UM Pharmacy Students Use Scrub Colors to Promote Public Health

The mission of the APhA-ASP is to serve as the collective voice of student pharmacists, provide opportunities for professional growth, improve patient care and advance the future of pharmacy. 

As members of APhA-ASP, students are granted numerous opportunities to expand their professional networks, pursue leadership positions and provide clinical services to the community. The organization empowers students by offering the resources needed to grow confidently into their professional roles.

“Once I realized the opportunities APhA-ASP provides, I knew I wanted to serve in a role where I could help fellow student pharmacists gain confidence in the profession while developing leadership skills,” said Emily Aberte, president-elect of APhA-ASP.

Aberte was inspired to run for this position after attending numerous patient care events, conferences and general body meetings. Her goals for the upcoming year mostly surround encouraging pharmacy students to step out of their comfort zones to become the best pharmacists they can be.

Recently, Emma Glorioso, chair of Operation Substance Use, encouraged students to wear purple, the overdose awareness color, on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. The organization has utilized social media to spread awareness of these important public health issues, as well as highlighting how these students are advocates as much as caregivers.

Glorioso helps organize events, campaigns and initiatives that both inform students and reduce stigma around substance use. This position offers her the chance to combine advocacy, innovation and service while demonstrating the proactive role pharmacists can play in preventing and managing substance use disorder.

Students have also embraced other health causes through this initiative, wearing green in recognition of Immunization Awareness Month, red in support of American Heart Month and pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“I wanted to create a fun and easy way for students to show support for important health issues,” Glorioso said. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Members have really embraced the initiatives, whether it’s participating in themed scrubs days or attending awareness events.”

APhA-ASP uses the scrub color initiative to both support public health awareness and build stronger connections across its split campuses. With students in Oxford and Jackson, coordinating scrub colors around specific health causes helps create a sense of unity while bridging the gap between the two locations.

“It also serves as a great conversation starter with other healthcare students by opening the door to meaningful discussion about common public health challenges,” said Skylar Pomeroy, patient care vice president.

Through initiatives like the scrub color campaign, APhA-ASP demonstrates how student pharmacists are transforming awareness into action. These efforts not only educate their peers but also reinforce the pharmacist’s role as a leader in patient care.

As these students continue to grow within the profession, they are working to lay a strong foundation that is rooted in advocacy, leadership and a deep commitment to improving public health.