Pharmacist Associations Help Your Pharmacist Career
It’s a good time to align…
So what’s your pharmacist association?
(Updated Oct. 1, 2018) American Pharmacists Month (APhM) is underway — celebrated annually during October. A time to draw attention to our work as pharmacists and celebrate our profession. It’s also a good time to celebrate and continue investing in your pharmacist career. If you have not done so already, a good way to do this is to join a professional pharmacist association.
Our profession has changed since the early days of pharmacists compounding all medications and tinctures to now being frontline medication experts directly influencing patient care. Pharmacists know medicine. But I also challenge pharmacists to know and stay ahead of professional trends. The best way to do this it to align with a pharmacy association.
10 Ways Professional Association Membership
Can Help Your Pharmacist Career
When listed on your pharmacist CV or resume, association membership:
1) DEMONSTRATES YOU ARE CONNECTED WITH THE PROFESSION and staying up to date.
2) PROVIDES CREDIBILITY DURING CAREER CHANGE – just like the profession, your pharmacist career path may also change. If you are a pharmacist contemplating a sector change, from hospital to retail or retail to managed care, what better way to show commitment, learn, establish credibility, and network for open job opportunities than joining the association of the new pharmacy arena you plan to enter.
3) HELPS YOUR RESUME EMERGE FROM THE CROWD when keyword searches are done in candidate databases.
4) SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER PHARMACISTS – membership often yields a certain amount of clout and often sets you apart from other individuals.
5) HELPS YOU GROW YOUR PROFESSIONAL NETWORK – membership can help you jump start professional relationships and gain a sense of security. National or local conferences provide the opportunity to learn about breaking news, best practices or new ideas, and hear about key achievers in your field. One can meet and brainstorm with others who are also looking to share and learn new information. You could find a mentor to help with your professional needs or become a mentor to someone else.
6) EXPANDS YOUR KNOWLEDGE – pharmacy associations provide an enormous amount of access to resource information like case studies, articles, white papers and books written by experts in the field. Also, major journal, magazine, and newsletter access is a part of membership–not to mention helpful continuing education.
7) GIVES YOU A HEADS UP ON EMPLOYER INITIATIVES – many employers align their strategic planning with leading pharmacy association standards and guidelines. So you can have a leg up on what to expect next and how to fit in with your employer’s goals. Don’t be seen as an employee with a narrow focus but one in tune with the profession’s big picture.
8) RECRUITERS MAY REACH OUT TO YOU through professional organizations.
9) ALLOWS YOU TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR PHARMACIST CAREER – professional organizations often have a plethora of career resources you can take advantage of and is a great way to find targeted job postings for your area of interest.
10) GIVES YOU A HEAD START – some employers may prefer/require specific organization membership.
As pharmacists, we should continue to take professional steps to align with the changes in our profession and enhance our networking opportunities. There are plenty of pharmaceutical associations to consider–over 25 in the US. See links to visit association websites and get more information.
Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)
American College of Apothecaries
American College of Clinical Pharmacology
American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
American Society for Automation in Pharmacy (ASAP)
American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
American Society for Pharmacy Law (ASPL)
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)
American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP)
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
American Society of Pharmacognosy
American Society of Pharmacovigilance
College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP)
Hematology Oncology Pharmacist Association (HOPA)
Industry Pharmacy Association (IPhO)
International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP)
International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP)
International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR)
National Association of Chain Drug Stores
National Community Pharmacists Association
National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA)
Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS)
Medical Science Liason Society (MSLS)
Parenteral Drug Association (PDA)
Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group (PPAG)
Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA)
Professional Compounding Centers of America (PCCA)
About the Author
Denise R. Hemphill, PharmD, CCM, NCRW, CPRW, CIC, CCTC is the founder of Confident Career Moves®. She is an Executive Resume, CV, & Social Profile Writer designing dynamic self-marketing tools. As a pharmacist and career manager equipped with 5 prominent career industry certifications, she helps pharmacists nationwide reach their career goals. Connect on LinkedIn
Are you seeking a transition into management? Another pharmacy practice area? Or even another career? Visit www.ConfidentCareerMoves.com/rx.
