The pharmacy profession has a long history of supporting the public’s health, but the connection and involvement of pharmacists within the greater public health community has evolved more recently. APHA has supported the pharmacists’ role in public health through their development of policy statements (see APHA Policy 8024, 1981), with the most recent comprehensive addition in 2006 (Policy Number 200614) on “The Role of the Pharmacist in Public Health.” The 2006 policy statement presents a detailed analysis of the current roles of pharmacists in the public health practice and provides recommendations for future training and activities.
The Pharmacy Section focuses on areas that include advancing the pharmacists' role in public health, safe medication use, and improving patient outcomes. Current areas of interest include:
- Interprofessional public health practice
- Medication adherence
- Pharmaceutical economics: reimbursements, drug pricing, Medicare, Medicaid
- Pharmacy policy and services utilization: Evaluation of outcomes of pharmacy services
- Prescription drug misuse and abuse
- Safe medication use and reduction of medication errors
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Chair: Natalie DiPietro Mager, PharmD, MPH
Chair-Elect: Hoai-An Truong, PharmD, MPH
Immediate Past Chair: Donna Hubbard McCree, PhD, MPH
Secretary: Lindsey Weis, PharmD, MPH
Treasurer: Audrey Kostrzewa, PharmD, MPH
Section Councilors: Neveen Abdelghani, PharmD, MPH, MS; Vibhuti Arya, PharmD, MPH; Candace Haugtvedt, PhD, BSPharm; David Koren, PharmD; Kristina Naseman, PharmD, MPH; Derrick Waller, PharmD
Program Planner: Barry Bleidt, PharmD, PhD
Policy Chair: Suzanne Clark, PhD, BSPharm