Indian American elected President of Connecticut Pharmacists Association

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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT – Bisni Narayanan, an Indian American, was elected as the President of the Connecticut Pharmacists Association (CPA), at the organization’s annual ceremony and reception, held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bristol, Connecticut. She becomes the first person of Indian origin to head the organization which was established in 1876 by pharmacists John K. Williams and Alfred Daggett.

Narayanan, who works as Manager, Specialty Pharmacy, Yale New Haven Health, also received the Pharmacy Leadership Award, from the National Community Pharmacists Association, at the CPA meet.

In her speech to the gathering, Narayanan spoke of her struggles to become a licensed pharmacist in the United States, after she emigrated on a student visa in 2000.

“I had to prove what I learnt in India was the equivalent of the pharmacy education here; so, I took the foreign equivalency exam. I had to prove I could speak and read English well. Just for the record, I went to a school in India where English was the language of instruction for 12 plus years. Then I had to take the NAPLEX like everyone else. I also did about 1,500 hours of internship, which is required for foreign students. Finally, I took the state law exam. And so began my career in community pharmacy,” Narayanan said.

In her speech, Narayanan also revealed her long journey to US citizenship this year, including the time when she felt she was “languishing with no way out partly because my work visa required me to be employed by a specific employer.”

There are more than 6,000 licensed pharmacists and about 600 pharmacies in Connecticut.

Narayanan, who has been working to advance the cause of the CPA since 2018, talked about some of the achievements of the organization in the past year. They included working with state lawmakers to pass three significant bills, including the rule to allow Connecticut pharmacists to prescribe and administer any federally authorized or approved vaccines for patients ages 12 and up. This landmark legislation took effect on October 1, 2024.

Narayanan also spoke about advancing mentorship programs for pharmacy students to find work, and about developing a new webinar that explored the impact of artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies on revolutionizing the practice of pharmacy.

“As your incoming President, I will continue our strategic plan and goal of unifying the profession by inspiring more pharmacy professionals in our state to get involved with CPA, especially those from the community setting. My goal is to ensure that we meet the needs of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians across all practice settings,” she said.

Narayanan also spoke about the CPA’s 150^th anniversary celebration next year. The CPA is the second oldest state pharmacy association in the United States, behind the state association in New Jersey.

“Together we will execute a meaningful celebration to pay tribute to CPA’s rich history and all its accomplishments that advanced the practice of pharmacy in Connecticut,” she said.

Narayanan, an alum of BITS Pilani, was born in Kerala, and grew up in Tamil Nadu. She has a Master of Science degree in Pharmacology from St. John’s University in New York, Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Among others, she has worked for a startup biotech, Curagen Corporation, and the retail pharmacy CVS.

Narayanan also freelances as a medical writer. She also writes educational needs assessments, home study continuing education activities, and research grants. A peer reviewed author, she is on the faculty for the University of Connecticut’s Medical Writing Certificate Program. She is also a member of the Medical Reserve Corps for the Aspetuck Health District, in Connecticut.

Narayanan lives with her husband and two children, in Weston, CT.