2016-04 Georgia Pharmacy magazine by Georgia Pharmacy Association

INSIDE: COMPLIMENTARY ISSUE OF GEORGIA PHARMACY MAGAZINE

April/May 2016

EDUCATION GUIDE 2016

• CPE WEEKENDS • MTM AND DIABETES CERTIFICATION • PRACTICAL SKILLS REFRESHER • AND MORE

Supervision skills. MTM. Specialty drugs. Coaching for adherence. Transition of care. Antibiotic stewardship. Immunization best practices. Pain management. Value-based payment models. Preventing fraud and diversion. And much, much more. Look inside for more than 50 hours of certified CPE for Georgia pharmacists.

Empower your independence.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

There has hardly been a quarter during the 10 years I have been a member of CPAÂŽ that my bottom line was not improved. > George Launius - Thrifty Mac Discount Drug

C PA P ROVI DE S M E M BE R S A :

Dedicated Support Team We have your back. A dedicated support team of industry specialists proactively works on your behalf to resolve issues, save you time, and ultimately, make your business more successful. We work for you and we will always make your best interest "the" priority.

CONTACT: JOEY FIEVET 706.318.0695 | jfievet@compliantrx.com

compliantrx.com

EDUCATION GUIDE 2016 The Georgia Pharmacy Association is the best place to get your pharmacy CPE. Employee pharmacists: Find courses and topics you won’t find anywhere else, including management and communication training — and more. Clinical and health-system pharmacists: We’ve got CPE on metrics and medication therapies — and more. Independent pharmacy owners: Learn the ins and outs of practice agreements and billing processes — and more. Retail employee, independent, hospital, health system: No matter your setting, The Georgia Pharmacy Association offers the CPE geared for your interests, your practice, and your career. In person or online: Many of our courses — including all our CPE Weekends — are available as live webinars. If you can’t make it in person, get your CPE from the comfort of your living room.

All courses provide continuing pharmacy education credit accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. See detailed online descriptions for more information.

CALENDAR AT A GLANCE...

April 9 CPE Weekend — Disruptive Technologies (Atlanta)

April 16 MTM Certification (Rome)

April 17 Diabetes Certification (LaGrange)

May 21 CPE Weekend — Primary Care (Atlanta)

May 28 GPhA’s Practical Skills Refresher Course (Athens)

June 16 – 19 2016 Georgia Pharmacy Convention (Hilton Head) More than 35 hours of CPE available on a wide range of topics.

July 23 CPE Weekend — Immunization (Atlanta)

July 30 GPhA’s Practical Skills Refresher Course (Suwanee)

August 13 CPE Weekend — Specialty Pharmacy (Atlanta) September 17 CPE Weekend — New Laws, Drugs, Opportunities (Atlanta)

October 22 Rising to the Top: A Leadership Symposium for Women in Pharmacy (Atlanta)

November 5 CPE Weekend — Fraud and Abuse (Atlanta) December 10 CPE Weekend — Senior Care (Atlanta)

Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N

Registration and more information: GPhA.org/education

INTRODUCING: CPE WEEKENDS GPhA’s CPE Weekends provide three courses on a single topic in less than a day — concentrated doses on issues in the forefront of pharmacy in Georgia. They’re a great way to not only get two, four, or six hours of continuing ed in one Saturday, they’re guaranteed to be more interesting and informative than your typical courses. All 2016 CPE Weekends courses are held live at the GPhA headquarters building in Sandy Springs, just outside Atlanta. Can’t make it to Atlanta? CPE Weekends are also offered as live webinars that enjoy the same ACPE accreditation — but from the comfort of your living room. We’ve got a great deal, too. When you sign up for three courses in one day, we’ll knock off $50 from the total cost. For details on this special offer, or to register go to GPhA.org/ weekends. Not a member? Not a problem. To get access to all this great CPE, sign up for a special reduced-cost GPhA membership and be eligible for every minute of CPE you see here.

Georgia Pharmacy

SATURDAY, APRIL 9

Implementing Community Pharmacy Services in Primary Care Settings 10:00 AM | 2 hours | $50

Disruptive Technologies Pharmacy tools and apps are proliferating, so if you’re looking for clear, practical ways to use new technologies to increase your value as a pharmacist, Ashish Advani will show you how tech innovations are transforming the practice.

An Overview of Collaborative Practice Agreements Under Current Georgia Law 12:30 PM | 2 hours | $50

SATURDAY, MAY 21 New Collaborative Practice Models Embedding pharmacists in primary care practices is an idea whose time has come. Bryan Zeigler and Greg Reybold walk you through the ins and outs. Exploring New Primary Care Provider Partnerships 8:00 AM | 2 hours | $50

SATURDAY, JULY 23 Best in Class: Taking Your Immunization Operation to the Next Level Having a thriving immunization practice means embracing best practices and innovations so that your immunization platform is a patient magnet. Let our team of experts help you create a pharmacy immunization platform that stands out and follows the rules. Making GRITS Sing: Finding New Patients Using the Georgia Immunization Registry 8:00 AM | 1 hour | $25 The Dreaded — But Required — OSHA Update 9 AM | 1 hour| $25 Best Practices in Immunizations 10:00 AM | 4 hours| $100

There’s plenty more education from GPhA! Turn to page E5, in the back of your Georgia Pharmacy magazine

A S S O C I AT I O N

Registration and more information: GPhA.org/education

GPhA IS THE VOICE FOR PHARMACY IN GEORGIA

April/May 2016

INSIDE:

MIXED MESSAGES ON OFFICE-USE COMPOUNDING GEORGIA PHARMACY CONVENTION PREVIEW CONFIDENTIAL RECORDS REQUESTS

YOUR COLLEGE MEMORIES OUTLIVE YOUR PHARMACY SCHOOL LOANS. 0.125% rate discount* when you refinance through SoFi.com/GPhA

Refinance your student loans. Pharmacists save around $20K.

So Smart. SoFi.com/GPhA SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Lending Corp (dba SoFi) California Finance Lender #6054612 *If you apply and are approved, the interest rate shown in the Final Disclosure Statement will include an additional .125% rate discount because of your membership in the California Pharmacists Association at the time of loan origination.

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

contents 16

COVER STORY: PROVIDER STATUS: PENDING? Achieving provider status on the federal and state level is a major goal not just of GPhA, but of pharmacists and associations across the country. But what does “provider status” mean, and why is it so important to pharmacists — whether they realize it or not? We got the answers from someone who knows more about the issue than just about anyone: Krystalyn Weaver, PharmD, vice president of policy and operations for the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations.

5 prescript

10 Legislative recap

Are you part of the solution? You can be part of the rising tide ... or just an anchor for everyone else.

The 2016 bills affecting Georgia pharmacy: what they are and where they stand

6 news

23 PharmPAC

What’s happening in the Georgia pharmacy world Mixed messages on office-use compounding, simpler MAC pricing appeals, and more

Investors in the future of the pharmacy profession in Georgia

8 legal injection

Who does what at GPhA, and how to reach us

Our counsel answers an important question about Georgia pharmacy law

6 7

Georgia Pharmacy magazine is the official publication of the Georgia Pharmacy Association.

President and Chair of the Board Tommy Whitworth

Unless otherwise noted, the entire contents of this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Direct any questions to the editor at akantor@gpha.org.

First Vice President Liza Chapman

President-Elect Lance Boles Second Vice President Tim Short Chief Executive Officer Scott Brunner, CAE sbrunner@gpha.org Vice President of Communication and Engagement Phillip Ratliff pratliff@gpha.org

April/May 2016

9 GPhA academies Which one do you belong in?

Director of Communication & Editor Andrew Kantor akantor@gpha.org Art Director Carole Erger-Fass

25 contact us

24 postscript A note from President Tommy Whitworth Crossing lines to become part of a bigger picture

SUBSCRIPTIONS Georgia Pharmacy is distributed as a regular membership service, paid for with membership dues. Non-members can subscribe for $50 per year domestic or $65 per year international. Single issues are $10 per issue domestic and $20 international. Practicing Georgia pharmacists who are not members of GPhA are not eligible for subscriptions.

POSTAL

ADVERTISING All advertising inquiries should be directed to Denis Mucha at dmucha@gpha.org or (770) 252-1284. Media kit and rates available upon request.

Georgia Pharmacy (ISSN 1075-6965) is published bimonthly by the GPhA, 6065 Barfield Road NE, Suite 100 Sandy Springs, GA 30328. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, GA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Georgia Pharmacy magazine, 6065 Barfield Road NE, Suite 100 Sandy Springs, GA 30328.

Georgia Pharmacy

phmic.com

800.247.5930

Should something happen to you...

is your family covered? Life insurance isn’t for you, it’s for them. Do you have life insurance? We can help.

“Pharmacists Mutual Companies is a company built on integrity, professionalism, moral ethics, and above all a gentle and caring touch that ensures your final wishes will truly come to fruition. Pharmacists Mutual is a cut above the rest and has successfully restored my faith in the value of insurance.

Protect your family’s financial future with life insurance.

Call us today and experience the Pharmacists Mutual difference.

I would gladly recommend Pharmacists Mutual to anyone without reservation and am forever thankful for their steadfast diligence and desire to make sure my loved one’s final wishes were carried out.”

800.247.5930

Dr. Elizabeth Odumakinde, MD

Hutton Madden, ChFC

800.247.5930 ext. 7149 404.375.7209

Brian Miller

800.247.5930 ext. 8060 352.672.1395

Products underwritten through The Pharmacists Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Pharmacists Mutual. Not licensed to sell all products in all states.

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

prescript

Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? others on your team have not, please look carefully A few years ago, I participated and ask yourself this question: Are you a part of the in a team-building workshop. solution, or are you part of the problem? In one exercise, our six team Huh? Was that aimed at me? I’d taken care of my members were each given assignment. What about these other goofs who a set of three mismatched couldn’t seem to figure it out? They were the probpuzzle pieces. The object was lem … weren’t they? for each of the six of us, by I looked back around to find some teammates trading puzzle pieces with one SCOTT BRUNNER other, to acquire the proper glaring at me. Reluctantly, I grabbed a piece of my perfect little puzzle and tossed it to one of the three pieces to construct a sixunderachievers. This initiated a series of trades — of inch square. We’d succeed as a team, our facilitator collaboration — that in no time resulted in us all said, when each of us had assembled our own sixsucceeding together. inch, three-piece puzzle on the table in front of us. The take-aways? It looked like I had But she added a stipulation: “No the right pieces when I didn’t. That, communicating with one another. No JOINING IS EASY. and my unwillingness to engage once I verbalizing, no gestures, no pleading GO TO had “finished,” prevented others from facial expressions. You can only have GPHA.ORG/JOIN succeeding. Taking care of myself wasn’t another team member’s puzzle piece if AND SIGN-UP. enough — not in this game anyway. he or she offers it to you.” DO IT BEFORE It’s not enough in pharmacy, either. “Go,” she said. MAY 31, GET If you’re reading this, there’s a good Each of us shuffled around our pieces chance you’re not a GPhA member — in the dim hope we’d been accidentally THREE MONTHS and that’s not just a shame. From a given the right three. Alas, no. TentativeFREE, AND PAY NO certain perspective, it’s not even fair. ly, the woman next to me handed me a MORE DUES UNTIL That’s because, regardless of your piece. I accepted it and gave her one of AUGUST 2017. practice setting, you absolutely benefit mine. Her piece improved my lot. Two from the advocacy work we do. Yet that of my pieces now fit together. One did work is funded by a mere 2,000 of Georgia’s 11,000 not. I handed that one to a fellow across from me. licensed pharmacists. He snatched it like a parrot who’d been offered a Are you a part of the solution, or are you part of peanut, proffering nothing in return. Sensing this the problem? inequity, the guy next to him passed me one of his. You may just be hoarding your puzzle pieces. Voila. My missing piece. There in front of me was a We’re stronger and more effective — and so are you completed six-inch puzzle. — when you’re a member. Much better to be a part My part was done, easy peasy. All I had to do was of the solution to the challenges facing pharmacy wait for the rest of those bozos to get a clue. I sat practice and patient care in Georgia. back, self-satisfied. It’s a puzzle, all right. We need you on our team. In a moment, I sensed someone behind me: the facilitator, peering over my shoulder, her lips pursed. Scott Brunner is GPhA’s cheerleader-in-chief. Contact She turned and announced to the room: “For those him at sbrunner@gpha.org. of you who have already assembled your puzzle, but Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N

April/May 2016

BLACK & WHITE

OPEN

GLOSS/GRADIENT

FLAT COLOR

Georgia Pharmacy

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

news

NEW FORM MAKES MAC-PRICING APPEALS SIMPLER GPhA is now offering members a clean, clear, and simple-touse MAC-pricing appeal form for filling complaints with the Georgia Commissioner of Insurance about a PBM’s reimbursement practices. To be clear: The form is meant to be used after you have been through your PBM’s appeal process. In fact, we’ve got the guidelines for the appeals process for you, written by our Georgia pharmacy-law guru (and VP of public policy) Greg Reybold. But if you exhaust that process, feel Georgia’s MAC law has been violated, and need to appeal to the commissioner, this new form will make it easier. You’ll find the guidelines at GPhA.org/mactransparency. Read them and use them. And then — if necessary — you can download the form to use with your appeal from that page. (And yes, we explain just how to file that appeal and how to use the form as part of it.) This is a GPhA members-only benefit, so you’ll need to log in to the site to get the form.

read more @ gphabuzz.com

Georgia Pharmacy

OFFICE-USE COMPOUNDING: PERPLEXING RESPONSE FROM HHS SECRETARY In what GPhA’s VP of Policy Greg Reybold calls “a perplexing response,” U. S. Secretary of Health and Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell told Congressman (and pharmacist) Buddy Carter of Pooler that federal law allows for office-use compounding of drugs, and that the FDA shouldn’t be acting otherwise. Carter brought his pharmacist credentials to bear in a House Education & Workforce Committee hearing in March, where he expressed his concern “about the FDA interpreting for legislative intent.” “The FDA continues to prevent medications to be compounded for office use,” he said, a practice that “prevents patients from having to go to the doctor, get a prescription, then go to the pharmacist, and allows for doctors to dispense necessary medications to patients without the additional steps.” Secretary Burwell, however, explained that it was her understanding that office-use compounding was permitted. “We don’t have any guidance out preventing that,” she said.

“Right now compounding should be occurring and there should not be a problem with any rules.” But GPhA’s Reybold says Secretary Burwell’s response glosses over the central issue of whether compounding pharmacies enjoy an exemption provided in Section 503(a) of the FD&C Act when they provide non-patient specific compounds for office use. “The short answer,” says Reybold, “Is they do not.” “My fear is that pharmacists are going to take the statements made by Secretary Burwell as a green light to prepare non-patient specific compounds for office use and lose their 503(a) exemption in the process,” he explained. “Were I still in private practice, my advice to my compounding clients would be simple: Secretary Burwell’s comments change nothing, and if you want to continue to enjoy 503(a) exemption, you cannot provide non-patient specific compounds to practitioners for office use.” Burwell said she would work with Carter’s staff to clear up the issue. April/May 2016

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

NCPA WORKING TO RESOLVE UNDERWATER PART D MACS Because many GPhA members have had questions about Medicare Part D reimbursements, we’ve been working with the National Community Pharmacy Association to collect detailed examples of underwater Part D MACs. NCPA representatives met with CMS officials to discuss how the agency’s new mandates are — or are not — being followed, including the issues of MACs not reflecting market prices and

the problems pharmacies and PSAOs are having with updates. You can help NCPA in its efforts to address concerns over how Medicare Part D reimbursements are being handled. Provide it with examples of underwater MACs that it can pass on to CMS. How? Grab the spreadsheet at fllw.me/ncpamac, enter your information, and send it to Michael Rule at mrule@ncpanet.org. Do not include any patient identifiable information.

WALGREENS JOINS GPhA AS CHARTER CORPORATE PARTNER Not only people can join GPhA, entire companies can — through the Corporate Partner Program. And Walgreens has become one of first. Under the program, up to 10 company representatives can engage in various GPhA initiatives and programs. It’s designed for retail pharmacy chains, wholesalers, buying groups, suppliers, service providers, and others with an interest in Georgia pharmacy. Through the program, partners can increase their leverage and

influence in the state, as GPhA is the only entity in Georgia that speaks for the entire scope of pharmacy practice, and GPhA is seen by legislators and regulators as the voice for pharmacy. The Corporate Partner Program is flexible, with the details of membership designed to fit the corporation — large or small. As GPhA CEO Scott Brunner put it, “We have high credibility with legislators and the one group they’ll always want to hear from before taking a vote on pharmacy-related regulation. With Walgreens as a corporate partner, our voice is louder and more effective. It’s definitely a win for both organizations — and all of Georgia pharmacy.” April/May 2016

Georgia Pharmacy

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

legal injection Revelations In which Greg Reybold, GPhA’s vice president of public policy and association counsel, answers questions about Georgia pharmacy law. (Greg can’t actually give legal advice to members, but he’s happy to offer his interpretation of the law here. You know the drill: If you have a legal issue, consult your own attorney.) What do I need to be aware of when I receive a request for patient records from an attorney via a non-party request for production of documents? Requests for production of documents are a tool GREG REYBOLD attorneys use to obtain information in connection with a dispute being litigated in court. In the event you receive such a request, and the patient has not authorized their release, I would strongly recommend you consult an attorney. Why? When protected health information

(“PHI”) of a patient is being requested from a third party without a court order or subpoena, it crosses into the territory of federal law, Georgia law, and Georgia rules.

Federal law In layman’s terms, HIPAA allows you to disclose PHI in the course of a judicial proceeding without authorization as long as whomever is requesting the information gives you “satisfactory assurance” that reasonable efforts have been made to notify the patient about the request, and that the patient hasn’t filed an objection “within the time allocated by the applicable court.” More on that in a moment.

Georgia law and rules Besides the obvious (releasing information to the patient and the people he or she designates, as well as in cases necessary to protect the patient’s health and well-being), Georgia law allows PHI to be released to ‘such other persons or government agencies authorized by law to receive such confidential information.’ As for who that is, the Board of Pharmacy says that a letter from an attorney without a court order or official subpoena is not sufficient. It gets more complex: Both the board’s rules and Georgia code allow release of the information when the issue in court involves the patient’s care, treatment, or injuries. And Georgia’s Civil Practice Act clarifies that the patient may object to providing this information within 20 days (that’s the “time allocated by the applicable court”) and has to provide that objection to the health care entity -— i.e., you the pharmacist. If you don’t get an objection from the patient, Georgia code says that you “shall be immune from regulatory, civil, or criminal liability…” if you provide the information. So when a pharmacy receives non-party RPDs, if it receives the requisite assurances and there are no objections raised within the applicable time period, it is likely safe to provide patient records. However, in light of the breadth and complexities of the laws and rules involved, you should contact an attorney to advise you. Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N

BLACK & WHITE

OPEN

GLOSS/GRADIENT

FLAT COLOR

Georgia Pharmacy

April/May 2016

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

academies Where do you belong? Whether you work at a pharmacy or own it, work for a hospital, health system, chain, or independent, GPhA realizes that each practice setting has different needs. That’s why GPhA has practice academies.

The Academy of Independent Pharmacy GPhA.org/aip Representing independent pharmacies and their owners, AIP has spent years building bridges with government officials, PBMs and wholesalers, partners, and between AIP members themselves. When there’s an audit, AIP is there. When members need to compare wholesalers, AIP helps smooth the process. When PBM pricing schemes mean that pharmacies aren’t adequately reimbursed, AIP mobilized members to advocate for a new MAC transparency law. “Our ability to help our members when they have a problem is one of the biggest values we bring to the table,” says Jeff Lurey, GPhA’s vice president of independent pharmacy. “When we come together under the AIP banner, we can truly help keep independents independent.”

The Academy of Employee Pharmacists GPhA.org/aep No matter where they work, retail employee pharmacists face unique challenges: long days, complex management dynamics, and ever-changing policies they’re responsible for knowing and implementing. AEP gives employee pharmacists a chance to connect no matter what pharmacy is on their business card, and it helps ensure GPhA’s programs reflect their needs. Case in point: Earlier this year AEP polled its members, learning that CPE on interpersonal dynamics and career management topped the most-wanted list. So now we’re offering courses on ‘soft skills’ such as pharmacist-to-patient and pharmacist-to-physician communication. “Can you depend on your employer to keep you up to date with new laws and protocols?” asked 2015-16 AEP board chair Ashley London of Augusta. “AEP is not your employer. It’s you, bringing issues forward to shape your training, your opportunities, your career.” April/May 2016

The Academy of Clinical and Health System Pharmacists GhA.org/achp Pharmacists who work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and other health systems have an entirely different set of issues to be concerned with. ACHP pharmacists’ roles run the gamut from general patient care, to specialties like senior or transitional care. They tend to have a very different relationship with physicians and patients, and a unique set of issues to contend with, including legal and regulatory matters like accountable care organizations, Medicare Part D reporting and billing, and a host of issues many retail pharmacists see less frequently. As ACHP’s board chair, clinical pharmacist Ted Hunt, put it, “To be involved in ACHP is to be involved in a multi-faceted academy that’s addressing both clinical and practical aspects of our members’ practice, in all sorts of settings, in efficient and effective ways.” Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N

BLACK & WHITE

OPEN

GLOSS/GRADIENT

FLAT COLOR

Insurance Solutions that work AVAILABLE SERVICES EMPLOYEE BENEFITS • 5 Medical Plans to choose from • 2 Dental Plans to choose from • Vision and Life • COBRA Administration and FSA available HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT • Customized/Updated Employee Handbooks • HR Support on Labor Issues and Trends • Unemployment Claims Assistance • Labor Law Poster Compliance PAYROLL SERVICES • Full Payroll Administration • Payroll Tax Filings • Direct Deposit Services with PayCards • W2 Processing AFFORDABLE CARE ACT BENEFITS • Outside many of the ACA regulations • No Community Rated Rates • No high health insurance renewal increases • Stability

For more information about insurance services, contact: Bryan Turner Vice President J. Smith Lanier & Co. Tel: 678.656.2093 Email: bturner@jsmithlanier.com Denis Mucha Manager – Member Services Georgia Pharmacy Association Tel: 404.419.8120 Email: dmucha@gpha.org

Georgia Pharmacy

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

legislative recap Big wins shaping up on PDMP, DCH audits The 2016 legislative session saw a number of bills introduced that would have a direct effect on pharmacy, including those on which GPhA advocated from the start. As this issue of Georgia Pharmacy goes to press, the legislative session is not yet closed. Here are the various bills affecting Georgia pharmacy and their current status. Look for a detailed recap of the legislative session and what it means for Georgia pharmacists in our next issue.

BILLS GPhA SUPPORTS PDMP reform (HB 900) Gives pharmacists ability to delegate retrieval and review of PDMP information to technicians and allows pharmacists and physicians to communicate concerns about a patient’s inappropriate use of a controlled substance. Passed legislature, awaiting governor’s signature. Limiting DCH audit recoupment (HB 916) Gives pharmacists (and others) the right to correct any clerical errors on the part of the Department of Community Health and limits how much recoupments to the amount of the error. Passed legislature, awaiting governor’s signature. Pseudoephedrine ID requirements (HB 588) Requires pharmacies to use an electronic system to track and limit pseudoephedrine purchases. Passed legislature via HB 362, awaiting governor’s signature. Annual update to state’s overall drug and pharmacy law (HB 926) Notable to pharmacy, includes language protecting the ability of pharmacies to provide patient-specific sterile and non-sterile compounded drug products to providers. Passed legislature, awaiting governor’s signature. 10 Georgia Pharmacy

Annual update to controlled-substance law (“Drug update,” HB 783) Passed legislature, awaiting governor’s signature.

OTHER PHARMACY LEGISLATION GPhA monitored these bills. In several instances we worked to improve or clarify the legislation, but we took no active position on them. Allowing PAs to prescribe hydrocodone compound products (SB 115) Passed Senate; died in House but similar language was added to HB 588 (see above). April/May 2016

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

Allowing for volunteer health practitioners in an emergency (SB 230) Passed legislature; awaiting governor’s signature.

Exempting hospitals and health systems from certain requirements in administration of the influenza vaccine (HB 1043) Passed legislature; awaiting governor’s signature.

Regulating mail order pharmacies (HB 886) Passed legislature; awaiting governor’s signature. Establishing a drug repository for unused medication for indigent and elderly patients (HB 897) Passed legislature; awaiting governor’s signature. Governor oversight of professional boards (HB 952) Gives the governor’s office the authority and duty to actively supervise Georgia professional licensing boards in order to avoid anti-trust issues. GPhA agrees that oversight is necessary if boards are to enjoy immunity but advocated for oversight to lie with the AG in order to give Georgia’s boards the best chance of successfully invoking state action anti-trust immunity. Passed legislature, awaiting governor’s signature.

THERE ARE NO DO-OVERS AT RETIREMENT.

CANNABIS OIL GPhA’s does not have a position on the broader issue of the availability of cannabis oil. What we are concerned about is patient care and safety, and to that end we wanted to be sure that any plan for providing cannabis oil to Georgians included pharmacist involvement — not in dispensing the drug, but in counseling patients, discussing possible interactions, and evaluating response. Although Representative Allen Peake’s efforts regarding cultivation and sale were unsuccessful, the bill did propose a role for pharmacists consistent with GPhA’s policy and we’re grateful to him for not only hearing our concerns, but involving us in the process. Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N

BLACK & WHITE

OPEN

GLOSS/GRADIENT

FLAT COLOR

Integrated Financial Group Michael T. Tarrant, CFP® Financial Planner 200 Ashford Center North, Suite 400 Atlanta, GA 30338 (770)353-6414 Phone (770)353-6338 Fax mtarrant@intfingroup.com www.integrated-financial-group.com

Retirement is too late to decide that your investment portfolio was not designed to address your needs. Now is the time to develop a financial strategy that will give your money time to work for you. I specialize in thorough, unbiased financial guidance that can help you work toward your objectives throughout retirement. Call today for more information or to schedule a consultation.

April/May 2016

Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through IFG Advisory, LLC, a registered investment advisor. IFG Advisory, LLC and Integrated Financial Group are separate entities from LPL Financial.

MKT-06048-0410 Tracking #638367

Georgia Pharmacy 11

2016 GEORGIA PHARMACY CONVENTION

GET READY FOR

CHANGE Your profession is changing. And Georgia’s premiere convention for pharmacists is ready with more than 35 hours of CPE available. EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS APRIL 16.

HILTON HEAD MARRIOTT RESORT, JUNE 16-19, 2016

GENERAL SESSIONS

Led by leaders from the world of law, healthcare, and business, we’re sure you’ll agree there’s no better way to prepare for the challenges pharmacists will face.

Pharmacy in the Age of Uber with ALLISON LINNEY

The Provider Status Show with BECKY SNEAD

Management expert Allison Linney is convinced that the practice of pharmacy is becoming to healthcare what Uber is to getting a ride: more accessible, more effective, more human. But have you positioned yourself within this new healthcare paradigm? Do you even understand it? For two decades, Allison Linney has been helping healthcare professionals broaden their vision. That’s what Pharmacy in the Age of Uber is all about. Explore with Allison your profession’s adventurous new course.

For Georgia to find a way forward on Provider Status, we’ll have to hear from a lot of voices. NASPA CEO Becky Snead says it’s time to get the conversation started. That’s where The Provider Status Show comes in. You’ll learn what provider status can mean both in Georgia and nationally for pharmacists, and what must be done to get us there. After all, what better way to explore this complex topic, than hearing experts hash it out?

Innovation Showcase with KRYSTALYN WEAVER: Five Pharmacists Who Are Paving the Way to Provider Status in Georgia Think provider status is just about immunizations and MTM? Think again. Pharmacists in Georgia and elsewhere are finding surprising ways to practice to the full extent of their licenses and training. And as they do, they’re also finding new revenue streams and, more importantly, delivering better healthcare outcomes for their patients. Join us as our lineup of pharmacist innovators as they share their surprising pathways to provider status.

EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS APRIL 16.

GROW... The 2016 Georgia Pharmacy Convention is the biggest event for Georgia Pharmacists all year, and it offers more than 35 hours of continuing ed courses. (Realistically, you can take 15 hours of them.) The instructors are top-notch, and the resort is incredible. See more, get more, and register at GPhAconvention.com. JUNE 16

JUNE 17

JUNE 18

Critical Conversations: Coaching Patients to Adherence (2 hours)

Antimicrobial Stewardship: Beyond the Hospital Setting (1 hour)

Pharmacy Quality Data: Measures, Measuring and Me (1 hour)

2016: New Laws Update (2 hours)

New & Improved: Georgia’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (1 hour)

HIV/AIDS in Special Populations: Management and Treatment Updates for Pharmacists (2 hours) Managing in Every Direction (1.5 hours) Biosimilars: What We Can Expect (1.5 hours) MTM User Group: Best Practices and Other Stuff That Works (1.5 hours) Pharmacy in the Age of Uber (General Session; 1 hour) WANT MORE INFORMATION? Go to GPhAconvention.com. You’ll be able to register and find out more about our complete lineup of CPE sessions and other events at the 2016 Georgia Pharmacy Convention.

Preventing Hospital Readmissions: Pharmacists’ Roles in Transitions of Care (1 hour) Call Me Maybe: Improving Patient Safety Through Physician-to-Pharmacist Communication (1 hour) New Drug Update 2016: A Formulary Approach (1 hour) Medicaid Update: State of the State and Future Directions (1 hour) Pharmacists, Physicians & Value-Based Payments: Why They Need Us More Than They May Know (1.5 hours)

Integrating Pharmacists into Innovative Team-based Care Delivery Models (2 hours) What Changed? A Quick Review of Guideline Updates (2 hours) Preventing Adverse Drug Events and Medication Errors (1 hour) Reimagining Pharmacist Scope of Practice (1 hour) Cannabinoids: A Pediatric Perspective (1 hour) A Visit With Your Board of Pharmacy Members: Supervision, Handling Controls, and More (1 hour) Innovation Showcase (General Session; 1 hour) JUNE 19

The Prescription Opioid Overdose Epidemic: A Question of Balance (1.5 hours)

Medication Therapy Management for Patients with Diabetes (2 hours)

The Provider Status Show (General Session; 1 hour)

Increasing Pharmacist Value Through Patient Screening Assessments (2 hours)

HILTON HEAD MARRIOTT RESORT, JUNE 16-19, 2016

...PLAY, CONNECT All work and no play is no fun at all. There’s more than classes and sessions at the convention. We know how important down time is, so there are lots of chances to kick back and relax (or kick it into high gear if you prefer): More than 250 restaurants. Bakeries and farmers’ markets. Fishing. Gourmet shops. Biking. Museums and theatre. Kayaking. Helicopter tours. Kids’ activities galore. More than 350 tennis courts and 24 championship golf courses. The beach. You won’t be bored, that’s for sure.

EXCITEMENT WITH THE FOUNDATION DRAW-DOWN It’s like “The Hunger Games” meets “The Price is Right” — an exciting, fun-filled game in the Expo Hall, where contestants vie for a chance to win hundreds of dollars (while helping support the Georgia Pharmacy Foundation). The first night has $50 tickets, and the second night doubles that — and doubles the winning and the excitement.

A GINORMOUS EXPO HALL The convention’s Expo Hall is our largest in years, with dozens and dozens of vendors representing products, services, and organizations across the pharmacy spectrum. It’s a great chance to learn, connect, interact, and explore. (And eat — there’ll be noshes available much of the time, and our grand opening will have some of the tastiest hors d’oeuvres around.) AN ALL-NEW PRESIDENT’S BASH We heard you, and this year our anchor event welcoming incoming president Lance Boles will be a fun, casual, beach bash. Leave your black ties at home, and eat, drink, and be merry with the surf, the sand, and the live band on a Saturday night under the stars.

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

cover story

We talk a lot about the idea of pharmacists having “provider status.” But what exactly does that mean? GPhA CEO Scott Brunner sat down with Krystalyn Weaver, PharmD, the vice president of policy and operations for the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, to talk about that phrase — why provider status is important, what it means for pharmacists in Georgia, and why we’re working so hard to achieve it here and nationwide. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN SCHRAD

16 Georgia Pharmacy

April/May 2016

Georgia Pharmacy 17

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

Across practice settings, provider status is seen as the great brass ring for pharmacists. So let’s start by defining the term: What is provider status, and why do we need it? Today the federal government does not recognize pharmacists as medical “providers” — specifically in Part B of the Social Security Act. That means Medicare beneficiaries aren’t able to access pharmacists’ patient-care services such as diabetes management, smoking cessation assistance, and even simple wellness visits through their Medicare benefits. Hence our goal of attaining federal “provider status.” A major step of that would be passage of the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act, aka H.R. 592 or S.314. It would allow Medicare to pay for pharmacists’ services in medically-underserved areas, of which Georgia has more than a few. To sum it up, the goal is to ensure that patients’ have access to pharmacists’ brains — not just the products we dispense. Back to the term provider status. Medicare access is a major step, but it’s only the first step. The reality is that we need to approach ensuring patient access to pharmacists’ services from more than one angle. Though Medicare patients make up a huge population of those who would benefit from pharmacists knowledge and skills, there are many other patients who do not have Medicare coverage. So “provider status” is broader. It encompasses any effort to get patients access to these services, which makes the meaning of that term somewhat complicated. Add to that the fact that not every pharmacist wants to provide those services. Often when 18 Georgia Pharmacy

I’m talking about integrating more patient-care services into our practices I get the inevitable comment: “I’m too busy in the pharmacy as it is. There is no way I can add even more activities to my dayto-day operations and still get prescriptions filled.” I challenge my peers not to think of the current practice environment. When we’re talking about broadening pharmacists’ services, think of the future. Remember that the reason we aren’t already doing this is because our payment system is broken — it doesn’t recognize the value pharmacists are capable of providing. A core premise of the provider status push is that we have to change our business model. We need to change the practice environment and make it feasible for our services to be delivered effectively. We are talking about overhauling our workflow so patient-care services become a focus, not an add-on. And yes, we’re talking about new streams of revenue. Any pharmacy owner can attest to the fact that margins are decreasing. In order to keep pharmacist jobs viable, we need to leverage our most valuable asset: our ability to optimize medication regimens, assist patients with disease management and prevention, and decrease overall health care costs — not just get the right drug to the right patient at the right time (although that will always be important). If the case is so strong, what’s keeping Congress? That’s a great question, but it assumes that policy decisions are always made with 100 percent reliance on facts and data. The reality is that national policy is influenced by political pressures. And one April/May 2016

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

“WE ARE NOW SEEING SUPPORT FROM MANY OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE CDC, THE NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION, THE SURGEON GENERAL, AND OTHERS.” of the biggest political pressures we’re facing today is our national debt and the ever ballooning costs of entitlement programs. Adding pharmacists services to Medicare benefits will come at an added cost to the program, at least initially. So rather than reflecting on why it hasn’t happened yet, I like to focus on why now is a good time. There has never before been more of an awareness on health policy in the larger policy environment. Policy makers are realizing that saving money is more than simply cutting costs — it’s also critical to get the most value. Pharmacists are pros at keeping people healthy and maximizing the utility of a critical healthcare resource: medications. We have plenty of data to show that. More people are realizing this, so not only do we have unprecedented collaboration among pharmacy associations, wholesalers, and national pharmacy chains, we are now seeing support from many outside organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Governors Association, the Office of the Surgeon General, and others. Okay, so Congress is concerned about the price tag. I get that. Isn’t there research, though, to demonstrate that the long-term savings from compensating pharmacists as providers is greater than the short-term costs? I can imagine healthier patients and reduced hospital admissions could save Medicaid and Medicare some real money. Absolutely, there are plenty of data to show that pharmacists can save payers on the overall cost of healthcare in both the short and long term. There April/May 2016

are hard data showing that within one year, simply paying pharmacists to provide modest MTM services for Medicaid patients delivered a 4 to 1 return on investment. And data for the long term is even stronger — an average ROI as high as 12 to 1. Unfortunately, the way new federal bills are analyzed doesn’t account for these savings. The Congressional Budget Office assigns a “score” to bills that estimates the cost of the bill to the federal budget over the next 10 years. But that score doesn’t take into account cost savings — which doesn’t help our cause one bit. We’ve heard that this process may be loosening a bit but the score of the federal bill will continue to be a challenge, especially in an election year. You’ve mentioned that Congress would need to enact provider status at the federal level. But what about at the state level? Is there any benefit to asking the legislature to grant pharmacists provider status here in Georgia? What would state provider status look like? Absolutely, there is a lot states can do to ensure patients access to and coverage for pharmacists’ patient care services (which is really what we mean by “provider status,” remember). Unfortunately it isn’t as simple as a state legislature simply granting provider status. There are often several places in state law and regulation where “provider status” is defined, each with a different degree of impact on patient access to pharmacists’ services. They may be important in their own way but are unlikely to be the broader solution that a federal change would be. Additionally, it’s at the state level where scope of practice is defined, and that’s an essential factor in pharmacists’ ability to provide the care they want to provide. In recent years states have made improvements to laws regulating pharmacists: broadening immunization and collaborative practice agreements, allowing pharmacists to prescribe travel medication, and promoting access to public health services through pharmacies, such as smoking cessation products and hormonal contraceptives. Finally, states can influence local payers including Medicaid, state employee plans, and private Georgia Pharmacy 19

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

payers through legislative or regulatory action, or by simply working with those payers directly and sharing the business case with them. So are we talking about expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice? Providing services under collaborative practice agreements with physicians? Or simply doing stuff pharmacists can already do but currently can’t be compensated for? All of the above. As we discussed before, state provider status efforts often include work to help align pharmacists’ scope of practice with their clinical ability — so patients aren’t missing out on pharmacists’ care because of outdated laws. Collaborative practice agreements can allow for increased collaboration and efficiencies in care delivery — unless the state laws and regulations are so restrictive that entering into an agreement becomes a burden. And finally there is “stuff” pharmacists can already do and already are doing that they aren’t being compensated for. It won’t be as easy as just submitting a quick claim for services; we’ll need to comply with the rules and regulations other providers comply with now — including credentialing, documentation and quality assurance. How do you think physicians will react to that? Does it change the physician–pharmacist relationship? The examples we currently have of physician-pharmacist collaborations are relatively few and far between because it requires great creativity to make the relationship financially viable. But when we are able to find sustainable revenue streams to take the strain off of the system, physicians often report favorably on working closely with pharmacists. I think physicians and other providers will embrace the presence of pharmacists on the health care team. Let’s face it — drugs are complicated, and there are plenty of other things doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners have to focus on. Having a medication expert on their side will make their job that much easier and allow them to provide care to more patients.

20 Georgia Pharmacy

How do you see this new paradigm impacting the quality of patient care? It’s been said many times before but I’ll say it again: When pharmacists are on the team, health outcomes improve and costs go down. I think it’s a given that pharmacists’ services can improve quality. The impact pharmacists are already making, even in our broken system, is probably underappreciated. But I think if we align the incentives appropriately — and build an infrastructure that allows pharmacists to access the patient health data they need — the system can be fixed to maximize pharmacists’ skills and improve patient care. Let’s talk about compensation. If, as providers, pharmacists could be compensated for a broader range of their services, what does that look like? I don’t want it to sound like an easy, quick transition. We’ll need to adjust workflows, reimagine how we use pharmacy technicians, implement infrastructure changes to allow pharmacists to plug into the information systems hospitals and doctors use, and learn how to do medical billing. And medical billing is VERY different than prescription billing, which is quick, automated and immediately tells you if a claim is covered. In medical billing, a claim is submitted but the provider may not know for weeks if it will be paid by the insurer. Copays have to be collected at the time of service but are only estimates of what the patient’s cost share is — meaning you have to bill the patient after the fact as well. And if a claim isn’t April/May 2016

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

covered, the dispute process can be lengthy and arduous. Obviously all of these challenges have been overcome by our colleagues in other health professions so they’re not insurmountable, but they will be big changes for pharmacy. Sounds like this is an issue pharmacists need to anticipate. What can pharmacists be doing now to prepare themselves, their practices, and their patients for provider status? Pharmacists can get themselves ahead of the game by incorporating services into their current business model now. Start small. Consider incorporating med sync into your pharmacy. Incorporate other adherence interventions. Make sure to fulfill all the Medicare Part D MTM opportunities that come your way. This will help you get your workflow to a better place and start to change patient perceptions about the level of care pharmacists are capable of providing.

Build relationships in the community. Reach out to local physicians’ offices, get to know the care managers in the local hospital, and see if you can find a way to help them with medication reconciliation at discharge. Yes, this will mean business when we are able to bill Medicare for medical services, but it will also mean increased business now. If your local providers see you as the go-to pharmacy for optimal medication management, they will send their patients to you. Try to understand the quality measurement landscape beyond star satings. Physicians, ACOs, medical homes, and hospitals are held to different quality metrics. Learn what they are, learn the pressure points, and think how pharmacists can help to achieve those metrics. Also get to know the billing codes that may be available to us through Medicare. These include CPT codes, chronic care management codes, G-Codes and more. The Medicare Learning Network is a great resource. Sign up for their email list and get information sent to you regularly. Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N

BLACK & WHITE

OPEN

GLOSS/GRADIENT

FLAT COLOR

April/May 2016

Georgia Pharmacy 21

You belong in GPhA. We are your association. We work for you. We work for your practice. We work for your patients. We fight for the laws and regulations that make your work easier, more fulfilling, and yes, more profitable. Whether it’s fighting prescription drug abuse, ensuring fairer reimbursement processes, expanding your ability to provide immunizations, clarifying what constitutes adequate supervision, defending office-use compounding, or a host of other issues — GPhA is working. For you. We provide the continuing education you need — and not the usual canned material. Our courses and instructors are up to date, informative, and lively. We offer certifications in diabetes management and MTM and we cover topics you won’t find anywhere else. GPhA gives you the tools you need to stay on top of your profession: news, resources, and an ever-growing library of information. A subscription to Georgia Pharmacy magazine is just one benefit — and we hope you’re enjoying this complimentary issue. The biggest one? Getting more by being a part of a group of pharmacists who want to be at the top of their games.

You belong here. We want to make joining your association easy. Sign up before May 31 and we’ll extend your membership: Instead of one year, you’ll be part of GPhA through August 31, 2017.*

That’s a savings of more than $100 off the regular rate. And you can make your membership pay itself back easily with the broad array of discounts we offer. (The math says you can save more than $700.)

Go to GPhA.org/newmember2016. Click on the join link and get ready to enjoy all the benefits of GPhA membership at the best deal of the year.

Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N

* Fine print: This offer is only for non GPhA members who have not been a member in the past 12 months.

INVESTING IN PHARMPAC IS INVESTING IN YOUR PRACTICE. 2016 PHARMPAC INVESTORS

The following pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, students, and others have joined GPhAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PharmPAC. The contribution levels are based on investment for the entire 2016 calendar year. Diamond Investors ($4,800 or $400/month)

CHARLES BARNES Valdosta

MAC McCORD Atlanta

FRED SHARPE Albany

SCOTT MEEKS Douglas

Titanium Investors ($2,400 or $200/month)

RALPH BALCHIN Fayetteville

JEFF SIKES Valdosta

DAVID GRAVES Macon

GREG HICKMAN Monroe

DANNY SMITH McRae

BRANDALL LOVVORN Bremen

DEAN STONE Metter

David Graves, Macon, PharmPAC chairman April/May 2016

Georgia Pharmacy 23

2016 PHARMPAC INVESTORS Platinum Investors ($1,200 or $100/month) THOMAS BRYAN, JR. WILLIAM CAGLE HUGH CHANCY KEITH CHAPMAN WES CHAPMAN AL DIXON JACK DUNN ROBERT HATTON WILLIAM HUANG IRA KATZ JEFF LUREY JONATHAN MARQUESS

Gold Investors ($600 or $50/month)

DREW MILLER LAIRD MILLER MARK PARRIS HOUSTON ROGERS TERRY SHAW TIM SHORT CARL STANLEY CHRIS THURMOND DANNY TOTH TOMMY WHITWORTH

Silver Investors

(CONTINUED)

CHAD MCDONALD BOBBY MOODY DARYL REYNOLDS BRIAN RICKARD ANDY ROGERS MICHAEL TARRANT CAREY VAUGHAN CHUCK WILSON H.D. WILSON, III WILLIAM WOLFE

JAMES BARTLING LANCE BOLES BRUCE BROADRICK LIZA CHAPMAN MARSHALL CURTIS MAHLON DAVIDSON SHARON DEASON ROBERT DICKINSON BENJAMIN DUPREE KERRY GRIFFIN MICHAEL ITEOGU STEPHANIE KIRKLAND

($300 or $25/month)

($150 or $12.50/month)

Bronze Investors

Member Investors

Renee Adamson Nelson Anglin James Carpenter Gregory Drake Marshall Frost Willie Latch Kalen Manasco Hillary Jack Mbadugha Bill McLeer Ashley Rickard Austin Tull

Phil Barfield Nicholas Bland Michael Crooks Melanie DeFusco John Drew Yolanda Ellison Larry Harkleroad Phillip James Brenton Lake Micheal Lewis Susan McCleer Amanda Paisley Jonathan Riley James Strickland

Marla Banks Charles Tigner

(up to $150)

GET INVESTED TODAY Visit GPhA.org/PharmPAC or call (404) 419-8118

HELP US REACH OUR GOAL FOR 2016! In this election year it’s critical that PharmPAC raises enough funding to support pro-pharmacy candidates for the Georgia legislature. You can bet the PBMs will be well funded!

$20,008

$25,000

$50,000

$75,000

$100,000

$125,000

Thank you to all our PharmPAC investors for their contributions to the future of pharmacy in Georgia. Visit GPhA.org/PharmPAC to find out more.

24 Georgia Pharmacy

April/May 2016

gia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N

contact

Reach out to us

OUR PHONE NUMBER IS 404.231.5074 OUR WEBSITE IS GPhA.ORG OPEN

For questions about our magazine, Web sites, or social media Andrew Kantor Director of Communication akantor@gpha.org FLAT COLOR

GPhA LEADERSHIP President & Chair of the Board TOMMY WHITWORTH, LaGrange twhitworth@corleydrug.com President-Elect LANCE BOLES, Hartwell lanceboles@hotmail.com First Vice President LIZA CHAPMAN, Dawsonville liza.chapman@kroger.com Second Vice President TIM SHORT, Cumming garph9@aol.com Immediate Past President BOBBY MOODY, Macon coliseumpharmacy@gmail.com Chief Executive Officer SCOTT BRUNNER, CAE sbrunner@gpha.org At-Large Board Members JOHN DREW, Fortson rxdrew@yahoo.com SHARON DEASON, Newnan sdeason99@hotmail.com DREW MILLER, Griffin wynnsrx@aol.com DAVID GRAVES, Warner Robins davidbgraves@hotmail.com DARYL REYNOLDS, Griffin dreynolds@u-save-it.com CHRIS THURMOND, Athens vildrug@bellsouth.net

April/May 2016

For questions about engagement with the Georgia pharmacy community, our 1 events, or CPE credits Phillip Ratliff Vice President of Communication and Engagement pratliff@gpha.org For membership questions Tei Muhammad Director of Membership Operations (404) 419-8115 tmuhammad@gpha.org For questions about any of our insurance products Denis Mucha Manager of Insurance Services (404) 419-8120 dmucha@gpha.org For questions about governmental affairs Greg Reybold Vice President of Public Policy greybold@gpha.org For questions about the Board of Directors or for scheduling the CEO Ruth Ann McGehee Executive Assistant and Governance Manager (404) 419-8173 rmcgehee@gpha.org

For operational or accounting questions: Dianne Jones Vice President of Finance & Administration (404) 419-8129 djones@gpha.org Patricia Aguilar Accounting Coordinator paguilar@gpha.org (404) 419-8124

GPhA’S MEMBER SERVICE PARTNERS InfiniTrak infinitrak.us Track and trace compliance software Pharmacy Quality Commitment pqc.net Quality assurance compliance resources

For assistance with independent-pharmacy issues Jeff Lurey, R.Ph. Vice President of Independent Pharmacy & Director of AIP (404) 419-8103 jlurey@gpha.org For questions about your AIP membership Verouschka “V” Betancourt-Whigham Manager of AIP Member Services (404) 419-8102 vbwhigham@gpha.org AIP Member Service Representatives Rhonda Bonner (229) 854-2797 rbonner@gpha.org Charles Boone (478) 955-7789 cboone@gpha.org Melissa Metheny (678) 485-6126 mmetheny@gpha.org Gene Smith (423) 667-7949 gsmith@gpha.org

Pharmacy Technician Certification Board ptcb.org SoFi sofi.com/gpha Student-loan refinancing UBS ubs.com/team/wile Financial planning

Got a concern about a GPhA program or service? Want to compliment or complain? Drop a note to membercare@gpha.org. Georgia Pharmacy 25

Coverage You Need. Service You Deserve. A Price You Can Afford.

GPhA’S SPRING REGIONAL LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY UPDATES ARE HERE

SAVE THE DATE for your region’s meeting and dinner, and get updated on the issues we’re working on during this legislative session.

What’s your region? See the map at GPhA.org/regions. Tell us you’re coming at GPhA.org/briefings/spring2016 Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4

April 19 Statesboro April 5 Valdosta April 7 Columbus April 7 Peachtree City Regions 5 & 7 April 19 Sandy Springs Region 6 April 21 Macon Region 8 April 5 Waycross Region 9 April 14 East Ellijay Region 10 April 14 Athens Region 11 April 26 Augusta Region 12 April 21 Dublin

Join your association—the Georgia Pharmacy Association: GPhA.org/join

postscript

Crossing lines Thirty-five years ago, I was working at one of the great U.S. retail pharmacy chains: Eckerd Drugs. Eckerd Drugs! That’s a name that’s fading, but at the time it was widely known — maybe revered TOMMY WHITWORTH — as one of the most pharmacy-friendly, progressive chains in America. My branch was located in the small town of Lanett, Alabama, just across the Georgia line. Even from what might seem like a humble vantage point, my Eckerd seemed determined to live up to its reputation as an advocate for healthcare — to cross lines that might otherwise divide. Eckerd decided to go into an alliance with a group of independent pharmacists in the West Georgia/East Alabama region called “the valley,” to stem a new challenge to healthcare: mail order pharmacy. We formed a group of retail chain and independent pharmacists passionate about one thing: pharmacy is more than handing out pills. Through the efforts and leadership of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, we were able stem that threat. Our solution: We formed a third-party supplier that morphed into a very benevolent — and very successful — PBM. That third-party entity is why GPhA enjoys such a large endowment today, by the way. Yep. I was a part of that, and I’m proud. When the opportunity came to move from Alabama to set up my own practice in Georgia, I knew I would have to become a part of this group of dedicated members, colleagues, and mentors known as GPhA. First off, they were and are winners, and every experience I have had with GPhA since then has confirmed this. In my three decades in GPhA, our regulatory and legislative victories have just kept piling up, and there is no doubt in my mind that pharmacists are more prosperous and their patients better taken care of because of GPhA. 26 Georgia Pharmacy

But life is about more than winning. What ultimately attracted me to GPhA membership wasn’t just that we’ve gotten things done. It’s that GPhA members are about creating an environment that lets pharmacists be pharmacists. I run across people who were burned out and I run across people enjoying their careers. When pharmacists get involved with something bigger than themselves, their state of mind is clearer, their focus is better. And when pharmacists turn inward, they soon learn that, on their own, they can’t become what they imagined becoming. They need information, educational opportunities, close colleagues. They need to reach outside themselves, make friends and find mentors who

WHEN PHARMACISTS GET INVOLVED WITH SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES, THEIR STATE OF MIND IS CLEARER, THEIR FOCUS IS BETTER. think about the same things they do, but maybe in a way that they don’t. As I’ve gone from retail chain to independent and hospital pharmacist, from single guy to husband and father, from a red-headed Alabamian to a gray-haired Georgian, I’ve loved where I’ve been and I’m glad I’ve crossed each and every line that I have. The relationships I’ve made, the little wins, the big wins, all these experiences come down to one thing: people from different practice areas, different parts of the state, different pharmacy school backgrounds, different perspectives, all giving back to make pharmacy better and to make being a pharmacist better. Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N

BLACK & WHITE

OPEN

GLOSS/GRADIENT

FLAT COLOR

Tommy Whitworth of LaGrange is GPhA’s 2015–2016 president. April/May 2016

CPE WEEKENDS

(Continued from front)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

Navigating Specialty Pharmacy Specialty pharmacy is one of the fastest growing healthcare niches. Get up to date on how pharmacists fit in to the new field of personalized medicine.

Rising to the Top: A Leadership Symposium for Women in Pharmacy Women face unique challenges in the pharmacy profession, especially as more become leaders in the field. This day-long symposium will cover management roles, policy positions, business issues, career options, and more — it’s not your average CPE!

Pharmacists and the Golden Years — Caring for Senior Patients Senior care is becoming a larger part of the healthcare market — so be prepared. Join Richard Marasco, owner of seniorpharm.com, as he explores how pharmacists can be a part of a senior-focused healthcare team.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 New Laws, New Drugs, New Opportunities New laws affecting pharmacists, drugs, and your patients are passed every year. You need to know the rules, and you need to see the opportunities they provide to deliver new clinical services. 2016 New Law Update with Greg Reybold 8:00 AM | 2 hours | $50 2016 New Drug Update with Rusty May 10:00 AM | 2 hours | $50 New Opportunities for Patient Care with Jake Galdo 12:30 PM | 2 hours | $50

Rising to the Top: A Leadership Symposium for Women in Pharmacy 8:00 AM | 6 hours | $200

Senior Care is Everywhere: Managing Common Conditions seen in the Elderly 8:00 AM | 2 hours | $50

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5

I’m having a Senior Moment: Managing Memory and Mood Issues in Seniors 10:00 AM | 2 hours | $50

Pharmacies in the Crosshairs — Reducing Fraud and Abuse Risk in the Pharmacy Space Think you know the biggest fraud and abuse risk area in your pharmacy? You may be surprised. These sessions show you what to watch for and how to ensure compliance with the law while minimizing your risks of liability. Scott Grubman, partner with the Atlanta law firm of Chilivis, Cochran, Larkins & Bever, has expert advice on how not to cross any lines.

Slips, Trips, Bumps and Falls: Managing Medication Related Problems In Seniors 12:30 PM | 2 hours | $50

Registration and more information: GPhA.org/education

AT CONVENTION JUNE 16 Critical Conversations: Coaching Patients to Adherence (2 hours)

Hilton Head, SC, June 16-19, 2016 The 2016 Georgia Pharmacy Convention is the biggest event for Georgia Pharmacists all year, and it offers more than 35 hours of continuing ed courses. (Realistically, you can take 15 hours of them.) The instructors are top-notch, and the resort is incredible. See more, get more, and register at GPhAconvention.com.

2016: New Laws Update (2 hours)

The Prescription Opioid Overdose Epidemic: A Question of Balance (1.5 hours)

HIV/AIDS in Special Populations: Management and Treatment Updates for Pharmacists (2 hours)

The Provider Status Show (General Session; 1 hour)

Managing in Every Direction (1.5 hours) Biosimilars: What We Can Expect (1.5 hours) MTM User Group: Best Practices and Other Stuff That Works (1.5 hours) Pharmacy in the Age of Uber (General Session; 1 hour)

JUNE 17

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Go to GPhAconvention.com. You’ll be able to register and find out more about our complete lineup of CPE sessions and other events at the 2016 Georgia Pharmacy Convention.

Pharmacists, Physicians & ValueBased Payments: Why They Need Us More Than They May Know (1.5 hours)

JUNE 18 Pharmacy Quality Data: Measures, Measuring and Me (1 hour) Integrating Pharmacists into Innovative Team-based Care Delivery Models (2 hours) What Changed? A Quick Review of Guideline Updates (2 hours) Preventing Adverse Drug Events and Medication Errors (1 hour)

Antimicrobial Stewardship: Beyond the Hospital Setting (1 hour)

Reimagining Pharmacist Scope of Practice (1 hour)

New & Improved: Georgia’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (1 hour)

Cannabinoids: A Pediatric Perspective (1 hour)

Preventing Hospital Readmissions: Pharmacists’ Roles in Transitions of Care (1 hour)

A Visit With Your Board of Pharmacy Members: Supervision, Handling Controls, and More (1 hour)

Call Me Maybe: Improving Patient Safety Through Physician-to-Pharmacist Communication (1 hour)

Innovation Showcase (General Session; 1 hour)

New Drug Update 2016: A Formulary Approach (1 hour) Medicaid Update: State of the State and Future Directions (1 hour)

JUNE 19 Medication Therapy Management for Patients with Diabetes (2 hours) Increasing Pharmacist Value Through Patient Screening Assessments (2 hours)

Registration and more information: GPhA.org/education

EQUIPPING YOURSELF PRACTICAL SKILLS PREP Preparing for practice in Georgia…or bringing your skills to the next level GPhA’s Practical Skills Refresher Course Our concentrated, four-hour course on the terminology, measurements, and procedures you’ll use on the Georgia Pharmacist Practical Exam — and in the day-to-day practice of pharmacy — is one of our most popular courses ever. If you’re a student pharmacist or a transfer to Georgia, you’ll want this

course for review of critical parts of your pharmacy school curriculum. Practicing pharmacists will find the Practical Skills Refresher a useful way review the day-to-day measurements, procedures, and terms you and your technicians use every day. GPhA offers the Practical Skills Refresher Course a total of four times a year, right before each of the four Georgia Pharmacist Practical Exams — and in the same locations, to boot. How’s that for practical?

APhA CERTIFICATION MTM and Diabetes Certification Courses from APhA APhA’s MTM and diabetes certification training classes are the gold standard in equipping pharmacists in medication management strategies. These patient-centered, revenueenhancing certifications can boost your skills and make your pharmacy more profitable.

SAVE EVEN MORE! If you sign up for both MTM and diabetes certification courses offered in 2016, we’ll knock off an additional $50! For more information on APhA’s Delivering Medication Therapy Management Services, go to GPhA. org/MTM. For more information on APhA’s The Pharmacist & PatientCentered Diabetes Care, go to GPhA. org/diabetes.

Registration and more information: GPhA.org/education

Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N

6065 Barfield Road NE | Suite 100 Sandy Springs, GA 30328

BLACK & WHITE

OPEN

GPhA ADVOCATES FOR YOU.

Think our legislative work doesn’t affect your pharmacy practice? Think again.

PASSED STOPPED

GLOSS/GRADIENT

FLAT COLOR

Audit Bill of Rights. Allowing pharmacists to administer flu vaccines without a prescription. Licensing of PBMs. Electronic prescriptions. Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Putting the Board of Pharmacy under the DCH. MAC transparency. Allowing pharmacists to give meningitis, shingles, and pneumococcal disease vaccines without a prescription. Insurance commissioner oversight of PBMs. Prescription Drug Monitoring Program enhancements. Subjecting DCH to Audit Bill of Rights.

Mandatory mail-order. Putting non-pharmacists in charge of pharmacy licensure and investigations. Out-of-state mail order not adhering to same patient safety standards as in-state community retail. Making generic substitution of immunosuppressant and epilepsy drugs difficult. Moving oversight of GDNA to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Requiring retention of unnecessary documentation. Robotic dispensing without oversight by a licensed pharmacist.

AND THAT’S NOT THE HALF OF IT. You need GPhA to help protect your patients and your practice. And we need you to help assure we have the influence we need in order to be effective. JOIN NOW: gpha.org/join. Do it before May 31, get three months free, and pay no more dues until August 2017.