Michigan Pharmacists Association

04/04/2026

Save the date for the MPF Golf Classic, June 17, 2026 at The Emerald in St. Johns! Registration info will be available soon!

04/03/2026

MPA President Michelle Kelly invites all members to attend the FREE second annual President's Reception on Saturday, April 18, during ACE. Heavy appetizers will be served, and MPA will present a few of its annual awards. Register now: MichiganPharmacists.org/events/annual-convention-and-exposition-2026/register

04/02/2026

New practitioners, join your colleagues after ACE on Friday, April 17, for New Practitioner Night on the Town at Lansing Shuffle! Food, drinks and – of course, shuffleboard – will be on the agenda! Register for ACE now: MichiganPharmacists.org/events/annual-convention-and-exposition-2026/register

04/02/2026

04/01/2026

Where’s Mark?

Closed out the APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition in style with the honor of meeting up again with Re*****on Award recipient Tom Meneghan and seeing APhA Treasurer Sean Jeffery, who will be MPA’s Keynote Speaker on Saturday of ACE. Our Michigan delegates to the APhA House of Delegates served MPA well, including Brittany Stewart, MPA Executive Fellow Mey Tao, Ben Greathouse, Tonino Michienzi and MPA President Michelle Kelly. Thanks to you all!

04/01/2026

MPA is proud to partner with Lilly, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZenca and Novo Nordisk to once again bring you engaging and relevant product theater sessions on Friday, April 17. Lunch will be served during the session of your choice. Register now and join us in Lansing!

MichiganPharmacists.org/events/annual-convention-and-exposition-2026/register

03/31/2026

Just 2️⃣ weeks left until ACE 2026 in Lansing! Don't miss out on Michigan's premier pharmacy CE event and register now! Click the link or scan the code to get started: https://ow.ly/Z5xh50XYbjn

03/31/2026

Where’s Mark?

Enjoyed seeing our friends from PTCB at the APhA Annual Exposition, including (from left) Senior Director of Professional Affairs Ryan Burke, Executive Director & CEO Bill Schimmel, Chief Professional Officer Liza Chapman, Professional Affairs Manager Verdina Frazier-Gladden and Director of Professional Affairs and Director of PTEC Zach Green. Also enjoyed making new friends at MPA education partner LSPedia, including Director of Compliance Erin Parsons and Account Executive Andrew Pytlak, and also with MedMe Business Development & Partnerships Manager Sayna Saqafi. Many thanks to MedMe for just awarding MPA a grant from its Pharmacy Impact & Advocacy Fund!

03/30/2026

If you have not renewed your MPA membership yet, there is still time! If you renew by March 31, you can restore your benefits for 2026. Renew now today: MichiganPharmacists.org/membership-information

03/30/2026

Where’s Mark?

Kicked off the 2026 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition in Los Angeles with the Opening Session of the APhA House of Delegates. Many thanks to MPA President Michelle Kelly, Brittany Stewart, Ben Greathouse and Tonino Michienzi who served as delegates. Enjoyed a great Michigan Reception, where more than 50 Michigan attendees networked with friends and colleagues. Many thanks to our cohosts Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for their support! And I served on my last National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) Board of Directors meeting after two, three-year terms. So gratifying to give back to the profession!

03/29/2026

MPA has been proud to partner with our friends Choose Lansing for the upcoming Annual Convention & Exposition April 17-19. Please feel free to reach out to them if you have any questions about your stay in the Capital City!

03/28/2026

March MPA Member Spotlight🔦: Michael Sleiman

🥼Describe your current role and what a typical day looks like for you.
I am a pharmacy team leader at Meijer Pharmacy, where I support daily operations, develop pharmacy teams and help ensure safe, patient-centered care. I work closely with pharmacists, technicians and leadership to maintain regulatory compliance and efficient workflows.
In addition, I serve as a member of the Michigan Board of Pharmacy and have previously held the roles of vice chair and chair. My work focuses on regulatory oversight, rule development and advancing pharmacy practice.

💡What inspired you to become an MPA member, and what keeps you engaged?
My involvement with the Michigan Pharmacists Association was driven by a desire to be part of meaningful advocacy and professional leadership within the state. I remain engaged because MPA provides a strong platform for collaboration, education and advancing the role of pharmacists in health care.

🎉What recent accomplishments or milestones are you most proud of?
One of my proudest accomplishments has been serving as chair and vice chair of the Michigan Board of Pharmacy, where I helped contribute to regulatory oversight and rule decisions impacting pharmacy practice statewide. I’m also proud of the work I do daily at Meijer Pharmacy to support my team, improve workflows and ensure safe, high-quality patient care.

📝Share an impact story on how you directly affected a patient's outcome.
One of my regular patients, a retired war veteran, came to the pharmacy one day frustrated because he was struggling to sleep. He told me that his Ambien wasn’t working as well as it used to. His wife, who was with him, explained that he frequently woke up in the middle of the night, often after nightmares, and rarely felt rested in the morning. According to her, this had been going on for many years.

After talking with him for a few minutes, I asked whether he had any recent blood work done. He said he hadn’t. I mentioned that magnesium deficiency is quite common and that magnesium plays an important role in sleep regulation and relaxation. I suggested that he consider having his levels checked but, in the meantime, I recommended trying magnesium glycinate, which is often better tolerated and can help support relaxation, stress reduction and sleep.

After reviewing his medication profile to ensure there were no interactions, I also recommended an herbal supplement, valerian root, which may help promote sleep by increasing GABA activity in the brain. We discussed how both could potentially support better sleep alongside his current therapy.

A few days later, he came back to the pharmacy and told me he had experienced the best sleep he’d had in years. Shortly after, his wife came in as well. She was emotional and thanked me repeatedly, explaining that they had struggled with his sleep for nearly 20 years and that this was the first time in a long time he had finally been able to rest.

Moments like that are a powerful reminder that pharmacists can have a meaningful impact on patients’ lives. Sometimes our role goes beyond dispensing medications, we’re also educators, problem-solvers, and trusted health care professionals who can help patients find solutions that improve their overall quality of life.

✍️What advice would you share with fellow pharmacists, student pharmacists, or pharmacy technicians in Michigan?
My advice is to stay engaged, whether it’s through professional organizations, continuing education, or mentorship. Getting involved beyond your day-to-day role helps you grow as a professional and gives you a voice in shaping the future of pharmacy in Michigan.