— ON THE COVER —
MPA’s 138th President
MIKE
CROWE The Unexpected Gifts of Giving Back BY MARY WARDELL, communications manager,
W
Michigan Pharmacists Association
hen incoming Michigan Pharmacists Association President Mike Crowe was faced in 2018 with the prospect of losing the job he loved, it didn’t look much like an opportunity at the time. Discouraged, but not deterred, he reached out to his network of colleagues and fellow MPA members. The response was overwhelming. “While it was certainly disheartening to be let go, the timing could not have been better,” Crowe said. Diplomat was the Michigan-based specialty pharmacy that had launched his career, first through its residency program and then through an eight-year stint in clinical services working with managed care organizations, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and even with several cutting-edge adherence technology companies. Crowe loved the opportunities and development he experienced at Diplomat, but the company’s growth led to its decision to go public, and that led to internal changes. “Eventually, expenses needed to be reduced.” Crowe said, “And one lineitem cut was my salary.”
“Working together with a united voice is the only way we will move the mountains ahead of us.” — MIKE CROWE 20
MichiganPharmacists.org
Three of the MPA contacts Crowe reached out to after discovering this grim news happened to be with Walgreens, and they knew about a special opportunity coming down the pike. “They all redirected my resume to the hiring manager of a soon-to-beopened local specialty pharmacy, which would be located just minutes from Diplomat,” he explained. “I was hired! And three years into it, it has been my favorite role to date.” Leading the effort to open this specialty pharmacy remains one of Crowe’s proudest accomplishments. He credits the opportunity with the network he built through MPA as a volunteer leader. Crowe sees this as one of the most valuable benefits MPA offers. “I’ve said before that I view MPA membership as insurance for our profession,” Crowe said.
