July 2008 Florida Pharmacy Journal by Florida Pharmacy Today

JULY 2008

Florida Welcomes New COP

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy Bradenton Prepares for Second Year

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florida PHARMACY TODAY Departments 4 Calendar 4 Advertisers 5 President’s Viewpoint 7 Executive Insight 19 Buyer’s Guide

VOL. 71 | NO. 7 JULY 2008 the official publication of the florida pharmacy association

Features

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Florida Welcomes New COP Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy Bradenton Prepares for Second Year

Respiratory Illness, Dog Bites Among Top Concerns For Travelers to China Fewer Kids Suffering from Rotavirus This Season

JUNE 2008

FPA Calendar 2008

July 9-13

118th Annual FPA Meeting and Conference Orlando, Florida

11 Gatherin Hotel Registration Ends 18 Last day to register for the 25th Annual SE Gatherin

23 - 24 FPA Committee and Council MeetingsHilton Orlando North SEPTEMBER

August 1-3 Southeastern Officer's Conference Biloxi, MS

20-21 FPA Clinical Consultant Conference Hyatt BonaventureWeston, Florida

macy Association can communicate with

October 11-15 NCPA Annual Conference Tampa, Florida 18-19 FPA Midyear Clinical Conference Sheraton Orlando North November 1-2

11 Veteran's Day - FPA Office Closed

12-13 Florida Board of Pharmacy Meeting Orlando, Florida

FPA Committee and Council Meetings

27-28 Thanksgiving Holiday FPA Office Closed

17-19 NABP Regional Meeting Sandestin, Florida

For a complete calendar of events go to www.pharmview.com CE CREDITS (CE cycle) The Florida Board of Pharmacy requires 10 hours LIVE Continuing Education as part of the required 30 hours general education needed every license renewal period. Pharmacists should have satisfied all continuing education requirements for this biennial period by September 30, 2009 or prior to licensure renewal. *For Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Application, Exam Information and Study materials, please contact Ranada Simmons in the FPA office. For More Information on CE Programs or Events: Contact the Florida Pharmacy Association at (850) 222-2400 or visit our Web site at www.pharmview.com CONTACTS FPA — Michael Jackson (850) 222-2400 FSHP — Michael McQuone (850) 906-9333 U/F — Dan Robinson (352) 273-6240 FAMU — Otis Kirksey (850) 599-3301 NSU — Carsten Evans (954) 262-1300 DISCLAIMER Articles in this publication are designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with respect to the subject matter covered. This information is provided with the understanding that neither Florida Pharmacy Today nor the Florida Pharmacy Association are engaged in rendering legal or other professional services through this publication. If expert assistance or legal advice is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The use of all medications or other pharmaceutical products should be used according to the recommendations of the manufacturers. Information provided by the maker of the product should always be consulted before use.

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Flo r i d a P h a r m a c y To d a Y

The Florida Pharmacy Today Journal is a peer reviewed journal which serves as a medium through which the Florida Phar-

3-6 Southeastern Gatherin Sandestin, Florida FPA Legislative Committee Meeting Orlando, Florida

of the Florida Pharmacy Today Journal

1 Labor Day - FPA Office Closed

20-23 AACP Annual Meeting Chicago, Illinois 31 - 8/3 FSHP Annual Meeting

Mission Statements:

the profession on advances in the sciences of pharmacy, socio-economic issues bearing on pharmacy and newsworthy items of interest to the profession. As a self-supported journal, it solicits and accepts advertising congruent with its expressed mission.

of the Florida Pharmacy Today Board of Directors The mission of the Florida Pharmacy Today Board of Directors is to serve in an advisory capacity to the managing editor and executive editor of the Florida Pharmacy Today

Journal in the establishment and interpretation of the Journal’s policies and the management of the Journal’s fiscal responsibilities. The Board of Directors also serves to motivate the Florida Pharmacy Association members to secure appropriate advertising to assist the

Journal in its goal of self-support.

Advertisers FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH....... 20 HAYSLIP & ZOST............................................... 9 Healthcare consultants..................... 3 Kahan ◆ SHIR, P.L......................................... 14 McKesson....................................................... 16 medical staffing...................................... 14 PHARMACY PROVIDER SERVICES (PPSC).......................................... 2 Pharmacy Max............................................. 9 Rx RElief.......................................................... 20

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The President’s Viewpoint BY Don Bergemann, FPA President

Are You Ready to Get Out of the Box?

experienced a myriad of emotions as I wrote, this, my final article as FPA president. It obviously means that my year as president is almost over. A year in which life threw numerous obstacles in my path, including the loss of two family members. Obstacles that made it difficult at times to maintain my focus. Nevertheless, I believe we achieved a modicum of success. That success was largely due to the efforts of those who picked up the slack when I was preoccupied with other issues. Thus, I must first extend thanks to my fellow officers and my council chairs for lending a hand. Secondly, I want to thank you, the members, for the privilege and honor of serving as your president. In this article I will address some of the goals that I laid out in my installation address. Additionally, I will comment on other events that occurred during the past year. Goals In my installation address “Get Out of the Box,” I indicated that we need to get information to pharmacists in order for them to be able to make the decisions necessary to advance their professional careers and “get out of their box.” The primary mechanism that we use to disseminate information is our journal. In order for our journal to reach more people, we need to increase our membership. Thus, I charged the Organizational Affairs Council the task to develop a marketing plan tailored to the employee pharmacist. In that process, they were to consider information collected from the two employee pharmacist focus groups that we held during the year. One meeting took place in

Weston, Florida, last fall with a second in Destin in February. As it turns out, this is a multi-faceted issue. There are generational, cultural, societal and geographical components to be addressed. Additional information is needed before we can accomplish that goal. One of the comments made during the first focus group was that employee pharmacists don’t realize they have a need. As a result, the Organizational Affairs Council developed a survey for the purpose of ascertaining what issues are important to pharmacists, primarily

Don Bergemann, 2007-08 FPA President

We need to get information to pharmacists in order for them to be able to make the decisions necessary to advance their professional careers non-member pharmacists. That survey has been distributed to pharmacists at three different CE meetings to date. Eighty-eight completed surveys were turned in. Once the results are tabulated, we may be able to develop that marketing plan. I charged the Professional Affairs Council the task of developing three, one-page business plans for the provision of MTM services: one for pharmacists who may want to do MTM as part of their regular practice, one for those who may want to do MTM as

an aside to their regular practice, and one for those who want MTM to be their practice. The goal being to publish these business plans in the journal. The council developed a single, far more comprehensive document that will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal. I charged the Educational Affairs Council the task of putting together an integrated continuing-education program on medication therapy management (MTM) services. It was to be a program that would not only address what MTM is but also how to provide those services, how to bill for those services and how to get reimbursed for those services. That CE program debuted at our recently completed annual meeting. Health Fair As some of you may be aware, we have helped facilitate a pharmacist/student health fair at the state Capitol for a number of years. In the fall of 2006, a decision was made not to engage in that event in 2007 due to new legisJUNE 2008

2007/2008 FPA Executive Committee The Florida Pharmacy Association gratefully acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the following members of the FPA leadership who work deligently all year long on behalf of our members.

Chair................................................................................................................. Leo "Lee" Fallon President.....................................................................................................Don Bergemann President Elect.......................................................................................Norman Tomaka Treasurer....................................................................................................Michael A. Moneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; APP Chair.......................................................................................................Suzanne Kelley HOD Speaker.................................................................................................... Goar Alvarez HOD Vice Speaker...................................................................................Suzanne Kelley Region 1 Rep.......................................................................................................Darrell Miller Region 2 Rep.......................................................................................Allison Underwood Region 3 Rep............................................................................................ Anita Thompson Region 4 Rep........................................................................................................ Tim Rogers Region 5 Rep................................................................................................ Alice McNeese Region 6 Rep........................................................................................................Kim Murray Region 7 Rep...............................................................................Sharon Smith-Wollner Region 8 Rep........................................................................................................Tom Cuomo Region 9 Rep.............................................................................................Robert J. Renna Region 10 Rep.....................................................................................................Ayala Fishel Region 11 Rep.............................................................................................................Bob Hoye Region 12 Rep...................................................................................... John "Dolph" Cone Region 13 Rep...........................................................................................Alan Oberlender Region 14 Rep........................................................................................................ Karen Bills FSHP President.............................................................................. Christine Gegeckas Dean FAMU..................................................................................Henry Lewis, Pharm D Dean LECOM................................................................................... Gary Levin, Pharm D Dean NOVA SE.....................................................................Andres Malave, Pharm D Dean PBAC...................................................................................... Dan Brown, Pharm D Dean UF................................................................................................ William Riffee, Ph.D. ASP President FAMU...................................................................................Erin Gaffney ASP President NOVA SE..................................................................Kimberly Lamas ASP President PBAC.......................................................................................Paul Young ASP President UF..........................................................................................Jennifer Kim Educational Affairs Chair...................................Carmen Aceves-Blumenthal Organizational Affairs Chair.................................................................. Alex Pytlarz Professional Affairs Chair................................................................Don Thibodeau Public Affairs Chair............................................................. Mayra Gonazlez-Abreu Journal Board Chair..................................................................... Peggyann Zaenger Foundation Executive Vice President..................................... Patsey Powers Executive Vice President and CEO........................................Michael Jackson

Florida Pharmacy Today Journal Board Chairman................................................Peggyann Zaenger, pzaenger@fdn.com Vice Chair................................................................Gary Dalin, HOSPRx50@aol.com Secretary/Treasurer....................................... Patsy Powers, Editor Emeritus ppowers@pharmview.com Member............................................Greta Pelegrin, gretapelegrin@yahoo.com Member............................................................... Dick Witas, witas@moffitt.usf.edu Member.................................................Joseph Koptowsky, docjik1215@aol.com Member........................................................................Stuart Ulrich, Stuarx@aol.com Member........................Stephen Grabowski, sgrabowski@seniormmc.com Executive Editor................Michael Jackson, mjackson@pharmview.com Managing Editor...................Dave Fiore, dave@fiorecommunications.com 6 |

Flo r i d a P h a r m a c y To d a Y

lative gifting laws. Having witnessed how much the students who participated enjoyed that event, I along with others opened dialogue with individuals in Tallahassee to find out how we could help reestablish that health fair. In January of 2007, myself and others met with the House and Senate general counsels to learn under what conditions pharmacists and students would again be able to conduct the health fair. They outlined the parameters; we analyzed the information and decided that we could once again help facilitate the event. I was pleased that both pharmacists and students participated in this event in March of this year. I must thank those pharmacists and students for volunteering their time. I also must thank past president Kathy Petsos who led the charge, as chair. Legislative Legislatively, I thought that this year would be somewhat anti-climatic after finally getting the immunization bill passed last year. However, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s session was anything but. Last year, our House of Delegates passed a resolution supporting technician registration, a position that our colleagues at FSHP had endorsed a number of years ago. I anticipated that we would help them get a bill passed by the Legislature. I did not anticipate that we would be joining them in a war. What appeared to be a rather simple concept, turned into a very nasty battle. In the end, a bill did get passed by the legislature and was signed by the Governor. However, at the time of this writing, mid-May, the governor had not yet taken any action on it. Over the course of the last few years, we have been working more closely with our FSHP colleagues on legislative efforts. I hope that continues to be the case. As a long-time member of both organizations, it has always been my expectation that the leadership of the two organizations will at least communicate regarding legislative initiatives that impact the profession. n

Executive Insight by michael jackson, RPhPresident/CEO AND By Michael Jackson, FPA Executive Vice

A Health Profession at the Crossroads: Pharmacy in Transition

his month, members and nonmember pharmacists and technicians from across Florida came together at the 118th Annual Meeting and Convention of the Florida Pharmacy Association. For the past several years, our organization has been sharing information on what to expect with our changing business and practice model. The convention this year focused on out-of-the-box thinking and brought to meeting participants the tools necessary to implement a medication therapy management service to patients. Clearly, the leadership of the FPA has seen through their exhaustive review of pharmacy literature and their discussions with colleagues from across America that this profession will change whether or not we are willing to be a part of the transformation. Consider that the national associations are working together through an organization called the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners (JCPP). This group consists of the seven practitioner organizations, including the American College of Apothecaries (ACA), the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), The American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). There also is a liaison part of this group that includes the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the Accrediting Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and the National Alli-

ance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA). It is amazing that in over 22 years of active participation in professional associations, that we now see serious collaboration on a unified subject. It is ironic that here in Florida we came to this conclusion several years ago by forming legislative coalitions with other pharmacy-based organizations. While the FPA has been successful

Florida legislators, none of whom are pharmacists, have come to rely heavily on the FPA for answers to pharmacy issues. over the years with public policy advocacy, the past several years we have witnessed significant support for our legislative plan. Florida legislators, none of whom are pharmacists, have come to rely heavily on the FPA for answers to pharmacy issues. JCCP organizations have been meeting to establish a vision for pharmacy for the year 2015. This is only a little over seven years from now. Until recently, this group met in a format similar to the Florida Pharmacy Council.

Michael Jackson

There was a lot of discussion on pharmacy-related issues, however, because of a lack of structure needed to execute action and the plethora of issues facing pharmacy today, the dialog has moved from conversation to the implementation of a battle plan. This can only be healthy as the messaging must be unified in order for ideas and concepts to become reality. The JCCP vision attempts to facilitate the pharmacist as the health care provider designated to manage prescription drug therapy. Consider this statement published by JCCP in 2004 and presented at the November 7, 2004, meeting of the FPA Executive Committee. Pharmacists will be the health care professionals responsible for providing patient care that ensures optimal medication therapy outcomes. Since that time the FPA has concentrated its efforts in patient care initiatives such as the Pinellas County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office Diabetes Management Program and the Florida MedJUNE 2008

FPA Staff

Executive Vice President/CEO Michael Jackson (850) 222-2400, ext. 200

Director of Pharmacy Services Tian Merren, ext. 120 Director of Membership Gillian Nolden. ext. 110 Controller Wanda Hall , ext. 211 Pharmacy Services Admin. Asst. Ranada Simmons , ext. 121 Pharmacy Services Office Asst. Stacey Brooks , ext. 122 Communication Services Admin. Asst. Leroy Smith , ext. 220 Receptionist/Meeting Planner Catherine Walker , ext. 230 Florida Pharmacy Today Board Chairman....................Peggyann Zaenger, Jacksonville Vice Chair..................................... Gary Dalin, Delray Beach Secretary/Treasurer...................................Patsy Powers, Editor Emeritus, Tallahassee Member................................................. Greta Pelegrin, Miami Member...................................................... Dick Witas, Odessa Member..................................... Joseph Koptowsky, Miami Executive Editor.........Michael Jackson, Tallahassee Managing Editor.........................Dave Fiore, Tallahassee Member..............................Stuart Ulrich, Boynton Beach Member...................................Stephen Grabowski, Tampa

This is a peer reviewed publication. ©2008, FLORIDA PHARMACY JOURNAL, INC. ARTICLE ACCEPTANCE: The Florida Pharmacy Today is a publication that welcomes articles that have a direct pertinence to the current practice of pharmacy. All articles are subject to review by the Publication Review Committee, editors and other outside referees. Submitted articles are received with the understanding that they are not being considered by another publication. All articles become the property of the Florida Pharmacy Today and may not be published without written permission from both the author and the Florida Pharmacy Today. The Florida Pharmacy Association assumes no responsibility for the statements and opinions made by the authors to the Florida Pharmacy Today. The Journal of the Florida Pharmacy Association does not accept for publication articles or letters concerning religion, politics or any other subject the editors/ publishers deem unsuitable for the readership of this journal. In addition, The Journal does not accept advertising material from persons who are running for office in the association. The editors reserve the right to edit all materials submitted for publication. Letters and materials submitted for consideration for publication may be subject to review by the Editorial Review Board. FLORIDA PHARMACY TODAY, Annual subscription - United States and foreign, Individual $36; Institution $70/year; $5.00 single copies. Florida residents add 7% sales tax. Florida Pharmacy Association

610 N. Adams St. • Tallahassee, FL 32301 850/222-2400 • FAX 850/561-6758 Web Address: http://www.pharmview.com

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You don’t drown by falling into water. You drown if you stay there. icaid Quality Related Events project. Our educational programs have been patient-focused and designed to give pharmacists clinical tools to redefine their business practices. FPA’s dialog with the Florida Legislature and health care policy makers continues to emphasize the pharmacist as the medication management resource in this state. There is considerable work that needs to be done to achieve the 2015 goal of JCCP. Much of the heavy lifting has to be not only working to revise the Florida Pharmacy Practice Act but to also

look inward at our own current business model to see what makes sense. Dispensing will most likely be a continued part of the pharmacy practice model. Dispensing without consultation will result in a devaluation of the medical relevance of our profession and perhaps facilitate the continued eroding of pharmacy’s reimbursement standards. It all comes down to answering the question; what is the value? To quote Zig Zigler, “You don’t drown by falling into water. You drown if you stay there.” n

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Florida Welcomes New COP

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy Bradenton Prepares for Second Year The first class and their guests at the white coat ceremony (sponsored by Walgreens)

Students at LECOM Bradentonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of Pharmacy just concluded their first year of classes. LECOM is a private, not-for-profit institution. LECOM Bradentonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founding Dean, Gary M. Levin, Pharm.D., BCPP, FCCP, has been a Florida licensed pharmacist since 1990. He has experience as a faculty member, clinician and administrator at several colleges of pharmacy in Florida prior to joining LECOM. In addition to Dean Levin, the administrative team consists of Sunil Jambhekar, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Depart10

Flo r i d a P h a r m a c y To d a Y

LECOM Bradenton

schools the focus would be only on delivering a new curriculum, LECOM has begun a strong assessment program from the beginning. Each course is reviewed and revised by the curriculum committee before it is offered. The faculty also has produced a number of published articles in peer-reviewed journals, and presented posters at several scientific and academic conferences.

Dr. Stevenson works with several students on aseptic technique.

LECOM’s Mission To prepare students to become osteopathic physicians and pharmacy practitioners through programs of excellence in education, research, clinical care and community service to enhance the quality of life through improved health for all humanity.

ment; Julie Wilkinson, Pharm.D., BCPS, associate professor and chair of the Pharmacy Practice Department; and Laura Stevenson, Pharm.D., M.S., associate professor and director of experiential education. LECOM has been very fortunate to stay ahead of the recruitment curve in regard to our five-year hiring plan. The school currently has 15 full-time faculty and staff, as well as an additional number of shared faculty with the College of Osteopathic Medicine. In the next three years, the school plans to have 40 fullDean Levin

time faculty and staff. LECOM Bradenton is housed in a state-of-the-art 109,000-square-foot education center on a beautifully landscaped property in the Lakewood Ranch community. The building includes office space for all of our faculty, laboratories for students and faculty research, modern lecture halls and smallgroup classrooms, as well as a learning resource center and student lounge. In just our first year, the student body has created their own Student Government Association with a student-written constitution, has charted their first student professional organization, the Academy of Students of Pharmacy (ASP), and is preparing to begin a student ASHP/FSHP Chapter. As part of one of their courses, Pharmacist Provided Care, they completed a service learning project where they provided nutrition education to elementaryschool students in under-served areas of Sarasota County. A funding proposal for this project has been submitted to expand the project to Manatee County. The students and the faculty are committed to having a high level of community service, one of LECOM’s strong beliefs. The faculty also has been very active in their first year. While at many new

History The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine was established as the nation’s 16th college of osteopathic medicine in December 1992. The charter class began classes in August of 1993. LECOM administrators saw that new trends in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum had complementary goals to the total-person, patient-centered care fostered by osteopathic medicine. Recognizing the growing national need for pharmacists, LECOM opened its School of Pharmacy in 2002. LECOM continued its national leadership role in osteopathic medicine by opening a campus in Bradenton, Fla., in 2004. In 2007, the Bradenton campus opened its School of Pharmacy to an inaugural class of 85 students. This number will increase by approximately 10 students per year to reach the final target number of 120 students per class in the next three years. LECOM School of Pharmacy has one ACPE accreditation that covers both campuses (Erie, Pa., and Bradenton, Fla.). We have maintained full accreditation status since 2005. This requires constant communication between the two campuses since there are different programs (Erie has a three-year accelerated program, Bradenton the four-year program). Each JUNE 2008

campus has its own dean, department chairs, experiential directors, as well as other director level positions. Since LECOM is chartered in Pennsylvania, our regional accreditation is through Middle States Commission on Higher Education; and we are also licensed by the Florida Commission on Independent Education. Curriculum The LECOM Bradenton School of Pharmacy curriculum in Bradenton is a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy degree pathway. The administration and faculty continuously work to enhance learning styles by using interactive teaching techniques. The curriculum begins with an emphasis in the basic and pharmaceutical sciences as well as providing an introduction to the profession. The second year builds on the pharmaceutical sciences while increasing the focus in pharmacy practice, with the third year rounding out the didactic program in the clinical sciences. Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE) is completed in the final year. APPE consists of nine rotations, four weeks each, in a variety of community and clinical settings. LECOM is committed to maintaining the same rotation dates as the other schools in Florida and working with the preceptors around the state to support the provision of experiential training. At press time, LECOMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first group of P2 (second year) students will be starting their Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE) in pharmacies,

Several P1 students and their elementary class during service learning nutrition program.

clinics and hospitals throughout the state, with the large majority in the Tampa Bay region and southwest Florida. LECOM has structured these rotations to be four-week, full-time experiences for the students to apply knowledge learned in their first didactic year. The focus is on the operations and distribution systems of the most common types of pharmacy practice with an introduction to direct patient care skills. Understanding the health care system will allow the students to focus on the provision of patient care services in their fourth-year APPE rotations.

Students and faculty at orientation team building program (sponsored by CVS). 12

Flo r i d a P h a r m a c y To d a Y

Job Market The opportunities for Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) graduates are endless. Pharmacists are currently working as generalists and specialists in community pharmacies, government agencies, hospice and home health care, hospital and institutional settings, independent ownership, long-term care facilities, consulting, managed care, medical and scientific publishing, drug information and research in the pharmaceutical industry, professional associations, uniformed service (public health and military), and academics, among others. During a recent visit last fall, a guest from APhA stated there are currently

over 70 unique careers within pharmacy. Additionally, beginning salaries in each of these areas are well above the national salary means for graduates in general, and with a well documented long-term shortage of pharmacists ahead of us, salaries are very competitive. Our philosophy at LECOM is “Caring for people will be their life mission; Teaching them how is ours.” LECOM also is committed to “Growing to meet the nation’s need for health care professionals.” It is expected that LECOM also will develop residency programs in time for our first class of graduates in 2011. For more information about LECOM School of Pharmacy in Bradenton, please call (941) 756-0690 or visit us on the web at www.lecom.edu.

Keynote speaker, FSHP President Tina Gegeckas addressing students and guests at our first white coat ceremony.

Are you “In the Loop?” Don’t miss the next issue of the all-new StatNews, the FPA’s official e-mail newsletter. Open it. Read it. Know it. StatNews is a member service of the Florida Pharmacy Association. For membership information, contact gnolden@pharmview.com or call 850-222-2400 and ask for Gillian.

JUNE 2008

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Flo r i d a P h a r m a c y To d a Y

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Respiratory Illness, Dog Bites Among Top Concerns For Travelers to China

Study Provides Insight to Help Olympics Travelers Prepare for Trip Beijing–bound Olympic travelers should worry less about exotic diseases, and instead focus on preventing more mundane health problems like respiratory illness and dog bites. A new study by experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network found that, during the past 10 years, dog bites were actually one of the more common health problems travelers face when visiting China. Other common ailments were respiratory infections, skin problems, injuries, and diarrhea. With an estimated 600,000 foreign visitors and athletes, and as many as 2 million Chinese attendees, expected at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in August, the study provides key information that can help people plan their visits and protect their health. The paper, published online June 26, 2008, in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, used 1998-2007 data gathered by the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network and analyzed by GeoSentinel and CDC experts to assess illnesses among the 2,500 travelers to China that were in the database. The GeoSentinel Network was founded by the CDC and the International Society of Travel Medicine and is made up of 41 travel medicine clinics worldwide that provide traveler care and track travel-related health data. “Many international travelers worry about exotic diseases. They probably don’t think about injuries or dog bites, but the study found that travelers to China sought treatment for these ailments more often,” said Dr. Nina Marano, chief of the CDC’s Travelers’ Health and Animal Importation Branch. “Travelers need to be cautious about dog bites, as China has the second highest rate of human rabies cases in the world.”

Respiratory illnesses, such as asthma and bronchitis, were the most common diagnoses for travelers seeking medical care while in China, and the primary cause of hospitalization for travelers in China. Acute diarrhea and dog bites were the most frequent ailments for travelers receiving post-travel medical care. Travelers also complained of injuries, like sprains and strains. Rates of tropical and parasitic disease were low: there were no reported cases of malaria or dengue fever among travelers in this study “We hope travelers take this information and use it to prepare themselves for a healthy trip,” said Dr. Marano. “Using common sense while in Beijing can also help keep you healthy. Wash your hands, watch your step, and don’t pet stray dogs.” Travel health experts at CDC say that travelers can help reduce their risk of becoming ill or injured by taking the following precautions: ■■ Visit a travel medicine clinic four to six weeks prior to leaving to get travel advice. ■■ Ensure all vaccinations are up-todate. ■■ Wash hands or use hand sanitizers frequently to help prevent the spread of respiratory and diarrheal illness. ■■ Avoid all animals while in China. If bitten, wash all bite wounds promptly and seek reliable medical care immediately. ■■ Wear comfortable walking shoes

and pay special attention when crossing the street and boarding public transportation to minimize injury risk. ■■ Eat only fully cooked food that is served hot or fruits and vegetables you can wash and peel yourself to decrease the risk of diarrhea. For more CDC recommendations for Olympic travelers, athletes and healthcare providers, please visit http:// wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentOlympics2008.aspx. For general recommendations for travel to China, see http:// wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationChina.aspx. To view the full article, please visit http://www.ajtmh.org/.

JUNE 2008

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Flo r i d a P h a r m a c y To d a Y

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS! Florida Pharmacy Association In keeping with a tradition of offering our members real benefits, the Florida Pharmacy Association (FPA) is proud to announce the introduction of sponsored Discount Benefits Program. These vendors are dedicated to providing an excellent value to all FPA members and associates. To take advantage of benefits contact the vendors directly at the numbers listed below and identify yourself as a FPA member and have your membership ID number handy.

Email/Fax Network Hotline Receive up-to-date and up-to-the-minute information on Legislative Developments, Board of Pharmacy changes and other topics affecting the profession of pharmacy. Call FPA Member Services at (850) 222-2400 ext. 110 – gnolden@ pharmview.com. Tax Resource Provides defense and protection of your assets when you are audited. Tax Resource will defend their clients for any income tax audit, Federal or State, for any tax year. Tax Resource pioneered the tax audit service business, and is the largest audit defense firm in the United States. Call (800) 92-AUDIT (800-922-8348).

Collection Services For past due accounts call I. C. System, Inc. Call (800) 328-9595. Bank of America Platinum Mastercard Quality for FPA’s Platinum MasterCard with no annual fee and low interest rates, offered through MBNA. Call FPA Member Services at (850) 222-2400. Other Member Benefits  Discounted Continuing Education

Programs  Monthly Issues of the Florida Phar-

macy Today Journal  Discounts to Florida Attractions—

Busch Gardens, Universal Studios, etc.—contact the FPA office.

Choice Hotels Sleep Inns, Comfort, Quality and Clarion Hotels; Rodeway Inn, Econo Lodges, Friendship and Mainstay Suite rates are now reduced by 20% for FPA members. For FPA Members only, the identification code is 00700907. Call (800) 258-2847.

ITC Deltacom Offering FPA members exclusive association discounts on telecommunication services including local services, long distance, data networks, telephone systems and dedicated internet access. Call 850-701-3200 or visit www.itcdeltacom. com

Moving Van Service Global Van Lines and A & A Transfer Movers (state and worldwide service). Call Bill Marques or Brenda Miller at (800) 874-8996.

Pharmacy Resource Materials FPA provides the most recent and relevant resources necessary to meet your pharmacy’s law and regulation needs. This includes the Florida Pharmacy Law & Information Manual, Continuous Quality Improvement Manual, Controlled Substance Inventory Booklets and Pharmacy Signs. Please call FPA Members Services for more information: 850-222-2400 ext. 110.

Atlantic Coupon Redemption Center Receive payment in 25 working days of coupon’s face value plus a rebate of 1/6 cents based on store volume. Call Meredith McCord (800) 223-0398. Florida Commerce Federal Credit Union The chief objective of a credit union is not generating profits for stockholders, but to provide service to its member. The members benefit by getting attractive returns on savings, loans made at fair rates of interest plus enhanced and expanded services. This is probably one of the best deals around. Call (850) 488-0035.

FPA Website Visit our FPA Website at ww.pharmview. com. The site, launched in December 2004, includes a members only section. The website offers a secure server so that you can registers for CE programs, renew your membership or purchase resources materials with your credit card.

JUNE 2008

Fewer Kids Suffering from Rotavirus This Season Credit May Go to Newly Introduced Infant Vaccine

Rotavirus activity in the ongoing 2007-2008 season appears to have started later than usual and has been less severe than during any of the previous seasons for which data are available, according to an interim report issued in the early release edition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea) in infants and young children, annually causing about 410,000 physician office visits, 205,000-272,000 emergency department visits, 55,000-70,000 hospitalizations, and between 20 and 60 deaths among US children less than 5 years of age. Worldwide, rotavirus causes approximately 1,600 deaths each day among children less than 5 years of age. Data from around the United States indicate that during the ongoing season, rotavirus activity was delayed by about three months compared with the start time for the previous 15 years. The season began at the end of February instead of November, the usual start time, and the season peaked at the end of April instead of March, the usual peak time. 18

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Hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and physician visits were also substantially reduced at medical centers conducting prospective rotavirus surveillance. The number of laboratory tests performed for rotavirus from Jan. 1 to May 3, 2008, was 37 percent lower than usual, and the percent of all tests conducted for gastroenteritis that were positive for rotavirus was 79 percent lower than usual. The report indicates that marked changes in rotavirus activity may be due to a newly introduced rotavirus vaccine for infants. In 2006, a new rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq (Merck & Co. Inc.), was recommended for routine immunization of U.S. infants at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. Clinical trial results indicated that this live, oral vaccine prevented 74 percent of all rotavirus cases, about 98 percent of severe cases, and about 96 percent of hospitalizations due to rotavirus. “The changes appear to be greater than expected based

The data used in the new report were obtained from the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) and from the New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN). NREVSS is a voluntary network of U.S. laboratories that provide CDC with weekly reports of the number of tests performed and positive results obtained for a variety of pathogens, including rotavirus. Rotavirus is highly contagious. Large amounts of the virus are shed in the stool of infected persons and can be spread by contaminated hands and objects. Children can spread rotavirus both before and after they become sick with diarrhea, and they can pass the virus to household members and other close contacts. The interim report can be found online at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr. Additional information about rotavirus vaccine is available at http://www.cdc. gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/rotavirus/default.htm.

Worldwide, rotavirus causes approximately 1,600 deaths each day among children less than 5 years of age. on the protective effects of the vaccine alone,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC. “It is also possible that current levels of vaccination may be helping to decrease the spread of rotavirus to unvaccinated individuals in the community. Ongoing monitoring is needed to confirm the impact of vaccination this year and to monitor the impact of the vaccine on rotavirus disease and its epidemiology over time.”

Buyer’s Guide florida PHARMACY TODAY

ADVERTISERS: This is a special section designed to give your company more exposure and to act as an easy reference for the pharmacist.

Support Our Advertisers! Use the “Buyer’s Guide” PHARMACY RESOURCES

PHarmaceutical WHOLESALER

PPSC Retail Pharmacy Purchasing Program (888) 778-9909

McKesson Drug Company Jim Springer (800) 804-4590 FAX: (863) 616-2953

PHARMACY CONSULTANTS HCC Pharmacy Business Solutions Bob Miller (800) 642-1652 Hayslip and Zost Pharmacy Brokers LLC (713) 829-7570 (727) 415-3659

TEMPORARY PHARMACISTs – STAFFING HealthCare Consultants Pharmacy Staffing Bob Miller (800) 642-1652 Medical Staffing Network (800) 359-1234

INSURANCE Meadowbrook Workers Comp Insurance Endorsed by FPA (800) 825-9489

Rx Relief (800) RXRELIEF PharmacyMax Inc. Professional Staffing Solutions (800) 889-8737

LEGAL ASSISTANCE Kahan ◆ Shir, P.L. Brian A. Kahan, R.Ph., and Attorney at Law (561) 999-5999 Kenneth J. Metzger Attorney at Law (850) 681-0847

FREQUENTLY CALLED NUMBERS AHCA MEDICAID PHARMACY SERVICES 2727 Mahan Drive Tallahassee, FL 32308 (850) 487-4441 www.fdhc.state.fl.us/medicaid/ pharmacy AMERICAN PHARMACISTS ASSOCIATION (APhA) Washington, D.C. (800) 237-2742 www.aphanet.org AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEALTH SYSTEM PHARMACISTS Bethesda, MD (301) 657-3000 www.ashp.com/main.htm Drug Information Center Palm Beach Atlantic University (561) 803-2728 druginfocenter@pba.edu DRUG INFORMATION CENTER Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy (800) 451-3181 UF College of Pharmacy Gainesville, FL (352) 395-0408 www.cop.ufl.edu/vdis FLORIDA BOARD OF PHARMACY 4052 Bald Cypress Way Bin #C04 Tallahassee, FL 32399-3254 (850) 245-4292 www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa FLORIDA POISON INFORMATION CENTER NETWORK 1-800-282-3171 http://ora.umc.ufl.edu/ pcc/fpicjax.htm National Community Pharmacists Association 100 Daingerfield Road Alexandria, VA 22314 703.683.8200 703.683.3619 fax info@ncpanet.org

Advertising in Florida Pharmacy Today Display Advertising: please call (850) 264-5111 for a media kit and rate sheet. Buyers’ Guide: A signed insertion of at least 3X per year, 1/3 page or larger display ad, earns a placement in the Buyers’ Guide. A screened ad is furnished at additional cost to the advertiser. Professional Referral Ads: FPA Members: $50 per 50 words; Non‑members: $100 per 50 words; No discounts for advertising agencies. All Professional Referral ads must be paid in advance, at the time of ad receipt.

Recovering Pharmacists Network of Florida (407) 257-6606 “Pharmacists Helping Pharmacists”

JUNE 2008

H MRC units are community-based and function as a way to locally organize and utilize volunteers-medical professionals and

others-who want to donate their time and expertise to augment public health activities throughout the year and to prepare for and respond to emergencies. MRC volunteers become part of a system to supplement existing local emergency and public health resources.

H MRC volunteers include health care professionals such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians, and

epidemiologists. Other community members such as interpreters, chaplains, office workers, and legal advisors can fill other vital support positions.

MRC Can Enhance Public Health By:

MRC Emergency Preparedness Volunteers:

H Supplementing public health preparedness & response H Improving health literacy H Eliminating health disparities H Enhancing public health preparedness H Helping at community health events

H Bolster public health and emergency response

Log on to - www.servfl.com - or contact the Florida Medical Reserve Corps at: 850-245-4746

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infrastructures by providing supplemental personnel

H Train with local emergency response partners H Enable communities to meet specific health needs