The President's

The President’s Viewpoint

CAROL MOTYCKA, PHARM.D., CHSE

A New Era for the Florida Pharmacy Association

On September 19, we welcomed new Executive Vice President and CEO Helen Sairany as she joined the Florida Pharmacy Association on her official first day. This is a new era for the association as we look to the future for new ideas and new methods of breathing life back into our organization, which has been a beacon for the profession of pharmacy since its inception on June 8, 1887.

The FPA was first created to elevate

the pharmacy profession and improve

the health care of Floridians and that is what we have continued to do for the past 135 years. A plaque commemorating the first meeting of the organization in Jacksonville was recently restored and placed for public display in the Downtown Jacksonville Library along with other important Jacksonville historical artifacts. Our profession and our organization need these types of public displays in order for us to continue to move forward.

The pandemic pushed pharmacists to new limits and expanded our ability to care for more patients at such a difficult time. Our grit and resiliency was impressive, but it was in our engagement with professional organizations that took a hit through these often exhausting times. All organizations, including the Florida Pharmacy Association, have seen a decline in both membership and engagement as pharmacist, intern and pharmacy technician time was stretched thin caring for those desperately needing treatment.

As we now have a better handle on caring for patients with COVID and have tremendously improved health care of Floridians through our effort, it is time to reengage with our organizations and pick back up with the second portion of where FPA first started: ele-

vating our profession.

The incredible work done over the years by Michael Jackson is now being picked up by Helen Sairany as she works tirelessly with the rest of the FPA staff in Tallahassee to ensure our members’ voices are heard by legisla-

tors and by the general public.

As we begin American Pharmacists Month, there is no better time for our voices to be louder and stronger across our state. We can help as members by finding ways to be in the public eye through immunization efforts, mayoral proclamations of American Pharmacists Month in your city, or simply by recruiting new FPA members to join the effort.

If each member could encourage one new member to join, our organization would be back to pre-pandemic strength and our effort and resounding voice would double across Florida. I encourage each of you to take part in American Pharmacists Month as a member of the FPA, but most importantly as a member of our profession. It is time for us to be seen and heard for all of our achievements. All of us can take at least one step forward in order to do that.

Thank you all for providing the warm welcome to Helen and remember to continue to push forward.

Lace Up and Don’t Stop! n

The pandemic pushed pharmacists to new limits and expanded our ability to care for more patients at such a difficult time.

Carol Motycka, Pharm.D., CHSE

Protect your patients. Protect your pharmacy.

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