PRESIDENT’S PAGE
INCLUSION: IT IMPACTS US ALL
I
n the summer of 2020, I had the pleasure of starring in my own video. This was an opportunity for the IPA membership to meet the incoming president. When Kate [Gainer] first told me, I was excited but also nervous.
Christopher Clayton, PharmD, MBA IPA President Director of Pharmacy & Population Health, Buchanan County Health Center
As a pharmacist and leader, I have always gone to work in business attire. It was a shirt and tie every day, until the ties became optional. (I always thought they were an infection control risk…) Professional events were much the same. For over twenty years, there was a work version of myself and a non-work version of myself. Why? I didn’t always feel comfortable showing or sharing the non-work version of myself in professional settings. I felt I wouldn’t be accepted, that I was not good enough for the role I was given, or that due to stereotypes I would be viewed differently. So, when I had the opportunity to share all versions of myself in a video for all of you to see, I was excited but nervous. This is because of the tattoos on my arms. This past year, I attended the Decker-Temple Leadership Pharmacy conference in Galena, Illinois as an officer of IPA, a different capacity than when I participated many years ago. As a participant, this event really changed my level of engagement in the profession. This year's event included a great session on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and I am thankful for having attended. Something I learned that day was that we could all use some training on this topic. Why? In short, I learned that my preconceived idea of the training was narrow, and the topic is much bigger than many think it is. I truly believe that when we hear about the topic of DEI,
If you haven’t seen it yet, scan the QR code to watch President Chris Clayton’s introductory video!
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| The Journal of the Iowa Pharmacy Association
some might make assumptions about what it is; I certainly had some of my own assumptions. As leaders in our departments or organizations, we work with diverse teams. People come from many different backgrounds, and like me, may be coming to work as a different version of themselves. One of the themes in the DEI training that really struck me was the discussion around inclusion. The idea of an organization, department or individual leader helping every team member feel like they belong made me realize that I didn’t always feel that way due to various policies or comments made at times regarding something as simple as having a visible tattoo. For that reason, I always presented myself in a different way. I wonder how many of us do the same thing day after day and how exhausting that must be. How does this relate to my experience with IPA? Interestingly enough, I think there is a lot of correlation. Our organization represents One Profession. One Voice. across numerous areas of pharmacy practice. This comes with diverse perspectives that have shaped us, and sometimes we do not agree on topics of legislation, policy or how our area of practice may be impacted by another. As I enter this year as President of IPA, one challenge to myself—and to all IPA members—is to do a better job of stepping outside of those immediate emotions or thoughts and realize we truly are all working together for a common purpose, our patients. ■
