1. What is an SSHP?  My school does not use that terminology

 "Student Society of Health-System Pharmacy" (SSHP) is a general term used to describe campus student organizations that represent hospital and health-system practice.  Nationwide, these organizations exist as a variety of structures and names (e.g. The XYZ University Student Society of Health-System Pharmacy, The ABC University Student Chapter of the (insert your state name) Society of Health-System Pharmacists, The ABC Society of Pharmacy Students", etc.).

2. I thought we already had an "ASHP Chapter" at our school. Do we have to create something new to become recognized?

 It’s been a popular misconception that SSHP’s are somehow affiliated with, or chapters of, ASHP, but that is not the case.  If you already have a student organization representing health-system pharmacy practice on your campus, then that group may choose to pursue ASHP-SSHP Recognition.   They may already exist as a chapter or affiliate of your state’s health-system organization (the ASHP state affiliate).  In fact, becoming a chapter or affiliate of your ASHP state affiliate organization is strongly encouraged! To find the contact information for your state affiliate leaders visit our State Affiliate Directory.

3. I attend a school that has more than one campus.  Can we apply for separate ASHP-SSHP Recognition for each campus, or is it limited to only one per school?

If your school has an SSHP on more than one campus, it is your school’s choice whether each campus would like to pursue ASHP-SSHP Recognition, or whether there should be one ASHP Recognized student society at your school.   In order for each campus to achieve ASHP Recognition, each would need to fulfill the requirements separately. There is one exception which is the Clinical Skills Competition. The campuses with SSHPs need to collaborate to complete the school-level competition and select one winning team on to the national competition.

4. Who do I contact at our ASHP state affiliate organization so that we may discuss working together to meet our requirements for ASHP-SSHP Recognition?

The contact information for each ASHP state affiliate organization president and executive (if one exists) is listed on our State Affiliate Directory.

5. Our SSHP already participates in a professional development project every year.  Can this count as the professional development project requirement for ASHP-SSHP Recognition, and who decides?

Your SSHP Faculty Advisor has the authority to decide if an identified project meets the requirement for ASHP-SSHP Recognition.  The only requirement is that the project relate to one of the five ASHP Leadership Agenda items.  Many SSHPs currently participate in health fairs, poison prevention efforts, outreach efforts to local high schools about career opportunities in health-system pharmacy, and other activities that can serve as a professional development project.  There may be opportunities to work on a project jointly with the ASHP state affiliate organization.

(Please note: Participation in programs that are organized by other national pharmacy organizations cannot be considered to fulfill this requirement)

6. Can we use one project to count toward fulfilling two different recognition requirements?

Each criterion for official recognition is mutually exclusive and no program or project executed by the SSHP may fulfill the requirements of two criteria. For example, a "Residency Forum" fulfills the Career Development requirement to "coordinate at least one informational session on residency training." This project cannot also be applied toward the Professional Development requirement to "participate in at least one project that relates to the ASHP Leadership agenda."

7. I heard that new SSHPs are not required to participate in the Clinical Skills Competition. Should we compete?

ASHP will waive the requirement to conduct a school-level Clinical Skills Competition for new SSHPs at institutions who do not yet have pharmacy students enrolled in their final two years of professional education. However, we strongly recommend you hold a school-level competition. There are many benefits including clinical skill building, valuable practice for future competitions, and you will receive a complimentary student registration to the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting for both members of the winning team from your SSHP to compete at the national level competition.