Pharmacy Student Organizations

Cardinal mascot dons a White Coat to celebrate National Pharmacy Week with a group of student pharmacists.

Cardinal mascot dons a White Coat to celebrate National Pharmacy Week with a group of student pharmacists.

The Wegmans School of Pharmacy supports a student government and several student-led groups. Interprofessional organizations give student pharmacists valuable opportunities to develop outside of the classroom. Students may deepen their understanding of pharmacy practice and develop leadership skills. Our student organizations and clubs also take part in community service and medical outreach. Explore the groups below for opportunities for student pharmacists to serve and grow as advocates for the profession. 

Active Pharmacy Student Groups

Pharmacy Student Government Association (PSGA)

Pharmacy Student Government Association (PSGA)

The Pharmacy Student Government Association is a student-led organization designed to represent the voices of all students within the Wegmans School of Pharmacy. Its mission is to develop and maintain lasting relationships among students, faculty, alumni, staff, and administration through coordinated events, maintaining professionalism and integrity, and providing a positive environment for learning and professional development. The PSGA facilitates communication between the student body and the administration, faculty, and staff of the Wegmans School of Pharmacy.

American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)

American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)

The American College of Clinical Pharmacy's purpose is to improve human health by expanding the frontiers of clinical pharmacy. ACCP's mission is to:

  • Provide leadership, professional development, advocacy, and resources to enable clinical pharmacists to achieve excellence in practice, research, and education.
  • Advance clinical pharmacy and pharmacotherapy through support of research, education, and training.
  • Promote innovative science, develop successful models of practice, and disseminate new knowledge to advance pharmacotherapy and patient care.

Members of ACCP are characterized by a passion for extending the frontiers of clinical pharmacy, and a dedication to excellence in patient care, research, and education. Alongside these values are a commitment to challenge and improve upon the status quo, integrity, honesty, reliability, and accountability in all actions, and the courage to lead while remaining flexible.

The student chapter of ACCP additionally seeks to promote knowledge and recognition of the different fields of clinical pharmacy among students, as well as to hone their clinical counseling and research abilities.

National Website: www.accp.com

APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP)

APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP)

APhA is the largest pharmacist organization with over 62,000 members. APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) has at its mission to be the voice of the students in raising awareness about the role of pharmacists in health care, to assist one another in growing as professionals, to collaborate with other organizations and with one another to advance the future of medicine and pharmacy.

The Wegmans School of Pharmacy APhA-ASP chapter, through our actions, advance the profession of pharmacy and our community. We are actively engaged in events such as: fundraisers (e.g., embroidered jackets, student business cards, and padfolios), BBQs, social and networking events, guest pharmacist lectures, CV workshops, counseling competitions, advocating the profession of pharmacy, community service opportunities, and various awareness events (e.g., teaching adolescents about over-the-counter medications). Chapter meetings occur every two weeks during the open lunch hour with some exceptions. The discussions involve upcoming events, annual voting for executive positions within the organization, guest presentations, as well as mini lectures on disease states about which the group is raising awareness.

National Website: www.pharmacist.com

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)

The Wegmans School of Pharmacy’s SSHP chapter is affiliated with the New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists (NYSCHP) and is recognized by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). ASHP advocates for and supports pharmacists in hospitals, health-systems, and ambulatory care clinic settings. Their vision is that medication use is optimal, safe, and effective for all people all of the time. They are strong proponents of pharmacy residencies.

Our student chapter’s goal is to expose our members to various opportunities in health-system pharmacy as well as be involved in community care activities. Some of our activities include presentations by local health-system pharmacists, informational sessions on residencies, an annual pharmacy intern panel, participating in ASHP’s clinical skills competition, holding community blood pressure screenings, fundraising for local charities, tours of hospital inpatient pharmacies, and attending and presenting a poster at ASHP’s Midyear Clinical Meeting. We hope to provide our members with these experiences to help develop their interest in health-system pharmacy and prepare them for their future after graduation.

National Website: www.ashp.org

Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International (CPFI)

Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International (CPFI)

Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International (CPFI) is a worldwide organization with a mission to serve Christ and the world through pharmacy. The core values of CPFI are to provide like-minded professionals the opportunity to network with each other and grow spiritually, encourage the integration of faith into pharmacy practice, encourage the advancement of ethics in pharmacy practice and to provide support and opportunities for both domestic and foreign medical missions. Some of the ways CPFI promotes these values include holding an annual conference and a national student retreat, publishing the journal, Christianity & Pharmacy, and providing scholarships and other opportunities for students and pharmacists to participate in both short-term and long-term medical mission trips.

The student CPFI chapter at the Wegmans School of Pharmacy provides opportunities for students to grow in their faith and serve others in the Rochester community and around the world. Fundraisers are held each semester to raise money for students participating in medical mission trips and for projects such as Operation Christmas Child in which gifts are sent to children in need around the world. CPFI also offers a scholarship to students participating in a foreign mission trip.

National Website: www.cpfi.org

College of Psychiatric/Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP)

College of Psychiatric/Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP)

The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) is a national organization of pharmacists that seeks to advance the reach and practice of neuropsychiatric pharmacists. CPNP actively promotes the inclusion of neuropsychiatric pharmacists as important members of the healthcare team to improve the outcomes of those living with mental illnesses. The vision of CPNP is to have every individual living with a psychiatric or neurologic disorder under the care of a health team that includes a neuropsychiatric pharmacist accountable for optimal medication therapy.

The mission of CPNP student chapter at the Wegmans School of Pharmacy is to educate student pharmacists on the specialty of psychiatric and neurologic pharmacy. The CPNP student chapter promotes the importance of mental health advocacy and the roles that pharmacists and student pharmacists play to help expand our expertise in this particular field. By becoming a member of CPNP, you are playing an active role in the growth and expansion of the organization and the profession.

National Website: www.cpnp.org

National Community Oncology Dispensing Association – Professional Student Organization (NCODA PSO)

National Community Oncology Dispensing Association (NCODA)

The National Community Oncology Dispensing Association - Professional Student Organization (NCODA PSO) is a student organization that is focused around oncology care and promotes and integrative, interdisciplinary model in clinical practice.   While this student organization may be most beneficial for students who may be interested in learning more about oncology pharmacy, this organization also provides many opportunities to build clinical skills and knowledge, boost the student pharmacist’s CV and make pharmacy graduates more competitive when applying for residencies and jobs, regardless of whether you choose a career in oncology pharmacy.

National Website: NCODA.org

National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)

National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)

The National Community Pharmacists Association represents the pharmacist owners, managers, and employees of independent community pharmacies. Students who are interested in the various entrepreneurial opportunities within pharmacy will find valuable resources available through their NCPA membership.

National Website: www.ncpanet.org

Phi Delta Chi Professional Fraternity

Phi Delta Chi Professional Fraternity

Phi Delta Chi is a professional pharmacy organization founded nationally in 1883. Our chapter, Gamma Zeta, has had 125 members since our establishment in 2009 at the Wegmans School of Pharmacy and currently we have over 50 active Brothers. We pride ourselves on our philanthropic endeavors nationally to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and also within our community of Rochester, NY. In addition to our service events, we hold biannual local retreats for our members and have monthly social activities.

Brothers of the Gamma Zeta Chapter have an immense presence within the School of Pharmacy. Over half of our members hold leadership positions in other organizations throughout the school and make up significant portions of Rho Chi Academic Honor Society and Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Fraternity.

Our Brothers agree that the best part of joining Phi Delta Chi is the close bond that we all share. Our relationships with each other, our faculty advisors, our alumni, and with Brothers at other Pharmacy Schools allow for unique networking opportunities that strengthen our presence within the field of Pharmacy.

National Website: www.phideltachi.org

Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS)

Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS)

The mission of Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS) is to support pharmacy leadership commitment by recognizing leaders and fostering leadership development. To that end PLS works to: ensure the continuing availability of student and practitioner leaders for the profession of pharmacy, acknowledge leadership achievement and award membership to leaders, and enhance the talent, skill, and effectiveness of leaders for the profession of pharmacy.

National Website: www.philambdasigma.org

Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society

Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society

The mission of the Rho Chi Society is to encourage and recognize excellence in intellectual achievement, and to advocate critical inquiry in all aspects of pharmacy. Our society encourages high standards of conduct and character and fosters fellowship among its members. The national organization envisions that it will seek universal recognition of its members as lifelong intellectual leaders in pharmacy. As a community of scholars, the society instills the desire to pursue intellectual excellence and critical inquiry to advance the profession.

National Website www.rhochi.org

Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA)

Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA)

The Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) is an educational service association of pharmacy students who are concerned about pharmacy and healthcare-related issues and the poor minority representation in pharmacy and other health-related professions. Our purpose is to plan programs geared toward the improvement for the health, educational and social environment of the community. We educate our community on better health practices and increase their awareness and understanding of diseases through programs such as Power to End Stroke, Diabetes Initiative, Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative, Remember the Ribbon, and Operation Immunization and by providing support for the programs and initiatives of the Wegmans School of Pharmacy Diversity Committee.

National Website: www.snpha.org