January 2017
Inside: NEW INSURANCE OPTIONS NALOXONE OTC MEET TOMORROW’S PHARMACIST LEADERS
WHO SPEAKS FOR THE PATIENT? When it comes to medication access and affordability, the answer is you.
SAVE THE DATE SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 2017
•
MACON MARRIOTT & CENTREPLEX
AIP SPRING MEETING CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST & LUNCH PROVIDED
Events and programs include: • Network with colleagues • Buffet lunch • Meet with Partners • CE opportunities Plus • Legislative Update
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT — ATTEND THIS YEAR’S AIP FALL MEETING Registration: Please fill out and fax back to (404) 237-8435 Member’s Name: Nickname: Pharmacy Name: Address: E-mail Address (please print): Will you be joining us for lunch (Noon – 1:00PM)? q Yes
q No
How many total will be attending? Names of Staff/Guests:
contents
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COVER STORY: WHO SPEAKS FOR THE PATIENT? When it comes to their medication, Georgia’s patients face a variety of unfair business practices — think mandatory mail order and clawbacks, for starters. As the legislature returns to town, it’s pharmacists who are well positioned to tackle these issues for them. Here’s why.
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3 prescript
12 2017 education
Speaking of — and for — patients Why our advocacy focus this year is a little different
Check out GPhA’s education calendar for the year ahead
4 news
Meet the next class of future Georgia pharmacy leaders
What’s happening in the Georgia pharmacy world Naloxone and hearing aids both go OTC, how to live forever (sort of), congrats to our fellow Georgian, and more
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7 calendar
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14 LeadershipGPhA
24 PharmPAC Investors in the future of pharmacy in Georgia
27 contact us
Upcoming events and classes
Who does what at GPhA — and how to reach us
10 insurance
28 postscript
GPhA members have access to a host of new coverage options this year
A message from President Lance Boles
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Georgia Pharmacy magazine is the official publication of the Georgia Pharmacy Association. 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.
President and Chair of the Board Lance Boles President-Elect Liza Chapman First Vice President Tim Short Immediate Past President Tommy Whitworth
Director of Communication & Editor Andrew Kantor akantor@gpha.org Art Director Carole Erger-Fass
Chief Executive Officer Scott Brunner, CAE sbrunner@gpha.org
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.
January 2017
SUBSCRIPTIONS
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
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prescript
Speaking of — and for — patients Back in autumn, VP of Public Policy Greg Reybold and I were pulling together the meeting agenda for GPhA’s Legislative Policy Committee. The committee was planning to explore a number of unfair business SCOTT BRUNNER practices plaguing pharmacies and to recommend legislative fixes for those abuses — because that’s what we traditionally do: We come up with a list of business and clinical issues, determine which are priorities, and then we head for the legislature with our talking points. Over the years, we’ve done well by you, our member, with this approach. Think pharmacy practice act or immunization authority or MAC transparency or last year’s improvements to PDMP. Each year, we’d go forward with a particular issue, get it passed, and then get ready to come back again the next year with another issue. But as the issues impacting pharmacy have grown both more numerous and complex, it’s proving harder to keep up, to tackle everything that needs tackling. Which brings me back to the conversation with Greg, and our list of unfair business practices. “We can’t do these as one-offs. There are too many. And each one is complicated,” I told him. “It’ll be hard to explain to legislators. Their eyes will glaze over.” “Not if we speak for the patient,” he said. “The patient is the beneficiary here. It’s the patient who’s being harmed more than the pharmacy.” Why, yes. The cartoon light bulb above my head flashed on as it occurred to me: Maybe we’ve been focusing on the wrong customer. We’ve been focusing on you and your business model and profitability and scope of practice, when what we should be focusing on is your customers — your patients — and how their access to (and ability to afford) medication is adversely affected by a range of business practices. Stick with me here. “When you look at this from the patient’s perspective, this stuff is simple to understand,” said Greg. And he’s right: mandatory mail order is January 2017
clearly not in every patient’s interest. A patient shouldn’t pay a co-pay that’s higher than the actual cost of the medication. A pharmacist should be able to tell a patient when there’s a cheaper therapeutically equivalent alternative medication. And so on. Simple.
THE BEST WAY TO MAKE SURE PHARMACISTS THRIVE IS TO MAKE SURE PHARMACISTS’ PATIENTS CAN THRIVE.
So as you read through our cover story in this issue, keep this thought in mind: The best way to make sure pharmacists thrive is to make sure pharmacists’ patients can thrive. And the way we can help patients thrive is to give voice to abuses that limit their ability to access the medications they need. The way to help them is to speak for them. That’s our message this legislative session. Because as public policy goes, if it’s good for your patients, odds are it’ll be good for you. Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N
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You can e-mail GPhA chief executive officer Scott Brunner, CAE, at sbrunner@gpha.org. Georgia Pharmacy
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news DCH UPDATES DISPENSING FEES CMS is making adjustments to the payments made to pharmacies, and it has asked states to look at both the dispensing fee and the pricing formulas they use. Those “should reflect pharmacists’ professional services,” as CMS put it. In response to that mandate, Georgia’s Department of Community Health recently conducted hearings — where GPhA was noticeably represented — in which the DCH adopted a dispensing fee of $10.64 in connection with the outpatient drug pricing program. That’s in line with neighboring-state Alabama’s fee. The new fee will be implemented no later than April 2017. We’ll keep you updated with any news.
LIGHTING THE WAY TO DUSTY DEATH… It turns out that just a few cigarettes a week can cause early death. A study from the National Cancer Institute found that consistently smoking even fewer than one cigarette a day led to a 64 percent higher risk of earlier death. (If you smoke one to 10 cigarettes a day, the risk goes to 87 percent.) So yeah, no “moderate” smoking.
read more @ gphabuzz.com
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Georgia Pharmacy
Naloxone over the counter Georgia pharmacists can now provide naloxone without a prescription, thanks to the actions of Governor Nathan Deal, the Board of Pharmacy, and the Department of Public Health. Here are the details: At the request of the governor, the Georgia Board of Pharmacy exercised its emergency rule-making power to reclassify naloxone as an exempt, schedule V substance. In conjunction, the Department of Public Health issued a standing order allowing pharmacists to dispense naloxone to eligible people. This is a stop-gap measure intended to be in effect until the legislature acts in the upcoming session.
What’s an “eligible person”? It includes “family members, friends, coworkers and other persons in a position to provide assistance to persons experiencing an opioid related overdose.” Examples: • A mother who knows her son has been using heroin. • The head of security at the YMCA. • The man who runs into your pharmacy because his girlfriend
has just overdosed and is in his car outside. Bottom line: Someone can now walk into your pharmacy, explain their situation (nurse, mother, etc.) and ask for some form of naloxone under the standing order.
What’s next We know you’ll have questions — questions about who exactly you can provide naloxone to, about stocking it, reporting issues, and more. (And if you didn’t, you probably do after reading that sentence.) We’re following this issue closely, especially in teh legislature, and we’ll keep you informed. As we let the dust settle, we cannot commend Governor Deal strongly enough for taking this step, as well as Senator Renee Unterman (chair of the Health and Human Services Committee) for her leadership, and of course the Board of Pharmacy and Department of Public Health for acting so quickly. Simply put, making naloxone more easily available will save lives; in 2014, more than 1,200 Georgians died from drug overdoses, according to the CDC. January 2017
You wanna live forever? Here are a few good ways to start. (Note: Living forever not guaranteed.)
COFFEE BREAK
Three to five cups of coffee could cut your risk of death by cardiovascular disease by 21%, and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 25%. It might also reduce the risk of certain prostate cancers, depression in women, and even suicide. (Harvard, European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation)
GO NUTS
Just a handful of nuts — including peanuts (which are legumes) — can reduce your risk of coronary heart disease by nearly 30%, of cancer by 15%, and of premature death by 22%. (Imperial College London and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology)
ONE A DAY
A low-dose pill (81 milligrams) of aspirin a day reduces the death rate of cancer by 30%, heart disease by 22%, and stroke by 17%. (Univ. of Southern California)
Being a Rite Aid pharmacist is about so much more than just counting pills. Diabetes Education
CMR
Immunizations Split Shifts
Training
Care
Wellness Pill Imaging
Managed Care
Med Adherence Tracking
Vial Scanning
Medication Therapy Management
Redi-Clinic Biometric Verification
Point of Care Consultation Bonus Opportunities
Team
Advancement
Innovation Development Tobacco Cessation
visit our career website www.riteaid.com/careers to learn about current opportunities. Rite Aid is an Equal Opportunity Employer
January 2017
Georgia Pharmacy
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news HEARING AIDS TO GO OTC The FDA has said it will no longer enforce the requirement that adults must have a medical evaluation before obtaining most hearing aids. Instead, just as with those basic reading glasses you might even sell in your pharmacy, you’ll be able to buy hearing aids over the counter. (You’ll still be able to get — and pay for — higher-end, custom hearing aids of course.) The FDA announcement follows the introduction of a bill in the U.S. Senate that would end the legal requirement altogether. A pair of hearing aids averages about $4,800 and few if any insurance plans — private or public — cover them.
Valdosta honors pharmacists The mayor and city of Valdosta honored pharmacists during official recognition of Pharmacy Appreciation Month. Pharmacists and representatives from Chancy Drugs, the Medicine Shoppe, and Pruitt Health attended an event at city hall event with GPhA’s region 2 president Joe Holt accepting the proclamation from Mayor John Gayle. In the Understatement of the Year, Holt told the Valdosta Daily Times, “Pharmacists do a lot more than we used to.” (To which we add: And then some.)
EpiPen alternatives you should know about Mylan’s EpiPen might be the 800-pound gorilla in the epinephrine auto-injector market, but it’s not the only player. Especially as other companies enter the scene in 2017, it’s important for prescribers to know to that, as with so many other drugs, they need to indicate whether the EpiPen brand is required. As APhA explained, “Pharmacists should continue to educate prescribers, patients, and other pharmacists about the generic product and that the prescription needs to indicate epinephrine autoinjector, and not EpiPen.” 6
Georgia Pharmacy
January 2017
Calendar
For details, registration, and more info visit GPhA.org/calendar.
January 7 Practical Skills Refresher, South University, Savannah
February 26 MTM certification course, Mercer University
January 9 2017 Georgia Legislative Session Convenes
March 4 GPhA’s Practical Skills Refresher Course APhA Annual Convention
January 31 UGA and PCOM Students Day at the Dome and PharmTeam 2017 February 2 Developing Your Leadership Style (CPEasy) February 9 Embracing Differences and Putting Them to Work (CPEasy) February 16 Online Personal Branding for Pharmacy Professionals (CPEasy) February 21 Mercer and South Students Day at the Dome and PharmTeam 2017
March 9 Practice-enhancing social media techniques (CPEasy) March 16 Improving Outcomes with MedSync and Other Adherence Programs (CPEasy) March 23 Pharmacy-EHR Integration and More (CPEasy) April 6 Preserving Personal, Staff, and Customer Safety During a Pharmacy Robbery (CPEasy)
April 13 Legal and reporting requirements following a burglary, theft, or loss of controlled substances (CPEasy) April 20 Physical Improvements for Enhancing Pharmacy Safety and Security (CPEasy)
June 3 Practical Skills Refresher, UGA, Athens June 15-18 Georgia Pharmacy Convention 2017
July 6 Prescribing Guidelines, Quality Measures and Care Coordination Practices to May 4 Improve Opioid Safety Navigating Therapy Options for (CPEasy) Menopausal Patients (CPEasy) July 13 Understanding Naloxone: May 7 Products, Protocols, and MTM certification course, Georgia Law GPhA Headquarters, Sandy (CPEasy) Springs July 20 May 11 SBIRT Primer: Clinical Hormonal Contraception: A Skills Training for Curtailing Review of Therapy Options Substance Abuse (CPEasy) (CPEasy) May 18 What Pharmacists Need to Know about Medication Use in Pregnancy and Lactation (CPEasy)
July 29 Practical Skills Refresher, GPhA Headquarters, Sandy Springs
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January 2017
Georgia Pharmacy
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news
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Georgia Pharmacy
Georgia Congressman Tom Price nominated to be HHS secretary Congratulations to Georgia congressman Tom Price of Roswell, who has been nominated as the new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Price earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan, came straight to Georgia for his residency at Emory University — and hasn’t left. He ran an orthopedic clinic in Atlanta, was an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Emory, and was director of the orthopedic clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital. From 1996 to 2005 Price served as a Georgia state senator, and in 2004 he won election to the U.S. House of Representatives. As a U.S. congressman, Price has expressed support for GPhA on a range of pharmacy issues. We’re looking forward to working with him in his new position at HHS, where he’ll have oversight of CMS, CDC, the FDA, and other government agencies that regulate or impact pharmacy practice. If Price is confirmed, he will likely lead the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and could be instrumental in any effort to replace it; while a critic of the ACA, Price has said that — if confirmed — he is not planning to “phase out Medicare.” All that is in the future, of course, and for now we’re happy to say congratulations!
January 2017
membership
New GPhA Members GPhA is proud to welcome our newest members (as of September 1, 2016). Pharmacists
Jamie Adair, Macon Michael Adams, Tallapoosa Matt Adcock, Dublin Michael Akins, Woodbury Michelle Allen, Baxley Lori Altman, Atlanta Nooshin Amini, Peachtree City Karen Asherbranner, Alpharetta Teresa Astin, Rockmart Jennifer Bachinger, Pooler Ephym Bagwell, Columbus Victor Bakhoum, Spartanburg, SC Cleo Bennette, Kathleen Karen Biehle, Social Circle Michael Blaire, Scottsdale, AZ Richard Blankenship, Daphne, AL Catherine Bourg, Athens Toni Bowen, Carrollton Ben Braddy, Milledgeville Albert Branch, Patterson Larry Branch, Fayetteville Lauren Bryant, Woodstock Connie Butler, Whigham Christina Cabaniss-Beatty, Stephens Gay Campbell, Atlanta Sheryl Cannington, Iron City Lee Canterbury, Warner Robins Sandra Cardell, Metter Donna Carter, Evans Jacqueline Cole, Savannah Faith Coleman, Metter Deann Cook, Madison Jeffrey Cox, Whigham Merry Culberson, Beverly, MA Rebecca Cummings, Opelika, AL Amanda DeCotes, San Rafael, CA Megan Dingers, Cumming Charles Dooley, Jefferson Jackson Dove, Statesboro January 2017
Amber Downs, Glennville Robert Driggers, Vidalia Stephen Dyer, Manchester Cherisse Edwards, Martinez Dalia Eid, Kennesaw Susanne Emerich, Lawrenceville Marie Erinle, Stone Mountain Folayemi Fashola, Mableton Stacey Gale, Jakin Sheri Gardner, Helotes, TX Stacey Girardeau, Nevils Sametria Glass, Warner Robbins Luana Goodwin, Valdosta Lyn Guerrant, Thomasville Elizabeth Hadzick, Clemson, SC Sherry Hager, Statesville, NC Tessa Hall, Hull George Harmon, Madison, MS Amy Hawkins, Florence, AL Kimberley Hazelwood, Atlanta Joel Hill, Hawkinsville Melinda Hodge, Simpsonville, SC Paula Hood, Gainesville William Howard, Marietta Kameron Huffman, Savannah Gerald Hughes, Metairie, LA Daniel Hunt, Deland, FL Joseph Jones, Folkston Chris Jones, Monticello Ashley Jones, Acworth Sharon Joyave, Calhoun Sumner Kelly, Columbus Amy Kelly, Thomaston Yoon Kim, Suwanee Adriene Lewis, Valdosta Kelly Long, Atlanta Richard Lott, West Green David Lowery, Warner Robins Kyley Makanani, Conyers Sara Mann, Augusta Carey Martin, Jesup Courtney Mason, Kathleen
Merri Mason, Zebulon Susanne Maxwell, Statesboro Jere May, North Augusta, FL Cara McCalley, Athens Josh McCook, Statesboro Jennifer McCoy, Savannah Michelle McNeill, Watkinsville Joyce McWilliams, Ellenwood Nathan Messingham, Tampa, FL Michael Miller, Rochelle Eric Miller, Warner Robins Lauren Minar, Watkinsville Herschel Mize, Nicholson David Mull, Atlanta Terry NeeSmith, Vidalia Kelly Oliver, Carnesville Natasha Oulsnam, Gray David Ozment, Rome Nikisha Patel, North Wales, PA Nilesh Patel, Lubbock, TX Michelle Peeler, Williamson Pamela Perkins, York, SC Craig Petzold, Morgantown, WV Jessica Phillips, Shady Dale Bradley Piercy, Lilburn Ofelia Pineda, Acworth Irvin Pinnell, Americus Leslie Ponder, Trenton Joelle Potts, Savannah Dionne Pringle, Atlanta Austin Ratliff, Kingston Nan Rhinehart, Calhoun Tamara Riggleman, Cumming David Rink, Stockbridge Jodi Rogers, Blairsville Lisa Ryan, Canton Denise Sampler, Barnesville George Sanders, Toccoa Carol Sawyer, Douglas Tammy Saxon, Rincon Paul Scott, Albany Judy Scott, Calhoun Gregory Shealy, Grovetown Jaime Shockley, Marietta Dale Sims, Duluth Dawn Singer, Cleveland Kamaldeep Singh, West Lafayette, IN
Joshua Smith, Evans Lisa Smith, Albany Douglas Sturtz, Yorba Linda, CA Katherine Taber, Cornelia Maxie Taylor, Calhoun Marie Tomblin, Forsyth Neal Tomblin, Forsyth David Turner, Carrollton Oby Uyanwune, Hampton Cheryl Vann, Roswell Connie Walker, Perry Carrie-Anne Wester, Savannah James White, Kennesaw Jennifer Williams, Athens Joseph Williams, Athens Katherine Wysong, Sylva, NC Genda Zareei, Anderson, SC
Pharmacy Technicians
Jimmy Akridge, Twin City
Brandi Hardiman, Lyons Patrick Harris, Brookhaven Vivian Holland, Cobbtown
Macy Martin, Metter Jennifer Mercer, Metter Autumn Newell, Vidalia Amie Page, Vidalia Nikki Ruth, Lyons Kayla Shuman, Claxton Beth Sikes, Cobbtown
Emeritus
David Brisendine, Williamson Mark Click, Scottdale Charles Cosgrove, Gainesville Glover Hickson, Aiken, SC Don Stiles, McCaysville
Academic
Shari Allen, Duluth Kay Brooks, Watkinsville Ashley Hannings, Athens Shannon Tabor, Valdosta Pedro Valentin, Columbus
Affiliate
McKay Whiting, Reseda, CA
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Learn more at www.medicationsafety.org or call us at (866) 365-7472. The Alliance of Medication Safety (APMS) is a federally listed Patient Safety Organization (PSO).
Georgia Pharmacy
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insurance
More coverage for members One of the best benefits we have for GPhA members can take advantage of is a great selection of business-related and personal insurance policies at rates that may be lower than what is available if you just went shopping on your own.
Whether you’re a pharmacy owner or an employee, you should check out our policies and rates and compare them to what you’re getting. You might be pleasantly surprised!
Insurance products for pharmacist owners As a business owner you have enough on your mind without having to worry about your insurance needs. You want to know that your business and your practice is covered, and by someone who understands the specific needs of a pharmacy. Whether covering your building, the contents, your employees, liability to your patients and customers, pharmacies have needs that other businesses may not. We can help design a protection program that’s right for you. GPhA has the following types of business insurance products available:
Personal policies for employees or owners GPhA’s personal insurance products provide our members with protection for their homes, automobiles, and personal possessions, along with personal liability coverages. Check out our plans when your current renewal is coming due or before you sign up with another company — you might be surprised at the rates and service we can provide! GPhA offers the following types of personal insurance protection: n Auto, motorcycle, boat & marine, personal
watercraft n Homeowners, renters, and condominium
n Professional liability — individual and
n Earthquake, flood
business owner coverage starting at $1 million per claim n Business owner’s property package n Business interruption n Worker’s compensation n Commercial general liability n Commercial property n Commercial umbrella n Cyber liability n Commercial auto n Employment practices liability n Surety bonds n Builders risk
n Personal umbrella n Travel n Valuable-items coverage n Term and whole life n Accidental death and dismemberment n Accident n Dental n Vision
HEALTH INSURANCE GPhA has options both for employers who offer benefits, and for individuals who don’t receive medical coverage through work. The GPhA plan open-enrollment period for 2017 has closed, but if your current policy is coming up for renewal or you have lost coverage creating a qualifying event and you’d like more information on either group policies for your pharmacy business or on individual coverage, we can help. Contact Denis Mucha at dmucha@gpha.org or (404) 419-8120. Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N
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January2017
ELEVATE YOUR PRACTICE
Join us at the Georgia Pharmacy Convention 2017. OMNI AMELIA ISLAND PLANTATION RESORT, JUNE 15-18, 2017
Announcing the Georgia Pharmacy Convention 2017’s general sessions. Get motivated, informed, and a peek at tomorrow’s innovations — and that’s just at our general sessions. We‘ll announce our full slate of CPE offerings soon, so state tuned. Registration opens March 1. THURSDAY JUNE 15 Millennials, GenXers, Boomers, and Beyond: How Not to Become Roadkill When Crossing the Generational Divide TERRY WATSON With his inimitable style and humor, Terry Watson will help separate myth from fact about generational differences in the workplace. His message: Approaching these differences with understanding and a sense of humor will help you reach your optimal levels as a manager, co-worker, and healthcare provider.
FRIDAY JUNE 16 Impacting Health Care Quality and Value with a High Performing Pharmacy Team TRIPP LOGAN, PHARM.D There’s a wealth of opportunity waiting for reimagining and re-orienting your pharmacy team toward new roles and better outcomes. Learn why pharmacy is changing and how pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can optimize their teams to succeed in the new pharmacy environment.
SATURDAY JUNE 17 Research Showcase: Innovations in Diabetes Treatment and More, from Georgia’s Schools of Pharmacy ASHISH ADVANI, PHARM.D Research conducted in Georgia’s four pharmacy schools is changing the way pharmacists everywhere will practice the profession. Do you know what going on in your own pharmacy research backyard? Join 2015 Generation Rx award winner Ashish Advani and guests from Mercer, PCOM, South University, and UGA for a look at some of the latest.
education
GPhA’s 2017 Education Calendar
Georgia pharmacists can get some of the best education in the country, courtesy of their GPhA membership. From practice-enhancing certifications to training for pharmacy management, practical skills to new technology — we’ve got you covered with the ACPE-certified continuing education you need to succeed in 2017. (It’s possible some of these courses might change during the year.)
MTM certification: Help improve patient outcomes Expand your practice while delivering crucial patient care with APhA’s MTM certification training course. Mercer University’s Chris Klein and Maria Thurston will be teaching two sections of Delivering Medication Therapy Management Services in 2017. February 26: Mercer University, Macon May 7: GPhA, Sandy Springs Member cost: $249. Go to GPhA.org/mtm to register.
12 Georgia Pharmacy
Immunization certification: Get a jump on flu season More than ever, employers and patients expect pharmacists to be certified to administer immunizations. This is that certification. Sign up now for one of our most popular courses, and boost your résumé while impressing your patients. August 13 December 3 Both sessions will be held at GPhA in Sandy Springs. Member cost: $349. Go to GPhA.org/immunization2017 to register.
Practical Skills Refreshers: Be ready to practice in Georgia GPhA’s Practical Skills Refresher Course reviews the terminology, measurements, and procedures you’ll put into practice in the day-to-day practice of pharmacy. We offer GPhA’s Practical Skills Refresher Course four times a year, about a week before each Georgia Pharmacy Practical Examination. If you’re a student
pharmacist or a transfer to Georgia, sign up for this course for review of critical parts of the pharmacy school curriculum. January 7, 2017; 9:00 AM — 1:00 PM South University School of Pharmacy, Savannah March 4, 2017; 9:00 AM — 1:00 PM GPhA, Sandy Springs June 3, 2017; 9:00 AM — 1:00 PM UGA, Athens July 29, 2017; 9:00 AM — 1:00 PM GPhA, Sandy Springs Member cost: $169. Go to GPhA.org/practicalskills to register.
Required OSHA training We call it The Dreaded — But Required — OSHA Update because that’s what it is. If you offer immunizations you’re required to take an annual live OSHA update course. This year, we are offering three chances to get your OSHA training. August 8, 7:30-8:30 PM August 15, 7:30-8:30 PM September 7, 7:30-8:30 PM Member cost: $20 Go to GPhA.org/OSHA to register.
January 2017
Hone your professional edge with CPEasy webinars Our CPEasy webinars are crazy popular: 1-1/2 hours of Web-based education from the comfort of your home, on the hot topics of the day, for only $20 a session. Whether you’re seeking to expand your clinical services or hone your management skills, there’s a CPEasy course for you. Go to GPhA.org/cpeasy to register and find out more about each course.
February: Pharmacy Management 101 Build a professional, productive pharmacy team with this suite of CPE webinars, taught by leaders from across the Southeast. February 2: Reconcilable Differences: Developing Your Leadership Style February 9: The Multi-Generational Pharmacy Workplace: Embracing Differences and Putting Them to Work February 16: Online Personal Branding for Pharmacy Professionals March: Easy Technologies for Engaging (New) Patients Using technology and social media to market services and improve outcomes. You don’t have to be tech savvy to take these courses. March 9: Practice-Enhancing Social Media Techniques March 16: In Line/On Time: Improving Outcomes with MedSync and Other Adherence Programs March 23: Technology in Care Transitions and Chronic Care Management: PharmacyEHR Integration and More
January 2017
April: Pharmacy Security for Everyone What pharmacists and technicians need to know about keeping their pharmacies — and their patients — safe and secure. April 6: Preserving Personal, Staff and Customer Safety During a Pharmacy Robbery April 13: Controlled Substances Loss or Theft: What Steps Do I Take? April 20: Physical Improvements for Enhancing Pharmacy Safety and Security May: Issues and Trends in Women’s Health How do we celebrate Women’s Health Week? With an entire month of great programming! May 4: Is it Hot in Here? Navigating Therapy Options for Menopausal Patients May 11: Hormonal Contraception: A Review of Therapy Options May 18: What Pharmacists Need to Know about Medication Use in Pregnancy and Lactation July: Urgent: Georgia’s Opioid Epidemic Pharmacists are vital to curtailing opioid abuse and misuse. We’ll let you know what you can do right now. July 6: Turning the Tide: Prescribing Guidelines, Quality Measures, and Care Coordination Practices to Improve Opioid Safety July 13: Understanding Naloxone: Products, Protocols, and Georgia Law July 20: SBIRT Primer: Clinical Skills Training for Curtailing Substance Abuse August: Pharmacy Technician Training 101 Technicians, up your game. Pharmacists, Optimize your pharmacy team with this suite of pharmacy technician basics. August 3: Future Trends for Pharmacy Technicians August 10: Pharmacy Abbreviations and Calculations for Technicians August 17: Laws and Regulations in Georgia: What Pharmacy Technicians Must Know
September: Back to School Special Get the latest updates in law and new drugs — and knock out your OSHA training for good measure. September 7: The Dreaded — But Required — OSHA Update September 14: 2017 New Law Update September 21: 2017 New Drug Update: A Formulary Approach October: Pharmacy Technician Training 201 We’re digging deeper in pharmacy technician training with advanced sessions. October 5: Technicians and the HighPerforming Pharmacy Team October 12: The Technician’s Role in Supporting Chronic Care Management October 19: Basic Training: 30 Medications and Classifications Pharmacy Technicians Need to Know November: Results! How to improve patient outcomes (and get paid for it) Making quality improvement and valuebased billing work. November 2: Value-Based Payment Models: Fee for Quality in Outpatient Community Settings and Beyond November 9: Lean In: Quality Improvement in the Highly Efficient Pharmacy November 16: The Pharmacist’s Role in Improving Quality Measures and Coordination of Care December: Medication Safety and Adverse Drug Event Prevention Simple: Learn how to prevent medication errors and improve patient safety. December 7: Medication Errors and Adverse Drug Event Prevention: New Quality Measures for Medication Safety December 12: Title: Pharmacogenomics of Drug Metabolism: A New Opportunity for Pharmacists December 14: Quality Prescribing National Action Plan for ADE Prevention
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LeadershipGPhA Welcome: the 2016-17 class of LeadershipGPhA We’re proud to introduce the 2016–17 class of LeadershipGPhA: the Georgia Pharmacy Association’s program for up-and-coming pharmacist leaders. Through the program, 16 hand-picked Georgia pharmacists — men and women who have demonstrated a desire or knack for leadership — will develop and polish those leadership skills. Over the next nine months, the participants will take part in a training curriculum that combines
leadership training and project experience. They’ll take part in team-building exercises, learn how to identify their own and others’ strengths and weaknesses, work on ethical decision making, and improving their communication skills. At the end, they’ll be equipped to help shape the future of the pharmacy profession in Georgia, to help mentor other professionals, and to advance their own careers.
CASEY ALLEN-HAYES, GREENSBORO
MICHAEL CROOKS, MARIETTA
Putnam General Hospital (PharmD on Demand) In gaining ideas and wisdom and learning from the experiences of other pharmacists, I hope to bring innovative and effective practices back to my community to improve the health of our patients. In turn, I hope to better demonstrate, by example, to our patients how vital of a role their pharmacist plays in their healthcare team.
Alliant Quality As a health care quality improvement specialist I hope to be better prepared to educate and engage pharmacists in adopting practice models that position the pharmacies as the medication therapy primary care providers for patients.
ERIN AVILES, ATLANTA Kroger Communities pharmacy is currently at a critical point where our actions now will influence the profession for years to come. As we fight for recognition in the medical community and look to expand out scope of practice, I hope to be a strong leader to influence my fellow pharmacists to work for these goals together. Expanding the scope of practice for community pharmacists will make healthcare more accessible to all patients.
BRYCE CARTER, PEACHTREE CORNERS Dunwoody Pharmacy I would like to become more involved in pharmacy organizations at the local and state levels. For my patients I would like to be able to establish programs such as diabetic care. 14 Georgia Pharmacy
JOE HOLT, VALDOSTA Pruitt Health I hope to enhance my leadership skills so that I can greater impact not only the profession of pharmacy, but in all aspects of my life: family, church, friendships, recovery. I want to make a contribution to this world that has given me so much.
BRENT LAKE, AUGUSTA Augusta University Employee Pharmacy I’m hoping to become a better leader to my pharmacy team and better pharmacist example to my community at large. If I can become a more successful leader in my pharmacy, my staff and I will be able to take better care of our patients since we will be able to work smarter, and harder.
January 2017
LAMAR LESLIE, WARNER ROBBINS
DONALD PIELA JR., BISHOP
Taylor Regional Hospital (PharmD on Demand) I plan to use my skills to build a professional network with politicians and learn where more needs of our healthcare system can be met. I plan to use the knowledge and skills I gain to provide the highest quality of care at the most affordable prices, resulting in increased efficiency, greater productivity, and better care for our patients.
Madden’s Pharmacy I’m interested in serving in the Georgia legislature and/or on the Georgia Board of Pharmacy. The more engaged and proactive you are in your education, learning and professional development then the more valuable you are to the people you serve.
KYLE LOTT, WEST GREEN Bacon County Hospital and Health System I want to get more involved with legislative issues. I hope to have gained insight into influencing other professionals, and want to gain the networking opportunities afforded by a class such as this.
PAIGE PRICE, VALDOSTA Pharmacy Alternatives I hope to have a voice in what our government decides on key issues that affect the business and practice of pharmacy. I hope my patients will benefit in a couple of different ways: lower costs passed along through legislative changes and an even better experience at the pharmacy level.
BEN ROSS, STATESBORO
PharmD on Demand I hope to take the new skills that I learn and apply them in my everyday work. By being a strong leader, I can set a good example for my peers. I hope to gain new ideas and insights by partnering with other pharmacists to better serve our patients and the community.
Forest Heights Pharmacy We need leaders in all aspects of the profession of pharmacy, but especially in community pharmacy which is under immense pressure from the large, powerful PBMs. Community pharmacies are a huge asset to the communities they serve, and sharpening my leadership skills will not only benefit myself and my practice, but my community as well.
ERIC MILLER, WARNER ROBBINS
CARLIE TRAYLOR, HAHIRA
MICHELLE MCNEILL, WATKINSVILLE
ElderCare I plan to actively take part in all of GPHA’s activities. With GPHA’s guidance, I plan to acquire skills that will better pharmacist-patient relationships.
Chancy Drugs I would like to learn about ways to get plugged into GPhA as well as how I can lead my team to deliver even better patient care to our community.
SUJAL PATEL, KENNESAW
SHAUNA MARKES-WILSON, BUFORD
Rite Aid I look forward to applying what I have learned through application at my pharmacy and with my associates. I also look forward to applying these skills with my patients. Finally, I look forward to applying them through increased involvement in pharmacy advocacy.
Walgreens I will us my new skills and abilities to encourage fellow pharmacists to advocate for the profession. Specifically, for provider status which will enable patient access to healthcare services in underserved communities.
January 2017
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HELP WANTED
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Who speaks for the patient? When it comes to medication access and affordability, the answer is you.
I
BY ANDREW KANTOR
t’s about trust. America’s healthcare system is huge. It’s complex. Every day patients find themselves faced with new diagnoses, new treatments, new medications, and new kinds of practitioners treating them. That means they are — to a great extent — dependent on the knowledge and expertise of their healthcare team, from their pharmacist and physicians to the companies that make and pay for their treatments. They trust that team is doing right by them. And the healthcare team does have their best interests in mind (even if we may not always agree on the right way to achieve them). Pharmacists,
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doctors, nurses — we all thrive when our patients thrive. And we all advocate for patients, as do so many organizations: AARP, the American Cancer Society, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the March of Dimes, and so on. But pharmacists are in a unique position, often literally. They’re usually the closest, most accessible healthcare professional. In many rural areas they may be the only healthcare professional within at least a 25-mile radius. Standing at the counter, they are closer to the intersection of treatment and cost than most other healthcare providers. And, especially when it comes to the issue of prescription drugs, they are more knowledgeable and better able to speak to the medication access and affordability issues facing — and, let’s be honest, threatening — so many patients.
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SOME PBMS REQUIRE (OR STRONGLY INCENTIVIZE) PATIENTS TO USE MAIL-ORDER PHARMACIES, RATHER THAN THE LOCAL, COMMUNITY PRACTITIONERS THEY MAY HAVE BEEN USING FOR YEARS. When someone needs medicine, he expects to be receiving what’s best for him based on sound science and medicine. That’s what doctors and pharmacists are trained to provide. But behind the scenes, that not always how it works. Hidden in the complexities of today’s healthcare systems are forces that often jeopardize that quality of care — despite the best efforts of pharmacists and physicians alike. There are practices that can reduce patient choice, chill pharmacy-patient communication, and increase healthcare costs for patients, insurers, employers and taxpayers.
A MATTER OF CHOICE Meet Mrs. Jones. She’s been diagnosed with mild depression, and her doctor prescribes joiferinex. (Note: We’re using fictitious products here. Just go with it.) It’s one of the common first-round SSRIs, and it’s got some side effects Mrs. Jones has been cautioned to watch for. 18 Georgia Pharmacy
When she tries to fill her prescription at the local pharmacy she’s used for years, Mrs. Jones’s pharmacist tells her he can’t fill it. “Mail-order required,” says his screen. Or maybe she does fill it at her pharmacist, but her co-pay is $50 … or more. Then she receives a letter from her health insurer — or, rather, her insurer’s pharmacy benefit manager or PBM: If she fills her prescription at a particular mail-order pharmacy, her co-pay will only be $5. Or even zero. Welcome to ‘mandatory mail-order,’ where PBMs — companies that handle pharmacy claims on behalf of health insurers, employers, and others — sometimes require (or strongly incentivize) patients to use mail-order pharmacies, rather than the local, community practitioners they may have been using for years. And yes, some PBMs own those mail-order pharmacies. If you think that smacks a bit of conflict of interest, you’re not alone. The number-one issue with mandatory mail-order has nothing to do with costs. The issue January 2017
On the dark side is that it’s bad — perhaps even dangerous — from a clinical perspective. Using a faceless pharmacy means patients give up any kind of medication adherence assistance; just because it’s delivered doesn’t mean it’s being taken or taken properly. Complications, side effects, adverse reactions ... especially with new or changed medication, none of these are accounted for. If Mrs. Jones finds herself getting dizzy after starting on joiferinex, a quick call to her local pharmacist might have told her that those symptoms only last a day or two. But is she likely to call a faceless mail-order house? Would she get to speak to a human being if she did? Would she wait to try to reach her physician? And if there’s anything wrong with her shipment, well… hopefully the mail-order house has an efficient customer service department. “Your call is important to us.” There’s a reason pharmacists consistently rank at or near the top on lists of “trusted professions.” Patients know they can access and trust their community pharmacist for medication questions. And once a patient goes down that mail-order rabbit hole, getting out isn’t always easy. As the National Community Pharmacists Association explains:
Keeping everyone in the dark — insurers, pharmacists, patients —is standard operating procedure for some PBMs; they consider their pricing deals to be trade secrets. But that secrecy isn’t just about not giving their competitors leverage. It’s also about securing more profits at the patients’ and insurers’ expense. For example, some PBMs charge fees to pharmacies for the prescriptions they fill. That’s right — first they reimburse the pharmacy, then they charge what’s called a “clawback” fee to get some of it back. Why the convoluted process? Because it masks the lower cost of the medication. An insurer looking into costs and pricing (perhaps to negotiate with a PBM) will see the pharmacy’s share, not realizing that part of that actually ends up back with the PBM. Result: Insurers’ and patients’ costs go up. And with so many people on government-run plans (Medicare and Medicaid), that means taxpayers’ costs go up, too.
[ ] No patient can “fire” their PBM-owned mail service. Once you’re in — you are locked in. The patient is “captive” to a single PBM-owned mail service — no matter how poorly it performs. Patients have reported numerous delivery issues that have caused patients to be unable to take medications that are vital to their health and well-being including delays in receiving medications, temperature-sensitive drugs being left outside or on delivery trucks, drugs lost in transit, medication switching and even the wrong drugs being shipped.
As for costs, it turns out that mail-order can cost insurers and other plan sponsors more money. A study from the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy found that, while per-pill costs might be lower with mail order, overall costs were actually higher, thanks in part to waste: “Waste appeared to be a function of prescription changes, adverse drug reactions, and diminished needs.” In other words, even if a patient stops or January 2017
changes a medication, the mail-order pharmacy keeps sending it — and billing for it. The point isn’t that Mrs. Jones shouldn’t use a mail-order pharmacy. It’s that her choice of pharmacy should be hers, not the PBM’s. Several states, in fact, prohibit PBMs or insurers from charging more if a patient wants to use her community pharmacy rather than a mail-order house. And get this: The Georgia legislature has already outlawed mandatory mail order — back in the early 1990s, but only for “group or blanket accident and sickness insurers.” So how can PBMs require it? Simple: The law was written when the health insurance landscape was very different — and it doesn’t apply specifically to PBMs. But we can fix this. Ensuring freedom of pharmacy choice is a matter of clarifying existing Georgia law and removing that technical loophole: applying those same prohibitions to PBMs. That would go a long way toward protecting patients.
CLAWING BACK Now meet Mr. Smith. He’s given a prescription for neflateron (fictional names, remember?) for his high Georgia Pharmacy 19
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blood pressure. It’s an older drug but it works well for him. He fills it at Williams and Son pharmacy, where he pays his $50 copay as always. Later that day, though, he’s talking with a friend who also happens to take neflateron — but who mentions it only costing $12. “Great insurance you have,” says Mr. Smith. “Only $12 co-pay?” “Oh, no,” says his friend. “I don’t use my insurance. That’s just the price.” “Where is that the price?” “Williams and Son.” So Mr. Jones goes back the pharmacist and asks her outright about the price. Yes, she explains, the full retail price of neflateron is only $12.00. “Then why do I pay $50?!” asks Mr. Smith. “That’s what your insurance has you pay,” the pharmacist explains. “And you didn’t tell me?” The fact is, Mr. Smith’s pharmacist can’t tell him — or at least she’s pretty sure she can’t. Her contract with Mr. Smith’s PBM prohibits her from disclosing information about costs and reimbursements, at least as she understands it. Plus she’s
heard enough stories about PBM’s suing pharmacists that she doesn’t want to risk losing dozens of customers. Mr. Smith experienced what’s called a clawback: The difference in price between the (lower) retail cost of his medication and the (higher) copay demanded by his PBM. That difference goes straight into the PBM’s pocket. It’s only possible because Mr. Smith, like most of us, would never think to ask, “Would this be cheaper without my insurance?” It’s not all that uncommon, either. While Mr. Smith — like most patients — assumes that using his health insurance means he’s paying less for his medication, that’s not always true. (If a patient asks outright, “How much would this cost if I didn’t use my insurance?” a pharmacist is in a bind. “I can’t tell you because of my contract with your PBM” isn’t going to satisfy most people.) Even worse, perhaps, is that kind of gag order (and let’s face it — that’s essentially what it is) also prohibits pharmacists from telling patients about a cheaper therapeutically equivalent treatment — a generic over a brand name, for example, or a different medication entirely.
No skin off my nose You might think PBMs would want patients to take generic equivalent drugs. After all, they cost less for everyone, right? That turns out not to be the case. A patient might easily be told to get a brandname drug instead of a generic. Her co-pay might even be the same, but the higher price of the brand-name drug would be picked up by the insurer or employer — and in the case of government programs, the taxpayer. If a PBM can make a $10 spread on a brandname drug, but only a $6 spread on the generic equivalent, it’s happy to have the insurance company (and the patient) pay more for the brand name. And because PBMs’ costs and pricing are secret, no one is the wiser. For insurers, employers, and others who rely
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on PBMs to handle the pharmacy end — including Medicare and Medicaid — that secrecy can mean they spend a lot more than they have to. If the idea of patients unnecessarily taking brand-name drugs sounds unlikely, check the numbers: According to data from the National Community Pharmacists Association, generic drugs typically account for 69 percent of retail pharmacies’ prescriptions (in 2009). But when you look only at prescriptions where a PBM is involved, only 58 percent are generic. Whether it’s a particular drug or a brandname vs. a generic, PBMs can use their formularies to get doctors to prescribe — and patients and insurers to pay for — the drugs that make it the most money, rather than the drugs that doctors and pharmacists think is the best choice.
January 2017
ENSURING FREEDOM OF PHARMACY CHOICE IS A MATTER OF CLARIFYING EXISTING GEORGIA LAW AND REMOVING A TECHNICAL LOOPHOLE. Those contracts become an end-around that bypasses pharmacists’ training and knowledge. What’s the point of being a medication expert if your PBM contract prohibits you from using that expertise? It’s not a matter of a technicality, either. We have seen firsthand examples of pharmacists threatened with retaliation by PBMs — including losing their contracts entirely — for speaking about pricing with patients. Some states have put a stop to these gag orders. A 2010 Tennessee law, for example, requires that PBMs provide patients actual reimbursement information for medications (i.e., “We paid $10 for that drug, and your co-pay is $5”). It also prohibits PBMs from gagging pharmacists. The pharmacist can let patients know about lower potential prices. Georgia, however, doesn’t have such a law. But we can fix this, too. Passing legislation that would prohibit PBMs from gagging or retaliating against pharmacists — from interfering with their patient relationships — would shine a bright, clear light on how the patient’s care (and wallet) is being affected.
PLAYING DOCTOR Finally, meet Ms. Szulewski-Braithwaite. She’s got rheumatoid arthritis, and her doctor prescribes romexulib. When she visits her local pharmacist, she’s told it’s on the higher tier of her insurance company’s formulary; her co-pay will be $50. January 2017
Her pharmacist looks at her plan and finds that klingorenol is in the low-price tier. With her permission he calls her doctor and is told that yes, it’s fine to give Ms. Szulewski-Braithwaite the klingorenol instead. What just happened may seem innocuous: Ms. Szulewski-Braithwaite’s pharmacist and doctor worked together to pick a medication that would work for her while being more affordable than the doctor’s first choice. But it isn’t innocuous. Because the eventual choice of medication wasn’t based just on her medical needs, or even necessarily — as we’ll see — on what was most affordable for her. Why? Because of the PBM again. The PBM works for the insurer, with a goal of getting better prices for medication for the company (and for Ms. Szulewski-Braithwaite) by bargaining with pharmaceutical companies. That’s all well and good. But part of how the PBM itself makes money is through the difference in price between what it pays the drug maker and what the insurer pays it. In Ms. Szulewski-Braithwaite’s case, the PBM
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PROHIBITING PBMS FROM GAGGING OR RETALIATING AGAINST PHARMACISTS WOULD SHINE A BRIGHT, CLEAR LIGHT ON HOW PATIENT CARE IS BEING AFFECTED. might be able to bill her insurer $100 for either romexulib or klingorenol. But — and this is the important part — if the PBM has negotiated a better deal from the maker of romexulib, it’s going to want Ms. Szulewski-Braithwaite to take that instead. When PBMs are able to get bigger discounts or rebates on certain drugs, they profit more when patients use those medications instead of something similar. So the PBM puts romexulib in a higher tier, more patients get klingorenol, and the PBM makes more money. In Ms. Szulewski-Braithwaite’s case, she ended up not with the medication her physician and pharmacist chose, but with a mixture of “should work well” and “provides the biggest profit to the PBM.” That’s a compromise in care no one should have to make. Why should a PBM be able to undermine the medical expertise of doctors and pharmacists, especially for reasons that have nothing to do with healthcare? Oh, and if PBMs can’t negotiate a big enough discount from a drug maker? They can pull that medication from their formularies altogether. And they do. In November 2016, in a piece he 22 Georgia Pharmacy
wrote for Investor’s Business Daily, former FDA Associate Commissioner Peter J. Pitts pointed out that “Combined, the top two PBMs in the country deny coverage to 239 medicines.” That means patients whose health insurers contract with those PBM giants cannot get access
Cheap and cheaper Why would a PBM prefer one drug over another, even if they have a similar list price? It depends on the discount or rebate. If two arthritis drugs both list for $100, but the PBM pays $60 for one and $70 for another, it’s going to want patients to take the $60 drug. Because — and this is the heart of the issue — the fact that it only pays $60 for drug #2 is a secret. For both drugs, it can still charge the insurer $75 and charge the patient a $5 co-pay. One drug means an $18 profit for the PBM, one means an $8 profit.
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to those medications without paying 100 percent out-of-pocket. Why are they excluded from the formularies? Because, Pitts says, the PBM wants to “pressure the makers of other treatments into giving steeper discounts.” Congratulations, Ms. Szulewski-Braithwaite. You’re now a bargaining chip.
STAYING CENTERED The center of our healthcare system is the patient. Pharmacists, doctors, nurses, health insurers — they all work with the goal of making and keeping people healthy. Patients expect that. As we’ve seen, though, it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes, players in the game can take advantage of laws and regulations — or the lack of them — to insinuate themselves in the process and to claim a piece of the pie without adding any value. No one begrudges a company providing a service and making a profit from it. But when those
profits are made secretly, and more importantly when they interfere with or even jeopardize patient care, someone needs to step up and work to fix that. Why not pharmacists? Legislators don’t always realize how pharmacists, insurers, and PBMs are linked. They also may not realize all the issues a PBM’s practices can affect patients’ healthcare. Pharmacists — you — can be the patients’ voice. We can fix this. Speak to your legislators. Invite them to tour your pharmacy. Explain the issues with PBMs. (Go to GPhA.org/pbm101 to download a printable copy of this article you can give them.) Get the word out that patients are at risk … and that pharmacists want to help. AND DO IT SOON. The legislative session starts January 9. The more lawmakers we can have arriving in Atlanta well briefed on these issues, the better. They’ll understand the obstacles Georgia patients face and, we hope, they’ll be ready to act.
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We don’t just fill your prescriptions, we fill your needs. fred’s Pharmacy offers a variety of services to help you live a happier, healthier life. • Knowledgeable and caring pharmacists • Immunizations offered daily • Free blood pressure screenings • Website and Mobile App to manage your prescriptions • 90-day prescription refills • Medicare Part D information resource • $4 Prescription Plus Program on generics • And more!
OurVision: A smile on every patient’s face! January 2017
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INVESTING IN PHARMPAC IS INVESTING IN YOUR PRACTICE. 2016 PHARMPAC INVESTORS Titanium Investors ($2,400 or $200/month) Diamond Investors ($4,800 or $400/month)
RALPH BALCHIN Fayetteville
TOMMY BYRAN St. Simons Island
NEAL FLORENCE LaFayette
DAVID GRAVES Macon
CHARLIE BARNES Valdosta
LON LEWIS St. Simons Island
MAC McCORD Atlanta
SCOTT MEEKS Douglas
FRED SHARPE Albany
TOMMY LINDSEY Omega
BRANDALL LOVVORN Bremen
Platinum Investors ($1,200 or $100/month)
William Cagle Hugh Chancy Keith Chapman Wes Chapman Dale Coker Billy Conley Ben Cravey Blake Daniel Al Dixon Jack Dunn Robert Hatton Cassie Hayes Ted Hunt Marsha Kapiloff Ira Katz Jeff Lurey Jonathan Marquess Drew Miller
Laird Miller Wallace Partridge Houston Rogers Daniel Royal John Sandlin Tim Short Teresa Smith Carl Stanley Dennis Strickland Chris Thurmond Danny Toth Alex Tucker Tommy Whitworth
JEFF SIKES Valdosta
DEAN STONE Metter
Gold Investors ($600 or $50/month)
James Bartling Nicholas Bland Lance Boles William Brewster Bruce Broadrick Liza Chapman Marshall Curtis Mahlon Davidson Sharon Deason Ed Dozier Kevin Florence Kerry Griffin William Huang Michael Iteogu Stephanie Kirkland Ashley Kunkle George Launius Mack Lowrey Bobby Moody
Mark Parris Sujal Patel William Prather Greg Reybold Daryl Reynolds Brian Rickard Andy Rogers John Sherrer Sharon Sherrer Danny Smith James Thomas William Turner Chuck Wilson III H.D. Wilson Steve Wilson Integrated Financial Group
David Graves, Macon, PharmPAC chairman
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The following pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, students, and others have invested in GPhA’s PharmPAC. The contribution levels are based on 2016 investment as of November 30, 2016.
Silver investors ($300 or $25/month) Bonnie Ali-Warren Michael Adeleye Nelson Anglin Michael Azzolin Larry Batten James Carpenter David Carr Jean B Cox Robert Dickinson Yolanda Ellison Marshall Frost Amy Galloway James Jordan Susan Kane Willie Latch Tracie Lunde Pamala Marquess Chad McDonald Hillary Jack Mbadugha Bill McLeer Donald Piela, Jr Steven Purvis Terry Shaw Jonathan Sinyard Renee Smith Jeffrey Richardson Kenneth Rogers Austin Tull Lindsay Walker Flynn Warren Bronze investors ($150 or $12.50/month) Phil Barfield Waymon Cannon Sharon Clackum David E Clements, Sr Michael Crooks Mandy Davenport Melanie DeFusco Wendy Dorminey Gregory Drake John Drew Bill Dunaway Benjamin DuPree James Elrod Sheri Gordan Larry Harkleroad Hannah Head Phillip James Brenton Lake Micheal Lewis Kalen Manasco Mary Meredith Amy Miller Franklin Morgan January 2017
Richard Smith Amanda Stankiewicz Krista Stone James Strickland Carey Vaughan Member investors (up to $149) Sylvia Adams Michael Adams Stephen Adams Russell Adams Carmen Agnew Thomas Akins Michael Akins William Allen Casey Allen-Hayes Myron Anderson Jim Anderson John J Anderson Teresa Astin Eugene Atkins Ann Ayers Suzanne Bagby Ephym Bagwell GARY BAILEY Joe Ballew Marla Banks Fred Barber Mark Barnes Jenny Bartholomew Crystal Bartlett Richard Bass India Bauder Robert Bazemore Thomas Beckham William Bedingfield Stetson Bennett Samuel Bird Fred Bishop Duane Black Benjamin Black Michael Blaire Kim Bost Catherine Bourg Robert Bowles Lee Boyd Ben Braddy Karen Braden Albert Branch Kaitlin Brannen Michael Briscoe Marcia Brock Winston Brock Dan Brock Jesse Brown Diane Brown Christopher Brown Emory Browning Xavier Bryant Wendy Buttrey Thomas Butts
Ron Cain J. Rance Cain Stephanie Campen Stephanie Cann Sheryl Cannington Jack Cantrell Emile Carr Alton Carroll Bryce Carter Robert Cecil Tina Chancy Ronald Chapman Brad Cherson Melissa Chewning David Clements Matthew Clifton Horace Cline Henry Cobb Janna Cobb Faith Coleman Dawn Collier Margaret Collins-Free James Colston Chandler Conner
Robert Cook Hewlette Cook Meryl Cook Mark Cooper Raye Coplin Leslie Cornelison Guy H Cox Guy A Cox Ray Crisp Matthew Crist Betsy Crowder Amanda Crowe William Crowley Cathryn Crowley Richard Crumpton Merry Culberson J. Ernie Culpepper Charles Culpepper Baron Curtis Mary Dalziel Ann Damon Angela Davis Christopher Davis Kyle Davis
THANK YOU WE DID IT! Thanks to hundreds of new PharmPAC investors, we exceeded our goal of raising $125,000 before the year even ended.
Total invested as of 11/30/2016: $128,817 GOAL: $125,000
Suleman Daya Adele Dennard Blake Dennard Richard Dennard Hugh Dennis Stacy Dickens Ray Dixon Jessica Duffey Sheila Dukes John Dukes Annette Duncan Terry Dunn Eric Durham Stephen Dyer Robert Dykes Alton Dykes Cherisse Edwards David Eldridge Rueben Elliott Larry Ellis Randall Ellison Joseph Entrekin Marie Erinle Frank Erwin John Ewing Michael Farmer James Farr Ben Flanagan Stewart Flanagin Vernon Ford Michelle Ford Robert Forehand Theron Fox Matthew Frazier Elbert Fricks Raymond Fulp John Galdo Andria Galloway David Gamadanis Richard Garrett Kenneth Gaskins Charles Gass Stephen Gay John Gee John Gleaton Samuel Goldberg Eric Goldstein James Goodson Luana Goodwin James Graves Laura Greene Richard Griffin Martin Grizzard Charles Grogan Lyn Guerrant Angela Guillory J.David Gunn Nancy Gunn Dudley Gunn Fred Gurley Edmund Hackney John Hall Michelle Hamel Becky Hamilton
Donald Hampton Johnathan Hamrick Maxwell Hancock John Hansford Roland Harbin Gloria Harbuck Bobby Harrell Winton Harris James Harris LISA HARRIS Gerald Hartman Joshua Hartsell Scott Hartzog Earl Henderson Logan Henderson Gerald Herndon Shawn Hodges Clay Hogan Ronald Hogan Bridget Hogan Eric Holgate Walter Holst Joe Holt Kathleen Hooper William Horton William Howard William(Woody) Hunt James Hunt Daniel Hunt Mark Hurley Terry Hurley Scotty Jarvis Johnny Joe Elizabeth Johnson Victor Johnson Robert Johnston Chris Jones Joseph Jones Sandra Jones Sharon Joyave Jami Justus Payal Kakadiya Regina Kamean E. Kemp DeAnna Kemp Harold Kemp Kenneth Kicklighter Charles King Amy King Jaime King Brenda Kirkland Jonathan Knight Erin Kovarik Charles Kovarik Donald Lane Georgie Langford Thomas J Large Robert Lawhon Edwin Laws Allison Layne Robert Ledbetter John Leffler Naava Lieber Franklin Linder Georgia Pharmacy 25
2016 PHARMPAC INVESTORS Christine Lindsey Kelly Long Charles Lott David Lowery Gloria Machalk Eddie Madden Sabra Maddox Sara Mann Earl Marbut Ralph Marett Teresa Marlow Joseph Marlow Merri Mason Cynthia Massengill Susanne Maxwell Jere May Tyler Mayotte Kenneth A McCarthy Susan McCleer Roy McClendon Janie McCook Eugene McDonald Charles McDuffie Alan McElveen Harry McGinnis Herbert McGinty Mark McGregor Andrea McKeever Charles McWilliams James McWilliams Clinton Meeks Aubrey Miller Mindi Miller
Michael Miller Rodney Miller Pete Mills Eddie Mimbs Bill Mincy Herschel Mize Stephen Morgan Jason Moring John Moseley David Moseley Sandra Moseley Hayden Moye William Murray Hani Mussad Anita Naik Clementine Nanje Linton Neal Terry NeeSmith Albert Nichols Charles Nicholson Darby Norman Debbie Nowlin Anna Oberste Robert Oliver Ricki Oliver William Ostuw Natasha Oulsnam Brenda Owens Amanda Paisley Carl Parker Larry Parrish Jeffery Patterson F Paul
Kelli Peavy Michelle Peeler Amon Peters Craig Petzold William Phillips Christy Phillips-Malcom Whitney Pickett Cynthia Piela Bradley Piercy Linda Pine Rose Pinkstaff Faith Pinnell Lee Pinnell Irvin Pinnell Leslie Ponder Thomas Porter William Posey Kimberley Potter Lewis Powell Milton Powell Becky Powell Gina Powell Perry Prather John Price Freddie Pridgen Dionne Pringle Robert Probst Kyle Pulliam Reginald Pye Drew Pyrz Jeff Ratliff Austin Ratliff Anthony Ray
Ola Reffell Stanley Rentz F. Paul Rhett Nan Rhinehart Sonya Richards Ashley Rickard Donna Riggins Gerald Riggins James Riggs Jonathan Riley David Rink Charles Rinn Tom Roberts Carlos Rodriguez-Feo Daniel Royal Jennifer Russos George Sanders Melanie Sandlin Edward Schutter Bryan Scott Wade Scott Judy Scott Edgar Sego Jennifer Shannon Gregory Shealy Gary Sheffield Thomas Sherrer Brice Sikes Michael Sims Dawn Singer Chad Smith Robert Smith Jason Sneed
(CONTINUED) Tammy Sprayberry Steven Spruill David Stancil Ron Stephens Carolyn Stephenson James Stowe Walter Strange Laura Swan William Tatum Maxie Taylor Richard Taylor Leonard Templeton Tim Thompson William Thompson Archie Thompson Randall Thornton Sonny Thurmond Charles Tigner Tommy Tolbert F. Trotter Edward Turner David Turner Laura Tyson Oby Uyanwune Christopher Vaughan Erica Veasley David Vest Sondi Vest Hampton Wade Sheila Walker Karla Wall Robert Ward H. Weitman
Lindsey Welch David Wells Lewis West Benjamin Wheeler Rebecca White Mark White Jerry White Walter White James White Joell Whitmer Susan Whitworth Douglas Wilkinson Jonathon Williams Johnnie Williams Michael Williams Timothy Wilson Chris Wilson Keith Winslette Stephen Winslette Christopher Winslow Mark Winters Kent Wirsing William Wolfe William Wood Larry Woodruff Joseph Woodson Kevin Woody Laura Yancey Carl Young Curant Health
Thank you to all our PharmPAC investors for their contributions to the future of pharmacy in Georgia. Visit GPhA.org/PharmPAC or call (404) 419-8118 to find out more.
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GPhA LEADERSHIP President & Chair of the Board LANCE BOLES, Hartwell lanceboles@hotmail.com President-Elect LIZA CHAPMAN, Dawsonville liza.chapman@kroger.com First Vice President TIM SHORT, Cumming garph9@aol.com Immediate Past President TOMMY WHITWORTH, LaGrange twhitworth57@gmail.com Chief Executive Officer SCOTT BRUNNER, CAE sbrunner@gpha.org Directors MICHAEL AZZOLIN, Bishop azzolinm@pharmdondemand.com SHARON DEASON, Newnan sdeason99@hotmail.com AMY MILLER, Gainesville amylulapharmacy@gmail.com FRED SHARPE, Albany fsharpe@u-save-it.com JONATHAN SINYARD, Cordele sinyardj@gmail.com RENEE SMITH, Columbus rdapharmd1995@gmail.com CHRIS THURMOND, Athens vildrug@bellsouth.net
For membership questions Mary Ritchie Director of Membership Operations (404) 419-8115 mritchie@gpha.org For questions about our magazine, blog, websites, or social media 1 Andrew Kantor Director of Communication akantor@gpha.org For questions about our educational offerings Phillip Ratliff Education Consultant pratliff@gpha.org For questions about any of our insurance products Denis Mucha Manager — Member 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
For assistance with independent-pharmacy issues Jeff Lurey, R.Ph. VP of Independent Pharmacy (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
GPhA’S MEMBER SERVICE PARTNERS InfiniTrak infinitrak.us Track and trace compliance software (844) 464-4641 Pharmacy Quality Commitment pqc.net Quality assurance compliance resources (866) 365-7472 Pharmacy Technician Certification Board ptcb.org (800) 363-8012 SoFi sofi.com/gpha Student-loan refinancing (855) 456-7634
Got a concern about a GPhA program or service? Want to compliment or complain? Drop a note to membercare@gpha.org.
Melissa Metheny (678) 485-6126 mmetheny@gpha.org Gene Smith (423) 667-7949 gsmith@gpha.org
Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N
January 2017
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postscript
Embrace and advocate In my office, I have a framed print I was given upon graduation from pharmacy school entitled ‘Oath of a Pharmacist.’ The oath contains noble phrases related to the role of a pharmacist — a devotion to service, LANCE BOLES considering the welfare of others, assuring optimal drug therapy outcomes, maintaining professional competency, and conducting our operations in a moral, ethical, and legal manner. The final part of the oath contains a phrase that caught my notice: “I will embrace and advocate change in the profession of pharmacy that improves patient care.” With pharmacists being the most accessible health care practitioner, it is no coincidence that we are often the determined advocate for the patients we serve. We view first-hand on a daily basis the obstacles our patients face to receive quality patient care, namely access, affordability, and education. We’ve seen the proliferation of narrow or restricted networks, where patients might lose access to the pharmacy of their choice; patients who selects their pharmacy based on trust, value added services, or a location close to their home or office are steered to pharmacies included in the limited network, without regard to quality or proximity. Mandatory mail-order for maintenance medications and limited distribution channels for specialty medications lead to patients utilizing multiple pharmacies, limiting the ability of the retail pharmacist to accurately screen for drug interactions or to provide a complete medication review. Our patients are seeking value for their healthcare dollar. As pharmacists, we must work to try to mitigate the affordability barrier in the best interests of our patient — but we are often limited by contractual language and 28 Georgia Pharmacy
the threat of network exclusion. A lack of transparency in prescription drug pricing has several negative financial impacts on our patients. We’ve seen the increased use of clawbacks from the PBMs and insurance companies that results in a price that exceeds the reimbursement to the pharmacy for the medication. The 2017 legislative session will give each of us an opportunity to advocate for change on behalf of our patients so that they have the tools to access and obtain improved patient care. Please join our patient advocacy efforts by contacting your legislator, volunteering for one of our advocacy teams, and contributing to PharmPAC so we can continue to support those that put our patients first. Georgia Pharmacy A S S O C I AT I O N
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Lance Boles is GPhA’s 2016-2017 president and owner of independent pharmacies in Harwell, Ga., and Iva, S.C. January 2017
Coverage You Need. Service You Deserve. A Price You Can Afford.
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Show your Georgia pharmacist pride with this stylish GPhA couture The stunning GPhA cap is only $20. The stylish GPhA shirt is only $30. Shipping is free. Both are available at the GPhA store: GPhA.org/store. While supplies last. GPhA is not responsible for jealous looks from other pharmacists.
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