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The ‘Future Five’: A story of friendship among five (female) pharmacists

2012; Elsevier BV; Volume: 18; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s1042-0991(15)31797-7

2773-0735

Sonya Collins,

Health Sciences Research and Education

Three decades ago, five young women set out to do nothing short of "change pharmacy and the practice roles of pharmacists" according to an article in a July 1981 issue of DrugTopics. Forging lifelong friendships as leaders of what was then the Student American Pharmaceutical Association (SAPhA) in the 1970s, Lucinda Maine, 1979–80 SAPhA president; Stephanie Phelps; Debbie Simonson; Donna Walker; and Cindy Iannarelli, also a SAPhA president, who passed away in 2010, called themselves the Future Five. They planned someday—after gaining at least 10 years of practical experience—"to establish a nationwide consulting firm."While they still aspire to one day collaborate professionally, they've already fulfilled their promise to play a major role in the future of pharmacy.The 1981 story placed Walker, then the staff director of SAPhA, and her four friends against the backdrop of a new crop of young and increasingly female pharmacists who would redefine communication not only with patients but also with established practitioners. They were graduating from pharmacy school in the first classes that were 50% women, and as APhA was electing its first female president into what Maine described as up to that point an "Old Boys' Club.""There was a general perception among some men that women might not step up," Maine recalls. Men were concerned about "what was going to happen if [women] weren't prepared to take on the management and leadership roles."Active leaders in SAPhA, the five women set out to allay such concerns. They were unafraid to speak frankly with the established (male) leaders in pharmacy, helping "thaw what we perceived to be the iceberg between students or young pharmacists and active engagement in APhA as members and graduates," Maine said.Simonson recalls she and her friends at a dinner with the head of a major pharmaceutical company. "When he came in the room, he said, 'They're all girls! What's happening in pharmacy?' And Cindy said, 'You're looking at the future leaders of the profession.'"Iannarelli was right. The five women became leaders in pharmacy and beyond. As they moved forward in their careers, women and pharmacists came to play growing roles in the field.Today, Maine is Executive Vice President and CEO for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, a position she took after serving as senior vice president for policy, planning and communication at APhA. "It doesn't feel like a man's world. As for presidents of state societies and associations, or even around the JCPP [Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners] table, it's now just as likely that you're going to see a woman as a man."Phelps moved into academics immediately following residency training. Today she is Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy. "We entered practice at a time when women were beginning to assume leadership roles in academia," Phelps said. "That said, it was a number of years before I could name more than a handful of women who were deans or departmental chairs."Simonson has risen through the ranks for 30 years at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans to become Assistant Vice President of Pharmacy. When she started as a staff pharmacist, Ochsner was one hospital and its pharmacy model was dispense and prep. "Now pharmacy is involved with all aspects of practice— research, informatics, education, patient care. No one would dream of doing anything with medications in our health system without collaborating with pharmacy," she said.Walker's leadership in pharmacy led her to other fields. As she said in the 1981 article, "The more I got involved, the more doors opened, [and] the more exits you discover." She exited pharmacy as the head of marketing for the pharmaceutical division at 3 M, going on to lead North American sales and marketing for their telecom division. She credits SAPhA for introducing her to the skills that took her on that route. "I never would've dreamed that I'd take the leadership skills I began to develop as a pharmacy student and combine them with marketing and actually apply them to a whole other industry," she said. Today, Walker is President of Pulido Walker Foundation, a family-run philanthropic organization for disadvantaged youth, and coproprietor of her family winery. That foundation endowed the APhA boardroom in the remodeled Pope building when the current structure was dedicated in 2009.Like Walker, Iannarelli left pharmacy to lead elsewhere as well. After launching Business Cents, a company that produced educational materials to teach children about business, she ran an international online business school that she had rescued from the brink of ruin.Riding on a wave in which women had come to represent half of pharmacy students and young pharmacists were gaining a louder voice, the Future Five were unafraid—or sometimes Just unaware— of barriers they confronted. They agree that they weren't challenged by gender discrimination, but that it would be naive to say that it didn't exist, Maine said."For every man that wanted things to stay the same in pharmacy, there was another who created opportunities knowing it was important to have women in certain roles, to have role models for females in pharmacy school," Phelps said.All give credit to "out-of-the-box mentors" who encouraged them to aim high. "There were mentors who told us that we could do anything we wanted, not because we were women, but because of our desire to have an impact on the profession," Walker said.But perhaps the ones that encouraged and challenged them the most were each other. Phelps said the group challenges her to push beyond her current role as associate dean for academic affairs, asking her why she hasn't pursued a deanship yet. Simonson recalled that it was Walker's husband Mark Pulido, also a pharmacist, who assured her that she could take on more responsibility at Ochsner.The Five at 50: Salmon fishing on Lake Michigan was Cindy's idea for the perfect way to celebrate everyone's having hit the big five-oh.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload (PPT)Irony? The Future Five may have been committed to the success of women in pharmacy, but their human contributions to the next generation were all male. On the 2005 beach trip in South Carolina are (left to right) Joncarlo (Cindy), Danny (Lucinda), Brian (Debbie), Chas (Donna), Chris (Lucinda), and Sean (Debbie).View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload (PPT)It may not be so unusual for women to be in these roles in pharmacy now, but this type of friendship is rare."Not very many people have friends that close who are also in your profession," Simonson said. "They've been in your wedding, there when your kids were born, when you've had a disaster. To have them as a resource in your professional life as well is huge, and I don't think there's very many people out there that have that."September 23 dedication set for Women in Pharmacy Conference RoomOverlooking the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall from the sixth floor of APhA headquarters, the Women in Pharmacy Exhibit & Conference Room will be a visible reminder of women pharmacists significant role in pharmacy and their vision that has driven the profession to where it is today. The room will be dedicated on Sunday, September 23, the APhA Foundation has announced. The window of opportunity to become a "Founder" of the Room is narrowing. Visit www.aphafoundation.org to make your donation today! Three decades ago, five young women set out to do nothing short of "change pharmacy and the practice roles of pharmacists" according to an article in a July 1981 issue of DrugTopics. Forging lifelong friendships as leaders of what was then the Student American Pharmaceutical Association (SAPhA) in the 1970s, Lucinda Maine, 1979–80 SAPhA president; Stephanie Phelps; Debbie Simonson; Donna Walker; and Cindy Iannarelli, also a SAPhA president, who passed away in 2010, called themselves the Future Five. They planned someday—after gaining at least 10 years of practical experience—"to establish a nationwide consulting firm." While they still aspire to one day collaborate professionally, they've already fulfilled their promise to play a major role in the future of pharmacy. The 1981 story placed Walker, then the staff director of SAPhA, and her four friends against the backdrop of a new crop of young and increasingly female pharmacists who would redefine communication not only with patients but also with established practitioners. They were graduating from pharmacy school in the first classes that were 50% women, and as APhA was electing its first female president into what Maine described as up to that point an "Old Boys' Club." "There was a general perception among some men that women might not step up," Maine recalls. Men were concerned about "what was going to happen if [women] weren't prepared to take on the management and leadership roles." Active leaders in SAPhA, the five women set out to allay such concerns. They were unafraid to speak frankly with the established (male) leaders in pharmacy, helping "thaw what we perceived to be the iceberg between students or young pharmacists and active engagement in APhA as members and graduates," Maine said. Simonson recalls she and her friends at a dinner with the head of a major pharmaceutical company. "When he came in the room, he said, 'They're all girls! What's happening in pharmacy?' And Cindy said, 'You're looking at the future leaders of the profession.'" Iannarelli was right. The five women became leaders in pharmacy and beyond. As they moved forward in their careers, women and pharmacists came to play growing roles in the field. Today, Maine is Executive Vice President and CEO for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, a position she took after serving as senior vice president for policy, planning and communication at APhA. "It doesn't feel like a man's world. As for presidents of state societies and associations, or even around the JCPP [Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners] table, it's now just as likely that you're going to see a woman as a man." Phelps moved into academics immediately following residency training. Today she is Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy. "We entered practice at a time when women were beginning to assume leadership roles in academia," Phelps said. "That said, it was a number of years before I could name more than a handful of women who were deans or departmental chairs." Simonson has risen through the ranks for 30 years at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans to become Assistant Vice President of Pharmacy. When she started as a staff pharmacist, Ochsner was one hospital and its pharmacy model was dispense and prep. "Now pharmacy is involved with all aspects of practice— research, informatics, education, patient care. No one would dream of doing anything with medications in our health system without collaborating with pharmacy," she said. Walker's leadership in pharmacy led her to other fields. As she said in the 1981 article, "The more I got involved, the more doors opened, [and] the more exits you discover." She exited pharmacy as the head of marketing for the pharmaceutical division at 3 M, going on to lead North American sales and marketing for their telecom division. She credits SAPhA for introducing her to the skills that took her on that route. "I never would've dreamed that I'd take the leadership skills I began to develop as a pharmacy student and combine them with marketing and actually apply them to a whole other industry," she said. Today, Walker is President of Pulido Walker Foundation, a family-run philanthropic organization for disadvantaged youth, and coproprietor of her family winery. That foundation endowed the APhA boardroom in the remodeled Pope building when the current structure was dedicated in 2009. Like Walker, Iannarelli left pharmacy to lead elsewhere as well. After launching Business Cents, a company that produced educational materials to teach children about business, she ran an international online business school that she had rescued from the brink of ruin. Riding on a wave in which women had come to represent half of pharmacy students and young pharmacists were gaining a louder voice, the Future Five were unafraid—or sometimes Just unaware— of barriers they confronted. They agree that they weren't challenged by gender discrimination, but that it would be naive to say that it didn't exist, Maine said. "For every man that wanted things to stay the same in pharmacy, there was another who created opportunities knowing it was important to have women in certain roles, to have role models for females in pharmacy school," Phelps said. All give credit to "out-of-the-box mentors" who encouraged them to aim high. "There were mentors who told us that we could do anything we wanted, not because we were women, but because of our desire to have an impact on the profession," Walker said. But perhaps the ones that encouraged and challenged them the most were each other. Phelps said the group challenges her to push beyond her current role as associate dean for academic affairs, asking her why she hasn't pursued a deanship yet. Simonson recalled that it was Walker's husband Mark Pulido, also a pharmacist, who assured her that she could take on more responsibility at Ochsner. It may not be so unusual for women to be in these roles in pharmacy now, but this type of friendship is rare. "Not very many people have friends that close who are also in your profession," Simonson said. "They've been in your wedding, there when your kids were born, when you've had a disaster. To have them as a resource in your professional life as well is huge, and I don't think there's very many people out there that have that."September 23 dedication set for Women in Pharmacy Conference RoomOverlooking the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall from the sixth floor of APhA headquarters, the Women in Pharmacy Exhibit & Conference Room will be a visible reminder of women pharmacists significant role in pharmacy and their vision that has driven the profession to where it is today. The room will be dedicated on Sunday, September 23, the APhA Foundation has announced. The window of opportunity to become a "Founder" of the Room is narrowing. Visit www.aphafoundation.org to make your donation today! Overlooking the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall from the sixth floor of APhA headquarters, the Women in Pharmacy Exhibit & Conference Room will be a visible reminder of women pharmacists significant role in pharmacy and their vision that has driven the profession to where it is today. The room will be dedicated on Sunday, September 23, the APhA Foundation has announced. The window of opportunity to become a "Founder" of the Room is narrowing. Visit www.aphafoundation.org to make your donation today! Overlooking the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall from the sixth floor of APhA headquarters, the Women in Pharmacy Exhibit & Conference Room will be a visible reminder of women pharmacists significant role in pharmacy and their vision that has driven the profession to where it is today. The room will be dedicated on Sunday, September 23, the APhA Foundation has announced. The window of opportunity to become a "Founder" of the Room is narrowing. Visit www.aphafoundation.org to make your donation today!