Sharmon P. Osae, Pharm.D., BCACP, CDCES, is a clinical associate professor at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. She obtained her Pharm.D. degree from the University of Saint Joseph in 2014 and subsequently completed her PGY1 residency at Harris Health System in Houston, Texas, and a PGY2 residency in ambulatory care/education at the Indianapolis Veterans’ Administration Medical Center/Purdue University in Indiana.

Her clinical practice site is Phoebe Primary Care at Northwest, a family medicine clinic in the heart of Albany, Georgia. Her current responsibilities include maintaining a robust drug information service, where she provides answers to health care professionals’ questions on various medications, disorders, and conditions and assists in optimizing care delivery to patients who are underserved by medical resources. Her research and scholarly activities revolve around ambulatory care, including addressing health disparities and improving the knowledge of those who deliver care (i.e., medical and pharmacy learners) while positively affecting patient outcomes. She currently offers an elective course for second- and third-year pharmacy students called “Introduction to U.S. Health Disparities,” provides lectures across all years of the Pharm.D. curriculum, and serves as a faculty member for the Phoebe Family Medicine Residency Program.

Osae was a member of the pilot cohort of the yearlong ACCP Pharmacy Leadership Development (APLD) program, graduating in the fall of 2023. The APLD program is designed to provide ACCP members the opportunity to learn leadership principles within the framework of ACCP governance through the perspectives of both elected leaders and staff and prepare participants for service as leaders within ACCP and the broader profession. When reflecting on her experience in the program, Osae stated that she appreciated the panel discussions immensely because they allowed for absorption of information from pharmacy leaders and innovators in a wide variety of fields. She feels that gaining wisdom from their lived experiences was invaluable. In addition, one of her favorite sessions included a segment on the ACCP Board of Regents (BOR) and the roles and responsibilities of the board members. She said she has always had an interest in serving on the BOR someday, so having a session dedicated to explaining all that it entails was extremely helpful.

As part of the APLD program, participants are divided into groups to work together on completing a mentored, longitudinal capstone project. The projects aim to assist with implementing initiatives in the current ACCP Strategic Plan. The groups are assigned specific charges and must delegate responsibilities, schedule meetings, establish a timeline for completion, and share interim reports on their progress with the BOR for their feedback, similar to the charges and processes employed by ACCP committees. Osae stated that the most enjoyable part of the capstone project she participated in consisted of the networking opportunities with other members of her group. She highlighted that the individuals she worked with came from various backgrounds and that she would likely not have met them without the APLD program’s capstone project experience. Osae feels that she can reach out to them throughout the remainder of her pharmacy career for advice or consultation in their niche areas of expertise.

Finally, when asked whether completing the APLD program has encouraged Osae to pursue a leadership role in a professional organization, she shared that she successfully ran for and was elected as the chair-elect of the ACCP Health Equity PRN. She is proud of what she learned in the APLD program and how it has helped her achieve what she has today. She hopes to continue to use the skills and knowledge she gained to one day run for and be elected to the ACCP BOR.

Associate and full members of ACCP who have served in an ACCP leadership position or hold a leadership role in their workplace and are interested in pursuing future opportunities, including elected or appointed office in ACCP, are eligible and encouraged to apply for acceptance into the APLD program. The call for applications is currently open, and applications, including a CV and a letter of intent, must be submitted by June 1, 2024.