Fourth year student pharmacist, Susan Dickey was recently appointed as the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Academy of Student Pharmacists (ASP) representative on the APhA Policy Committee for 2014. The APhA-ASP National Executive Committee and the APhA-ASP Staff discuss and nominate one student pharmacist. This nomination is given to the Chair of APhA Policy Committee, who accepts or rejects the nomination. Susan served as the Vice-Chair of the APhA-ASP Policy Standing Committee last year, which is a student version of the Policy Committee.
The committee is generally made up of 7-10 APhA members with a variety of pharmacy specialties with specific professional and policy expertise. Only one student is selected by the APhA leadership each year to participate on the committee.The members must prepare a report of policy recommendations to present to the APhA House of Delegates. Topics for policy consideration are submitted by the membership then these topics are discussed by APhA’s three component academies: The APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice Management, the APhA Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science, and the APhA Academy of Students of Pharmacy. Their recommendations for policy are then sent to the APhA Board of Trustees.
The work of the committee is critically important to the effective operation of the Association. The language in policy statements adopted by the APhA House of Delegates drives the organization particularly when APhA is asked to speak at congress, government agencies, and other entities. Susan will serve a one year term and will attend the Policy Meeting in Washington D.C. this October.