Texas Pharmacy Society Celebrates 75 Years of Service

An ASHP state affiliate marks its 75th birthday this year with a celebration that's (almost) as big as Texas — and a mission to continue thriving as an organization for the next 75 years.

“I’m excited to see the future,” said ASHP Past President Diane Ginsburg. Ginsburg is past president of the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP) and one of the organization’s 75th anniversary keynote session panelists.

The panelists — Ginsburg, Paul Davis, Roland Patry, Latresa Billings, and Sarah Lake-Wallace — will discuss how pharmacy practice in Texas has evolved and how the organization plans to serve its members in the years ahead.

The keynote session takes place in April at TSHP’s 2024 Annual Seminar in Round Rock, Texas. The multiday meeting offers traditional educational content, a special museum-type exhibit to showcase TSHP’s history, and an evening anniversary gala with dancing, dining, and casino games.

“We’re throwing a party,” said TSHP Executive Director Leah Cody, who hopes the seminar will draw upwards of 1,000 participants.

“There’s going to be quite a bit to see,” she said. “If anyone hasn’t visited us, there’s not a better time to do so than now.”

TSHP was created in Austin in 1949, when 25 hospital pharmacists convened at what would become the organization’s first annual seminar. TSHP’s membership has grown to more than 1,200 pharmacists, students, pharmacy technicians, and other pharmacy professionals and supporters. The organization is committed to leading the profession in the state by providing educational activities and leadership initiatives that advance patient care.

“We’ve always been patient-centric. And if you’re patient-centric, you’re profession-centric,” Ginsburg explained.

TSHP’s work on behalf of its members includes successfully advocating for state legislation to establish collaborative practice, authorize pharmacists to administer vaccines, and recognize pharmacists as healthcare providers in state insurance regulations. ASHP-accredited residency programs are recognized by the Texas Legislature and Texas State Board of Pharmacy thanks to TSHP’s advocacy efforts. In 2000, TSHP launched the Texas Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, TSHP’s official journal. A time line of these and other important state milestones will be featured at the anniversary event.

As an ASHP affiliate, TSHP helps influence pharmacy practice at the national level. But the organization must continue to stay ahead of issues affecting pharmacists at the local and state levels, said Cody and TSHP President Rodney Cox. Fortunately, TSHP’s 10 affiliated local chapters help the organization stay on top of emerging developments in Texas while fostering a vibrant community that cultivates the growth of pharmacy leaders throughout the state.

Ginsburg said fostering the development of the state’s future pharmacists is one of TSHP’s biggest responsibilities.

“The society has a very strong reputation nationally and within the state. And I think that’s due to its members, its leadership, its investment in developing the next generation of leaders,” she said.

Cox, whose term as TSHP president ends during the April 2024 meeting, gained vital leadership experience a decade ago as president of TSHP’s Gulf Coast affiliate. He said that from the time he was a resident, his professional growth was shaped by mentors who encouraged him to get involved in his local and state pharmacy organizations. And as TSHP president, he said it’s inspiring when members tell him how the organization has enriched their personal and professional lives.

“We have so much to offer,” Cox said. “And if we’re going to stay around for the next 75 years, it’s going to be because we’ve done a great job listening to our members.”

Leah Cody is TSHP’s executive director. Rodney Cox is director of pharmacy and respiratory services for Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center in Houston. Diane Ginsburg is clinical professor of pharmacy practice and associate dean for healthcare partnerships at the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy; she is also this year’s recipient of the ASHP Harvey A.K. Whitney Lecture Award.