Re: AAPT info please

January 10, 2006

there is a quarterly publication (or something like

that.) they (in an attempt to save money) have gone

from mailing it out to sending by e-mail (which sucks

because i can't keep up with e-mail as it is!) there

is a ce in the magazine. there is an annual

convention every year. they are not big--but thery do

pack a punch I think they would like to have local

chapters, but there are a few. I know my part of the

country doesn't have a local chapter. how does ANY

association accomplish those goals? why NOT become a

member?

--- vicki <vixenve@...> wrote:

Jeanetta-

As an active member of several pharmacy groups, I

have seen AAPT mentioned many times. I would like to

seriously consider becoming a member, but

unfortunately I have been very UNSUCCESSFUL in getting

> any information about this group. The website lacks

> any information

> of substance, and my repeated attempts to " contact

> us " have gone

> unanswered. I realize that not all websites are

> maintained/monitored, so I do not wish to discount

> this group without

> investigating as well as I feel I can.

>

> Here is what I would like to know...

> What will my membership dues get me? CE? local

> chapters? periodicals?

> Although, I love the ideals stated in their mission

> statement:

>

> " Provides leadership and represents the interests of

> its members to

> the public as well as health care organizations.

>

> Promotes the safe, efficacious, and cost effective

> dispensing,

> distribution and use of medications.

>

> Provides continuing education programs and services

> to help

> technicians update their skills to keep pace with

> changes in pharmacy

> services.

>

> Promotes pharmacy technicians as an integral part of

> the patient care

> team. "

>

> HOW DO THEY ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS?????

>

> I am hoping that as my final attempt to learn

> something about this

> elusive group, you are or know of other members who

> can share their

> experience.

>

> Your input will be greatly appreciated,

>

> Vicki

> Rochester, New York

>

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January 10, 2006

Please see my previous post to answer your questions.

Every AAPT member that I met at the convention was a HAPPY member!

IF I could say that about ALL conventions or ALL other organizations I would,

but unfortunately I can not.

I CAN say that the site is in an overhaul state that I know of. I also know

that the woman who has been in the office headquarters for years unexpectedly

gave her notice (she must be in her 80's God love her) in August at the

convention. So they are looking for someone to 'man' the office. But the

organization does yeild a newsletter which is about 6 - 10 pages with CE's every

4 months or so.

There ARE local meetings and CE's that you can attend IF you live in a state

that has a chapter and the yearly convention. It IS a private non-profit

organization, just as APhA and ASHP.

Members who are officers actually get to vote to make changes and that is how

much gets accomplished. Teleconferences and email communication serve as the

mechanism for the officers to do meetings at the national level without being

'present'.

This group is self governing and autonomous.They do not have to answer to the

owner of a buisness, drug companies or the government. They do answer to its

members. Rules can not be changed by one person alone or on a whim; they must

follow protocol. But decisions are put into action quite quickly.

I will forward this to one of the most active members that I know who is also

an officer and perhaps he may be able to help you get the information that you

need rather than my rambling opinion.

I have been a member of them all. They each have there different positive

qualities. Just like the different tech sites out there, they have a different

'feel' or essence. Money is the only thing that prevents me from keeping

membership in ASHP or APhA, on theother hand not much for techs either!

Let me know privately if you do not hear back from my buddy in California who

is an AAPT Education CE director or something like that!

Respectfully,

Jeanetta Mastron CPhT BS

Founder/Owner of this site

vicki <vixenve@...> wrote:

Jeanetta-

As an active member of several pharmacy groups, I have seen AAPT

mentioned many times. I would like to seriously consider becoming a

member, but unfortunately I have been very UNSUCCESSFUL in getting

any information about this group. The website lacks any information

of substance, and my repeated attempts to " contact us " have gone

unanswered. I realize that not all websites are

maintained/monitored, so I do not wish to discount this group without

investigating as well as I feel I can.

Here is what I would like to know...

What will my membership dues get me? CE? local chapters? periodicals?

Although, I love the ideals stated in their mission statement:

" Provides leadership and represents the interests of its members to

the public as well as health care organizations.

Promotes the safe, efficacious, and cost effective dispensing,

distribution and use of medications.

Provides continuing education programs and services to help

technicians update their skills to keep pace with changes in pharmacy

services.

Promotes pharmacy technicians as an integral part of the patient care

team. "

HOW DO THEY ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS?????

I am hoping that as my final attempt to learn something about this

elusive group, you are or know of other members who can share their

experience.

Your input will be greatly appreciated,

Vicki

Rochester, New York

January 12, 2006

Hi Vicki,

First of all I applaud you and your need in the betterment of our

profession, as there are not many of us around these days.

Your question concerning the American Association of Pharmacy

Technicians or AAPT is valid, as we do not seem to see much going on

with this organization. Truth-be-told, much is happening as there are

individuals who also strive for the betterment of our profession in

advocation and promotion.

AAPT has been around for over twenty years and has a history of great

individuals from the past and present who have done all they could in

helping the individual Pharmacy Technician. Unfortunately the past

few years have been difficult for AAPT with our newest national

organization, the National Pharmacy Technician Association or NPTA

aggressively marketing itself for membership dues. The problem mainly

is when you have a million dollar for-profit business entity, (NPTA),

that is actively seeking membership versus a non-profit organization,

(AAPT), that depends on donations and also actively seeking

memberships, the one with the money tends to seek out and get the most

members.

I know you are a proud member of NPTA and I do not mean to offend you

in any way. I am just simply trying to convey to you the difficulty

AAPT is experiencing with an organization that most cannot resist to

join.

If you are truly as active as you claim, then maybe you should also

become active with AAPT as there is no reason why we cannot have more

than one national organization. They need members to help in the

promotion and advocation of our profession. There may not be the

glitz and glamour offered by NPTA, but they do offer sincerity and

concern which should be the foundation of any representative

organization.

Joe Medina, CPhT

Jeanetta-

As an active member of several pharmacy groups, I have seen AAPT

mentioned many times. I would like to seriously consider becoming a

member, but unfortunately I have been very UNSUCCESSFUL in getting

any information about this group. The website lacks any information

of substance, and my repeated attempts to " contact us " have gone

unanswered. I realize that not all websites are

maintained/monitored, so I do not wish to discount this group without

investigating as well as I feel I can.

Here is what I would like to know...

What will my membership dues get me? CE? local chapters? periodicals?

Although, I love the ideals stated in their mission statement:

" Provides leadership and represents the interests of its members to

the public as well as health care organizations.

Promotes the safe, efficacious, and cost effective dispensing,

distribution and use of medications.

Provides continuing education programs and services to help

technicians update their skills to keep pace with changes in pharmacy

services.

Promotes pharmacy technicians as an integral part of the patient care

team. "

HOW DO THEY ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS?????

I am hoping that as my final attempt to learn something about this

elusive group, you are or know of other members who can share their

experience.

Your input will be greatly appreciated,

Vicki

Rochester, New York

January 13, 2006

Joe,

First of all, thank you for your response. However, it doesn't get

me any closer to the answers I seek. Janetta is working on getting

someone in touch with me (I think).

I'm 100% in favor of the ideas of advocacy and promotion, but before

I mail $47.50 to some PO BOX in North Carolina, I want to know what

that is going to get me.

All the Glitz and Glam of NPTA, should not preclude whomever is

cashing those checks down in NC, from answering my questions.

Whatever marketing NPTA uses, aside...when I have a question about

sometime with NPTA, it is answered in a very timely fashion, by email

or even a personal phone call. THAT is just good business sense.

If ANYONE from AAPT is willing to get in touch with me and tell me

what they have to offer, then I will have something to go on. I will

become their biggest advocate, open a local chapter, triple their

membership in my area, whatever I can do...but I have to know it is

something I can stand behind.

I threw the question out to the group because I wanted some input

from other members. Only because of the 2 responses I received do I

even know that there is some sort of newletter and occasional CE.

(information I could find nowhere on the website)

It's fine if they aren't as big as NPTA. I don't necessarily want

that. I am pretty sure with more than 230,000 CERTIFIED techs

registered with PTCB, and NPTA's membership estimated at around

25,000...there are a heck of alot of uninvolved

technicians...available to any group willing to get their message

out.

So, it really shouldn't be that difficult to get information when

I actively seek it.

Thanks again,

Vicki

January 13, 2006

Dearest Vicki,,

I will be sending off that LARGE email to Three members all of whom are

officers and to one member in New York this weekend. I work very long hours and

I wanted to actually send all of your coments to them so that they can see

first hand how necessary it is to update the site asap. I offered to help last

year at the convention and I KNOW it is on the agenda of things to do list.

Jeanetta

vicki <vixenve@...> wrote: Janetta is working on getting

someone in touch with me (I think).

January 14, 2006

hi

My name is Candy Hartwell and I`d be glad to help get you some info on AAPT.

An active leader in this organization works at one of the hospitals in our

system. I can give her, Alice Foust, your email and have her get in touch with

you. Thanks