Barden selected as APhA’s Good Government Student Pharmacist of the Year
VCU School of Pharmacy student Sarah Barden has received the American Pharmacist Association’s 2015 Good Government Student Pharmacist-of-the-Year Award. She was honored during APhA’s Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Diego, Calif., at the March 27 Political Leadership Reception and will be again during the March 30 APhA-Academy of Student Pharmacists House of Delegates final session.
The Good Government Award, established in 2004, recognizes successful organization of student pharmacist grassroots activity within the school’s ASP chapter and active promotion of the value of advocating for the profession. The recipient must have raised awareness of local and national pharmacy issues while maintaining teamwork and collaboration among fellow students, practitioners and the state pharmacy association.
“It is truly an honor to be part of this profession and supported by such wonderful people,” said Barden. “We have something to advocate for because of the hard work of pharmacists across the country.”
A fourth-year Pharm.D. student, Barden was involved with advocacy from the get-go. She has served as a co-facilitator for the School of Pharmacy’s Student Pharmacist Policy and Advocacy Forum and was instrumental in organizing the inaugural SPPAF Colloquium in conjunction with VPhA’s 2014 Midyear Conference.
Qualifications for the Good Government Award include having raised student pharmacists’ awareness of current state and federal issues and having made a positive impact on the profession of pharmacy.
“Sarah is one of the most dedicated and visionary student pharmacists I have had the pleasure of working with, both within and the classroom and in her multiple organization leadership positions,” said Gary Matzke, School of Pharmacy professor and director of pharmacy practice transformation initiatives.
As the 2013-14 student director for the Virginia Pharmacists Association, Barden was instrumental in the creation of the VPhA Academy of Student Pharmacists. She participated in VPhA’s annual Legislative Day, which allows Virginia Academy of Student Pharmacist members the opportunity to meet with and provide health screenings for legislators and aides. As the 2013 American Society of Consultant Pharmacists Cano Legislative Intern, she coordinated a Capitol Hill Day trip to Washington, D.C., for members of VCU’s Student Association of Geriatric and Consultant Pharmacists. The event was designed to raise awareness of issues pertaining to long-term care and older adult patients.
Barden, as a first-year student, received the school’s Student Professionalism Excellence Award. In her second year, she received a Summer Research Fellowship, working with professor David Holdford, and served as editor of The Capsule, the School of Pharmacy’s student newsletter. She has been active in the VCU chapters of Phi Lambda Sigma and the Student National Pharmaceutical Association; currently, she serves as president of the MCV Campus’ Inter Health Professionals Alliance.
Barden earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Duke University and an M.B.A. from Lynchburg College. In addition to health care policy and national pharmacy advocacy efforts, her interests include pharmacy education, interprofessional education and serving the older adult population.
Categories Faculty news, Student news, Student organizations