Chloe McGee, Class of 2024 and Megan Choe, Class of 2026 serve as House of Delegates representatives from the USC College of
Pharmacy to the South Carolina Pharmacy Association. As part of their efforts to keep
alumni up to date on SCPhA happenings, they recap discussions at the group’s November
meeting:
South Carolina Compassionate Care Act (S.423)
- Discussed SCPhA’s policy statement on medical marijuana.
- Overall consensus - where there is a drug, a pharmacist should be involved.
Artificial Intelligence use in pharmacy practice.
- AI can be incorporated as a tool for certain functions but should not take the place
of a pharmacist’s clinical judgment, as it is only as good as the person who programs
it.
Cybersecurity in pharmacy
- It is important to have adequate cybersecurity for pharmacy to maintain protected health information.
- There may be a need for further education on this issue for pharmacists in South Carolina.
Pharmacy workplace conditions
- The Professional Affairs Task Force committee is looking for ways to track pharmacy
workload beyond scheduled hours to assess working conditions/burnout. They are hoping
to track hours worked overtime, along with the type of work being completed. Will
possibly be broken down into compensated vs. uncompensated.
The students also had the opportunity to talk with William Wynn, ’99 about his experiences as a pharmacist and as an active member of SCPhA. Wynn has worked in multiple pharmaceutical fields, including retail and academia. He currently works as an associate director of U.S. Field Medical Affairs and Medical Outcomes and Value Liaison for Indivior.
Wynn began his involvement with SCPhA while he was a pharmacy student and advises current students to:
- Get involved with both student organizations and a state pharmacy organization.
- Take opportunities to network and get to know pharmacists and other students when you have the chance, especially as a student.
- Do not be afraid to try new things and get outside of your comfort zone.