As we begin 2021, and reflect on the challenges, uncertainty, and profound loss the past year has brought to our world, our lives, and our profession – we find renewed hope as our West Virginia pharmacists and their teams exceed the challenge, and create explosive rates of COVID-19 vaccinations, to put the great state of West Virginia in national and international headlines, showing the world that pharmacists are indispensable to ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November, 2020, WVPA’s longtime Executive Director Richard Stevens announced his well-deserved retirement at the first-ever virtual WVPA Annual Convention, and we wished him many happy and healthy years ahead. Richard’s many years of service to WVPA, the pharmacy profession, and the pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and student pharmacists of West Virginia has been invaluable, and will not be soon forgotten.
Recognizing that pharmacy will continue to progress and experience challenges of its own, we can all agree that West Virginia’s pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must not only have a reliable state organization, but one led by the movers and shakers of pharmacy – a team of board members willing to push the limits, step out of the comfort zone, and take a risk for the betterment of pharmacy in our state.
In demonstrating their sincere commitment to Rebooting, Reimagining, Reinventing the West Virginia Pharmacists Association, your WVPA Board of Directors is absorbing the role of its executive director, with a do-whatever-it-takes commitment to the future of pharmacy practice in West Virginia. To that end, we have reassessed our membership structure, and quite frankly, our rates continue to be lower than all surrounding states. In fact, as a pharmacist, your membership fee represents LESS than ONE HOUR of your salary per quarter.
This year, we introduce the WVPA 2021 Reboot, Reimagine, Reinvent! membership rate at $150 per pharmacist – designed as a small investment for you, in enabling your Board of Directors to ensure you always see benefits from your contribution. With your membership, you will see a range of benefits never offered before, in addition to our commitment to you. We’ve introduced several new membership levels – with sustaining pharmacist, retired pharmacist, and pharmacy technician options.
As an added gesture, and in recognition of the progressive role of pharmacy technicians in our state, we are including ONE pharmacy technician membership with each pharmacist membership (a $25 value). At WVPA, our efforts represent the interests of both the pharmacist AND the pharmacy technician. Alternatively, you may choose for an equal contribution to be made to our student scholarship funds – it is your choice!
WVPA is your organization; it is led by your Board of Directors, and represents your voice, your profession, and your livelihood – and it needs your support. To our current members – thank you for your continued support through this transition. To those considering becoming a new member, thank you for trusting the West Virginia Pharmacists Association to represent you.
Now is the time to unite as one voice in representing, progressing, and at times, protecting our profession. Your membership makes THE difference!
Katie Kacmarik, PharmD
WVPA President
