"APhA works to ensure you have the opportunity to practice what you’ve been trained to do and to provide the services you’ve asked us to promote on your behalf," said Godwin. "Whether you are a student pharmacist or a seasoned pharmacist, like me, we all seek the same thing – recognition and ability to utilize our knowledge and skills to take care of patients. Our nation has a medication use crisis and when empowered, we can fix it!"
Godwin also told attendees that pharmacists' services to improve patient medication use must be our focus. Helping patients take responsibility for their medication therapy will be our priority. This can be as simple as encouraging patients to carry a copy of their current medication list, making sure they are actually taking their medications on a daily basis, and making them aware of pharmacist-based services such as Medication Therapy Management (MTM). MTM continues to evolve as APhA members embrace the opportunities presented for caregiving roles.
"2010 will be a year of challenges and opportunities," said Godwin. “We’ve made great strides, but we must continue to advance our goals in policy, advocacy, MTM and immunizations." Concluding, Godwin said, "We must keep up the momentum. Together we can achieve our dreams, which will help us to meet the needs of our patients."
About the American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, represents more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States. APhA members provide care in all practice settings, including community pharmacies, health systems, long-term care facilities, managed care organizations, hospice settings, and the uniformed services.