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Association Management

Association Management

Association management careers allow pharmacists to apply their clinical background, leadership skills, and advocacy expertise to advance the profession through national, state, or local organizations. Professionals in this field may lead government relations, education, professional development, or member services while shaping pharmacy policy and practice. These roles offer opportunities to influence the profession broadly, collaborate with diverse partners, and create a lasting impact for pharmacists and patients alike.

Meet the Pharmacist

Mrs. Catherine Avery
Chief of Clinical Pharmacist, Seattle Pharmacy Group

Mrs. Avery is a board-certified clinical pharmacist with over 28 years of experience in managing complex medication therapies. She is passionate about patient education and leveraging technology to improve health outcomes.
At Wellness Pharmacy Group, he leads a team of dedicated pharmacists committed to providing personalized care and expert advice.

Mr. John Doe, PharmaD
Lead Clinical Pharmacist, Wellness Pharmacy Group

Dr. Chen is a board-certified clinical pharmacist with over 12 years of experience in managing complex medication therapies. He is passionate about patient education and leveraging technology to improve health outcomes.
At Wellness Pharmacy Group, he leads a team of dedicated pharmacists committed to providing personalized care and expert advice.

Table of Contents

  • Background
  • Characteristics
  • Insider’s Perspective
  • Most Appealing Aspects
  • Least Appealing Aspects
  • Advice
  • Critical Factors Ratings
  • Critical Factors
  • References / Resources
  • Professional Organizations

Background

Many pharmacists serve as volunteers in a variety of pharmacy-related professional (individual members) and trade (company members) associations—either as officers (elected) or as committee members (appointed). A smaller but still substantial number of pharmacists choose association management as a career pathway, turning their pharmacy background, experience, and leadership skills into a challenging, full-time career. There are many functional areas found within the scope of pharmacy association management, including government relations, clinical education, professional development, and professional advocacy.

To date, there are over 100,000 trade and professional associations in the United States. Associations educate, serve, train, manage, oversee, lobby, inform, and more. They affect the quality of life through their services, their guidelines, and their interactions with legal, regulatory, and legislative processes.

Pharmacy has many national, state, and local associations. “Broad spectrum” associations, representing all pharmacists, such as the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), exist at the national level and in all 50 states. Narrower, special-interest organizations of pharmacists (e.g., representing various practice areas) exist at the national level and to a lesser degree at the state or local levels. All such organizations have pharmacists employed within their full-time professional management team, frequently including the chief executive officer.

Recognizing the need to educate pharmacists for careers in association management, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) began an Executive Residency in Association Management in 1968. Other pharmacy associations began residencies and fellowships in the 1990s and those currently offering programs include APhA, National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), Academy of Managed Care Pharmacists (AMCP), and the Pharmacy Quality Alliance. APhA along with many other pharmacy national and state pharmacy associations also offer advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) rotations and internship opportunities.

Characteristics

Forty-one pharmacists identified themselves in this category for the 2024-2025 APhA Career Pathway Evaluation Program survey. Fifty-six percent hold a PharmD degree up significantly which is consistent with the last survey completed. Sixty-eight percent indicated they had an advanced degree (MA, MS, MBS, PhD, or other), while 26% had been through a residency program. Such additional education might be outside the field of pharmacy, as would be the case in attaining Certified Association Executive status from the American Society of Association Executives.

One hundred percent of the respondents indicated that they work weekends and evenings in their roles. The salary range differs based on being state, national, or international in scope. Pharmacists earn between $75,000 for staff positions up to over $300,000 for the CEO. The average age is listed as 55 years old. Women are underrepresented in this area with only 38% holding upper management roles.

Twenty-four percent of the respondents listed communication as one of the most important skills to have. Another 20.1% listed management skills are the most important. An association practitioner from Tennessee provided the following, “Communication. Must be able to have conversations with people across different professions and every different type of pharmacist that exists. Have to have thick skin and know you won't please everyone.”

Insider’s Perspective

Top 5 - First tier

Below is a list of critical factors that pharmacy practice faculty indicated are their top five. Three of the factors received the same percentage ranking. Note that there are 25 total critical factors to select from.

  • Leadership and Professional Development (14.6%)
  • Importance of Writing and Research (9.8%)
  • Problem Solving (7.3%)
  • Collaborating with Health Professionals (7.3%)
  • Leisure and Family Time (7.3%)

Top 5 - Second tier

The second grouping of top critical factors listed below includes overlap from the initial top five list. Leadership and Collaborating with Health Profeeionals were factors included in both tiers.

  • Collaborating with Health Professionals (9.8%)
  • Leisure and Family Time (9.8%)
  • Leadership and Professional Development (9.8%)
  • Problem Solving & Innovative Thinking (7.3%)
  • Organizing/Management/Supervision of People and Business (7.3%)

Participants listed multiple areas that they feel are rewarding and others that are challenging. The main themes highlighted were communication which was mentioned by 17.1% of the respondents, and innovation mentioned by 14.6%.

A pharmacist from Maryland stated that, “Most rewarding is impacting patients and their lives and the gratitude from both the patient and their care team. The most challenging is navigating archaic laws and views of what pharmacist should or should not do as a role.”

In addition, a respondent from Tennessee summed up what many were saying, “Rewarding: seeing my work pay off real-time, like at conferences or when policies are implemented. Challenging: understanding the ins and outs of different pharmacy settings so I can guide members....”

Respondents were also asked to list a highlight of their career. There are numerous highlights of which several are listed below.

  • “Proving that pharmacists as community-based care managers can improve health and well-being of their patients and save money or prevent hospitalizations and emergency department visits.”
  • “Working to advocate for the profession during the pandemic and being a front-facing resource for our membership at such a critical time. Although I wasn't helping patients directly, I really felt like I was saving lives by helping pharmacists understand what they needed to do to take care of their patients, their businesses and themselves.”
  • “Seeing pharmacy practice advance to where pharmacists are taking care of patients as providers in more and more settings.”
  • “Creating the APhA Foundation Women in Pharmacy Committee and seeing all the success it has had the last few years. Volunteer leadership is so important to me.”
  • “Being part of the team that developed CAR T therapies (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) and being part of the team that trained more than 200,000 pharmacists, techs, and student pharmacists to immunize during COVID.”

Most Appealing Aspects

What aspects of the role are most appealing?

Flexibility was mentioned as the most appealing aspect by 12.2% of the respondents. One respondent from Kentucky noted, “The flexibility and knowing I am making a difference in the profession for our patients.” Another from Virginia added, “Flexibility and ability to prioritize what I work on and when I work on it.”

Others mentioned the autonomy, working with membership, and potential impact on patient care.

Least Appealing Aspects

What aspects of the role are least appealing?

There was no one theme that participants listed as least appealing. Several areas were highlighted including: paperwork, time management ( at times swamped), lack of direct patient care, navigating politics, and personnel issues.

One respondent from Washington DC provided the following, “Most of my job is solving the tough problems that we as a profession have not conquered. It can feel defeating at times.” Another respondent for Virginia added, “Navigating the politics---although they are not present in everything that I am involved with, it is still there.”

Advice

What advice should students and practitioners consider when selecting a position in Association Management?

Many of the respondents recommended that pharmacists have prior practice experience if contemplating a career in pharmacy association management. Communication skills were cited as being vitally important for this field. Several indicated that those considering this field need the ability to be self-starters and to multitask.

Below is a partial list of comments provided by the respondents.

  • “You are the future you make.”
  • “Seek an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) and/or post-graduate opportunity (e.g., residency or fellowship) with a pharmacy association or organization. This will allow you to witness and contribute to what it takes to operate in association management.”
  • “Get involved in a student organization and run for a leadership position. Invest in going to a state and/or national conference to network with association staff and volunteers.”
  • “Build a solid foundation and accumulate varied experiences to help you build a strong and reputable personal brand.”
  • “Attend your state/national association conference and speak with the staff! Get engaged as a volunteer leader with pharmacy associations! Seek nontraditional internship and fellowship opportunities that allow you to develop communication, project management, networking, writing skills.”

Critical Factors Ratings

Opportunities for Advancement
[To what degree does your work allow for advancement?]

Respondents were mid-range in their response (6.26) to opportunities for advancement. Many of the state professional organizations do not have many positions and for many pharmacists, they are in leadership roles within the organization with a very small ladder to the top. This does differ for large national / international groups who have a variety of positions available to pharmacists.

One respondent from Tennessee provided a detailed example of opportunities when they stated: "Advancement looks a bit different in state pharmacy association management. For pharmacist staff, there are basically two tiers - Director and CEO/Executive Director. So advancement at the state level really only occurs if you move into a CEO position. However transitioning to a national association may provide additional levels of professional advancement. There are ample opportunities for professional development, though, as hosting and attending conferences is a standard part of this job."

Another from Rhode Island added, “There are opportunities for promotions based on merit as well as opportunities to step up when individuals leave or retire. The trajectory can lead to being the CEO of the association.”

6.26
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little advancement opportunities 10 = Great opportunities for advancement

Leadership Development / Professional Involvement
[To what extent does your work allow for the development of leadership skills and professional involvement in the pharmacy profession?]

Respondents in this group rated leadership development . professional involvement as the highest rated factor with 9.03. They feel that the opportunities in this field are excellent. A respondent from Illinois stated, “...expanding my expertise and merging it with my experience in pharmacy practice allowed me to lead others toward working with pharmacy and pharmacists in expanding our practice roles.”

Another respondent from Rhode Island looked broadly at the opportunities and feels that, “Working in an association provides constant exposure to members of the profession and professionals outside of pharmacy so you are always involved in the profession. Although we often work in the background, association professionals are also the face of the profession in industry wide meetings, committees, advisory groups, etc and Many members see association staff as leaders.”

One practitioner from Maryland summed it up this way, “I developed leadership skills not by achieving any particular position but by observation on what works, learning throughout the years and the importance of supporting and listening to front long workers, very willing to change not for change’s sake but to improve based on collective ideas, sound strategic plans and patient centered mission and vision.”

9.03
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little development of leadership skills and professional involvement 10 = Great opportunities for leadership development and professional involvement

Community Impact
[How much impact is your work in terms of serving the community?]

Respondents rated this in the upper mid-range at 7.90.

One respondent from Tennessee felt that, “The impact is less direct than it would be for a frontline pharmacy. Our work at the association indirectly serves the community by supporting pharmacy professionals on the back end.” Another respondent from Tennessee looked at this differently, “Depends how you look at it. I would say my work mostly serves the profession of pharmacy. That can be extrapolated to serving the community, but as far as direct impact goes there is little community engagement from association staff.”

Another association management person from Virginia added, “Community in association management can mean a number of things--the association's members, those other groups that the association works and collaborates with, and the general public. The is an enormous amount of time that is spent working in serving the association's members and the other groups being served.”

7.90
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little impact 10 = High level of impact

Autonomy
[To what extent does your work allow for autonomy in decision making?]

Many of the respondents indicated that they do report through a Board of Directors and provided a high mid-range rating of 7.66.

A respondent from Kentucky stated that, “I am allowed a lot of autonomy in this position. I usually take ideas and act on them instead of coming up with the ideas myself.” Another Maryland added, “My board is very flexible on allowing me to work independently and know my decisions are for the best of the organization.”

One respondent from Tennessee summed it up this way, “Day-to-day tasks and projects allow for high level of autonomy. However, our Board of Directors must approve many of our larger initiatives, strategic plan, budgets, etc.”

7.66
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Very little low autonomy 10 = High level of autonomy

Focus
[To what extent does your work allow you to be focused on the future versus a focus only on immediate tasks?]

With a rating of 7.00 participants must look at both immediate tasks and future focus. This is not uncommon in positions that provide a broad impact on the profession.

One respondent from Kansas stated, “I'm lucky in that my immediate tasks are focused on the future of pharmacy, so it still feels impactful.” Another from Rhode Island stated, “This is a constant balance in association work. We are always looking ahead to new trends that can impact the profession, but we also do a lot of work in the here and now to solve current problems.”

A respondent from Virginia provide a rathe detailed response, “Future Focus is extremely pertinent for all associations as they need to ensure that they stay relevant for their members and their organization's mission. The strategic plan of the association should be a forward focus document that provides planning for the anticipated needs for the organization and its members. There is a balance that comes with working on current programs and priorities with those that are needed for the future.“

7.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Immediate tasks only 10 = Tasks focused on the future

Prestige
[To what extent does your work provide professional prestige?]

Prestige can be looked at in many ways and can be based on influence, success, respect, and other areas. The group rated this as a 7.19 – mid-range response.

One respondent from Rhode Island indicated, “As an association professional, I believe my work presents a high level of prestige. We work with individuals and organizations all over the country (and sometimes the world) and represent the voice of pharmacy. The ability to be seen and heard as a leader contributes to that prestige.” Another respondent from Illinois listed, “I have worked 45 years to garner professional respect and historical expertise. This will last as long as all the professional organizations continue to include those of us seasonal experts--I am starting to feel some age discrimination even though I have always been and remain an early adapter.”

7.19
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Provides low prestige 10 = Provides high prestige

Creating Value / Positive Outcomes
[To what extent does your work allow for personal fulfillment through the creation of value and positive outcomes?]

Responses to this factor were in the upper-range at 8.03. One of the roles of an association staff person is to drive positive outcomes for the professions.

One respondent from Illinois put this bluntly, “I have created and nurtured my path and journey to always include value, worth, and personal fulfillment…you may never be recognized for your contributions!” Another from Maryland indicated, “…it brings me a lot of joy to be able to bring non-dispensing income opportunities to pharmacists.”

An additional respondent from Rhode Island added, “Value and outcomes are a little different in the association world than the direct patient care world. The work we do has a longer runway and we don't always have an instant gratification. But knowing that we helped make a profession-wide change for the better or even just impacting one member's ability to do their job better creates value and positive outcomes.“

8.03
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little extent 10 = High extent

Patient Relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with patients?]

Patient relationships is the second lowest rated factor for this group at 0.56. This makes a great deal of sense based on the roles and who they communicate with regularly. The next factor rating of 8.50 for coworker and client relationships is quite different.

One respondent Kansas from indicated, “No direct patient care opportunities unless I pick up shifts somewhere, but my job relies on developing and maintaining relationships with pharmacies and partners.” Another respondent from Rhode Island provided a more detailed response when they stated, “In association management, we do not work with patients directly. However, we work with other association professionals and industry leaders longitudinally both on short and long term projects. There are individuals I met during my fellowship who I still work with today despite all of us changing jobs and companies.”

0.56
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = No ongoing/ long-term relationships 10 = All are long-term relationships

Co-worker / Client Relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with co-workers or clients?]

Respondents rated this factor as the second highest for the profile at 8.50. Considering the roles and activates that they complete on an on-going basis, working with others is a key to success.

A respondent from Oklahoma stated, “I do not work directly with patients, but I am developing long-term relationships with my co-workers and "clients" (community pharmacists and their staff).” Another from Kentucky added, “Do not work directly with patients but I work closely with other pharmacists and my co-workers.”

8.50
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = No ongoing/ long-term relationships 10 = All are long-term relationships

Writing / Conducting Research
[How often do you engage in writing and/or conducting research?]

This factor varies tremendously with the specific role of the association pharmacist. For some writing is part of the role as for others they are more involved with the research side which may explain the mid-rage rating of 6.16.

One respondent from Rhode Island indicated, “I do a lot of writing in my role. Most of it is writing one-page resources, website and newsletter content, white papers and emails. We usually partner with an academic institution to help with any research we'd like to conduct.” Another from Tennessee stated, “I write for our journal and provide professional communications. I do not do research, but other association professionals do.”

6.16
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = None of my time 10 = All my time

Generating New Ideas
[To what degree does your work involve generating new ideas?]

Respondents consider their role to include leveraging innovative thinking in generating new ideas with a rating of 8.03 a high-range score.

A respondent form Maryland stated, “I try whenever possible to discuss new ideas. That has been me all my career. Sometimes it is heard, many time it is not. Pharmacists as a whole like things to stay the same. Another respondent from Washington agreed when they added, “Association management requires innovative thinking in all staff and volunteer leaders. We must be able to envision a future to work towards.”

One respondent from Rhode Island looked at this as the role that they have when they indicated, “This is almost 100% my role. I am constantly reimagining ways of delivering content to members, thinking of ways to present new ideas and information to them, and anticipating the next challenges the profession will face.”

8.03
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little innovative thinking 10 = High degree of innovative thinking

Supervision / Management
[To what extent do you spend your time organizing, managing, or supervising others and/or business operations?]

Respondents rated this factor as mid-range (6.22) as part of their role may include supervision and management dependent on the size of the organization.

One respondent from Tennessee sated, "I do a lot of project management and have to be organized to keep up with all my meetings and deadlines. I precept students but I do not have any direct reports. However I do work closely with our volunteer leaders and manage them as a core part of my job."

Another respondent from Illinois added, “Sometime herding cats and sometimes CYA, the young ones need to know that it takes time to move anything forward and you may fail at first which is the best learning.”

6.22
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = None of my time 10 = All my time

Patient Interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with patients?]

It would be expected that association management practitioners rate patient interaction as their lowest factor. What is interesting is that this factor scores a 0.00 – meaning not one respondent felt they spend time interacting with patients for their role.

One respondent from Rhode Island summed this up succinctly for all the respondents, “I never interact with patients.”

0.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = None of my time 10 = All my time

Public Interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with the public?]

Interacting with the public was rated a little higher although still in the low-range at 2.94.

One respondent from Kansas stated, “We are trying to move in public circles more often to help share the benefits of pharmacy with the public and other professions. Pharmacy has been too insular for too long.” Another from Illinois added, “What I live for is listening and helping patients and the public.”

2.94
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = None of my time 10 = All my time

Collaboration
[How often do you work or collaborate with other health professionals or educate other professionals in your work?]

This is an important factor to many in this group. With a rating of 7.34 respondents indicate that they spend a great deal of time collaborating with others.

A respondent from Rhode Island indicated that, “A large part of my role is to create and coordinate education for our members. This involves collaborating with many professionals to ensure the content is valuable and practical.” Another respondent from Kansas added, “Attempting to increase this amount of time to benefit the profession!”

A respondent from Illinois looked at this slightly differently when they stated, “…together—join non-pharmacy organizations.”

7.34
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = None of my time 10 = All my time

Family / Leisure Time
[How much free time do you have for leisure and family activities in your work?]

Respondents are mid-range when looking at the amount of time they have for family and leisure actives rating this a 6.94.

An Oklahoma respondent stated, “My work allows me to have a part-time schedule of approximately 0.75 FTE with flexibility in work hours when needed.” Another from Rhode Island added, “I work a typical M-F 9-5 schedule most days. However, there are sometimes evening and weekend obligations based on a variety of conferences and events I attend.”

A respondent from Tennessee provided the following, “Since there is no direct patient care, there are few severe consequences for taking time off, delaying a project, etc. My work has a 9-5, M-F, holidays off, PTO always approved type of schedule. Associations can also establish a hybrid or fully remote working environment.”

Finally a respondent from Maryland expressed her thoughts as she indicated, “I have it because I make sure I have it. Working as a mom of 4 kids I learned how to do this.”

6.94
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little free time 10 = Plenty of time for family and leisure activities

Impact on Well-being
[To what degree do you impact the well-being of individuals?]

Respondents rated this factor mid-range with a 6.16. Some respondents indicated that they are not sure how this may be measured in the people they interact with.

One respondent from Oklahoma stated, “I'm hopeful that those I interact with are positively impacted and leave our meetings with an improved well-being. However, I have no idea how to quantify that.” Another from Kansas had a different perspective when they added, “Sometimes I generate a lot more work for other pharmacists, so guessing that negatively impacts them, but hopefully the work benefits their pharmacies and the profession in the long run, so it feels good.”

One respondent from Oklahoma stated, “I'm hopeful that those I interact with are positively impacted and leave our meetings with an improved well-being. However, I have no idea how to quantify that.” Another from Kansas had a different perspective when they added, “Sometimes I generate a lot more work for other pharmacists, so guessing that negatively impacts them, but hopefully the work benefits their pharmacies and the profession in the long run, so it feels good.”

Another from Tennessee felt that, “Personally not much. We do have a well-being manager though at the association who does that full time.”

6.16
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Low degree 10 = High degree

Problem Solving
[To what degree do you solve problems with tried-and-true alternatives versus untested alternatives in your work?]

Respondents were varied on their rating of this factor with a 5.94 however the range included every choice available.

From one perspective, a respondent from New Jersey stated, “I tend to stick to what's worked for other people.” From the other perspective a respondent from Kansas added, “Lots of try it and find out when developing new practice innovations. Have to learn to accept failure when (not if) it happens.”

A respondent from Rhode Island leverages both sides of the factor as they indicated, “I'm always trying to think outside of the box to share information with members. There are some things that have worked for 50+ years and there are new things we are trying to see what might work. It's fun to have the freedom to be creative and problem solve from different angles.”

5.94
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Tried and true 10 = Untested alternatives

Expertise
[How general or specialized is the expertise required in your work?]

Association management respondents rated this factor mid-range with a 6.19. Again participants are on both ends of the spectrum.

A respondent from Tennessee indicated that you, “Can come into an association position with general skills, but they aren't the skills you learn in pharmacy school. It also takes at least a year on the job to feel like you understand everything about the association. Nonprofits are a different world.” Another from Washington DC stated, “I work on a variety of different topics and would not consider myself an "expert" in any one area. In association management, you do need to have some project management and communication skills.”

6.19
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Generalized 10 = Specialized

Repetition
[To what degree is your work composed of activities and tasks that are highly repetitive versus highly variable?]

Respondents rated repetition a mid-range 6.50. A respondent from Virginia stated that, “Every day is different. I have a weekly newsletter that I write and some standing meetings but I’m always doing something new.” This was corroborated by a different respondent from Tennessee when they indicated, “No two days look alike. We have an annual cycle of certain activities, but we are always tweaking our processes.”

Finally, a respondent from Rhode Island concluded that, “Association work is highly variable. There is always something new that we're working on and no two days are alike. There are some similarities in the way we might tackle any given project, but the work is ever-changing.”

6.50
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Highly repetitive 10 = Highly variable

Applying Scientific Knowledge
[How much of your time is spent applying scientific knowledge in your work?]

Respondents place themselves in the lower mid-range at 4.56 based on applying scientific knowledge. This is a higher rating than the next factor of applying clinical knowledge (3.78).

A statement by a respondent from Rhode Island summed this up when they stated, “I need basic clinical and scientific knowledge to serve as a foundation for my work, but I'm not often applying it.”

4.56
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = No application 10 = High level of application all the time

Applying Clinical Knowledge
[How much of your time is spent applying clinical knowledge in your work?]

As noted in the above factor, respondents rated application of clinical knowledge as 3.78 – a low range rating.

This was summed up by the following statement by a respondent from Tennessee, “None in this role in particular.”

3.78
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = No application 10 = High level of application all the time

Parental Leave
[To what extent does your work setting offer parental leave opportunities?]

Parental leave varies based on the type of organization state vs national with a mid-range score of 5.19.

A respondent from Washington stated that, “Our organization supports parental leave. In addition, we have a hybrid work model that provides some flexibility as needed.” A different respondents from Kentucky take on this factor was quite different when they indicated that they have, “PTO available, no dedicated parental leave policy.”

5.19
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Limited opportunities 10 = Unlimited opportunities

Compensation
[To what degree do you feel compensated for your responsibilities in your work?]

As one would think, there is a wide variety of compensation when looking at state and national associations as well as how large the memberships are. In general, participants rated this mid-rage at 6.31 indicating that they have some room for improvement in this area.

A respondent from Rhode Island stated, “My work never stops and there is always more to be done. Financially I feel fairly compensated. Given the late nights and weekend work, it would be nice to be compensated for the extra time.” Another respondent from Maryland felt it was important to, “.... give non-compensated time at this point while the organization grows.”

A respondent from Tennessee looked at this are wholistically and state that, “I feel decently compensated because I came into a small nonprofit association knowing that it doesn't pay the same as an average pharmacist job. However the benefits of being able to take off work with no hassles, having a standard schedule, and flexibility are worth it for me. We do not always get raises or bonuses in this type of work.” A different respondent from Tennessee supported this thought as they feel their: “...compensation is far less than that of a retail pharmacist, but I love what I do and have never felt burnt out, so it's worth it to me.”

6.31
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Not well compensated 10 = Well compensated

Benefit Package
[How comprehensive is the employee benefit package offered in your work setting?]

Survey participants rated their benefit packages as being mid-range with a rating of 5.18.

One respondent from Washington indicated that they receive, “PTO, health/vision/dental/life insurance, 401k match, hybrid work options, professional development stipend, etc.” Another respondent from Tennessee Added, “Volunteer time off, PTO, paid holidays, work pays for health insurance premium, we have staff outings, raises, etc”

5.18
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Not comprehensive 10 = Very Comprehensive

Advice for student pharmacists

Practitioners’ advice to students varied across many areas – all which looked at ways to gain additional information in this area as well as looking forward to the future. Below is a partial list of advice.

  • “Get involved in a student organization and run for a leadership position. Invest in going to a state and/or national conference to network with association staff and volunteers.”
  • “Try it out - seek an experiential opportunity or internship at a state or national pharmacy association.”
  • “Say yes to a broad variety of experiences and opportunities. You never know when a project or skill will be essential to the next step in your career.”
  • “Work hard, embrace change, mentor others.”
  • “Build a solid foundation and accumulate varied experiences to help you build a strong and reputable personal brand.”

Critical Factors

Opportunities for Advancement 6.25
Leadership Development / Professional Involvement 9.03
Community Impact 7.90
Autonomy 7.66
Focus 7.00
Prestige 7.19
Creating Value / Positive Outcomes 8.03
Patient Relationships 0.56
Co-worker / Client Relationships 8.50
Writing / Conducting Research 6.16
Generating New Ideas 8.03
Supervision / Management 6.22
Patient Interaction 0.00
Public Interaction 2.94
Collaboration 7.34
Family Time / Leisure 6.94
Impact on Well-being 6.16
Problem Solving 5.94
Expertise 6.19
Repetition 6.50
Applying Scientific Knowledge 4.56
Applying Clinical Knowledge 3.78
Parental Leave 5.19
Compensation 6.31
Benefit Package 5.18

References / Resources

Schommer JC, Sogol EM, Brown LM. Work profile factors identified from the career pathway evaluation program, 2018 pharmacist profile survey. Am J Pharm. 2019;83(10):7480.

Value of Associations. Empire State Society of Association Executives, Inc. Available at: www.essae.org. Accessed July 2025.

Professional Organizations

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)

675 North Washington Street, Suite 220, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 684-2600 |www.amcp.org

Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)

190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60603-3446
(312) 664-3575 |www.acpe-accredit.org

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)

1400 Crystal Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 739-2330 |www.aacp.org

American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)

Avedisian Hall, 7 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881
(703) 556-0650 |www.aaps.org

American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP)

8055 O Street, Suite S113, Lincoln, NE 68510
(402) 476-1677|www.aapp.org

American College of Apothecaries (ACA)

2830 Summer Oaks Drive, Bartlett, TN 38134
(901) 383-8119 |www.acainfo.org

American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)

13000 West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, KS 66215-4530
(913) 492-3311 |www.accp.com

American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE)

11325 Random Hills Road, Suite 360A-105, Fairfax, VA 22030
2530 Professional Road, Suite 202, Richmond, VA 23235 Tel: 804-285-4431 Fax: 804-612-6555
(571) 404-0471 | www.afpenet.org

American Pharmacists Association (APhA)

2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
2530 Professional Road, Suite 202, Richmond, VA 23235 Tel: 804-285-4431 Fax: 804-612-6555
(202) 628-4410 | www.pharmacist.com

American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP)

1240 North Pitt Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 739-1300 | www.ascp.com

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)

4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, MD 20814
(866) 279-0681 | www.ashp.org

Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS)

2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 946-5026 | www.bpsweb.org

Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA)

555 East Wells Street, Suite 1100, Milwaukee, WI 53202
(877) 467-2791 | www.hoparx.org

National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA)

2530 Professional Road, North Chesterfield, VA 23235
(804) 285-4431 | www.naspa.us

National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)

1600 Feehanville Drive, Mount Prospect, IL 60056
(847) 391-4406 | www.nabp.pharmacy

National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

1776 Wilson Blvd, Suite 200, Arlington, VA, 22209
703-549-3001 | www.nacds.org

National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP)

300 New Jersey Ave, NW, #900, Washington, DC 20001
(703) 842.0122 | www.naspnet.org

National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)

100 Daingerfield Road, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 683-8200 | www.ncpa.org

National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA)

10810 North Tatum Boulevard, Suite 102-965, Phoenix, AZ 85028
(480) 405-9291 | www.nationalpharmaceuticalassociation.org

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)

670 Maine Avenue, SW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20024
(202) 835-3400 | www.phrma.org

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