Personal protective equipment being unloaded in Arkansas
Governor Asa Hutchinson announces the first presumptive positive coronavirus case in March
State Pharmacists and APA Adapt to the New Normal by APA Director of Communications Jordan Foster
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lthough little information was shared about the scheduled press conference on March 11, the air in the room had a grim heaviness to it as reporters gathered into the governor’s reception room at the state capitol. News reports from other states and rumors from within our own were pointing to the likeliest scenario, soon confirmed by Governor Asa Hutchinson: officials had identified the first presumed case of the novel coronavirus in Arkansas. The news came as a strikingly bitter reminder that virtually no area of the globe would remain untouched for long from the growing pandemic. Within weeks, the world would be reminded of another stark truth: while many people were able to secure the safety of themselves and their families by staying home and sheltering in place, healthcare officials including pharmacists put their lives on the line to protect the health and wellbeing of their patients. Over the following months, Americans saw changes that were once unimaginable. What began with advice to wash your hands repeatedly and avoid shaking hands soon lead to classes moving online for millions of students, restaurants shifting to curbside pickup, gyms, barber shops and other businesses shuttering their doors, and several “shelter in place” and mask mandates by dozens of governors and local governments. The phrases “social distancing” and “flattening the curve” 8
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became part of the national zeitgeist. Yet through it all, pharmacists across Arkansas didn’t miss a step. Community pharmacists transitioned to drive-thru, curbside pickup, or delivery. Health system pharmacists worked diligently to monitor PPE and drug shortages at hospitals throughout Arkansas. Compounding pharmacists made thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer when a shortage hit. Consultant pharmacists worked with state leaders to develop regulations for nursing homes, one of the earliest and hardest hit areas of the pandemic in Arkansas. UAMS and Harding faculty and staff worked feverishly to make a seamless transition to online learning and reschedule rotations to protect students. Pharmacists statewide stepped up to the challenge of serving their patients in a brand-new world. At the Arkansas Pharmacists Association, the pandemic forced us to adapt as well. In mid-March, APA CEO John Vinson made the decision to allow staff to work remotely for their safety. Twelve-hour workdays were not uncommon as information about the coronavirus continuously evolved and state rules and regulations were constantly having to be amended, suspended, or upended. Through the APA COVID Resource webpage and daily COVID email update, we aimed to keep our members informed of the steadily changing flood of information. AR•Rx
VIRTUAL Reality “Virtual” is a word that will be forever linked with the COVID pandemic. As many events across the country went from inperson to virtual, APA shifted many of our events to an online experience to keep in line with social distancing requirements. We celebrated the students of the UAMS College of Pharmacy and the Harding College of Pharmacy with virtual pinning and graduation ceremonies. We hosted several virtual townhalls with Arkansas pharmacy leaders. John Vinson even interviewed Governor Asa Hutchinson during APA’s first ever Q&A with a sitting governor. But with June approaching quickly and the APA annual convention essentially an impossibility, staff began working on an ambitious, all-day Virtual Seminar featuring topics including a Supreme Court panel discussion spanning multiple states and a COVID update from one of the state’s leading authorities. More than 100 attendees tuned in to see APA President Dean Watts and CEO John Vinson broadcasting live from a makeshift television studio at the DoubleTree Hotel in Downtown Little Rock. Due to the success of the Virtual Seminar, we are looking at similar opportunities to offer CE to our members in the future.
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THE ARKANSAS PHARMACIST
7/28/20 4:05 PM
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T t c t y h a a d t d p c g f G h h p A l w
