Two UNC students set to lead Student National Pharmaceutical Association

This year, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy students Tazche Turner and Ashley Addison will serve as the president and vice president of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association.

Founded in 1972 at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, SNPhA aims to improve minority representation in pharmaceutical sphere as well as promote well-being in underrepresented communities.

“When I saw SNPhA’s mission of increasing access to care, especially within underserved communities, I knew I really wanted to be a part of it,” Turner said.

Though Turner and Addison will now be leading SNPhA on the national level, they have been members of the UNC chapter since their first year at the pharmacy school. Addison said that having a local chapter is great because it allows UNC students to place more focus on underserved communities within North Carolina. 

“With UNC being a school that serves the state, we take on that mission within our individual chapter," Addison said. "We've been able to go out into various communities within North Carolina that are deemed underserved to really drive the impact and create opportunities for those patients that they typically aren't able to receive."

Kimberly Sanders, an assistant professor at the pharmacy school and current UNC SNPhA faculty advisor, wrote in an email statement that Turner and Addison are hard-working, passionate students.

“They are both very proactive and authentically seek to improve the environments they’re in,” Sanders said. “A significant strength is how forward-thinking they are as they have strived to make improvements and advocate for support for the students who come after them.”

Ever since meeting in their first year of pharmacy school, Turner and Addison have been working together on various initiatives and projects.

“Ashley and I are continuing all of the collaborative work that we have been doing for the past four years, so I'm super excited to work alongside her on a national level and continue to make large-scale change in our communities.” Turner said. “It's always great leading along a friend.”

While she looks forward to helping lead SNPhA on a national level, Turner said that UNC has provided her with unparalleled opportunities in terms of education and beyond. Echoing Turner’s statements, Addison said that the pharmacy school has provided students with opportunities to learn about numerous pharmaceutical sectors.

“There's so many different opportunities, and at UNC, they really take the time to expose us to those different areas, which is valuable because you are able to determine early on what type of career that you want to transition into post-graduation,” Addison said.

Addison and Turner aren't the only UNC students working on a national stage. 

One of SNPhA's initiatives, Project Keepsake, aims to address chronic kidney disease as well as educate those at risk of the disease about its dangers. This year, Magdalene Mallory, also a PharmD candidate at the school, chairs Project Keepsake.

“One of my goals is to bring better awareness and more appreciation into my initiative.” Mallory said. “I want to show people that [chronic kidney disease] is really, truly affecting a lot of celebrities and a lot of people that we may know and have learned about.”

Turner’s leadership theme this year will be “Connected for Change,” an idea that aims to bridge cross-chapter divides to produce even greater community benefits. Addison said that she will support Turner’s theme by connecting students with medical organizations that have similar impact-driven initiatives.

“The impact that we make makes a big difference in the lives of patients, and it may not seem like it in the moment, but it really leaves a tangible footprint within the community,” Addison said.

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