About the Institute

Ronald L. Williams photo The Ronald L. Williams Memorial Fund was established in 2004 by the APhA Addiction Practitioner Interest Group (PInG) (now known as the APhA Pain, Palliative Care and Addiction SIG) in honor of Ron Williams who served as the long-time coordinator of the Pharmacy Section at the University of Utah School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies.

As a member of the APhA Staff from 1968 until 1998, Ron devoted his untiring attention to improve the health and careers of pharmacists who suffer from alcohol and drug dependencies. During his career, Williams was instrumental in the development of Pharmacist Recovery Programs (PRNs) that assist pharmacists and student pharmacists who have become impaired by dependence on alcohol and other drugs. Due to Ron’s efforts, countless lives have been saved throughout the years.

APhA Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies - Student Scholarships

The memorial fund, building off of initial contributions made by the members of the APhA Addiction PInG and administered by the APhA Foundation, provides two (2) $1,000 scholarships annually to student pharmacists attending the APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders in Salt Lake City, Utah. Scholarship recipients will be required to prepare a one-page publishable report for Student Pharmacist magazine on their experiences at the APhA Institute.

All applicants must:

Be a member of the APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP)
Provide a letter of intent (750 words) describing:
- Why they wish to receive the scholarship;
- What they expect to gain from attending the APhA Institute, and;
- How they intend to incorporate the knowledge of addiction and recovery into their academic experience and future practice.

The APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders Scholarship & Travel Grant Selection Committee will choose recipients based on careful review of completed materials. Applications for the scholarships are due on Monday, April 1, 2024 at 11:59pm PT.

Student Scholarship Application

APhA is now accepting applications for Student & New Practitioner Ambassador Program for the 2023 APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders.

Student & New Practitioner Ambassadors play an integral role in the success of the APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders by assisting APhA Staff with the planning, development and implementation of the program. In addition, Ambassadors have the opportunity to further their knowledge and experience in the area of substance abuse and addiction. We encourage all attendees to speak with our Ambassadors if you have any questions about the APhA Institute. We are here to serve you!

Roles and Responsibilities of Student Ambassadors:

Attend all APhA Institute sessions and meetings
Attend all planning/preparation sessions prior to the Institute
Identify and introduce APhA Institute speakers
Distribute hand-outs prior-to and during lectures
Set-up and take-down audio visual equipment
Assist with student and pharmacist sign-in sheets
Interact with University Guest House facilities staff
Attend nightly 12-step meetings (AA, NA, Al-Anon)
Interact with attendees and be available to answer questions, attend to special-needs, etc.
Be available and flexible to address any issues that come up during the meeting
Provide honest feedback to APhA Staff on ways to improve the program

Requirements of Student Ambassadors:

Must have attended the previous APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders (or APhA Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies) at least once
Must arrive in Salt Lake City one day prior to the official start of the APhA Institute
Must leave Salt Lake City no earlier than 3 hours after the end of the APhA Institute
If you are not from the Salt Lake City area, you must stay on-campus, either in the apartments, dormitories or the University Guest House
Must facilitate your own travel to and from the airport
Must have a cell phone that can be used for APhA Institute communications throughout the week

APhA will Provide Ambassadors:

Complimentary registration for the APhA Institute
The full cost of the Benchmark Plaza Apartments or half the cost of the University Guest House and Conference Center (each night)
* Please note that your flight, ground transportation, meals, and incidentals are not covered by APhA.

Ambassador Application:

Within the application, we ask applicants to describe why they would like to return to Salt Lake City to serve in this capacity, the impact that the APhA Institute has made on their life, the skills/experiences that they can bring to new attendees and how they plan to carry the message forward. All applications must be submitted via the online APhA Institute Ambassador Application. Applications for the scholarships are due on Monday, April 1, 2024 at 11:59pm PT.

If you have any questions about the APhA Institute, the roles of the ambassadors, or the application process, please contact Missy Skelton Duke via email.

Interested in serving as a Small Group Leader for the 2023 APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders?

APhA will continue the success of our "small groups" from the virtual meeting in 2021 and 2022 live session. We are looking for pharmacist "dinosaurs" who are willing to meet with student pharmacists and first-time attendees prior to the APhA Institute via Zoom and during the brief "small group" meetings daily at the APhA Institute.

Before and during the meeting, we encourage all attendees to work directly with our Small Group Leaders if you have any questions about the APhA Institute or simply need some to talk with about personal issues. In addition to Small Group Leaders, we will also have a counselor onsite for any attendees that would like to speak with a professional about any personal issues. We are here to serve you!

Roles and Responsibilities of Small Group Leaders:

Attend a planning/preparation session prior to the Institute in early May
Attend nightly 12-step meetings (AA, NA, Al-Anon)
Interact with attendees and be available to answer questions, attend to special-needs, etc.
Facilitate a Zoom meeting prior to the APhA Institute to meet and greet your small group to discuss what to expect at the APhA Institute
Facilitate daily small group meetings during the APhA Institute to address topics discussed throughout sessions and 12-step meetings
Be available and flexible to address any issues that come up during the meeting
Provide honest feedback to APhA Staff on ways to improve the program

Requirements of Small Group Leaders:

Must have attended the previous APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders (or APhA Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies) at least 3+ years
Must attend all APhA Institute sessions and meetings

Small Group Leader Interest:

If you are interested in serving as a Small Group Leader or have questions about the role, please contact Charlie Broussard via email by no later than April 14, 2023.

Each year, the APhA Foundation provides two (2) $1,000 scholarships for student pharmacists at attend the APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders. We encourage you to make a donation to the APhA Foundation Ronald L. Williams Memorial Fund. Tax deductible gifts to The Ronald L. Williams Memorial Fund can be made online via the APhA Foundation Website. Please specify that your gift is for this fund. Gifts can be also be sent via U.S. Mail to:

APhA Foundation
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
(Please note “Williams Fund” on check) or by phone through contacting the APhA Foundation at 202-429-7565.

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) Foundation will be offering up to ten (10) $1,500 grants (for eligible attendee registration and travel costs) to qualified board of pharmacy members and staff. Grant funding is available to help underwrite the cost associated with attending the APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information or to apply for a grant to attend the 2023 APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders, please contact the NABP Executive Office at ExecOffice@nabp.pharmacy.

Institute photo The University of Utah School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies was established in 1951 and throughout the years continually expanded its scope to keep pace with the increased awareness of the health and social problems of alcoholism and other drug dependencies. Upon recommendations from pharmacists and student pharmacists to the APhA House of Delegates in the early 1980’s, APhA Staff Members Richard P. Penna and Ronald L. Williams developed the Pharmacy Section at The University of Utah School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies in 1983. For 32 years, the Pharmacy Section made a lasting impact on thousands of pharmacists and student pharmacists through education on the dangers of addiction. Unfortunately in 2014, due to scheduling conflicts an announcement was made that The University of University of Utah School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies will no longer offer their annual conference. Sections offered during the school included dental, nursing, physicians, professional treatment, education, and rehabilitation among others.

In an effort to continue to provide this phenomenal experience, APhA launched the inaugural session of the APhA Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies in June 2015. The Institute continues to carry the message forward to provide pharmacists, student pharmacists, and the profession with resources, information, motivation, and guidance regarding the implementation or strengthening of state and campus-level programs to help pharmacists/student pharmacists whose competence to perform their responsibilities has become impaired due to chemical dependency or other causes.

The Institute assists individuals in finding treatment, support them in ongoing recovery, and facilitate reentry into pharmacy practice or pharmacy education. Institute programming provides attendees with the latest methods and techniques for working effectively towards this purpose. The Institute also strives to provide a perspective for those who would like to understand addiction even if they have not experienced it themselves. Education is planned for those who are developing or who are currently active in state-level pharmacist recovery programs; for state and national pharmacy association executives; for state board of pharmacy officials; for pharmacists in managerial positions; for college faculty and administrators; for student pharmacists; for leaders in firms or organizations that employ pharmacists; for pharmacy technicians; for pharmacist-related employee assistance program personnel; and for individuals who are concerned about alcoholism and other drug dependencies among their colleagues.

Program Goals:

To serve as an introductory or refresher course and a networking opportunity; to provide information, motivation and guidance for pharmacists or student pharmacists who currently participate in or wish to become involved in the planning, implementation, or strengthening of state-level and campus-level programs; to help and assist pharmacists or student pharmacists whose competence to perform their responsibilities has become impaired due to alcoholism or other drug dependencies by assisting them in finding treatment, ongoing recovery and reentry into the practice of pharmacy or their pharmacy education; and to better prepare attendees to provide appropriate assistance and support to clients affected by alcoholism and other drug dependencies.

Planned For:

Those individuals who are developing, or who are currently active in state-level pharmacist recovery programs; for state and national pharmacy association executives; for state board of pharmacy officials; for pharmacists in administrative positions; for college faculty and administrators; for pharmacists and student pharmacists; for leaders in firms or organizations that employ pharmacists; for pharmacy technicians; for pharmacist-related employee assistance program personnel; and for individuals who are concerned about alcoholism and other drug dependencies among their colleagues.

Institute Strives to:

Define addiction and explain its acceptance in the medical profession as a disease.
Explain pharmacology and pathophysiology of addiction.
Describe and participate in 12-step programs and other programs available to assist those who want to be free from addiction.
Design intervention strategies and techniques to help others break through the denial of addiction through lecture and role-play sessions.
Develop strategies to assist recovering abusers re-enter the pharmacy profession and recommend ways to monitor them and help them avoid relapse.
Develop an understanding of the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs on college campuses and the importance of assisting impaired students.
Name the unique problems of pain management in recovering addicts.
Summarize the legal and ethical implications of addiction.
Justify the importance of self-care in order to succeed, in a helping profession.