Stephen Presti is a final-year PharmD candidate at The University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and the 2024–2025 APhA–ASP speaker of the House.
As student pharmacists, we have a unique opportunity to shape the future of our profession through policy development. The APhA–ASP House of Delegates is the voice of student pharmacists nationwide, and our policy resolutions set the foundation for advocacy efforts that can drive meaningful change.
At the upcoming APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition (March 21–24, 2025, in Nashville), we will come together to discuss and vote on three key resolutions that address pressing issues in pharmacy practice: sustainability, postgraduate compensation, and optimizing collaborative practice agreements (CPAs). These resolutions reflect our commitment to a profession that is forward-thinking, equitable, and empowered to improve patient care.
Applying holistic sustainability in pharmacy practice
Sustainability is not just an environmental concern—it is an economic and social necessity for our profession. The proposed resolution calls for the profession-wide adoption of sustainable practices and the development of incentives to encourage pharmacies, manufacturers, and distributors to implement sustainable practices. By prioritizing holistic sustainability, we can ensure the resilience and adaptability of pharmacy in a changing health care landscape.
Advocating for fair compensation in pharmacy residency and postgraduate education
Pharmacy residency and postgraduate education programs are invaluable for professional growth, yet the financial burden they place on PharmD graduates remains a significant concern. This resolution calls for increased compensation that better reflects the demands placed on residents and postgraduate trainees. Additionally, it recognizes the financial burden of program accreditation and advocates for reducing costs for institutions that host these programs. By addressing both trainee compensation and institutional financial sustainability, this resolution aims to make postgraduate training more accessible and financially feasible for all stakeholders.
Collectively optimizing collaborative practice agreements (CPA)
CPAs empower pharmacists to work closely with other health care providers to optimize patient care. However, barriers such as legislative restrictions, administrative hurdles, and financial constraints limit their widespread implementation. This resolution seeks to remove these barriers and create a collectively optimized approach to CPAs that enhances their effectiveness and expands pharmacists’ clinical impact. By improving CPAs, we can strengthen interprofessional collaboration and ensure pharmacists are fully utilized in patient care teams.
Your voice matters
These resolutions represent issues that will shape our profession’s future, and it is up to us, as student pharmacists, to engage in these discussions. I encourage all APhA–ASP members to review these proposals, consider their impact, and participate in the House of Delegates sessions at APhA2025. You can learn more at www.pharmacist.com/about/leadership/hod/students. Your input is essential to ensuring that our profession continues to evolve in a way that benefits both pharmacists and the patients we serve.
I look forward to the discussions ahead and the opportunity to work together in advocating for a stronger, more sustainable, and more equitable pharmacy profession.
See you in Nashville!