The Professional Pharmacy Student Alliance is a large club that aids in preparing today’s pharmacy students in becoming tomorrow’s pharmacists.
The club has active chapters participating on both the Pocatello and Idaho Falls Idaho State University campuses
The club participates in a large number of patient-care projects and spends time going out to local communities to conduct diabetic screenings, check blood pressure, do lipid checks and aid in medical counseling to provide attendees with some important questions to talk to their regular doctor about.
“I think one of our big goals is to really educate people, along with the students, of what pharmacists are able to do and it gives students an opportunity to learn those clinical skills in a very controlled environment,” said club adviser Kevin Cleveland.
In October the club went to each college at ISU and immunized staff and faculty and their spouses. Cleveland estimates the club did over 200 immunizations in that period alone.
In addition, the club administered flu shots on campus during October.
“We have a lot going on, always,” said Cleveland.
According Cleveland, the club has done 16 to 18 health fairs just for diabetes alone over the last semester and recently won a national award for its diabetes patient outreach project.
“We identified, using a mapping program, five counties in Idaho that have no pharmacy so there was a big need for pharmacy type care, or any type of care, in those areas,” explained Cleveland. “So we teamed up with some other health professionals and we actually visited certain towns in those areas that didn’t have a pharmacy.”
“The student that was in charge of that [project] wrote a grant and got $10,000 so that we could buy supplies and have travel money to do that,” said Cleveland.
Cleveland said that although the club has won numerous regional awards, he believes this was the first time the club was awarded a national award for patient outreach.
Club members will hold their annual Spaghetti Feed Auction to raise money for their outreach activities on Friday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. in the Pond Student Union Building Ballroom.
Cost will be $5 per person or $20 per family and will include a spaghetti meal with homemade sauce and a live auction and raffle.
The club donates 25 percent of proceeds from the spaghetti feed to the Make-A-Wish foundation while the rest of the proceeds go to the club.
Cleveland said this is a big fundraiser for the club to fund its own patient outreach projects rather than asking ISU or ASISU for funding.
“It’s important for us to try to pay our own way,” said Cleveland. “I think it makes students appreciate it more.”
More Club Information
President: Allison Cardona, Pocatello; Corey Nelson, Meridian
Vice President: Megan Broyles, Pocatello; Chan Wu, Meridian Adviser: Kevin Cleveland, Pocatello; Glenda Carr, Meridian
Members: All students in the College of Pharmacy, currently about 280 members
Officers: Secretary Kimmie Miller, Pocatello; Lindsey Hunt, Meridian; Treasurer Kristen Williams, Pocatello
Category: Academic
Meetings: Every other Monday at noon in Leonard Hall Room 162, officers meet every other Thursday
Mission: PPSA is the organization for pharmacy students that furthers the profession of pharmacy. It is an alliance because it combines the events, projects and benefits of Idaho’s two state pharmacy associations, the Idaho Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Idaho State Pharmacy Association, with the national American Pharmacists Association
Contact Info: Allison Cardona at ude.usinull@2lladrac.
