Students venture into the professional world at OPA Annual Conference

It’s 8 a.m. and pharmacists from across Ohio are rolling into Easton Town Center for three days at the Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA) Annual Conference & Trade Show.  

As the state’s largest professional organization representing pharmacists across all practice settings and areas of expertise, this meeting is a yearly hallmark for Ohio pharmacy professionals. The event draws in hundreds of pharmacists, technicians, students and industry partners with continuing pharmacy education (CPE), networking events, advocacy updates and profession-wide awards. 

“The annual meeting is a great way to stay up to date on innovative pharmacy practice, legislative changes and clinical updates,” said Myriam Shaw Ojeda, PharmD, assistant professor of practice at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. “I get to see some of my dear friends through the conference, and it’s a great way to network with pharmacists from all over the state and beyond.” 

From current students to seasoned faculty and alumni, the College of Pharmacy is well-represented within OPA. At this year’s conference, held April 9-11, Pharmacy Buckeyes presented their work in CPE sessions, led workshops and helped organize the event. Year-round, faculty and staff serve across committees and leadership roles, and students participate in APPE rotations with the organization. 

Dr. Shaw Ojeda holds a unique shared faculty position with the College of Pharmacy and OPA, where she serves as director of pharmacy, extension and public health initiatives and leads efforts to advance the role of the pharmacist. 

“Engaging with OPA is so important for us to move practice forward and change policy to integrate pharmacists into the care of the communities they serve,” said Bella Mehta, PharmD, FAPhA, chair of the Division of Pharmacy Practice and Science and clinical professor. “Collaborations between Ohio State and OPA have led to the successful passage of key legislative policies over the years, fostered practice advancement and led to the development and implementation of innovative practice and scholarship related to pharmacists’ impact in direct patient care.” 

Welcoming students into the pharmacy professional network

OPA and the College of Pharmacy have an important goal in common: to prepare the next generation of pharmacists to advocate for their profession and their patients, and to practice at the top of their education. 

“We need the voices of our students to meet the needs of our patients and our professions,” Dr. Shaw Ojeda said. “Individual voices are amplified when all our voices are combined. OPA allows this to happen at the state level.” 

First-year PharmD candidates (P1s) attend the OPA Annual Conference & Trade Show as a first step into the world of professional development and advocacy. This year, OPA memberships for all Ohio State student pharmacists were sponsored by Dean Deanna Kroetz, PhD, BS Pharm ’85, as part of an initiative through the Council of Ohio Colleges of Pharmacy. 

Jennifer Rodis, PharmD, FAPhA, associate dean for outreach and engagement and clinical professor, facilitates the opportunity for OSU P1 students to attend the OPA conference annually. Dr. Rodis instructs P1 students in their Transitions 2 course, which builds on their first year of the PharmD curriculum and prepares them to engage with professional experiences in their second year, particularly through professional identity formation, leadership and advocacy. 

With the guidance of Dr. Rodis and senior career counselor Angela Henderson, P1s reviewed the conference agenda, prepared their own itinerary to address their professional interests and created personalized elevator pitches for networking events.

“Students gained valuable networking opportunities and learned about post-graduate jobs and training,” Dr. Rodis said. “They also engaged with various pharmacy practice innovations and policy and advocacy in the state, all of which will be extremely relevant to their future practice.” 

To encourage student growth at the meeting, OPA leadership designed sessions specific to areas of interest and growth for pharmacy students. 

Some highlights of the 2026 agenda included: 

• Student Pharmacist Business Plan Competition  
• Student Pharmacist Self-Care Championship  
• NPX Session: Building Relationships Through Networking 
• Residency and Fellowship Expo 
• Ohio Research Forum 

Alexandra Jaeger, a current P1, is interested in a future in community pharmacy. Her schedule for the event was built around connecting with owners of independent pharmacies and attending workshops for student entrepreneurs. 

“As someone who would like to own and run a pharmacy in the future, the annual conference is a great opportunity to gain experience that I wouldn’t get in the classroom,” she said. “By attending the Student Pharmacist Business Plan Competition, I learned about what I should be aware of as a I plan for my future and how I can leverage connections that I’m making here for success.”

Encouraging student leadership at OPA

The students’ passion was evident in their engagement, as Jaeger’s P1 peers eagerly participated in sessions while several students P2 and beyond returned for poster presentations, pharmacy skills competitions, CPE and volunteering.  

P3 candidate Melanie Ruzga presented her research at the Friday poster session, marking her fourth year in attendance.  

“The annual OPA conference is such a nice way to see what’s going on across our pharmacy community,” Ruzga said. “As a student, you can exercise professional development while also having fun connecting with your peers and new mentors.” 

Ruzga has actively engaged in advocacy efforts since her undergraduate days, and OPA has served to extend her reach in the field. As president of Ohio State’s Epsilon Chapter of Rho Chi Honor Society, she encouraged her classmates’ participation at the annual conference by organizing the college’s preparation for the conference’s Self-Care Student Pharmacist Challenge, a Jeopardy!-style event where all seven Ohio colleges of pharmacy compete against each other about student knowledge of over-the-counter medications.

The winning Rho Chi team from the local event went on to compete at the annual conference and took home first place. 

“As the next generation of pharmacists, it’s really valuable to have this community and the resources that OPA offers,” Ruzga emphasized. “The pharmacy community can take so many shapes, and getting involved has helped me to make advocacy a bigger part of my work as a student-pharmacist.” 

After another successful conference, OPA has left the next generation of Pharmacy Buckeyes with a new level of preparedness for advocacy and practice advancement. With a support system like this, the future of pharmacy looks bright. 

“I am so proud that our students represented themselves, the college and our profession so well as the emerging professionals that they are,” Dr. Rodis said. “Advocacy in pharmacy is ultimately about patient access to care provided by pharmacists. Our voice as a profession influences the health of our communities, our patients, and our state and nation.”