TPA member Alex Varkey was sworn in on March 25 as the 2024–2025 President of the American Pharmacists Association at the group’s annual meeting in Orlando. Varkey is director of pharmacy at Houston Methodist Hospital and received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Houston. As a student, he served as national president of the APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists. TPA is proud to have Varkey and other distinguished members as national pharmacy leaders helping to advance the profession!
During the meeting, TPA Past President Mary Klein was elected the speaker-elect of the APhA House of Delegates. In her candidate speech, Klein donned a set of Minnie Mouse ears, a nod to the conference’s setting near Walt Disney World in Orlando. “I would contend that Minnie has big ears so that she can hear the dreams of those who come to meet her,” Klein said. “I have tried to be like Minnie meeting each of you this weekend and hearing what you have to say.” Klein, an associate professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy in Abilene, will serve as speaker-elect during the coming year, followed by a two-year term as Speaker from 2025 to 2027.
Texas Delegates Mary Klein, May Woo, Carol Reagan, Kevin Aloysius, Carter High, and Jay Bueche participated in the House of Delegates meeting during the APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition to debate and adopt policy proposals developed throughout the year. New policies developed included Artificial Intelligence Use in Pharmacy Practice and Cybersecurity in Pharmacy. Other APhA policies on the books were reviewed and edited to bring in line with current practice.
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