President's Perspective

As my term as KPhA president draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey we’ve shared over the past year. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as your president, advocating for our profession, fostering collaboration, and championing the well-being of our community. Together, we’ve weathered challenges, celebrated victories, and forged lasting connections.

The mantra we set in motion at the beginning of this past year was, “It’s our time to thrive!” I am proud to say that our profession has indeed thrived this year. This was only made possible through the unwavering dedication and hard work of our membership and our KPhA staff. Our mission remains to “advocate and advance the pharmacy profession to improve the health of Kentuckians,” and we did just that.

We witnessed tremendous success in advancing the pharmacy practice through education, research, and collaboration. Through activities such as medical billing success calls, impactful continuing education, advocacy, expanded funding for innovative pharmacy practice efforts, and the meaningful work of our committees, we served as a statewide resource for innovation, up-to-date therapies, best practices, research, and public and professional education.

Our KPhA was an active voice for the pharmacy profession as we advocated to enhance cost-effective patient care and promote proper recognition and compensation for professional services provided. Devoting resources to support our legislative efforts paid dividends with the successful passage of our top two legislative priorities. PBM reform has been years in the making and seeing positive momentum with the passage of Senate Bill 188 was truly inspiring.

I must thank fellow pharmacist Representative Danny Bentley, who also championed HB 274 to allow pharmacist immunization authority for patients ages five and up. He has been a steadfast champion for pharmacy and for providing equitable, quality healthcare to every Kentuckian. The standing ovation on the House floor when the chair announced the unanimous passage of SB188 and the acknowledgement of Representative Bentley’s dedicated public service was amazing to witness. I must also thank our Government Affairs committee, led by Chair Craig Martin, and our membership, who showed up and put in the work when it mattered the most.

In closing, I encourage you all to continue the vital work that defines our association. Our collective efforts have made a difference, and I do not doubt that this momentum will allow future leaders to carry the torch forward with passion and commitment. I remain confident in our shared vision—a vision of excellence, innovation, collaboration, and patient care. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this remarkable journey. May we continue to thrive, and may the future of pharmacy be brighter than ever.