the Texas Pharmacy Association during August and September of 2023. During our elective rotation, we had the chance to assist with TPA’s membership recruitment campaign, with the specific task of increasing student membership. Our work took the form of multiple videos highlighting the various opportunities that student pharmacists have as members of TPA. While working on this and other projects, we had the opportunity to participate in TPA’s Fall Leadership Retreat in Austin and the H-E-B Pharmacy Conference in San Antonio. We are beyond thankful for the opportunity to work with TPA. Following are individual reflections on our experience.

Leadership Opportunities Abound

Throughout my pharmacy school career, I always knew what TPA was. I knew it as the pharmacy organization that just goes to the Capitol every other year and represents community pharmacists. However, I soon learned that TPA does so much more for Texas pharmacy that student pharmacists do not realize. TPA represents not only community pharmacists but ALL Texas pharmacists. As a student, they represent you, your pharmacy faculty, your preceptor, and anyone involved with Texas pharmacy. TPA is the VOICE of Texas pharmacy that is elevating the profession and advancing our practice to expand our roles to care for our patients.

I learned as a student pharmacist that you have the opportunity to hold a leadership position(s) not only in the TPA Academy of Student Pharmacists (ASP) but throughout the Association. For example, you could be a member of TPA’s Association Affairs Council or serve on the Texas Pharmacy Foundation Board of Trustees. These positions can enrich your pharmacy school experience and directly translate to your future pharmacy career.

I am grateful to have been a part of a recruitment campaign that will make a lasting impact on student pharmacists. This project educated me that TPA does so much for Texas pharmacy and has inspired me to advocate for our profession. Also, witnessing the operations of a pharmacy association and the leadership displayed by my preceptor and TPA CEO, Debbie Garza, has shown me the responsibilities required that I plan on carrying into my future pharmacy career as a U.S. Navy officer and pharmacist.

I highly encourage all students to get involved with TPA! The networking and knowledge I gained from my rotation are invaluable. If you want to be the voice of Texas pharmacy, be part of an organization making a meaningful impact on the profession, and make yourself a well-rounded student pharmacist, then join TPA!
     –Jose Perez

There’s So Much More to Pharmacy

My six weeks at TPA were one of the most eye-opening and informative experiences of my time in pharmacy school. I chose this rotation to experience a different side of pharmacy, something away from the bustle of customers and workflows. I knew that this would be unlike any other pharmacy setting in the state, yet knew almost nothing about TPA.

I had thought that TPA was a lobbying organization for pharmacy, which I now realize was like saying the Pacific Ocean is a body of water. My prior assumptions about this organization changed soon after starting, as I saw just how much time and effort beyond fundraising goes into advocating for pharmacy. Even right after the biennial legislative session, the office was abuzz with work for TPA’s Fall Leadership Retreat, planning for legislative interim charges, and membership recruitment.

This rotation showed me that there is so much more to pharmacy than counting to 30, giving shots, and selling medications to customers. Funny enough, I never thought about how pharmacies get paid for filling prescriptions, why independent pharmacies were becoming harder to sustain, and how lasting pharmacy legislation would be implemented or advocated for. I now understand what terms like PBM, vertical integration, and DIR mean, and just how important they are to the future of pharmacy practice. Now that I’ve seen firsthand the hard work that TPA and its members put into pharmacy advocacy and advancement, my technical knowledge on the state of modern pharmacy has soared.

My favorite thing about this rotation was meeting so many amazing people. TPA’s staff is truly a joy to work with and really made me feel seen, welcome, and useful during my rotation. My attendance at events also helped me to network with so many great pharmacists and reconnect with old preceptors and friends who were in practice.

This rotation showed me just how important advocacy is for our profession. As a student, all I cared about was passing my classes and making my resume look good. But if no one is advocating for why our jobs are important, there will be no pharmacy jobs to enter into after graduation. Advocacy is one of the best ways to contribute to and enrich this profession that I love.
     –Jacob Vera

Perez and Vera each completed a six-week rotation with the Texas Pharmacy Association during the late summer of 2023.