I'm asking you for a third cup of coffee
You know I love my coffee analogies. I watch my pharmacists and techs all walk in with their morning Starbucks almost every day. They tell me it gets—and keeps—them going.
It's funny, isn't it? They need a strong Starbucks coffee to start their jobs each day, but without their jobs, they couldn't afford this luxury, nor would they need it.
Most of you reading this are new to APC. In 2022, we have grown from 900 members to about 3,300 members, which means that the majority of our members are brand new to APC. WELCOME! I suspect most of you 2,600 neophytes also drink coffee for the above reasons.
I bring this up because our profession also has its own needs to get and keep going so all of us can maintain our livelihoods.
APC receives its funding from a variety of sources, including member dues, corporate support, conferences, educational courses, etc. But no one single source is enough to sustain APC.
The truth is, your dues just support the day-to-day operations of APC including salaries, rent, telephones...you know, the same necessities that keep your homes and pharmacies operating on a daily basis.
For everything else, we rely on a fund called OneFund to cover APC's entire advocacy operation on behalf of pharmacy compounding.
OneFund is made possible by gifts from members and corporate supporters ABOVE and BEYOND their annual dues. These donations help fund—among other important initiatives—our lobbying and our public policy communications.
In 2021, APC budgeted $300,000 last year for OneFund and exceed this goal by $15,000. We budgeted the same amount for this year but have only raised $74,000. Projected out, this means that we are only going to raise $127,000 or 42% of our goal this year. This will severely curtail the work you expect APC to do for you on Capitol Hill, work with the FDA and USP, and even our work with the state boards of pharmacy.
We need your help, and we need it fast.
Ask yourself, Without my pharmacy compounding career, can I afford my coffee (or anything else, really)? Is an investment in my profession as valuable as my morning investment in Starbucks?
If every member gave a contribution equivalent to two Starbucks monthly ($10), we would easily meet our goals. And just for the record, I personally donate 100 Starbucks a month to OneFund (almost three per day!). That’s how important this is to me.
To donate $10 per month (or any amount) to OneFund, please click here.
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David Miller is APC’s president and the managing co-owner of Keystone Compounding Pharmacy in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You can reach him at drdave@keystonepharm.com.
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