Several years ago, the APhA Board of Trustees issued a challenge to me and my APhA colleagues: to make APhA bigger, better, and more influential than ever before—not incrementally, but exponentially. They told us, “We want to transform the organization. Tell us what you need to get us there!”

Not very long after that, we returned with a long list of recommendations. One of the most important items was to transform how we recruit new members with an entirely new dues structure that appeals to the pharmacists who are not yet members of APhA. A lot of work had already been done in the prior 2 years with research and testing, but it’s a big deal for a 167-year-old organization to change its membership model!

Our objective was to grow membership not by a little, but by a lot—to find a way to attract an entirely new segment of the profession, while maintaining and enhancing what our existing members like about APhA.

Our new approach flips our traditional approach to membership development. Instead of saying in effect, “Here’s what you should buy,” we’re saying, “Here’s what you’ve told us you want, at an affordable price point.”

As of today, we are launching a new membership model that offers several options for new members—different membership packages, different investment levels, different levels of engagement. It’s fast, it’s flexible, and it’s affordable. We think it will appeal to many more pharmacists while positioning the pharmacy profession more positively than ever.

There are many people to thank for collectively mustering the courage to change, including our elected leaders who set forth the challenge and did not shy away from the investments required to make it happen.

Virtually every department in this organization has worked on this project from its conception, to construction, to launch. Here’s a special shout-out to our membership and technology teams, who conceived it, designed it, championed it, and sweated all the details.

Our initial marketing phase will target people who are not yet members. Later this year, when it’s time for existing members to renew their membership, they’ll see more options for engaging with APhA. If you like your membership just the way it is, you can keep it that way. If you want something different, we’ll offer you some options.

We have a lot going on here at APhA—and not just in membership. Stay tuned as APhA disrupts ourselves to advance the profession!