Conferences & Meetings - Iowa Pharmacy Association College Night

My speech for Iowa Pharmacy Association College Night 
(I was asked to be a IPA College Night panelist to discuss IPA student opportunities)

Good evening everyone! I am Shiny Parsai and I am a third year pharmacy student.

So I like to think of IPA as a good craft beer.  Just like a good beer there are so many flavors to fit everyone’s palette and also you can brew your own.  Iowa Pharmacy Association is very similar because there are opportunities in IPA that would fit your own personal palette and you can brew your personal brand of advocacy.

So how did I become involved in IPA?

I became involved in IPA by attending College Night two years ago and listening to how other pharmacy students and pharmacists have been involved. I was impressed by all the unique opportunities and I wanted to learn more about pharmacy at the state level.  Each year, IPA has several committees and task forces for students to be involved in and I began by serving as a student on the Health System Liason Board.

Serving on the board helped me gain a deeper understanding about the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative.  This summer, I called pharmacy directors across the state of Iowa, encouraging them to complete the hospital self-assessment survey created by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. The survey assesses how pharmacists provide care in the health system setting.  It looks at what services pharmacists should be providing and what technology can be used to enhance those services with the ultimate goal of advancing pharmacy practice.

In addition to serving on the Health System Liason Board, I also attended the IPA annual meeting and recently the Bill Burke Leadership Conference.  Though I did not realize it at the time, being involved in IPA has helped me be more aware and passionate about issues in the pharmacy profession such as PPMI, provider status, tech-check-tech, and tele pharmacy.  IPA is a great way for you to engage and to learn about these and numerous other pharmacy issues. 

So as you sit here today, wondering if and how you should become involved in IPA…I encourage you to try something new within IPA and to gain a deeper understanding of our profession.  I know pharmacy school is hard, there a lot of long days and nights as we all work towards our goals.  If you are waiting for the right time to be involved, to engage, and to learn…I am here to tell you that the time is now.  And while you work on your dreams to become a pharmacist, remember that IPA is right there with you…working to develop the practice setting, the job, and the recognition that you want as pharmacists when you graduate.  So I challenge you to dream big, innovate, and to brew your personal brand of advocacy in pharmacy.  Thanks for your time.