Mercer College of Pharmacy - Policy on Tap
Interested in how you can hold exciting policy events on your campus? Take a peak at the innovative ways Mercer College of Pharmacy is involving their students!
Mercer College of Pharmacy - Policy on Tap
Written by: Alastair Hay
While pharmacy policy and beer do not often go hand in hand,
Policy on Tap, a new
event held by the APhA-ASP chapter at Mercer College of Pharmacy,
makes us think they
should.
Craft
breweries deliver innovative ideas on what beer can be, displacing the all too
common, stagnant beers that have overstayed their welcome.
It is all about possibility, and
breweries across America are changing beer culture. Thus the
innovative setting of a craft
brewery seemed to be the perfect place to introduce “Policy
on Tap”.
As student leaders in APhA-ASP, our challenge is to get
peers involved with advocacy.
Often, students are introduced to the idea, but find it
rather daunting, for they do not envision
themselves being able to inspire change. Complicating the
situation, current ideas can seem stale
or monotonous, and great ideas are hard to come by.
Moreover, worthy endeavors can seem like
impossible feats with the burden of implementation falling
on time or money, leaving students
feeling overwhelmed and inept. Advocacy then becomes a
fleeting thought. Which is why we
emulated the craft brewery model, took a few sips of
creativity and inspiration, and challenged
students to become advocates. (good!)
At the
end of the spring semester, APhA-ASP partnered with Mercer’s NCPA, Kappa
Psi, Phi Delta Chi Chapters and class officers to host an
event with the aim of bringing
awareness to current pharmacy legislation and to entice
students to advocate for the future of
pharmacy. With multi-organizational sponsorships we were
able to hold “Policy on Tap” at
Three Taverns Brewery in Atlanta, Georgia. Students and
faculty alike to shared a beer and took
a tour of a brewery, and that was just the beginning. The
night also included a short presentation
from State House Representative Brett Harrell, a friend of
pharmacy and our Georgia Pharmacy
Association (GPhA). Rep. Harrell spoke about the importance
of being a champion of our
profession and fostered conversations centered on how
students are key to the future of our
vocation. Before the night ended, we passed out business
cards that detailed the Provider Status
Bill and how students can advocate in their communities.
While this event was a risk with
regards to time and money spent, we found that it reached
students in an impactful and
memorable way. We struck a new chord with students who may
not have initially seen
themselves as pharmacy promoters, and when the night
concluded, the most common question
was when the next “Policy on Tap” would occur. The answer:
the next ‘Policy on Tap’ will take
place early November. We are looking forward to making this
event our go to ale while we ferment students into advocates in our future (barley)
field.About The APhA-ASP
APhA-ASP Region 3
The American Pharmacist Association is the oldest and largest professional organization for pharmacists in the country. The Academy of Student Pharmacists is held within APhA and is comprised by student pharmacists throughout the nation who are still taking classes at their respective colleges of pharmacy. APhA-ASP puts a strong emphasis on patient care initiatives, advocacy for the profession, and overall training to become a professional in the field of pharmacy.
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