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Student Organizations

Student organizations are a great way to get involved. The organizations are voluntary and can provide additional networking, education, entertainment, and a sense of community outside classes. Each organization is an affiliate or chapter of a national organization and provides its own unique perspective and opportunities. The student organization network is managed through the College of Pharmacy Student Government Association (COP SGA), which also acts as liaison with the University’s Student Government Association. The membership of the COP SGA includes an executive board, leadership from all student organizations and Class Officers. The COP SGA provides organization to the many events, both social and professional, for the student body. Student organization events include social gatherings, community outreach, networking opportunities, fundraisers, educational seminars, and other professional development activities. 

The Medical University of South Carolina also offers ways for students to get involved in interprofessional student organizations, affinity groups, intramural sports, wellness initiatives, volunteer opportunities, and many other activities. MUSC Gives Back presents opportunities for students to learn about the community, provide needed services, and document their individual community service hours. 

Student Chapters

The MUSC College of Pharmacy has student chapters of the following national pharmacy organizations: 

American Pharmacists Association (APhA), founded in 1852, is the largest association of pharmacists in the United States, with more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians as members. APhA is the organization whose members are recognized in society as essential in all patient care settings for optimal medication use that improves health, wellness, and quality of life. Through information, education, and advocacy APhA empowers its members to improve medication use and advance patient care. The vision of APhA is to inspire, innovate, and create opportunities for members and pharmacists worldwide to optimize medication use and health for all. As the voice of pharmacy, APhA leads the profession and equips members for their role as the medication expert in team-based, patient-centered care. APhA will accomplish this by:

  • Advancing pharmacists' optimal roles in team-based, patient-centered care.
  • Providing opportunities for professional development, recognition, differentiation, and leadership.
  • Disseminating timely relevant information and state-of-the-art tools and resources.
  • Raising societal awareness about the role of pharmacists as essential in patient care for optimal medication use.
  • Creating unique opportunities for members to connect and share with peers across practice settings.

Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International (CPFI) is a worldwide ministry of individuals working in all areas of pharmaceutical service and practice. Our mission is to serve Christ and the world through pharmacy. Our core values are to:

  • Provide Godly encouragement and fellowship among like-minded professionals
  • Challenge and promote spiritual growth of members
  • Advance student chapter ministries to strengthen and equip student pharmacists
  • Encourage the advancement of knowledge and ethics in practice
  • Promote evangelism and the integration of faith into practice
  • Provide support and opportunities for Christian service and outreach

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) represents pharmacists who serve as patient care providers in acute and ambulatory settings. The organization’s 45,000 members include pharmacists, student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. For more than 75 years ASHP has been at the forefront of efforts to improve medication use and enhance patient safety.

Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) is the organization whose pharmacist members are universally recognized within the pharmaceutical industry as being the most professionally equipped to contribute to the development, commercialization, promotion, and optimal use of medicines. IPhO is exclusively dedicated to advancing the careers of industry pharmacists. IPhO accomplishes this by:

  • Providing timely and relevant information that is vital to our members.
  • Raising awareness among employers and industry executives about the role that industry pharmacists can play in drug development and appropriate medication use.
  • Providing targeted resources and coaching to enhance members' continuing education and professional development.
  • Creating opportunities for members to network and exchange ideas with their industry pharmacist peers.
  • Providing access to attractive and relevant employment opportunities available in the industry.

Kappa Epsilon is a professional, co-educational pharmacy fraternity that unites students, faculty, and alumni to build leadership and professional skills. 

Mission: to unite pharmacy students, faculty, and alumni to empower members to achieve personal and professional competence, develop leaders within the profession and community, and provide professional and philanthropic services.

National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) represents the pharmacist owners, managers, and employees of more than 22,000 independent community pharmacies across the United States. The nation's independent pharmacies, independent pharmacy franchises, and independent chains dispense approximately 40 percent of the nation's retail prescription medicines.

The nation's independent pharmacists are small business entrepreneurs and multifaceted health care providers who represent a vital part of the United States' health care delivery system. They have roots in America's communities. They are community leaders actively involved in community-oriented public health, civic, and volunteer projects. Many hold local elected offices; others serve as state legislators.

  • We are dedicated to the continuing growth and prosperity of independent community pharmacy in the United States.
  • We are the national pharmacy association representing the professional and proprietary interests of independent community pharmacists and will vigorously promote and defend those interests.
  • We are committed to high-quality pharmacist care and to restoring, maintaining, and promoting the health and well-being of the public we serve.
  • We believe in the inherent virtues of the American free enterprise system and will do all we can to ensure the ability of independent community pharmacists to compete in a free and fair marketplace.
  • We value the right to petition the appropriate legislative and regulatory bodies to serve the needs of those we represent.
  • We will utilize our resources to achieve these ends in an ethical and socially responsible manner.

National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA) is a nationwide, professional organization of pharmacists founded by Dr. Chauncey I. Cooper in 1947. Dr. Cooper recognized the vital need to develop a pharmacy organization focused on the needs of the minority community. He strived to promote excellence and uniformity among minority health professionals in order to improve the quality of health care in minority communities. NPhA is dedicated to representing the views and ideals of minority pharmacists on critical issues affecting Health care and pharmacy, as well as advancing the standards of pharmaceutical care among all practitioners. The vision of the NPhA is: 

  • To support a system of education and professional training which assure the public the availability of competent personnel to the accepted functions of the practice of pharmacy, especially disenfranchised communities.
  • To promote good health by providing information for the safe effective use of medications by members of the health professions the general public.
  • To provide information on current topics and medical products services through newsletters, journals, conventions, and zone meetings.
  • To encourage interest in the practice of pharmacy as a career, especially among minority students.
  • To encourage and maintain relations with members of other health professions and their respective organizations by being a voice on public policy issues affecting and in representing minority patients and pharmacists.
  • To maintain lines of communication between the organization and its membership so that their needs are accurately represented.
  • To provide continuing pharmaceutical education for its members.
  • To pursue such other lawful purposes within its corporate powers as may be approved from time to time by the House of Delegates or Board of Directors.

The mission of Phi Delta Chi is to provide a lifelong home for pharmacy professionals inspiring Brotherhood, Leadership, Service, and Scholarship. Phi Delta Chi:

  • Is widely recognized for empowering Brothers to lead and serve
  • Offers programs and experiences that support Brothers across all stages of their lives
  • Has a vibrant national network of both collegiate and alumni chapters
  • Sustains a strong pipeline of leaders actively engaged in the pharmacy profession
  • Has a robust and agile infrastructure to support growth in a dynamic environment
  • Maintains a closely aligned partnership with the Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute (PLEI) to deliver value to the Brotherhood

The mission of Phi Lambda Sigma, also known as the national Pharmacy Leadership Society, is to recognize leaders in the profession, cultivate leadership development, and inspire transformational change.

The Rho Chi Society seeks to advance pharmacy through intellectual leadership. As the academic honor society in pharmacy, the Rho Chi Society:

  • Encourages and recognizes intellectual achievement
  • Stimulates critical inquiry to advance pharmacy
  • Contributes to the development of intellectual leaders
  • Promotes highest ethical standards
  • Fosters collaboration

Membership in The Rho Chi Society is a privilege accorded to the very few who distinguish themselves by their academic and professional achievements and who aspire to the mission and vision of the Society.

College of Pharmacy Student Organizations

American Pharmacists Association - Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP)

ASP is an umbrella organization that offers its members opportunities to engage in multiple patient-oriented projects, attend regional and national meetings and networking events, participate in the policy-making process for the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), develop leadership skills, and get involved in international pharmacy initiatives. ASP has something for everyone, no matter what area of pharmacy you are interested in!

Mission: To be the collective voice of student pharmacists, to provide opportunities for professional growth, to improve patient care, and to envision and advance the future of pharmacy.

Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA)

SNPhA is an educational service association of pharmacy students who are concerned about pharmacy and healthcare-related issues and the poor minority representation in pharmacy and other healthcare professions. The purpose of SNPhA is to plan, organize, coordinate, and execute programs geared toward the improvement of the health, educational, and social environment of the community. SNPhA is also an umbrella association encompassing all areas of pharmacy. It is SNPhA’s duty to grow and develop student pharmacists with the ability to understand the needs of all patients.

Mission: To serve the underserved and promote diversity within the pharmacy profession.

Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO)

IPhO National Student Members are recognized as the best prepared among all student pharmacists to pursue pharmaceutical industry-focused career opportunities. National Student Members have an excellent working knowledge of common industry pharmacist roles and key pharmaceutical industry driving forces, as well as an understanding of the skills and experiences necessary to become a successful industry pharmacist. IPhO provides opportunities to learn more about the drug development process, clinical trials, product marketing, and how pharmacists can work with pharmaceutical companies to help educate other healthcare providers about their medications.

Mission: The Industry Pharmacists Organization is exclusively dedicated to advancing the careers of industry pharmacists. IPhO accomplishes this by raising awareness among employers and industry executives about the role that industry pharmacists can play in drug development and appropriate medication use, providing targeted resources and coaching to enhance members, continuing education and professional development, creating opportunities for members to network and exchange ideas with their industry pharmacist peers and providing access to attractive and relevant employment opportunities available in the industry.

National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)

NCPA is a national organization dedicated to the continuing growth and prosperity of community pharmacy. NCPA is committed to high-quality pharmacist care and to restoring, maintaining, and promoting the health and well-being of the public. The local chapter’s focus is to support students at MUSC who are leaning towards a career in community pharmacy by providing events, guest speakers, and activities geared towards a future in community pharmacy.

Mission: Promote the tradition of community pharmacy through service, education, and entrepreneurship.

Student Society of Health-System Pharmacy (SSHP)

MUSC-SSHP is a recognized student society of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and affiliated with the South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SCSHP). SSHP prepares students for a pharmacy residency and/or a career in clinical pharmacy practice through residency panels, clinical specialist guest speakers, and shadowing opportunities. SSHP provides an inside look into clinical pharmacy specialties through Special Interest Groups (SIGs), including ambulatory care, critical care, inpatient clinical pharmacy, long term care, oncology, pediatrics, psychology, and transplant. Members have the opportunity to get involved in service, fundraising, professional development, and the Practice Advancement Initiative (PAI).

Mission: To make students aware of pharmacy practice in health systems; provide information to students about career directions in and credentials needed for pharmacy practice in various health systems; and to encourage membership and participation in the SCSHP and the ASHP as a student and as a professional

Phi Delta Chi (PDC)

Phi Delta Chi is a professional pharmacy fraternity that provides a lifelong Brotherhood and promotes the scholastic and social growth of its members. The Alpha Kappa chapter at MUSC consists of a diverse group of men and women with a shared interest of advancing the profession, serving the community, and developing as leaders in pharmacy. Additionally, our collegiate chapter is committed to improving public health and strengthening ourselves as future healthcare professionals.

Mission: To provide a lifelong home for pharmacy professionals inspiring brotherhood, leadership, service, and scholarship.

Kappa Epsilon (KE)

Founded in 1921, Kappa Epsilon (KE) is a professional pharmaceutical fraternity whose purpose was to unite women students of pharmacy. Beta Epsilon chapter and KE national are now a co-ed fraternity, with the purpose of uniting pharmacy students, faculty, and alumni.

Mission: The current mission of Kappa Epsilon is to unite pharmacy students, faculty, and alumni dedicated to empower its members to achieve personal and professional competence, to develop leaders within the profession and community, and to provide professional and philanthropic services. Kappa Epsilon's national project involves various breast and ovarian cancer awareness efforts. Currently, there are 37 collegiate chapters and 10 alumni chapters across the United States.

Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International (CPFI)

The MUSC chapter of CPFI participates in a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the year. For the 2024-2025 school year, we won the school-wide award for excellence in service as an organization. We are involved heavily in the Charleston community by volunteering at events such as The Hot Dog Ministry where we volunteer to feed the unhoused population and offer vaccine clinics and The Ronald McDonald House where we feed families who are staying at that time. We also offer monthly bible studies along with our general body meetings and edit/publish a schoolwide book known as The Clinical Pearls Book every year. We strive to provide fellowship among healthcare professionals while encouraging and promoting spiritual growth.

Mission: CPFI is a worldwide ministry of individuals working in all areas of pharmaceutical service and practice. Our mission is to serve Christ and the world through pharmacy.

Pharmacy Honor Societies (Membership by Invitation Only) 

Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS)

Also known as the Pharmacy Leadership Society, PLS encourages active participation in professional pharmacy organizations and recognizes outstanding student, faculty, and alumni leaders. Members are selected by peer recognition. Such recognition instills and enhances self-confidence, encourages students to a more active role, and promotes greater effort toward the advancement of pharmacy.

Mission: To support pharmacy leadership commitment by recognizing leaders and
fostering leadership development.

Rho Chi 

Rho Chi seeks to advance pharmacy through sustained intellectual leadership. Students in the top 20% of each class are invited for membership following completion of 50% of didactic coursework.

Mission: As the academic honor society in pharmacy, the Rho Chi Society encourages and recognizes intellectual achievement, stimulates critical inquiry to advance
pharmacy, contributes to the development of intellectual leaders, promotes the highest of ethical standards, and fosters collaboration.

Student Government Assocation

The Student Government Association (SGA) is the governing body for all College of Pharmacy students. This organization represents the student body’s interests and functions to assist the administration and faculty in promoting professional attitudes and fellowship. Socially, the SGA sponsors various events and fundraisers throughout the year. COP-SGA oversees all branded MUSC College of Pharmacy apparel and merchandise and hold apparel sales semesterly. SGA officers are elected each spring semester by fellow students. Class officers are elected at start of the fall semester for P1 students and during the spring for P2-P4 students. Class officer roles include President, College of Pharmacy SGA representative, and MUSC SGA representative.