Pharmacy Students Win Big at TPA Expo
The UTEP School of Pharmacy (SOP) was honored with the Texas Pharmacy Association (TPA) 2025 Student Advocacy Award this summer at the TPA Expo in Austin.
UTEP’s chapter of the Texas Pharmacy Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists was the sole recipient of the honor, which recognizes outstanding contributions to pharmacy advocacy in Texas.
“This is the first award that the SOP has won at TPA, so for me it puts our name on the map,” said third-year student pharmacist Caitlyn Lucore, who accepted the award onstage on behalf of the chapter.
The SOP’s impressive list of advocacy efforts includes engagement in virtual meetings with Texas state Rep. Vincent Perez and state Sen. César Blanco, as well as a Summer 2024 student voter registration drive, in which they distributed nearly 200 registration forms. In March, a cohort of student pharmacists participated in Texas Pharmacy Day at the Texas State Capitol, where they learned about the legislative process, observed policy discussions and gained insight into topics impacting the field.
“In general, we all kind of agreed that seeing everybody together — students, pharmacy technicians, pharmacists — with the same goal of acting not only for our professions but the patients we serve, it was inspiring to all of us,” Lucore said. “We’re not the only ones trying to make these efforts and make a difference. After we got back, we had a lot of students asking about what they can do to have events like that in El Paso because it does help our community here.”
Student advocacy has continued after the expo win. Lucore and third-year classmates Jessika Cox and Crystal Barraza met with members of U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar’s team in September to learn more about health care policy and share their perspectives as future pharmacists. They were joined by TPA CEO RoxAnn Dominguez.
Also at the expo, several UTEP student pharmacists advanced far in the Student Pharmacist Self-Care Competition Championship. Second-year student pharmacists Tania Ibarra and Daisy Enriquez and third-year student pharmacists Crystal Barraza and Jessika Cox won both preliminary rounds of the competition.
The contest, which is similar to a quiz show or “Jeopardy”-style game show, features questions developed by faculty from the Nonprescription Medicines Academy focusing on self-care patient treatment and basic knowledge of over-the-counter medications.
“As an incoming P2 student, I initially felt nervous, but the competition quickly turned into an exciting and rewarding experience,” Ibarra said. “It challenged me to apply what I had learned and showed me just how much knowledge I had already gained in school. I encourage students at any level to take advantage of opportunities like this, it’s a chance to learn, grow, and represent our school with pride. I am especially grateful to the UTEP faculty who continue to prepare and support us every step of the way.”
