MPA and its advocacy arm, the Michigan Pharmacy Political Action Council (PAC), support and promote the profession to ensure that Michigan pharmacy professionals are accurately represented and a part of important healthcare discussions. We act on important legislative issues that affect your practice and keep you up-to-date regarding ways that you can take action. Every member of MPA is critical in our ability to influence state politics and enhance the pharmacy profession. You can play an active role by contacting your legislators, meeting with them at their office to discuss issues impacting the profession or inviting them to your pharmacy or health-system. In addition, members are encouraged to attend MPA or local association events that promote advocacy efforts or that have legislators in attendance that you have the opportunity to interact and develop relationships with.

As a membership organization, MPA continually strives to recruit new pharmacy professionals and students to develop an even more powerful force that advances pharmacy practice and ensures a viable profession for future practitioners. The Association works to provide members with valuable resources, professional education, up-to-date regulations and other tools to enhance patient safety and the practice of pharmacy. Through the provision of these resources, MPA hopes to foster growth in practice and encourage innovative ideas for how the profession can evolve with changing factors such as technology. The most effective way that you can address the greatest professional issues facing pharmacy today is by joining your state pharmacy association.

The Association encourages up-and-coming pharmacists to become active early on and establish themselves as professional leaders. MPA offers a career membership to student pharmacists, and after they graduate, they’re given free membership through the end of the year. Student pharmacist members are also offered complimentary registration to several events to encourage their attendance and participation. Several of these events offer exclusive programming for students and networking opportunities, including financial planning sessions and the Michigan Pharmacy Foundation (MPF) Adopt-a-Student Program. In addition, MPF motivates practitioners to lead others and the profession in the years ahead through its Health Professional Leadership Academy, a nine-month program geared toward building professional skills, expanding connections and providing opportunities. Practicing pharmacists can volunteer to serve on MPA Committees or Boards, providing them with an opportunity to contribute to projects and get involved in a professional group. Whether you’re a student, a recent graduate or an experienced pharmacist, MPA has programs and resources to guide your professional development and leadership skills.

MPA provides its members with practice section and local association connections as well as services from its diverse affiliates and councils. Our affiliated organizations support the advancement of pharmacy and good public health policy, the development of independent pharmacies, asset protection through valuable insurance services and innovative medication therapy management practices. The Association’s unique structure allows us to better support pharmacy services and our members.

The Association hosts a number of meetings, conferences and specialty courses every year to provide Michigan pharmacy professionals with venues to update their practice expertise and stay current with the expanding profession. For example, MPA hosts several American Pharmacists Association Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery Programs during the year to encourage pharmacists and student pharmacists to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to become certified immunizers. In addition, don’t miss out on our Annual Convention & Exposition the last weekend in February. This event gathers over 1,000 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, student pharmacists, academia, pharmaceutical representatives and others for a weekend of valuable educational programming, exhibits and special events tailored to different practice settings as well as opportunities to recognize Michigan pharmacy leadership.

As an accredited provider of continuing pharmacy education, MPA offers home study, certificate, online and live programs of value to pharmacy professionals. We offer quality continuing education programs, focusing on the latest treatment options and hottest issues in pharmacy, helping you fulfill your live, pain management and law requirements for pharmacist licensure and pharmacy technician certification. MPA also offers a joint providership program to assist other organizations with designing, developing, implementing and accrediting continuing pharmacy education programs. In addition, the Association has many venues for pharmacy professionals to share their expertise, whether it’s by serving as a speaker at an event or authoring a continuing education home study article.

For more than 30 years, MPA has published a variety of training materials, including the Pharmacy Certified Technician Training Manual, a comprehensive resource that prepares pharmacy technicians for their Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam. We also offer several pharmacy law resources, including a guide to statutes and regulations, as well as the Pharmacy Law Update Service, which includes up-to-date changes to the Code of Federal Regulations, the Public Health Code, the Board of Pharmacy administrative rules, controlled substance prescriptions, important forms and more.

Information is one of the greatest benefits you have as a member of MPA. You will receive pharmacy news updates and practice information pertaining to state and national issues. Members receive Pharmacy-Related News (PRN) electronically every other Wednesday, as well as a copy of Michigan Pharmacist journal on a quarterly basis. In addition, our practice sections and affiliated chapter have their own newsletters that focus on issues relevant to their area of pharmacy. We also provide a publication for new practitioners and student pharmacists. No matter where you practice, or how you’re involved in the Association, we have the latest and greatest in Michigan pharmacy to keep you informed!

MPA provides a wide variety of practice resources to empower members to continuously develop their professional practice. We offer talking points on key pharmacy issues, patient-focused flyers, advertisements and a medication card through the That’s My Pharmacist public relations campaign, an emergency preparedness coordinator to assist with planning efforts and volunteer involvement; patient safety resources and more. Take advantage of the array of documents, reference links and other resources that are right at your fingertips.