Bisni Narayanan, an Indian American, has been elected as the President of the Connecticut Pharmacists Association (CPA), making her the first South Asian-origin President of the organization since its establishment in 1876 by pharmacists John K. Williams and Alfred Daggett. The announcement was made at the annual ceremony and reception held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bristol, Connecticut.
In her speech to the audience, Narayanan shared her journey of becoming a licensed pharmacist in the United States after immigrating on a student visa in 2000. She highlighted the challenges she faced, including proving the equivalence of her education from India, taking various exams, completing internships, and passing state law exams to begin her career in community pharmacy.
Narayanan, who works as the Manager of Specialty Pharmacy at Yale New Haven Health, also received the Pharmacy Leadership Award from the National Community Pharmacists Association at the CPA meeting. She discussed her struggles with obtaining US citizenship and emphasized the importance of perseverance and dedication in achieving her goals.
With over 6,000 licensed pharmacists and 600 pharmacies in Connecticut, Narayanan has been actively involved in advancing the mission of the CPA since 2018. She highlighted some of the organization’s recent accomplishments, including collaborating with state lawmakers to pass legislation allowing pharmacists to prescribe and administer federally authorized vaccines for patients ages 12 and up.
Looking ahead, Narayanan outlined her plans as the incoming President, focusing on unifying the pharmacy profession in the state and encouraging more professionals to engage with the CPA. She emphasized the importance of supporting pharmacists and pharmacy technicians across all practice settings and mentioned upcoming initiatives such as mentorship programs for students and webinars on emerging technologies in pharmacy practice.
Narayanan also mentioned the upcoming 150th anniversary celebration of the CPA, where they will honor the organization’s history and contributions to advancing pharmacy practice in Connecticut. As a highly qualified professional with degrees from renowned institutions like BITS Pilani and St. John’s University, Narayanan brings a wealth of experience to her role as President of the CPA.
In addition to her work in pharmacy, Narayanan is also a freelance medical writer, contributing to educational materials and research grants. She is actively involved in the medical community as a faculty member and a member of the Medical Reserve Corps for the Aspetuck Health District in Connecticut. Despite her busy professional life, Narayanan prioritizes her family and lives with her husband and two children in Weston, CT.
Overall, Narayanan’s election as President of the CPA marks a significant milestone for the organization and the South Asian community in Connecticut. Her dedication to the pharmacy profession and commitment to advancing healthcare initiatives demonstrate her leadership qualities and vision for a stronger, more unified pharmacy industry in the state.
