Later this week, a record crowd of thousands of pharmacists from across the country will converge on San Diego for the 2015 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition. We have so much in store for you this year! In the words of Bruno Mars, “Don’t believe me? Just watch!”

Each year’s Annual Meeting is the product of yearlong planning that is largely shaped by volunteer input. Guided by our members’ expert feedback, APhA’s staff and meeting planning team have spent countless hours putting together a remarkable conference filled with carefully selected speakers, professional networking opportunities, and comprehensive programming. It’s also a chance to thaw out in the warm California sunshine after such a brutally cold winter.

APhA2015 is about you—our members! It’s a place for every type of pharmacist, including practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, academics, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and others interested in advancing the profession can come together.

This year, we are especially energized about progress on all fronts to get pharmacists on the team and in the game. The term we all use is “provider status.” That’s a useful term for pharmacists, but not useful for consumers or Members of Congress. Americans need access to, and coverage for, our patient care services, and they suffer every day for lack of them. Our two federal bills (H.R. 592 and S. 314) are gaining momentum. You’ll hear a lot about them at our meeting. Importantly, these bills will be successful as more of us are successful in providing important health care services. 

If you are not attending the meeting, we still need your active engagement. There is no sitting on the sidelines with this one! Share your patient care stories while you are in San Diego or at your home base.

We are all in this together, whether you’re in ambulatory care, long term care, specialty pharmacy, managed care, health system pharmacy, community pharmacy, or dozens of other practice settings. At APhA2015 you can learn about the many new educational opportunities we’re rolling out to support your advancing role in health care. Just “showing up” can have amazing benefits!

It’s not too late to register or make travel plans for APhA2015! Visit www.aphameeting.org for more information. If you can’t join us in San Diego, go to pharmacist.com and click on “Get Involved.” You can stay engaged by following #APhA2015 and #AdvancingAsOne on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.