Take Advantage of Upcoming Immunization Training Programs!

Register for upcoming immunization programs! MPA is hosting several American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery Programs in the coming months. The Association is also holding an Immunization Update 2012 webinar on May 31 that provides a great update for those who have already participated in the training program. Visit MichiganPharmacists.org/calendar.php for additional information or to register online. Or, contact MPA Operations Assistant Cynthia Rowe at (517) 377-0222 or Cynthia@MichiganPharmacists.org.

Pharmacy Services Inc. (PSI) will also be offering CPR skills evaluations at the live training programs. Contact Cynthia at the phone number or e-mail listed above for details on how to schedule your evaluation as part of PSI's online, certified CPR program.

Ferris State University Unveils New Pharmacy Center in Grand Rapids

On Friday, Feb. 3, Ferris State University unveiled a new pharmacy center on the Medical Mile in Grand Rapids. The College of Pharmacy Center for Innovational Learning, located on the seventh floor of 25 Michigan St., aims to tap into the area’s bustling medical industry and create partnerships that would place students alongside professionals from throughout the medical industry. The 26,000-square foot facility provides new classroom and laboratory space for the college. Read more at www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/02/ferris_state_university_pharma_1.html.

Student Pharmacists Receive NACDS Scholarships

Student MPA members Elizabeth Kelly and Nicole Stone were recently presented with scholarships from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. Congratulations to these two student pharmacists! The NACDS Foundation said a total of 58 scholarships were awarded, representing 42 colleges and schools of pharmacy. Click here to view a full list of scholarship winners.

Information for MPF Adopt-a-Student Participants

The Michigan Pharmacy Foundation (MPF) Adopt-a-Student program will be held at the MPA Annual Convention & Exposition Feb. 24-26, 2012, at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. The Adopt-a-Student program provides Student MPA (SMPA) members the opportunity to network with Michigan’s pharmacy leaders during the Annual Convention and at the Annual Banquet held Saturday evening. The Adopt-a-Student program has been successful in years past, and we anticipate the program growing larger each year. Take advantage of this unique opportunity! Students in all years of pharmacy school are welcome to participate.

Student Instructions for Adopt-a-Student Program
Please follow these steps to sign up for adoption through the MPF Adopt-a-Student program. You must register for the Convention. Register online; complete a printable registration form; or call the MPA office at (517) 484-1466. Registration for SMPA members is complimentary. After Feb. 16, registration is $10. Be sure to mark that you’d like to participate in the Adopt-a-Student program under “Special Events.”

You must provide the following information on your registration form:

• First and last name
• E-mail address
• College and year
• Practice area preference

Student pharmacists that sign up to be adopted will be provided with the name and contact information of their “parent” so that they can make arrangements to meet with them at the Convention. Your parent will provide you with a reserved-seat banquet ticket either in person, or they may leave it at the Ambassador Relations Desk for you to pick up. Students are encouraged to sign up before Feb. 3 to ensure that you receive the name and contact information of the pharmacist who has adopted you. If you register after Feb. 3, you will receive the name and contact information for your parent on-site.

If you have any questions, please contact MPA Member Services Manager Allison Drake at (517) 377-0241 or Allison@MichiganPharmacists.org.

Check Out Student Programming at the Annual Convention!

In addition to networking, exploring the Exhibit Hall, being adopted for the Annual Banquet and attending for free, specific student programming is a great reason to make sure to be at the MPA Annual Convention & Exposition Feb. 24-26 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. Register now!

Friday, Feb. 24

• 7:30 a.m.-4:20 p.m. - Students are welcome to attend any program scheduled during this time.
• 1-2 p.m. - Special Exhibit Hall Hours for Student Pharmacists — The Exhibit Hall will be open from noon until 3 p.m.; however, students are encouraged to visit the Exhibit Hall during these special hours to receive personalized attention from the exhibitors.
• 4:30-5:50 p.m. - Opening Session
• 6-8 p.m. - Exhibit Hall Grand Opening
• 7-10:30 p.m. - MPA Student Pharmacist Social
• Student pharmacists are invited to stop by this informal reception on Friday. Enjoy drinks, pizza and board games, while networking with fellow student pharmacists from Michigan’s colleges of pharmacy. All registered student pharmacists are invited to attend. Student MPA (SMPA) members can attend complimentary. A fee applies to nonmember student pharmacists.

Saturday, Feb. 25

• 7:30 a.m.-5:50 p.m. - Students are welcome to attend any program scheduled during this time.
• 9-10:20 a.m. - Keynote Session
• 10:30-11:50 a.m. - Curriculum Vitae Writing Workshop
• Noon-1:20 p.m. - MSHP Student Pharmacist Luncheon
• Join your classmates and future colleagues on Saturday. This luncheon is sponsored by the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists.Ticket is required. Pre-registration is necessary. Onsite registrations for this luncheon will not be accepted.
• 1:30-2:50 p.m. - NASPA-NMA Student Pharmacist Self-care Championship
• 3-4:20 p.m. - Financial Planning Program

Sunday, Feb. 26

• 8 a.m.-1:50 p.m. - Students are welcome to attend any program scheduled during this time.
• 8:30-9:15 a.m. - New Delegate Briefing
• 9:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. - House of Delegates Session

Visit MichiganPharmacists.org/education/convention/programming/student for additional information.

Complete the 2011 Student Pharmacist Economic Survey

This year, the Michigan Pharmacy Economic Survey is once again short and sweet. Please take a few moments to anonymously add your responses, which will help provide pharmacy professionals and employers with valuable salary and benefit information.

To complete the survey, visit www.SurveyMonkey.com/s/2011MPAStudentEconomicSurvey.

Please complete the electronic survey by Feb. 20, 2012. Results will be published in the July edition of Michigan Pharmacist journal.

If you have any questions, please contact MPA at (517) 484-1466 or MPA@MichiganPharmacists.org.

Annual Convention Registration Now Available Online

Registration is now available online for MPA’s premiere event of the year, the Annual Convention and Exposition. The 2012 Convention will be held Feb. 24-26 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.

To be eligible for complimentary registration, student pharmacists must be a Student MPA member and submit a valid copy of his/her MPA membership card. Registration will not be accepted without this documentation. Nonmembers will be charged a $20 registration fee.

After Feb. 16 and onsite, registration will be $10 for members and $30 for nonmembers). The nonmember rate includes complimentary membership in Michigan Pharmacists Association for 2012. In addition, several special luncheons and other events held during the weekend require pre-registration, so be sure to take your time when completing the online registration or registration form to be sure you don’t miss anything.

In addition, the most up-to-date Convention information is available on the Annual Convention section of the MPA Web site.

If you have any questions regarding the registration process, please contact the MPA office at (517) 484-1466.

Complete MPA’s 2011 Readership Survey for a Chance to Win a Gift Card

Members are encouraged to participate in MPA’s 2011 Readership Survey to help the Association determine the effectiveness of its primary publications and communications. Information obtained from this survey will help the Association plan future communication efforts.

Those who complete the survey in its entirety, answering each question carefully, will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a gift card! Five different types of gift cards will be awarded to the first five names drawn. The drawing will be completed after the survey deadline and results will be announced in e-news weekly.

The survey was published in the November/December edition of Michigan Pharmacist journal, and it can also be completed electronically at www.SurveyMonkey.com/s/2011ReadershipSurvey. Or, use your smart phone to read the QR code below to access the online survey on your phone.

If you have any questions, please contact MPA Director of Communications Leah Godzina at Leah@MichiganPharmacists.org. Thank you in advance for your honest and valuable feedback!

APhA Foundation Offering Student Scholarship

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation Student Scholarship Program recognizes students who choose to invest their time in their school’s APhA-ASP chapter to help shape the future of the profession while managing the demands of a full-time pharmacy curriculum. Applicants will be evaluated on their potential to become leaders for the profession of pharmacy, as demonstrated by involvement in school and community activities and academic performance. This year, the Foundation will award twelve annual scholarships. The George F. Archambault scholarship is in the amount of $1,500. All other APhA Foundation Student Scholarships are in the amount of $1,000.

The 2012 Student Scholarship recipients will be recognized during the Foundation's Annual Contributors' Breakfast during the 2012 APhA Annual Meeting in New Orleans. If you are, or know of a deserving student(s), please encourage him or her to submit an application. The deadline for applications is Dec. 1, 2011. If you have any questions, please contact Farah Towfic at ftowfic@aphanet.org. Additional details and an application are available at http://www.pharmacist.com/Content/NavigationMenu/GrantsAwards/StudentScholarshipProgram/default.htm

Register for the Final Immunization Program of 2011 by Oct. 17

MPA is hosting one last Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery Program this year on Oct. 27 at the MPA Family of Companies Headquarters in Lansing. Registrations must be received by Monday, Oct. 17.

This program provides a unique opportunity for pharmacists and student pharmacists to become certified immunizers, as well as offers eight hours of live continuing education credit. Registrants must complete a self-study prior to attending the live seminar.

For additional information or to register online, visit the event page on the MPA Web site. If you have any questions, please contact MPA Marketing and Sales Assistant Cynthia Rowe at (517) 377-0222 or Cynthia@MichiganPharmacists.org.