At the end of this year, I will complete my 3-year term as a member of the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) for the Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) of the ACCP Research Institute and embark on my next role as an elected trustee for the Research Institute. In reflection, my time serving on the CAP was professionally rewarding, as I was part of the start-up of this newly formed endeavor to build capacity for clinical pharmacy research. My time investment for service on the CAP was minimal, yet the impact could prove to be substantial.

During these 3 years, the PBRN has grown, both in clinical pharmacist members and in the number and scope of projects proposed and conducted. Since joining the CAP in January 2011, I have seen the PBRN membership grow from 678 to 843 individuals. Results from the PBRN’s first completed study, the Medication Error Detection, Amelioration, and Prevention (MEDAP) Study, were published earlier this year, with two more studies under way and four additional proposed projects being reviewed. In addition to providing feedback regarding the feasibility of research project proposals, my role on the CAP was to help provide strategic direction for the PBRN and conceptualize methods to increase the PBRN’s growth and exposure. I am confident that these contributions have positioned the PBRN for excellence in supporting clinical pharmacy research. Although I don’t know what the future holds, my hope is that my being part of the ACCP PBRN at the beginning and for the past 3 years will bring lasting effects.

If you would like to be part of this growing network and/or help guide the PBRN, please consider joining the PBRN and serving on the CAP.