The University of Houston College of Pharmacy (UHCOP) chapter of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) has received the National Outstanding International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) Activity Award for 2024-25, a distinction presented at the APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition, March 27-30 in Los Angeles.
The honor comes from IPSF, an international advocacy organization for student pharmacists of which APhA-ASP is a member.
The award recognizes chapters that most effectively embody the IPSF mission of advancing public health awareness and pharmacy’s role in it, both locally and globally.
“When we planned our events, we did not have the intention of winning any accolades or recognition; we simply wanted to make an impact on our community and beyond,” said Pharm.D. candidate and chapter International Vice President Kathryn Preston, M.S. “What makes our chapter stand out is our passion for curating events that highlighted our own unique interests as future pharmacists while also aligning with the IPSF mission of promoting the importance of public health locally and globally in easily understandable and applicable ways.”
Leading the chapter’s 2024-25 efforts was a team of five Pharm.D. students: Preston, Senior Chair Meheret (Mercy) Tadesse, and Junior Chairs Qamar Dhafer, Aya Al Obaidi and Atefeh Ghane Ezabadi. A total of 13 IPSF-aligned events were organized over the academic year.
Blueprint for Global Impact
Several of the chapter’s most celebrated events this year centered on expanding how student pharmacists think about the profession’s global reach and evolving responsibilities.
The U.K. vs. U.S. Pharmacies brought an international pharmacist to campus for a discussion comparing the two countries’ approaches to pharmacy education, licensing and patient care. Rather than a traditional lecture, the session was designed to broaden students’ perspectives on pharmacy practice worldwide.
Saving Lives
If some events were designed to shift perspectives, others were built to directly save lives.
The chapter’s Blood & Organ Donation Campaign, dubbed the Vampire Cup, was one of the year’s clearest demonstrations of community impact. Partnering with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, the team recruited more than 20 donors and collected 30 units of blood — enough to save approximately 90 lives.
“Our team was able to make a tangible impact on our local community that has a ripple effect globally,” Preston said. “For our blood drive initiative, we were able to recruit over 20 donors who provided enough blood to save 90 lives while also educating donors on the importance of this life-saving gift.”