In this episode, Our guest, Lucy Adkins, PharmD, is the Director of Pharmacy Practice Initiatives at the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA). Dr. Adkins earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy at East Tennessee State University. Dr. Adkins began her pharmacist career as TPA’s Executive Resident in Association Management and Health Policy. After her residency, she joined the staff at TPA in her current role. In her role, Dr. Adkins has built relationships with TPA members and partners, and provided support and resources to them while managing several grants and opportunities aimed at increasing patient access to pharmacist-provided care and elevating the standards of care within pharmacy practice in Tennessee. She is a current member of TPA, APhA, and NCPA, and sits on the ONE Tennessee Board of Directors as well as serves on numerous committees as part of her role. Dr. Adkins currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee and is to be married to Eric Shell, a fellow pharmacist, in September 2020.
On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, which states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” While this was a major win for women across the United States, the journey to make this change possible was long and challenging. Taking 72 years to come to fruition, countless female activists broke the mold and forever changed the way women are viewed.
Just like with other advocacy efforts, such as provider status, it may take several years for something to come to fruition, but it is important to be engaged and aware of issues affecting our profession.