Board Report – Checking Off the Boxes
As a new board member I have had the opportunity and privilege to learn the ins and outs of how PTSA upholds their strategic planning goals, the society’s bylaws, and how they continue to advocate for Pharmacy Technicians. Having a geographical diversity on the board and on the committees also helps bring in different perspectives and backgrounds into the decision making process. Lastly, I have learned how passionate we as Pharmacy Technicians, including our committees and our members, are for being heard and respected as a whole. So as I thought of what kind of report I would like to provide, I put myself into our members shoes and thought of what I would like to hear from our board members. Here are a few exciting updates I would like to share, including what is currently still in the works:
New Website
The new PTSA website was launched on March 30th, 2021. Prioritizing a new website for the board was a major strategic plan to help improve the functionality of the website and also our membership records. With the ever changing world of technology it was time to update one of the main sources of information for both PTSA members and non-members. If you haven’t had the chance to review the new website or if you would like to update your profiles, please do so by clicking one of the links below:
https://ptsa.ca/members-update-your-membership-profile/
PAM 2021
Pharmacy Appreciation Month was another success! Engaging fellow Pharmacy Technicians is one of the key goals as a society and the board always supports going the extra mile to show appreciation for our members, which includes collaborating with fellow societies such as CSHP-AB and creating a virtual experience for members. This year’s PAM highlight was the Virtual Trivia Contest. It was a very close contest and it came right down to the very last question before the final 3 winners could be determined.
The winner received a $125 e-gift card of their choice, 2nd place received a $75 e-gift card of their choice and 3rd place received a $50 gift card.
1st place went to Melissa Chung of CSHP-AB and she donated her $125 winnings to the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation.
2nd place and winner of the $75 e-gift card was PTSA member Karthika Ravichandran.
3rd place and winner of the $50 e-gift card was PTSA member Vickie Pulsifer.
CSHP-AB and PTSA also collaborated on a virtual scavenger hunt (found on CSHP-AB’s website) for a chance to win prizes. They also had a “shout-out” campaign on social media to allow members to recognize or give a “shout out” to a fellow colleague or their pharmacy teams.
Survey Results Under Review
The results of the survey that was sent out in December 2020 to Alberta pharmacy professionals is currently under review by the board. In total- 358 pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, managers/licensees and other pharmacy leaders responded to the survey.This information will help us determine the current state of pharmacy technician practice across the province and guide the Pharmacy Technician Society of Alberta (PTSA) initiatives to integrate pharmacy technicians into practice. The survey results will be posted soon.
Other Work Still in Progress
The board is still mainly focused on strategic planning. Work is still in progress on plans for injection training and actions related to the conflict of interest policies introduced this year. Recently, Engi Saleh resigned her position as Vice-President to pursue election to the Alberta College of Pharmacy council. The board will officially accept Engi’s resignation at the June 14 meeting. A decision will be made at that meeting about whether an interim Vice-President will be appointed until elections are held in September.
Author:
Samantha Bruun-Communications Director
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