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A South ��ֱ���� State University pharmacy student organization has received three chapter achievement awards from the American Pharmacists Association’s Academy of Student Pharmacists. 

The Student Collaboration for the Advancement and Promotion of Pharmacy is a student organization at SDSU that is “designed to give students opportunities in leadership, patient care, community service, education, professionalism, policy and advocacy.” 

Since 1974, the American Pharmacists Association’s Academy of Student Pharmacists has recognized pharmacy student organizations like SDSU’s Student Collaboration for the Advancement and Promotion of Pharmacy through the annual Chapter Achievement ��ֱ����s. The awards are “designed to recognize superior programming among chapters that envision the future of pharmacy by creating opportunities for student participation.” 

This year, the SDSU chapter was awarded first runner-up for the Chapter Achievement ��ֱ���� in the AAA division. 

Regional awards are also given out. The SDSU chapter nabbed two of these. 

The first is the regional award for Operation Heart, awarded to chapters that show excellence in implementing an Operation Heart program. Through an Operation Heart program, students work in their communities to encourage lifestyle modifications, monitor associated risk factors and provide education about medications for heart disease. 

The second is the regional award for Over-the-counter Medication Safety, awarded to chapters that show excellence in implementing an OTC Medication Safety program. Through this program, chapters work on the OTC Medication Safety campaign, which involves educating fifth through eighth graders and their parents and caregivers on reading medicine directions, following OTC label direction, proper measurement of medicine, safe storage and disposal of medicine, and consulting with parents or guardians before taking medications. 

Chapter Achievement Report 

Honors are awarded based on an evaluation of chapter activities through the annual Chapter Achievement Report submitted by each chapter. 

The development of the chapter achievement report is an involved task — just ask Aubrey Kooima, president of the SDSU chapter. 

“The Chapter Achievement Report is a report over everything the Student Collaboration for the Advancement and Promotion of Pharmacy has done throughout the school year. Within this report, we submit a chronological timeline that includes every event we held within the year along with information about each event. We also answer a multitude of questions regarding professionalism, policy and advocacy, membership, leadership, patient care and finances,” Kooima explained. 

According to the national association, evaluation of the reports is based on criteria including originality of programs, the number of chapter members involved, impact on the community, benefits to student pharmacists, collaboration with other health care organizations and year-to-year progress. 

Kooima said that writing the report is a monthslong process, with the most recent report started in October and submitted in June. In total, the SDSU chapter’s 2023-2024 report was 99 pages. 

Kooima explained that her goal when writing the report was to “showcase the new patient care and social/service events our chapter started during that school year. Our chapter excels in the patient care and social events we host, and with starting a handful of new events last year, I knew we had to surround our report on these.” 

At the association’s annual meeting March 21-24 in Nashville, Kooima and the rest of the SDSU chapter found out that their work paid off. “It is such an honor to receive these awards. These awards give national recognition to the work we are doing within our chapter at SDSU.” 

Brittney Meyer is a professor of pharmacy practice and a faculty co-adviser for the Student Collaboration for the Advancement and Promotion of Pharmacy. Meyer said that she is incredibly proud of the SDSU chapter’s students. 

“This recognition truly reflects their dedication and hard work across all facets of our chapter from year to year. They consistently demonstrate a commitment to service, leadership and the advancement of our profession. This award is a testament to their collaboration and the positive impact they have on patients, the university and the wider community,” Meyer said. 

SDSU chapter 

For Kooima, the awards are confirmation of the positive impact the Student Collaboration for the Advancement and Promotion of Pharmacy has had for her, her fellow chapter members and the surrounding communities. 

“Being a member of the SDSU chapter for the past five years has given me opportunities I never knew existed — from patient care screening events, member socials, volunteering within Brookings, traveling to national conferences and being able to meet pharmacists from all over the state.” 

Kooima said what she values most from her time in the chapter are the relationships she has built with other student pharmacists at SDSU and across the U.S. “The Student Collaboration for the Advancement and Promotion of Pharmacy has given me all of my favorite pharmacy school memories.” 

Membership in the chapter is open to all SDSU pharmacy students, including prepharmacy students. Learn more about the SDSU chapter online.