The Official Publication of the Georgia Pharmacy Association
September 2009
Georgia Pharmacists and H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Volume 31, Number 9
www.gpha.org
NEW PLANS – BETTER RATES – MORE BENEFITS in 2009
Look what’s NEW in 2009... Reduced Rates Prescription Drug Coverage Dental and Orthodontic Benefits Guaranteed Issue Term Life Insurance... up to $150,000 with no underwriting requirements
Call or e-mail TODAY to schedule a time to discuss your health insurance needs.
Trevor Miller – Director of Insurance Services 404.419.8107 or email at tmiller@gpha.org Georgia Pharmacy Association Members Take Advantage of Premium Discounts Up to 30% on Individual Disability Insurance Have you protected your most valuable asset? Many people realize the need to insure personal belongings like cars and homes, but often they neglect to insure what provides their lifestyle and financial well-being - their income! The risk of disability exists and the financial impact of a long-term disability (90 days or more) can have a devastating impact on individuals, families and businesses. During the course of your career, you are 3½ times more likely to be injured and need disability coverage than you are to die. (Health Insurance Association of America, 2000) As a member of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, you can help protect your most valuable asset and receive premium discounts up to 30% on high-quality Individual Disability Income Insurance from Principal Life Insurance Company.
For more information visit www.gphainsurance.com. * Association Program subject to state approval. Policy forms HH 750, HH 702, HH 703. This is a general summary only. Additional guidelines apply. Disability insurance has limitations and exclusions. For costs and details of coverage, contact your Principal Life financial representative.
The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
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Departments
On the Road Again Fall Region Meetings October 6, 13, 15 & 27, 2009 FEATURE ARTICLES
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5 14 28 30
Advertisers 2 2 6 8
Governor Announces New Design for Georgia CDC Novel H1N1 Vaccination Planning Q&A H1N1 Vaccine: What Can Georgia Pharmacist Do?
PQC Users Get New Legal Protection PharmPAC Challenge
New Members GPhA Member News Pharm PAC Contribution Card GPhA Board of Directors
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The Insurance Trust Principal Financial Group Pharmacists Mutual Companies Southeastern “Girls of Pharmacy” Leadership Weekend PharmStaff Toliver & Gainer PQC TabSafe Medical Services, Inc. Michael T. Tarrant AIP NCPA Annual Conference Melvin M. Goldstein, P.C. Southeastern PRN Conference MTM Toolkit GPhA Career Center PACE The Insurance Trust
Social Networking: Facebook & a New Generation
COLUMNS
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President’s Message Editorial
For an uptodate calendar of events, log onto
www.gpha.org.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Eddie M. Madden, R.Ph. GPhA President
Another Shoe Drops aine’s community pharmacies are upset with the state’s largest private insurer, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Pharmacists say the company is pressuring policyholders to purchase medications from their own mail-order pharmacy program, NetRx, rather than from their local pharmacies. By reducing what it pays to local pharmacies to fill a threemonth supply of drugs, the pharmacists say, Anthem is crowding them out of the popular plan that gives policyholders a 30 percent out-of-pocket discount. Their new contract basically reduces the pharmacy reimbursement for 90-day supply to what the company pays for the supply in their mail-order NetRx program. That’s right, you as a retail pharmacy buying in the wholesale channel must accept mail-order channel pricing for a 90-day supply! That sounds worse than a recent contract offer by United Healthcare/Medco.
I began writing the above topic in early July. Little did I know at the time, that our own Department of Community Health was about to sell out the State retirees to Cigna and United Healthcare. In years past, state employees and retirees were always given a choice of whether they wanted to be in a fee for service, PPO, or HMO plan with rates adjusted accordingly. By mandating that they choose a Medicare Advantage Plan from either of these insurance companies or be automatically placed in one at years end, the state is ignoring the retiree’s choice of whether or not they want to belong to an HMO. And another kick in the gut, both of these programs are offering an incentive of two co-pays for a 90-day supply if they are mail-order versus a three co-pay charge for a 90day supply at a community pharmacy.
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While throughout this nation there exist many health insurers; in reality, only a few major health insurers control most of the nation’s health insured within each state. The Maine controversy is an example of that. Blue Cross and United Healthcare dominate Georgia. Piedmont Hospital System and St. Joseph Hospital have had to reject their take it or leave it contracts because they could not afford to operate on their proposed contracted rates.
Anthem spokesman Chris Dugan said that the intent of the contract change is “not to harm local pharmacies in any way” but to hold down costs for Anthem policyholders, especially those who take multiple drugs for chronic conditions such as diabetes. From my personal experience with a PBM, I have documented undisclosed savings that actually turned out to be a large earnings producer for the PBM and hidden from the insured because of the lack of transparency. Again, this is another big bottom line producer for Anthem.
The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
Recent conversations in Washington regarding the implementation of a “public or cooperative plan” to keep the large health insurers in line speak to the amount of control our legislators believe these companies have over health care. One Republican United States Senator said
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that in lieu of a public option, the laws should be changed to allow the purchase of health insurance across state lines and that would open up the industry to a vast amount of insurance competition. Whatever the solution, the reality is that they have become monopolistic in their actions and a solution needs to be found.
Arizona. You can find your legislator on the web at www.legis.state.ga.us. You can call Governor Sonny Perdue at 404-651-7715. Congress has a bill introduced that will allow community pharmacies to negotiate collectively on contract reimbursements. H.R. 1204, The Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2008, has 84 co-sponsors. Of the Georgia delegation, only Congressman Sanford Bishop is a cosponsor. With four hundred and thirty-five members of congress, we need many more co-sponsors to have a chance of moving this resolution to a vote in committee. Without congressional help, community pharmacy will continue to face “take it or leave it” contracts from the monopolistic insurance companies. They are concerned with their bottom line and could care less about the survival of community pharmacy! With health care reform on the fast track, now is the time to have our issue included.
A retired Cigna Vice President testified before a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation at a June 24 hearing that publicly traded health insurers sacrificed the health of their members in exchange for higher earnings. With this same mentality would they even care if they destroyed the community pharmacy distribution system for their own profitability? Having practiced community pharmacy for over 37 years, I, as most of you, recognize the unacceptability of mailorder drugs for many of my patients. They have a different medical literacy and many aged patients lack the ability to utilize the mail-order program. This is corporate dollars ahead of the best health care for the patient. Has not our government realized what unregulated corporations can do to our economy and now to our health care system? They refuse to demand transparency with the PBM industry and accountability for cost in the insurance industry. Both are among the most profitable industries now that the financial segment has collapsed from their unbridled lack of regulation.
Our congressional delegation will only act if you take the time to contact your congressman. To find your elected officials go to www.congress.org and type in your zip code. There you will be able to link to his or her website and email your request for support. With health care reform on the front burner now is the time to act. Don’t become so busy filling prescriptions, for which you are not adequately reimbursed, that you let this opportunity pass.
What are we to do? Our Governor, Lt. Governor and Georgia legislators need to be contacted to let them know of your concerns over the mail-order provisions in the retiree state health program and how you believe it will impact your patients. They also need to understand the economic impact on reducing jobs throughout this state while they are shipping Georgia dollars to New Jersey or
Welcome to GPhA! The following is a list of new members who have joined Georgia’s premier professional pharmacy association! Keri Anderson Cromley, Pharm.D., Saint Simons Island Sebrena Pollard Bartlett, J.D., R.Ph., Frankfort, IL Lindsay L. Burton, Pharm.D., Atlanta Weston Ryan Carter, Alma Jeffrey Fred Cox, Pharm.D., Thomasville Adrienne Nicole Derr, Bellbrook, OH Justin Gardner, Macon
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Wendell Eugene Lovett, B.S., Cordele Amy H. Matstic, R.Ph., Newnan Ginger Mendoza, R.Ph., Columbus Renee Guin Oliver, R.Ph., Vidalia Carole Ray, R.Ph., Sycamore Deborah M. Roberts, Pharm.D., Lawrenceville
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EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT’S EDITORIAL Jim Bracewell Executive Vice President / CEO
All Pharmacy Care is Local city lawyer, he may have worked for a Pharmacy Benefit Manager, recently bought a small mountain farm in north Georgia. He wanted the clean air and wonderful rural mountains to raise his children. It seemed to him nothing would be more of a real rural experience than to have fresh milk on his new farm so he purchased a fine dairy cow and had a nice barn built behind his family’s new home.
Why would the state contract with CIGNA and United MAPD plans that penalize retired state employees for using a Georgia hometown pharmacy? Like the PBM attorney, I am afraid those making the decisions for our state retirees must not have done much milking. It is apparent the PBM representatives that sold the state the contract understood how to milk the state of Georgia. The new plan incentivizes retired state employees to send Georgia prescriptions and Georgia tax dollars to a pharmacy PBM fulfillment warehouse out of state - warehouses whose operations are not even regulated by the State of Georgia Board of Pharmacy.
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After a few days of the cow enjoying lots feed and water, the attorney became concerned that the milk pail remained empty. Feeling that the cow may not understand her contractual obligations, the attorney in fine legal form posted a copy of his contract as he saw it with the cow. More days passed and still the milk pail remained empty. Not to be outwitted by the cow, the attorney installed a phone in the barn so he could call the cow and talk to her about his ongoing audit of the milk pail.
The Georgia Pharmacy Association supports the State of Georgia’s effort to obtain the best and most effective health care for our citizens, especially our state retirees, but personally charging state retirees extra dollars to use their local pharmacy is not clear thinking.
The PBM attorney was slow to learn that getting milk from a cow is a hands on, personal experience. Pharmacy care is also a local personal hands on experience. It cannot be done by mail. It cannot be done by phone. It is the personal experience between the patient and their pharmacist. So why would any employer, especially the State of Georgia require retired state employees to pay extra co-payment to fill their prescriptions at their local community pharmacy?
The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
Would the State of Georgia offer our Hope Scholarships to send students to out of state colleges and universities? I do not think so. Those Hope Scholarships are a benefit of the state for the citizens of the state. The health benefits due our retired state employees are benefits paid by the State of Georgia and ought to be spent in the state of Georgia. Will you contact your local Chamber of Commerce about this misuse of state funds and ask them to help keep jobs in Georgia? Tax dollars spent on prescriptions in Georgia benefit of all Georgians.
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Southeasttern “Girls off Pharmacyâ€? Southeastern Phaarmacyâ€? r yâ€? January ary 15-17, 2010 Leadershipip Weekendd Grove ParkJanua Leadershi Inn Inn;n; Asheville, NC Gather your girlfrie girlfriends ends for a weekend of fun fun, n, facts, and facials! With the t growing demand of th this is popular event, Southeastern theastern “Girls of Pharm Pharmacyâ€? acyâ€? Leadership space is limited. Register R today to ensure your y spot at the 2010 Sou Weekend. W eekend Full re eekend. registration egistration includes: CE programming, programming event mater p materials, rials two breakfasts, rials, breakfasts and one o dinner re reincluded includes: event ception with includ ded drink ticket. Saturdayy only registration includes s: CE programming, even nt materials, and Extra separately.. (Men - Don’t be shy! Y You one breakfast. Ex xtra reception tickets can be b purchased separately ou ou can attend too!) available (800) your today.. Rooms are availab ble at the Grove Park Inn for $136 per night. Call (8 800) 438-5800 to book yo our room today for must Spa appointmentss will be made available fo or reservation through the Grove Park Inn. You You o mus st be registered make SCPhA’s appointment Visit for the event to ma ake reservations through SCPhA A’s reserved appoin ntment times. V isit www.spaweekend.org www.s spaweekend.org for more details. (Those ( already registered - watch your email!) If you wish to atten attend nd the Southeastern “Girls s of Pharmacyâ€? Leadershi Leadership ip W Weekend eekend 2010, visit ww www.scrx.org ww.scrx.org to UHJLVWHU RQOLQH RU Âż ÂżOO RXW WKH IRUP EHORZ DQG UHWXUQ WR 6&3K$ % %URZQLQJ 5RDG &ROXPELD 6& RU UHJLVWHU RQOLQH RU ÂżOO RXW WKH IRUP EHORZ DQG UHWXUQ WR 6&3K$ %URZQLQJ 5RDG &ROXPELD 6& RU ID[ WR )RU TXHVWLRQV SOHDVH FDOO ID[ WR )RU TXHVWLRQV SOHDVH H FDOO South Carolina Ph harmacyy Association is ac credited by y the Accreditat tion Council for Pharmacy y Education Pharmacy accredited Accreditation DV D SURYLGHU RI FR LG I RQWLQXLQJ SKDUPDF\ HGXFD \ G DWLRQ WL 7KLV DFWLYLW\ LV HOLJLE EO I $&3( EOH IRU $&3( FUHGLW VHH Âż WL L J SK 7KL WL LW L OL LE GLW ¿¿QDO &3( O &3( DV D SURYLGHU RI FRQWLQXLQJ SKDUPDF\ HGXFDWLRQ 7KLV DFWLYLW\ LV HOLJLEOH IRU $&3( FUHGLW VHH ÂżQDO &3( DFWLYLW\ DQQRXQFHP WL LW PHQW IRU VSHFLÂżF GHWDLOV WI LÂż G W LO DFWLYLW\ DQQRXQFHPHQW IRU VSHFLÂżF GHWDLOV Yes! Y es! I wou e would ld like to register for the 2010 2010 Southeastern “Girls of Pharmacyâ€? Pha armacyâ€? Leadership Weekend. Weeken nd. REGISTRATION REGISTRA AT TION DEADLINE: Januaryy 5, 2010 1DPHBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Ć‘ 53K Ć‘ 7HFKQLFLDQ /LF 5HJ BBBBBB 1DPHBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Ć‘ 53K Ć‘ 7H HFKQLFLDQ /LF 5HJ BBBBBB Address_____________________________________________________________________________ Address__ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ __________ City,, State, City State, Zip________________________________________________________________________ Zip___________________ _______________________ _______________________ __________ Phone__________________ Phone____ _______________ Email______________________________________________________ Email__ _______________________ _______________________ _________ Registration Registratio on Fees (Guest registrations DO NOT T include CE but do cover meal function costs): Ć‘ )XOO 3DUWLFLSDWLQJ 6WDWH $VVRFLDWLRQ 0HPEHU Z &( Ć‘ )XOO 3DUW ) OO 3 WLFLSDWLQJ 6WDWH WLW L WL 6W W $VVRFLDWLRQ 0 $ L WL 0 0HPEHU Z &(
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Event PharmDiva PharmDiva Shirts: Short Sleeve Slee eve ($20 each): ___Small ____Medium ____ Large ____ XLarge ____ XXLarge e Long Sleeve Sleevve ($25 each): ___Small Small ____Medium Medium ____ Large ____ XLarge ____ XXLarge e Additional PharmDiva apparel and accessory acccessory options are available e for purchase at www.pharmdiva.com. www w.pharm . mdiva.com. 7RWDO WR EH FKDUJHG BBBBBBB0HWKRG RI 3D\PHQW Ć&#x2018; &KHFN &KHFN BBBBBBBBB 7R RWDO WR EH FKDUJHG BBBBBBB0HWKRG G RI 3D\PHQW Ć&#x2018; &KHFN &KH HFN BBBBBBBBB Please make checks payable to SCPhA 3OHDVH FKDUJH P\ Ć&#x2018; 9LVD 3OHDVH FKD DUJH P\ Ć&#x2018; 9LVD Ć&#x2018; $0(; Ć&#x2018; 0DVWHU&DUG Ć&#x2018; $0( (; Ć&#x2018; 0DVWHU&DUG Ć&#x2018; 'LVFRYHU Ć&#x2018; 'LVFRYHU &UHGLW &DUG BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB ([S 'DWHBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB &UHGLW &DU G BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBB ([S 'DWHBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBB &DQFHOODWLRQ 3ROLF\ <R &DQFHOODWLRQ 3ROLF\ <RX PXVW QRWLI\ 6&3K$ LQ ZULWLQJ DW OHDVW ÂżYH EXVLQHVV GD\V EHIRUH WKH PHHWLQJ WR EH HOLJLEOH IRU D UHIXQG RX PXVW QRWLI\ 6&3K$ $ LQ ZULWLQJ DW OHDVW ÂżYH EXVLQHVV GD\V EHIRUH WKH PHHWLQJ WR E EH HOLJLEOH IRU D UHIXQG minus a $10 processing fee. No re refunds efunds will be given for late cancella cancellations ations or no-shows. Please note th that hat the threat of inclement ZHDWKHU VKDOO QRW EH VXIÂżFLHQW WR R ZHDWKHU VKDOO QRW EH VXIÂżFLHQW WR RYHUULGH RXU FDQFHOODWLRQ SROLF\ YHUULGH RXU FDQFHOODWLRQ SROLF\
Schedule of Fall 2009 Region Meetings: Save the Date For additional information and to RSVP go to www.gpha.org. Robert Bowles, R.Ph., CDM, Chairman of the Board, 2009-2010 Eddie Madden, R.Ph., President, 2009-2010 Dale Coker, R.Ph., President-Elect, 2009-2010 Jack Dunn, Candidate for First Vice President, 2009-2010 Jim Bracewell, Executive Vice President October 6, 2009 October 6, 2009 October 6, 2009 October 13, 2009 October 13, 2009 October 13, 2009 October 15, 2009 October 15, 2009 October 15, 2009 October 27, 2009 October 27, 2009 October 27, 2009
TBD 6:30-9:00 p.m. TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD 6:00-9:00 p.m. TBD TBD 6:30-9:00 p.m. 6:30-9:00 p.m.
TBD Ryanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Steakhouse TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Canongate TBD TBD Columbus Regional TBD
Region 7 Region 11 Region 12 Region 6 Region 8 Region 9 Region 1 Region 4 Region 5 Region 2 Region 3 Region 10
Cobb Co. Augusta Dublin Macon Waycross Cherokee Savannah Griffin Atlanta Moultrie Columbus Athens
Mike Crooks Marshall Frost Ken Eiland Bobby Moody Larry Batten Jason Rich Heather DeBellis Bill McLeer Shobhna Butler Tony Singletary John Drew Chris Thurmond
For details about the Continuing Education Program at the Fall Region Meetings please visit www.gpha.org or call GPhA at 404.231.5074. Details will be posted as they become available. The Georgia Pharmacy Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council of Pharmacy eduction as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. These activities are eligible for ACPE credit; see final CPE activity announcement for specific details.
The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
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September 2009
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“We implemented PQC in our pharmacy four months ago – it was easy. I have noticed an enhanced effort from the staff to work together to avoid and eliminate quality-related events.” Pharmacy Quality Commitment® (PQC) is what you need! PQC is a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program that supports you in responding to issues with provider network contracts, Medicare Part D requirements under federal law, and mandates for CQI programs under state law. When PQC is implemented in your pharmacy, you will immediately improve your ability to assure quality and increase patient safety. Do you have a CQI program in place?
Call toll free (866) 365-7472 or go to www.pqc.net for more information. PQC is brought to you by your state pharmacy association.
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September 2009
STATE NEWS FOR PHARMACISTS
Governor Announces New Design for Georgia Licenses, IDs overnor Sonny Perdue has announced that Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) is preparing to issue new and improved driver’s licenses and identification cards by fall 2009. The new cards will combat document fraud and protect the identities of Georgia’s citizens by using the latest credentialing technology.
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Interim Another new security practice will be the issuance of an interim driver’s license or ID. Interim documents will be printed on special security paper which is highly sensitive and will discolor after any attempt to alter it. It contains a photo and signature to allow its use for identification purposes. Interim cards will be valid for up to 45 days or until a permanent laminated license or ID is mailed from the central production print facility to the applicant’s mailing address on file with DDS.
“Everyone knows all we have done to reduce lines and waits at driver’s license centers, but another key priority of the department is safeguarding the identities of Georgia citizens and preventing document fraud,” said Governor Perdue. “These new cards will be the most secure our state has ever issued.”
Permanent License/ID The permanent licenses and IDs will be mailed directly to the customer on a mailing carrier that is folded and enclosed in a generic envelope without exposing the actual cards. When the permanent card is received, the interim should be destroyed in accordance with Georgia law and to safeguard personal information. The carrier should be filed by the customer to access later should their license be lost or stolen.
New card production will begin at Conyers, Covington and Locust Grove in September 2009. Statewide implementation of the new system is scheduled to take approximately two months with all customer service center locations producing the new cards by the end of November 2009. All previously issued Georgia licenses and IDs will remain valid until the expiration date when they will be exchanged for a newly-designed card.
Customer Service Improvements The new licensing system includes a new data management system with electronic imaging to scan documents where they may be securely stored and easily accessed later. DDS has taken great care in safeguarding our customer’s private information. Each customer’s personal information becomes a part of the personal driver’s license record. It will remain confidential and is disclosed only as authorized or required by law.
“We are very excited about these innovative changes allowing Georgians to have one of the most secure cards in the nation,” said Gregory C. Dozier, DDS Commissioner. “It is a bright and modern card that our customers will be proud to carry.” The new documents are designed to be more difficult to counterfeit, alter or replicate. The license will remain roughly the size of a credit card. The new cards have several security features including ghost photos, a laser-engraved signature over the primary photo to minimize alterations and a tamper resistant coating placed over the card. The cards will feature machine-readable barcodes that can be used by banks, retailers and other businesses to verify the information printed on the front.
When visiting DDS in person, a more efficient one-windowprocess provides customers with a “one-stop shopping” experience at most locations eliminating the need to visit multiple windows. If a transaction cannot be completed once begun, data can be filed and stored until the required information is presented to complete the service. A customer may visit another location where the stored information may be quickly accessed.
Fees will not increase, and customers will continue to choose between a five-year or ten-year license or ID.
New state-of-the-art equipment will be installed including modern computer and photography equipment and printers that will be faster and more reliable.
“Under 21” A major security feature of the new process is designed to combat underage drinking. Cards issued to those “Under 21” will be printed in a vertical format, aiding retailers and law enforcement in identifying minors.
For more information, please visit www.dds.ga.gov.
continued on page 12 The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
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SAFFE DL Secure, Automated, Faster, Friendlier, Easier Driver’s Licensing The new Driver’s License (DL/ID) and process changes, starting in the fall of 2009, will increase customer service, enhance public safety/homeland security, and improve our efficiency. These changes will lead to a more streamlined process positioning Georgia to remain a leader in service and security.
Key Benefits and Common Card Features: Customer Service: ¾ The peach and the outline of Georgia are featured in a prominent position, representing a healthy, educated, growing, and safe Georgia. ¾ In most cases, the entire customer transaction, including the photo, will be processed at one service window. ¾ Faster problem resolution with better equipment and electronic document imaging. ¾ A different card layout for those under 21 for easier identification.
Public Safety and Homeland Security: ¾ New security features that help fight against both alteration of “real” cards and printing of “fake” cards. ¾ Customers will receive an interim document from their local service center. Permanent Driver’s Licenses will be mailed from a secure, discrete location. ¾ Overnight audit capability prior to issuing a permanent license, allowing for customers’ authentication of government issued documents and reducing identity theft and identity fraud. ¾ Data on the front of the card can be validated by businesses and law enforcement officials by reading the 2D barcode on the back of the card. ¾ Law enforcement will have real time access to photographs. ¾ Overt and covert security features that are difficult to detect and hard to replicate, such as a laser engraved signature and duplicate images of the cardholder on the license.
Process Efficiencies and Accountability: ¾ The new system creates the foundation for customer accounts. ¾ The new process and equipment will transition from micro-film to modern scanned electronic images for securing, storing, maintaining, and backing up data. ¾ Modern equipment that is faster and less expensive to operate. ¾ The new point of sale processing integrates credit card and cash transactions with the system providing better tracking, reporting, and auditing functionality leading to more financial accountability.
Card Specific Security Features: Interim DL/ID: ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾
Logo and fibers that react to ultraviolet light. Overlapping signatures and data on the photo. Duplicate image of cardholder. Digitized signature and color photo. Heat sensitive icon for validating the authenticity of the document. Pre-printed security paper with pattern that is hard to replicate. 2D scanable and machine-readable barcode for businesses and law enforcement.
Permanent DL/ID: ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾
Unique pattern of intricate, repetitive, overlapping curves and lines that is difficult to replicate. Overlapping signatures and data on the photo. Duplicate image of cardholder. Laser engraved signature, date of birth, and duplicate photo. Embedded security feature that reacts to ultraviolet light. Kinegram or anti-counterfeit device. 2D scanable and machine-readable barcode for businesses and law enforcement.
Permanent Driver’s License
Interim Driver’s License
GPHA MEMBER NEWS
PHARMACY COMPOUNDING ACCREDITATION BOARD 2215 CONSTITUTION AVENUE WASHINGTON, D.C. 20037 ______
NORTH CAROLINA OFFICE: 109 CHURCH STREET CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA 27516 ______
TOM MURRY, PHARMD, ESQ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TELEPHONE: (866) 377-5104 ELECTRONIC MAIL: TOM@PCAB.ORG
August 3, 2009 Larry Braden and John Price Lacey’s Marietta Pharmacy 790 Church Street Ext. Suite 170 Marietta, GA 30060 Dear Larry and John, Thank your for your continued communication with the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB®). On behalf of PCAB, please accept my congratulations; Lacey’s Marietta Pharmacy has earned the designation “PCAB Accredited™ compounding pharmacy.” Lacey’s Marietta Pharmacy is the second pharmacy in the state of Georgia to earn the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board Seal of Accreditation. PCAB was created by the leading organizations in pharmacy for the purpose of recognizing those compounding pharmacies that have demonstrated their outstanding commitment to quality. Lacey’s Marietta Pharmacy has been tested against an extremely challenging set of national standards created by the some of the experts in pharmacy compounding today, and Lacey’s Marietta Pharmacy has passed. With your pharmacy’s designation as a PCAB Accredited™ compounding pharmacy, your patients and the practitioners with whom you work can know that the Lacey’s Marietta Pharmacy ranks among the best compounding pharmacies in the country for quality. This is visible evidence of your commitment to your patients and the pharmacy profession. Please accept my congratulations on behalf of the pharmacy profession and the patients you serve. With warm regards, I remain, Sincerely yours,
Tom Murry, PharmD, Esq Executive Director Cc:
Anita Martin, Georgia Board of Pharmacy Jim Bracewell, Georgia Pharmacy Association Colleen Betlach, PCAB Director of Survey Operations Machelle Jameson, PCAB Director of Administration
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September 2009
GPHA MEMBER NEWS
Keith Herist, Pharm.D., AAHIVE, CPA, clinical associate professor at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy presented a poster at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s July meeting in Boston with Henry H. Cobb, III, R.Ph., CDM, and Dr. Brent Rollins, entitled “Evaluation of CommuniPharm Simulation Program (CPSP) as a Practical Application of Basic Accounting and Pharmacy Business Principles.” Ira Katz, R.Ph., of Little Five Points Pharmacy, won the $50 prize for participation in the GPhA Convention Survey amoung the 62 pharmacists who participated. Courtney Anne Mays, won the $50 prize for participation in the GPhA Student Convention Survey amoung the 19 students who participated. Joshua Davis Kinsey, Pharm.D., announced the opening of Cleveland Pharmacy & The Soda Fountain Cafe on July 21. This pharmacy features a classic soda fountain, old fashion gift boutique and state-of-the-art pharmacy and OTC department. The pharmacy website is www.clevelandpharmacy andgifts.com.
Inpatient Anticoagulation Initiatives and Project Destiny: What it Means in the Future” from Ortho-McNeil. Caroline Dennis, Melissa Underwood, Brad Kirk and LeAnn Walton of the National Community Pharmacists Association have been invited to compete against University of Washington and University of Arizona at the NCPA national convention in New Orleans as one of the top 3 of 29 schools who submitted plans for the national competition. In Rememberance Jack Fleeman, R.Ph., owner and operater of Fleeman’s Pharmacy in Atlanta passed away on August 14, 2009. He is survived by his daughters, Phoebe and Jackie. If you have an item that you would like included in the GPhA Member News section of THE GEORGIA PHARMACY JOURNAL please email the news to Kelly McLendon at kmclendon@gpha.org or fax it to her attention at 404.237.8435.
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H1N1 News News This information was supplied by the CDC website.
CDC Novel H1N1 Vaccination Planning Questions and Answers
Q. How will vaccine be shipped to projects areas (CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness grantees)? A. Vaccine will be shipped to clinics, offices, health departments, and other project area-designated sites which may include a mix of public health and private sector sites via centralized distribution. This is the same process that is used to ship vaccines for the childhood immunization program to immunization providers. CDC's centralized distribution mechanism will be substantially enhanced to provide capacity for this activity in addition to shipping of other vaccines.
Vaccine Distribution Q. When will the decision to administer vaccine be made? A. For planning purposes, it should be assumed that vaccine will be administered beginning in the fall. Q. When will vaccine shipping begin? A. Planners should assume shipping of vaccine will begin mid-October, although there is a possibility that some vaccine will be available for shipping starting late September. Q. How many manufacturers are producing vaccine? A. Five manufacturers are producing vaccine for the U.S.: Sanofi Pasteur, Novartis, GSK, Medimmune and CSL.
Q. Will project areas (CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness grantees) be able to limit the amount of vaccine they receive? A. Yes, project areas will be able to determine what proportion of their allocation they wish to receive.
Q. How much vaccine can be expected to be available for shipping when shipping begins? A. Planners should use the following scenarios: In the first scenario, approximately 120 million doses will be released beginning around mid-October over a 4 week period, followed by approximately 20 million doses per week (or 80 million doses per month) thereafter. In the second one, up to 20 million doses of vaccine will be released beginning late September, followed by approximately 20 million doses per week (or 80 million doses per month) thereafter.
Q. How frequently will vaccine shipments arrive? A. As details of distribution are finalized, CDC will communicate with states about the anticipated time period between placing vaccine orders and receiving shipments.
continued on page 18 The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
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September 2009
Q. How many sites can be designated as vaccine receiving sites? A.One of the key benefits of using a centralized, third party distributor to support H1N1 vaccine distribution is that it allows distribution of doses to a much larger number of providers sites than would be feasible with direct manufacturer distribution. Thus, we will be able to serve a significantly larger provider base than the original state ship to sites, and are planning to be able to accommodate more providers than are currently served by the VFC program. More information, including any limitations in the number of vaccine receiving sites, will be shared with state planners as soon as it becomes available.
Q. How will ancillary supplies be distributed? A. Ancillary supplies will be distributed to the same project area-designated sites as vaccine. Plans for ensuring the distribution of these products are currently being developed. Vaccine Administration Q. Will two doses of vaccine be required? A. This will not be known until the late summer- early fall, once clinical trials are completed. For planning purposes, planners should assume that two doses will be needed. Q. What will be the recommended interval between the first and second dose? A. This will not be known until clinical trials are complete. For planning purposes, planners should assume 21-28 days between the first and second vaccination.
Q. Will vaccine be in multi-dose vials? A. The majority of vaccine will be in multi-dose vials, the remainder in single dose syringes or nasal sprayers. The aim is to have enough vaccine in single dose syringes (i.e. preservative free) for young children and pregnant women.
Q. How much Thimerosal-free vaccine will be available? A. It is anticipated that enough thimerosal-free vaccine in pre-loaded syringes will be available for young children and pregnant women.
Vaccine Allocation Q. How will vaccine be allocated among project areas (the CDC PHEP grantees)? A. Vaccine will be allocated to each project area in proportion to its population (pro rata). Q. Will there be a separate allocation for active duty DOD? A. Yes, there will be a separate allocation for active duty DoD. It is not included in the project area allocations.
Q. Will there be federal requirements to recall persons for their second dose, if a second dose is needed? A. There will be no federal requirement to send out recall notices. Providing information on second dose at the time of the first dose, as well as using the media to disseminate this message will be the primary means of educating persons about who needs a second dose administered.
Q. Will there be a separate allocation for DoD dependants, retirees and civilian employees? A.There is no separate allocation for these groups. Military facilities may be willing to vaccinate these groups, but will need to be allocated vaccine for these populations by the project areas.
Q. Will it be necessary for the first and second dose to be the same product? A. Ideally, first and second doses would be from the same product. However, practical considerations make this difficult to implement. Planners should assume they will be interchangeable.
Q. Will there be a separate vaccine allocation for IHSserved populations and other tribal communities? A. There will be no separate allocation. States and local areas need to work with their tribal populations to ensure access to vaccine.
Q. Can seasonal vaccine and novel H1N1 vaccine be administered at the same time? A. Clinical trials are exploring this question. It is anticipated that seasonal vaccine and novel H1N1 vaccines may be administered together.
Ancillary Supplies Q. Which ancillary supplies will be provided with vaccine? A. HHS will provide needles, syringes, sharps containers and alcohol swabs.
Q. Will vaccine be adjuvanted? A. It is unlikely H1N1 vaccine will be adjuvanted. Definitive information will be available once clinical trial data are available.
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September 2009
Q. If vaccine is adjuvanted, how will it be formulated? A. Formulation will vary by provider. For Novartis, vaccine may be preformulated with adjuvant. For CSL, GSK and Sanofi Pasteur, mixing of vaccine and adjuvant at the site of administration will be necessary. Specific information on storage requirements and procedures for mixing vaccine and adjuvant will be provided by CDC. Medimmune vaccine will not be adjuvanted.
age groups has been met, programs and providers should offer vaccination to people 65 or older. (see http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm) Q. Will there be flexibility in how states implement the recommendations? A. The ACIP recommendations leave room for flexibility at the local level depending on the local vaccine supply situation.
Q. Will the vaccine be administered under EUA (Emergency Use Authorization)? A. EUA will not be used for unadjuvanted vaccine if FDA licenses the vaccine under the current BLA (Biologics License Application) as a strain change.
Q. Given the potential for large amounts of vaccine available during the first month of vaccine shipments, are priority groups needed? A. It is not expected that there will be a shortage of novel H1N1 vaccine, but availability and demand can be unpredictable, and there is some possibility that initially the vaccine will be available in limited quantities and priority groups may be needed.
Q. For whom will novel H1N1 vaccine be recommended? A. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on July 29th to develop recommendations on who should receive the novel 2009-H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available, and to determine which groups of the population should be prioritized if the vaccine is initially available in extremely limited quantities. The committee recommended that vaccination efforts initially focus on 5 target groups: vaccination for pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months through 24 years, and people ages 25 through 64 years who are at higher risk for novel H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems. We do not expect that there will be a shortage of novel H1N1 vaccine, but flu vaccine availability and demand can be unpredictable and there is some possibility that initially, the vaccine will be available in limited quantities. So, the ACIP also made recommendations regarding which people within the groups listed above should be prioritized if the vaccine is initially available in extremely limited quantities. For more information see the CDC press release CDC Advisors Make Recommendations for Use of Vaccine Against Novel H1N1. Once the demand for vaccine for the prioritized groups has been met at the local level, programs and providers should also begin vaccinating everyone from the ages of 25 through 64 years. Current studies indicate that the risk for infection among persons age 65 or older is less than the risk for younger age groups. However, once vaccine demand among younger
The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
Q. Will there be requirements regarding documentation of priority group membership? A. There will be no federal requirements for vaccinators to require documentation of priority group status such as a doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note documenting pregnancy or risk status. Doses administered Monitoring: Q. What are the minimum data elements required by CDC? A. Minimum data requirements include age group, 1st or 2nd dose, date of vaccination, and state. Pneumococcal vaccination: Q. Are there any changes in recommendations for pneumococcal vaccines? A. The ACIP recommends that persons recommended for pneumococcal vaccine receive it in light of the potential for increased risk of pneumococcal disease associated with influenza. There are at present no recommendations to give pneumococcal vaccine to groups for whom it is not currently recommended. ACIP will revisit this question over the summer as epidemiologic data from the Southern hemisphere influenza season and from the U.S. become available.
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H1N1 News
H1N1 Vaccine: What Can Georgia Pharmacists Do?
he Division of Public Health ofthe State of Georgia Department of Community Health in its response to the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic. The Office of Pharmacy is working in collaboration with the Office of Immunizations to develop a plan to distribute federally supplied H1N1 vaccine to community pharmacies. The state of Georgia would like the assistance of local pharmacies in this process.
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Georgia Division of Public Health Contact Information
District 1, Unit 1 (Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Polk, Walker) Currently, each Public Health District is charged with Kathy Kitchens identifying partners, including pharmacies, that are interested 706-295-6704 in providing vaccination services once the H1N1 vaccine is kckitchens@dhr.state.ga.us available. There is a contact in each health district listed below. Please contact the "contact person" at the number or District 1, Unit 2 (Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, email address listed if you are interested in participating or Pickens, Whitfield) need additional information. Jennifer Smith The pharmacyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s information will be collected and the Office 76-272-2342 jlsmith@dhr.state.ga.us of Immunizations will send a Provider Agreement to your pharmacy. Once that has been signed and returned, an District 2 (Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Immunization staff member will visit your pharmacy/ies to Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, confirm proper storage equipment. Towns, Union, White) Kathy Moreland Once that is complete, you will be added to the list of partners who will receive and administer the H1N1 vaccine. 770-535-5866 The Division of Public Health receives regular updates kamoreland@dhr.state.ga.us regarding the vaccine and therefore has a very fluid plan. One thing is certain: community pharmacies will play a critical role District 3, Unit 1 (Cobb, Douglas) in mass vaccination. Virgina Freeman vfreeman@dhr.state.ga.us If you have further questions or concerns, please do not Pamela Mashburn hesitate to contact: Anasa Johnson, Pharm.D., MBA, 770-514-2330 Pharmacy Disaster Response Coordinator, Two Peachtree pmashburn@dhr.state.ga.us Street, NW, Suite 12-452, (404) 463-0797 (office), (404) 406-1938 (Blackberry), (404) 463-0377 (fax). continued on page 22 The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
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September 2009
District 3, Unit 2 (Fulton) Glenda Robinson 404-730-1242 glenda.robin@fultoncountyga.gov
District 7 (Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp, Dooly, Harris, Macon, Muscogee, Marion, Quitman, Randolf, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Webster) Charlene Ellis 706-321-6414 ccellis@dhr.state.ga.us
District 3, Unit 3 (Clayton) Helen Garrett 678-610-7258 hgarrett@dhr.state.ga.us
District 8, Unit 1 (Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Tift, Turner) Theresa Clark 229-245-6431 ttclark@dhr.state.ga.us
District 3, Unit 4 (Gwinnett, Newton, Rockdale) Suzette Gonzales 678-442-6908 ssgonzales@dhr.state.ga.us
District 8, Unit 2 (Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Dougherty, Decatur, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Worth) Nancy Rumph 229-430-4127 nhrumph1@dhr.state.ga.us
District 3, Unit 5 (DeKalb) Sandra Pineyro 404-294-3787 scpineyro@dhr.state.ga.us District 4 (Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Fayette, Heard, Henry, Lamar, Meriweather, Pike, Spalding, Troup, Upson) Debbi Heard 706-845-4035 daheard@dhr.state.ga.us
District 9, Unit 1 (Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh) Ruthie Smoak 912-644-5205 rmsmoak@dhr.state.ga.us District 9, Unit 2 (Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Bulloch, candler, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Evans, Jeff Davis, Pierce, Tattnall, Toombs, Ware, Wayne) Melinda Monroe 912-285-6020 mtmonroe@dhr.state.ga.us
District 5, Unit 1 (Bleckley, Dodge, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Pulaski, Telfair, treutlen, Wheeler, Wilcox) A. Kay Stevenson 478-275-6565 akstevenson@dhr.state.ga.us
District 10 (Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethrorpe, Walton) Linda McGinnis 706-583-2870 lwmcginnis@dhr.state.ga.us
District 5, Unit 2 (Baldwin, Bib, Crawford, hancock, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Monroe, Pech, Putnam, Twiggs, Washington, Wilkinson) 478-751-6247 District 6 (Burke, Columbia, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Teliferro, Warren, Wilkes) Helen Smith 706-667-4257 hlsmith6@dhr.state.ga.us
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September 2009
Georgia County Health Departments March 2009
Beginning in October THE GEORGIA PHARMACY JOURNAL will be reinstituting the JOURNAL CPE. Thank you for your patience as we have made this transition.
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Save the Date November 13-15, 2009 The 14th Annual Southeastern Pharmacy Recovery Network Conference This conference will be held at the Simpsonwood Conference Center located just north of Atlanta in Norcross, GA. For additional information about Simpsonwood visit www.simpsonwood.org. This conference covers information regarding the disease of addiction. All pharmacists, technicians and students are encouraged to attend. The conference is open to anyone who wants to learn more about this disease and how it impacts so many lives. A more complete list of CPE details will be posted on the GPhA website at www.gpha.org as they become available. For information call Regena Banks at 404-419-8121 or email her at rbanks@gpha.org. This is sponsored by the Georgia Pharmacy Foundation and Georgia PharmAssist.
The Georgia Pharmacy Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. These activities are eligible for ACPE credit; see final CPE activity announcement for specific details.
The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
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Septmeber 2009
F u ll l l Speed S Spee d Ahead
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Pharmacist News
PQC Users Get New Legal Protection for Required Quality Assurance Program As part of Medicare Part D, all plan sponsors and their contracted entities (pharmacies) must have and maintain quality assurance (QA) programs that are designed to reduce medication errors and adverse drug interactions and improve medication use. This requirement is stated in all Part D pharmacy network contracts. Thousands of Medicare Part D pharmacy providers are meeting their QA requirements and getting legal protection of their quality assurance data with the easy to use, low cost Pharmacy Quality Commitment (PQC) program available through state pharmacy associations. PQC is one program offered by the Alliance for Patient Medication Safety (APMS), a federally certified Patient Safety Organization (PSO).
About APMS APMS was established by the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) and is listed as a PSO with the Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ). The mission of APMS is to foster a culture of quality within the profession of pharmacy that promotes a continuous systems analysis to develop best practices that will reduce medication errors, improve medication use and enhance patient care.
Quality Assurance Reporting Services
Learn more about the programs offered by APMS, visit www.medicationsafety.org.
Collecting data on dispensing errors and near-misses is often viewed as a double-edged sword. Fear of discovery and subsequent damage to legal defense cases impeded patient safety data reporting in the past, but now PQC can offer federal protection to data collected and reported. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our goal is to make sure that pharmacists in every state can realize the full legal protections afforded to health professionals under the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005,â&#x20AC;? said Rebecca Snead, CEO of APMS. Pharmacists should make sure they are participating in a quality assurance program that offers 100 percent protection of safety, quality and error data. PQC provides valuable insights into trends which pharmacists can use to improve their dispensing processes and decrease the likelihood of costly errors. The PQC program offers a solid continuous quality improvement program and protection for your data, something that most programs do not offer. The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
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September 2009
Alliance for Patient Medication Safety a federally certified patient safety organization (PSO) Pharmacies that report patient safety events are provided federal legal protection to patient safety information that is reported through APMS.
Quality Assurance Reporting Services
Quality Assurance Reporting to APMS provides federal legal protection to patient safety information. In addition, participating pharmacies will receive recommendations on best practices and workflow processes to help reduce medication errors, improve medication use and enhance patient safety and health outcomes.
Thousands of Medicare Part D pharmacy providers are meeting their QA requirements and getting legal protection of their quality assurance data with the easy to use, low cost Pharmacy Quality Commitment (PQC) program. (PQC) is a continuous quality improvement program that strives to reduce medication errors in the pharmacy by offering structures and methods for improvement and a feedback system that allows the pharmacist to elevate the quality of patient care.
Compounding Adverse Drug Events Reporting (C-ADER) A standardized tool for compounding pharmacies to simply and effectively track and report any adverse events that are potentially associated with compounded medications.
Pharmacy and Prescriber E-prescribing Experience Reporting (PEER) Portal A questionnaire/reporting site designed to allow practicing pharmacists and prescribers to share their experiences with e-prescribing technologies. All comments - whether suggestions for improvement or complaints about the process - are welcome. This detailed information gathered can be used to improve the quality and effectiveness of electronic prescribing technologies and overall quality and operation of the e-prescribing infrastructure.
BACKGROUND NASPA promotes leadership, sharing, learning, and policy exchange among state pharmacy associations and pharmacy leaders nationwide, and provides education and advocacy to support pharmacists, patients, and communities working together to improve public health. NASPA was founded in 1927 as the National Council of State Pharmacy Association Executives (NCSPAE). APMS, LLC was established in August 2008 by NASPA and was listed in December 2008 as a Patient Safety Organization (PSO) with the Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ). The mission of APMS, LLC is to foster a culture of quality within the profession of pharmacy that promotes a continuous systems analysis to develop best practices that will reduce medication errors, improve medication use and enhance patient care.
Alliance for Patient Medication Safety www.medicationsafety.org info@medicationsafety.org 866 365-7472 The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
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September 2009
PharmPAC Challenge eginning on July 17, GPhA sent out over 2,000 mailers asking our members to contribute $250.00 (or more) to PharmPAC. The letter compared the GPhA PharmPAC with other PACs in Georgia – The Medical Association of Georgia and The Trial Lawyers Association. The amounts given by the members of the latter dwarfed the amounts given by GPhA members. At first sight the numbers looked unattainable for GPhA, but through simple number crunching we realized that GPhA would only need to get 500 of its members to give $250.00 or more and we would reach our goal of $125,000.00. Currently, PharmPAC brings in on average $50,000.00 per year and only 2 percent of GPhA members contribute to PharmPAC. Reaching our goal is a simple matter of participation. We don’t need the individuals who have given to PharmPAC in the past to give more; we need the pharmacists who have not given to PharmPAC to participate. Two hunred fifty dolars per year is only $62.50 per quarter and only $20.83 per month. We understand that the economy is not conducive to fundraising, but during a time of economic downturn is when we need your participation the most. The state of Georgia has been cutting programs everyday to make up for a $3.3 billion shortfall. We all pay considerable amounts to insure the safety of our business; consider the money you give PharmPAC as insurance. This is the best way to insure that our interests are heard by the individuals making decisions on our behalf.
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PharmPAC receives approximately $4,000 per month in contributions. PharmPAC has received more than $24,000 in the last month due to the mailer that was sent out on July 17. We are off to an amazing start, but we need to keep up the momentum. If you have given to PharmPAC and you know individuals in your region who have not, please call them and ask them to give. You can now contribute to PharmPAC from the GPhA website, you can use the contribution card on this page, or you can call Stuart Griffin at the GPhA office and he will send you a contribution card.
Pharm PAC would like to encourage you to make a contribution today and help pharmacy look forward to a bright future in the state of Georgia. Name: __________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Phone Number: __________________________________________ Email Address: __________________________________________ Pledge: $___________________________________ (Circle the Pledge Level to which you wish to belong.) $1 - $250 - Patriot $251 - $500 - Representative $501 - $1000 - Senator $1001+ - Governor’s Circle
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Sustainers Circle: When you check this box and provide valid credit card information you are making a 5 year commitment to make the same contribution for the next 5 years. Your credit card will automatically be charged annually on the date of your initial contribution. Contributions or gifts to Pharm PAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. Name on the Credit Card: __________________________________________ Credit Card Number: __________________________________________ CSV#: ________ Expiration Date: _________________ Signature: __________________________________ Detach this form and complete it and return it to:
Pharm PAC, 50 Lenox Pointe, NE Atlanta, GA 30324 You may also donate online.
Bruce Broadrick, R.Ph. PharmPAC Chairman
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September 2009
Kelly McLendon Director of Public Affairs
Social Networking: Facebook and a new generation he other day I heard a kind elderly gentleman ask a 30-something, “Have you heard of this thing called ‘the Google.’ I would like to have it installed on my computer. How do I do that?” The younger man sat this elderly gentleman down and explained to him that Google was a search engine that is on the internet and did not require you to download or install anything.
Facebook members interact on their Wall, a space on every user’s profile page that allows friends to send a vitrual “poke” to each other, and share status updates to inform friends where they are and what they are doing.
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This might seem like excessive information for most friends, but for a generation who is used to a 24-hour newscycle, instant messaging and gratification this is exactly what they expect from their friends and their colleagues.
This generational exchange brought into sharp relief the differences in the way the generation who experienced the invention of the television and the generation who has experienced the invention of the micro-computer interact with the world.
As a professional tool, it is an asset to both an employee’s job search and an employer seeking to hire. The job seeker need only to send one message and the entire network of friends and colleagues know they are job searching and have posted a resume. The employer can look at the resume of the job seeker and know if that person’s life style will fit with the corporate envirnoment.
As a member of the latter group it takes keen awareness to know when I have lost my colleagues of the earlier generation. A prime example is when I was explaining to my colleagues that I was working on Facebook late the night before to get events posted for GPhA on their Facebook page. The question came “How are you accessing this information from home?”
Facebook is also a tool that 200 GPhA members choose to use to stay up-to-date on GPhA news. Events are posted on www.gpha.org and Facebook at the same time. We send a message to the Facebook user to let them know that GPhA has posted a new event, and the user can RSVP for free events on the GPhA Facebook page or click to the GPhA website to register for paid events.
I had to explain that I could access my Facebook from anywhere I could get an internet connection. Then I had to explain what Facebook was and how it could be used as a tool for the Association. This made me wonder “How many GPhA members know that GPhA has a Facebook page, and how many know what Facebook is?” First, let me explain what Facebook is.
While it is true that social interactions are changing as a result of the increasing use of computers in social networking, it is also true that this medium makes membership in GPhA a much more interactive experience.
Facebook is a free-access social networking website that is operated and is privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Users can join networks of individuals organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people with similar pasts and interests. People can also add friends and send them messages and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Users can upload photos and list personal interests as well as exchange private and public messages with friends. Users can also join groups, like GPhA. The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
GPhA encourages you to try it if you haven’t. We welcome your participation in the GPhA group, no matter your age.
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2009 - 2010 GPhA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Georgia Pharmacy Journal Editor:
Jim Bracewell jbracewell@gpha.org
Managing Editor & Designer:
Kelly McLendon kmclendon@gpha.org
The Georgia Pharmacy Journal® (GPJ) is the official publication of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, Inc. (GPhA). Copyright © 2009, Georgia Pharmacy Association, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including by photocopy, recording or information storage retrieval systems, without prior written permission from the publisher and managing editor. All views expressed in bylined articles are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily express the views or policies of the editors, officers or members of the Georgia Pharmacy Association.
ARTICLES AND ARTWORK Those who are interested in writing for this publication are encouraged to request the official GPJ Guidelines for Writers. Artists or photographers wishing to submit artwork for use on the cover should call, write or e-mail the editorial offices as listed above.
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND CHANGE OF ADDRESS The Georgia Pharmacy Journal® (GPJ) (ISSN 1075-6965) is distributed as a regular membership service, paid for through allocation of membership dues. Subscription rate for non-members is $50.00 per year domestic and $10.00 per single copy; international rates $65.00 per year and $20.00 single copy. Subscriptions are not available for non-GPhA member pharmacists licensed and practicing in Georgia. The Georgia Pharmacy Journal® (GPJ) (ISSN 1075-6965) is published monthly by the GPhA, 50 Lenox Pointe NE, Atlanta, GA 30324. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, GA and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Georgia Pharmacy Journal®, 50 Lenox Pointe, NE, Atlanta, GA 30324.
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GPhA HEADQUARTERS 50 Lenox Pointe, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30324 Office: 404.231.5074 Fax: 404.237.8435
Position
Robert Bowles Eddie Madden Dale Coker Jack Dunn Mahlon Davidson Robert Hatton Mary Meredith Jim Bracewell Hugh Chancy Ashley Dukes Keith Herist Jonathan Marquess Sharon Sherrer Andy Rogers Alex Tucker Heather DeBellis Tony Singletary John Drew Bill McLeer Shobhna Butler Bobby Moody Mike Crooks Larry Batten Jason Rich Chris Thurmond Marshall Frost Ken Eiland Renee Adamson Liza Chapman Burnis Breland Tim Short DeAnna Flores Rick Wilhoit John T. Sherrer Michael Farmer Fred Barber
Chairman of the Board President President-Elect Candidate for First Vice President Candidate for Second Vice President Candidate for Second Vice President Candidate for Second Vice President Executive Vice President/CEO State-at-Large State-at-Large State-at-Large State-at-Large State-at-Large State-at-Large State-at-Large Region One President Region Two President Region Three President Region Four President Region Five President Region Six President Region Seven President Region Eight President Region Nine President Region Ten President Region Eleven President Region Twelve President ACP Chairman AEP Chairman AHP Chairman AIP Chairman APT Chairman ASA Chairman Foundation Chairman Insurance Trust Chairman Ex Officio - President, GA Board of Pharmacy Ex Officio - Chairman, GSHP EX Officio Mercer Ex Officio Mercer ASP Ex Officio South Ex Officio South ASP Ex Officio UGA Ex Officio UGA ASP
Don Davis Gina Ryan Johnson Meagan Spencer Barbee Rusty Fetterman Garrick Schenck Daniel Forrister Kyle Burcher
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The Georgia Pharmacy Journal
Name
30
September 2009
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