Tatiana Hines: Leading While Giving Back
Tatiana Hines, PharmD Candidate ’23, draws inspiration from her youth in seeking to serve the underserved
Story by Ryan McDaniel | Published September 26, 2022
Tatiana Hines, PharmD Candidate ’23, wants to give back to the people and organizations that have helped her achieve so much. As the new Vice President of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA), she’s in a perfect place to do just that.
“We are the largest student-run pharmacy organization and have a student-first mentality of encouraging the ingenuity of our members,” says Tatiana. “I strive to continue to challenge our student members with our various competitions in community, clinical, managed care, and industry pharmacy settings; increase social harmonization and membership across the nation; and to continue to innovatively challenge the status quo of the current landscape of pharmacy.”
Tatiana is driven by a deep appreciation for the role pharmacy plays in the lives of those facing daunting medical challenges. She grew up in Slickerville, NJ, 25 miles outside Philadelphia. Being so close to the city gave her perspective on the disparities many vulnerable populations face. When her grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Tatiana would accompany her to the pharmacy to help learn about and sort through medications in her complicated regimen.
“Grandma’s community pharmacy played a vital role in allowing her to live more comfortably despite her disease and to be able to access [medication] at an affordable rate through patient assistant programs,” Tatiana recalls.
This is an outlook Tatiana has carried with her through her undergraduate studies at UNC-Greensboro into her time at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. It’s what drew her to SNPhA in the first place.
“SNPhA’s mission to serve the underserved and improve health outcomes has always aligned with my personal values,” she says. “I decided to join the UNC chapter during my PY1 year—and it has been a foundational component of my growth as a pharmacy student.”
Tatiana, who is approaching her third consecutive year on the SNPhA National Board, immediately took an active role in the organization. As a PY2, she was appointed Chair of the national Remember the Ribbon Initiative, focused on HIV/AIDS awareness, and last year she chaired the national Bridging the Gap Initiative, promoting professional development, mentorship, and social harmonization. These leadership roles helped her stay connected with students throughout the country during the pandemic and helped prepare her for the role of Vice President, which she took on in August of this year.
Tatiana’s drive to unite and give back to the pharmacy community extends beyond her work at the School and with SNPhA. In 2021, in partnership with three other student pharmacists, she founded The Pharma Collective, a social platform whose main purpose is “to bring a diverse millennial twist to the pharmaceutical industry and innovatively bring forth resources and education materials for graduate students to find their own passions within the space.” Through this resource, Tatiana further helps in the professional development of her peers.
Tatiana is eyeing a career in regulatory affairs at biopharmaceutical companies after she graduates, with a goal of leveraging her role to continue promoting the profession and her colleagues.
“In the future I hope to continue to creatively advocate for the pharmacy profession, be a leader within the pharmaceutical space, and help others to reach their fullest potential.”
With all she has accomplished thus far, it’s certain she will do exactly that.
To learn more about The Pharma Collective, visit their LinkedIn, Youtube, or Instagram pages. To learn more about SNPhA, visit SNPhA.org.