(8) APhA-ASP supports the incorporation of a student pharmacist representative from each school of pharmacy with or without chemical dependency issues into a specific student liaison position within their respective state pharmacy recovery program.

R2PRT: - Wording/action:
( APhA-ASP supports the incorporation of a student pharmacist representative from each school of pharmacy with or without chemical dependency issues into a specific student liaison position within their respective state pharmacy recovery program.

With high rates of chemical dependency in the pharmacy profession, students should be given an opportunity to participate in leadership positions within the recovery program in their state. This will equip them with the knowledge of how and where to seek help for themselves or for their colleagues in case of need. This will improve access to recovery and enable professionals to come back into the main stream quickly and more efficiently.

Just as APhA-ASP supports the incorporation of student positions into the ACPE Board of Directors, supports student input into AACP activities, involvement with IPSF, and also participation with state boards of pharmacy, why should state pharmacist recovery networks be any exception?

As chemical dependency is not a required topic in every pharmacy school’s curriculum, some students receive very little guidance about a problem that will likely enter their professional realm someday, whether personally or professionally. A student liaison between each school of pharmacy and their respective PRN program would serve as a more direct way for schools to communicate with their PRN program and vice versa. This would be mutually beneficial.
It would also connect representatives from each school of pharmacy with all of the other representatives in the state- creating such a network, which currently does not exist.

There is very little active participation on behalf of student pharmacists in the field of drug abuse/addiction, and leadership opportunities such as this might help decrease the number of impaired pharmacists over time.

State PRNs are willing to accept help from students, however there seems to be a disconnect between the two, this policy might help bridge the gap.

Cons:
Most people do not like to talk or deal with the topic of drug abuse/addiction and most times it is viewed as a decision, rather than a disease and people who receive help are often segregated from normal society.

Jennifer Caggiano ; 570-470-0820 ; jmc74@temple.edu ; Temple University School of Pharmacy