September Student Political Action Resources and Communication

1. September Student Political Action Resources and Communication Name, Office

2. SPAN Student Political Action Resources and Communications (SPARC) • SPARC Goals • Facilitate advocacy efforts on the chapter level • Enhance communication between the APhA-ASP Policy Standing Committee and individual chapter members • Update chapters on important legislative events that have the potential to impact the profession of pharmacy

3. Outline • American Pharmacists Month • Event Spotlight: DEA Drug Take-Back Day • Call for Submissions: Chapter Spotlight

4. American Pharmacists Month • October is American Pharmacists Month (APhM) • History • Theme and purpose • Preparing for APhM • Ideas for your chapter • Media outlets • Resources

5. A Brief History • “National Pharmaceutical Week” proposed by Robert J. Ruth, a pharmacist from Asheville, NC, at the 1924 APhA Annual Meeting • First celebration on October 11-17, 1925 • American Pharmacists Month launched in 2004 • In 2005, U.S. President George W. Bush acknowledged the important role pharmacy professionals play in the lives of Americans

6. Theme and Purpose • Recognize the commitment to patient care and contributions to health care made by pharmacists in all practice settings • Motivate your colleagues • Educate your patients • Engage and Inspire your community

7. Preparing for APhM • Start planning early! • Who is your target audience? • Colleagues in pharmacy, the community, patients, other health care professionals, lawmakers • How will you advertise your events? • Select media outlets to tell your story

8. Ideas for Your Chapter • Incorporate your pharmacy colleagues • Find out how your state pharmacy association plans to observe APhM • Hold a faculty and staff or alumni appreciation breakfast at your school or college of pharmacy • Host a celebratory lunch or social event for all student pharmacists • Encourage local pharmacists join your efforts by holding a health fair and displaying APhM décor

9. Ideas for Your Chapter • Target your community • Schedule a patient care project program (e.g. Operation Immunization) and promote APhM • Visit a local high school and talk to students about careers in pharmacy • Choose innovative locations: airports, theaters, sporting events, flee markets • Multilingual advertisements

10. Ideas for Your Chapter • Target your lawmakers • Invite your members of Congress to visit your school or college of pharmacy • Ask your patients to share their experiences with pharmacists and student pharmacists with their legislators • Encourage your elected officials (e.g. mayors, city managers, and state governors) to designate October as American Pharmacists Month

11. Make Your Mark in the Media Day:October 17th • Media Outlets: Billboards, newspapers, morning talk shows, radio talk shows • Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube • Facebook: Post our daily pharmacy facts • Twitter: Share what your chapter is doing for APhM using the hashtag#APhM2012 • Youtube: Post videos on the APhA-ASP account showcasing how your chapter is advocating during APhM

12. Generating Media Interest • Tools for communicating newsworthy events to the media • Pitch letters • News releases • Media advisories (or media alerts) • Media kits

13. APhM Resources • Order merchandise to promote your APhM events, thank your patients, recognize your colleagues, or sell as a fundraiser • http://aphanet.source4.com/b2c/Sites/APhANet/index.asp • APhM Planning Guide • Tips for generating media interest • Patient education resources • http://www.pharmacist.com/american-pharmacists-month-2012

14. Resolutions in Action • 2012.3 Proper Medication Disposal and Drug Take-Back Programs • APhA-ASP encourages the implementation of standardized guidelines for the proper disposal of unused or expired medications… • APhA-ASP supports state and federal regulations that allow pharmacies to take back unused or expired medications… • APhA-ASP encourages pharmacists and student pharmacists to serve as a source of information for the public on the proper disposal of unused or expired medications.

15. Event Highlight: DEA Drug Take-Back Day • September 29th, 2012 • Purpose is to allow general public to safely dispose of unwanted or unused prescription medication • How to get involved • Serve as a resource to educate the public on proper medication disposal • Assist law enforcement in collection efforts • Grassroots Advocacy

16. DEA Drug Take-Back DayResources • Resources: • http://www.smarxtdisposal.net/ • http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/ • http://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/buyingusingmedicinesafely/ensuringsafeuseofmedicine/safedisposalofmedicines/ucm186187.htm

17. Chapter Spotlight • Next month, we are spotlighting… • You? • Tell the Policy Standing Committee what policy and advocacy events your chapter is doing. • We will select one chapter to spotlight in each SPARC (you’ll be famous in front of all the other APhA-ASP chapters). • You could even find yourself on the APhA-ASP Facebook page!

18. APhA-ASP Webinar Series:Promote Your Profession! Join the Policy Standing Committee Thursday, September 13th 9:00PM EST Learn how to easily advocate for your profession during American Pharmacists Month, the upcoming election season, and throughout the year! You can also find these webinar slides under Chapter Officer Resources on pharmacist.com

19. Your Regional Delegate Your Regional Delegate is: Adam Loyson University of Michigan loysonad@umich.edu

20. 2012-2013 APhA-ASP Policy Standing Committee • Athena Brand, Chair, University of Texas • athenalvbrand@gmail.com • Autumn Bagwell, Vice-chair, Samford University • adbagwel@samford.edu • Regions 3 and 5 • Kayli Hall, University of Nebraska Medical Center • khalla@unmc.edu • Regions 1 and 2 • Mika Bhakta, University of the Pacific • b_bhakta@u.pacific.edu • Regions 6 and 8 • Catlin Goodfriend, University of Washington • ctolzman@uw.edu • Regions 4 and 7