'Top Overall Chapter'

IPhO Chapter Earns National Title, Best Practices Honors for Social Media and Fundraising

October 10 — The University of Houston College of Pharmacy Chapter of the Industry Pharmacists Organization has been operating at breakneck speed since its founding in 2017, earning multiple national honors in its short existence, including the latest triumph as "Top Overall IPhO Chapter" for the 2022-23 academic year.

In addition to its dominating "top chapter" win with 21 out of a possible 22 points in the national organization’s Recognition of Chapter Activity Programs, the chapter also earned "Best Practices" honors for its fundraising and social media programs at the virtual IPhO Annual Meeting Sept. 8-10.

The chapter's fundraising and social media activities were calculated into the "top chapter" honors, along with its professional development programming for members and community service/outreach work.

For example, the chapter hosted networking, mock interview and summer internship workshops as well as talks with industry professionals and current interns/fellows from such organizations as Amgen, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, GSK, Ipsen, Novartis/TJU, Novo Nordisk and PrecisionVALUE. The chapter also took members on an in-person tour of the headquarters of pharmaceutical manufacturer Alcon in Fort Worth and sending Valentine’s Day cards to residents of a local senior center.

The organization also continued its collaborations with the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy’s UHCOP Chapter, including the 8th Annual Round Table event which brought together not only members of the UH chapters, but also students from other Texas colleges, to meet and gain insights from professional representatives in the fields.

In the social media realm, the UHCOP chapter was recognized for promoting its local events and activities and tagging collaborators with consistent, visually appealing content. In addition to its own events, the chapter frequently shared content ranging from events, job vacancies and scholarship opportunities posted by the national organization.

Among its fundraising activities, the chapter sold Vietnamese sandwiches and quesadillas to not only generate money for its programs but also provide opportunities to celebrate other cultures.

Earlier this year, the chapter earned its second Bronze Medal in the Value of Industry Pharmacists (VIP) Case Competition, a six-month long project in which chapter members partner with an industry contact to design a comprehensive drug development plan for a hypothetical drug. The chapter also took bronze in 2020. The UHCOP chapter was recognized as one of the organization’s top five in the nation in 2018 - its first full year of operation - and ranked second in the nation the following year.

"The IPhO UH Chapter would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our advisor, Dr. Sujit Sansgiry, whose support has been the cornerstone of our organization's success," said Yinhsun Huang, the chapter's 2023-24 president. "The achievements of our chapter are led by Immediate Past President Michelle Phan, whose dedication secured the position as the Top Overall IPhO Chapter 2022-2023."