A University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy student group has been named among the best in the country for the third year in a row.

The UMKC chapter of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) was in the Top 10 out of 129 APhA-ASP chapters, announced recently at the American Pharmacists Assocation annual meeting in Orlando. Last year, they were in the top four and they won the AA division Chapter Achievement Award. In 2012, the UMKC chapter received National Student Chapter of the Year.

UMKC School of Pharmacy Dean Russell Melchert compares the achievement to winning a national championship in NCAA athletics.

“Through numerous events and activities, UMKC student pharmacists and their faculty mentors make a huge difference in the health of thousands of people throughout the Kansas City area and across Missouri,” Melchert said. “The continued national recognition for that is a nice bonus.”

Each year, the award is given to APhA-ASP chapters across the nation based on originality of programs, number of chapter members involved, impact on the community, benefit to student pharmacists and collaboration with other healthcare organizations.

A few of the activities and accomplishments that earned recognition for the UMKC APhA-ASP chapter this year include:

• Efforts in the national “Back the PAC” campaign to raise funds for the APhA Political Action Committee. The UMKC chapter was one of the top five schools in the nation to be recognized for their professional advocacy.
• One of the top five schools in the PharmFlix video contest in the “most humorous” category and top 10 for “best picture.”
• Melissa Luechtefeld was awarded the Paul Pumpian Scholarship, one of 13 APhA Foundation Student Scholarships.
• Tracy Harlan as one of five students in the nation to be awarded the One to One Patient Counseling Award.
• Aaron Blevins competed in the National Patient Counseling Competition on behalf of the chapter.
• Lara Kerwin and Rachel Howland served as the delegate and alternate delegate for the chapter.