From the Desk of the ACCP President

August 30, 2023
Elizabeth Farrington, Pharm.D., FCCP, FCCM, FPPA, BCPS, BCNSP, BCPPS

ACCP President Elizabeth Farrington responds to member feedback from this article in the September ACCP Report: Read the President's Column here.

Professionalism and Integrity

The Oxford English Dictionary defines professionalism as the competence or skill required of a professional. Wikipedia states that professionalism “describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skills necessary to perform their specific role within that profession.” The U.S. Department of Labor states that there are five essential qualifications for high job performance that allow a professional to be successful: ability to learn, conscientiousness, interpersonal skills, adaptability, and integrity. I would like to draw particular attention to integrity because it is a value we seek to inculcate in our students as essential to being a professional such that they will display responsibility, accountability, and excellence.

Over the past 6 months, I have witnessed some in our profession speaking negatively on social media about their workplace or a professional association of which they are a member. It seems that they may have lost sight of the core value of integrity. If we are frustrated with where we work, posting negative comments on social media is not an effective method of improving the workplace environment. We must work within the system to improve conditions we find unsatisfactory and in need of attention. We should strive to offer positive suggestions for improvement and be willing to participate in efforts to accomplish change.

When I see negative comments posted on social media, I do not have negative thoughts of the workplace/professional association but rather of the person who felt this was an appropriate mechanism to positively effect change. It suggests to me that they have lost the ability to act with integrity.

As the College initiated its diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts, led by 2020–2021 President Jimmi Hatton Kolpek, ACCP chose inclusion as a primary objective. We want all members to feel that they belong here and that their voices are heard. ACCP provides an ongoing, open opportunity for members to submit questions, concerns, and suggestions for improvement or to voice their frustrations or disappointments with the organization by emailing us at [email protected]. This inbox is monitored regularly, and messages received are addressed by a staff member, a member of the Board of Regents (BOR), or executive staff. Issues raised in these messages may also be forwarded to the BOR for discussion, often generating substantial deliberation among board members and subsequent action, including referral to a committee, task force, or working group, to address the concerns.

As current ACCP president, I want each of our members to know their opinions count and can be heard and acted on if directed to us through the proper channels. We must all work together to ensure ACCP is a truly inclusive organization that addresses member needs. I hope to see (and hear from) many of you in November at the 2023 ACCP Annual Meeting in Dallas. Meanwhile, whenever you wish to provide us with feedback, please send your comments to [email protected].

ACCP President Elizabeth Farrington responds to member feedback from this article in the September ACCP Report: Read the President's Column here.