The Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy student chapter of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) was honored with a trio of chapter awards at the 114th annual NCPA Convention and Trade Exposition in San Diego in October. Two ONU pharmacy scholarship recipients also were recognized at the event.

ONU’s NCPA student chapter won the 2012 Legislative Advocacy Award for the top chapter in the nation in legislative and advocacy activities. The award comes with a $1,000 travel stipend for students to attend the NCPA Legislative Conference in May 2013.

The NCPA Legislative Advocacy Challenge challenges pharmacy student members to plan and execute events, activities and legislative education. ONU’s NCPA members led many activities this year, including a legislative reception on campus with Ohio Senator Dave Burke, a letter-writing campaign, visits to the Ohio State House for a Legislative Day, and a visit to Washington, D.C., in May to meet with members of the U.S. Senate and Congress.

         In addition to the legislative award, the ONU NCPA student chapter was named the 2012 Chapter of the Year second runner-up, which acknowledges overall excellence in chapter activities and accomplishments during the 2011-12 academic year.

Award criteria included commitment to community service, recruiting new members, promoting independent community pharmacy and advocating legislative action.

         Finally, the ONU NCPA student chapter’s Business Plan Team was selected in July 2012 as one of the top 10 teams in the nation for its business plan, “Northern Rx” in the 2012 Annual Good Neighbor Pharmacy NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition. The final winner was chosen after a live competition in October at the NCPA convention.

         In individual accolades, Cortney Phillips, a sixth-year pharmacy student from Rittman, Ohio, was chosen as an NCPA Foundation Partners in Pharmacy Scholarship winner (in July) and was presented with a $2,000 scholarship at the NCPA convention.

Named for the Partners in Pharmacy (PIP), an auxiliary supporting organization initially started in 1915 by the wives of NCPA pharmacy members, the scholarship recognizes pharmacy students for their exemplary academic performance, community service and a demonstrated interest in independent community pharmacy.
        
Elizabeth Crandall, a fifth-year pharmacy student from Cattaraugus, N.Y., was chosen as an NCPA Foundation Presidential Scholarship winner (in July) and was presented with ach $2,000 scholarship at the NCPA convention.

Scholarship winners are selected on the basis of academic achievement, leadership qualities, interest in independent community pharmacy and extracurricular accomplishments.

Link: http://www.onu.edu/node/44881