4 minute read
From the Executive Director
Penny Shelton, PharmD, CGP, FASCP
New Year, New Beginnings: Recasting Our Brand
Welcome to 2017! I hope that your new year is off to a great start. Perhaps you have even been fortunate enough to take a break to reflect back on 2016 and reminisce a bit. Here within the NCAP office, I have found or been confronted with various issues or concerns for which contemplating our past has been helpful for planning and anticipating our future as an Association. First and foremost, I want you to know that I am thoroughly enjoying my job serving as your Executive Director. Every day in the office or on the road is different. The members, volunteer leaders, staff, and stakeholders are some of the most passionate and amazing people. Serving and representing you is the rewarding part of the job. I will admit that the number of issues, the amount of work that needs to be done, and the diversity of problems and needs can be taxing, albeit even a bit overwhelming from time to time. These are times that I just remind myself to take a deep breath and that NCAP is, and therefore I am, on a journey best taken one step at a time.
Along this journey, when measured in days, there will be good days when great strides are made, such as the recent work with some of our volunteer leaders on our advocacy agenda and the planning for our Pharmacy Legislative Day. Other days, there will be some hits that we absorb along the way, such as this past Fall when a Chicago Tribune article regarding pharmacists got national attention1, and in the November issue of JAMA, where an article showed an increasing problem with outpatient adverse drug events resulting in emergency department visits.2 The problems addressed in both of these publications are areas for which pharmacists can improve and can create positive impact. Our work nationally and locally on provider status designation and broadening of collaborative practice authority will hopefully lead to greater opportunities for pharmacists to generate this positive impact in patient care. However, it is still up to pharmacists to rise to the task.
This past week I kicked off part two of my #NCPharmacy road trip and headed out to several places in western North Carolina. Although part two of my road trip, over these next few months, will center on meetings with as many health systems and local pharmacy associations as possible, my time on the road will be spent speaking with, and listening to, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in all practice settings. One of the messages that I am conveying while on the road is that NCAP is a membership association, and membership associations exist to help their members. What are you facing in your day-today work, business, service or practice for which the Association can help? NCAP is undergoing a transformation centered on rebuilding value - getting back to our roots for why we formed in the first place and building a modern service model for today’s members’ needs.
I am an avid reader, but I do enjoy a good televised action and drama series. However, in this era of streaming and ondemand shows, it is rare that I catch many commercials. Yet, one that did catch my attention was the Lincoln MDK commercial in which you hear Matthew McConaughey say “sometimes you need to go back to actually move forward.” The choice of McConaughey and the use of a quote that examines one’s past was an intentional partnership between an actor who had to
rebuild his career and a car company that desperately needed a resurgence to totally reinvent their brand.
Throughout this issue of the North Carolina Pharmacist, you will find information and signs that are indicative of a groundswell or resurgence for NCAP. In essence, NCAP needs to refine and recast our brand! We are examining everything that NCAP does. Even the Journal has undergone a change in formatting, as well as the amount and type of information included. In addition to practicebased types of articles, in this issue you will find information about our successful convention held in November and the introduction of new committees for 2017. You will find revised Bylaws, our Strategic Plan, as well as articles pertaining to the state of our Association and new statewide initiatives for NCAP. Enjoy the issue and, if you would like for me to visit your practice, health system or pharmacy, please contact me at penny@ncpharmacists.org. If you would like to share your ideas on “how NCAP can help” as noted above, please send your comments to NCAP. For now, use the email address ncapatwork@gmail.com to send us your comments, your “sound off” remarks, or any other items to which you would like NCAP to be attentive. The NCAP staff, Board of Directors and other volunteer leaders are looking forward to 2017. Come be part of the resurgence!
Pharmacy Proud,
Penny
1http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/ druginteractions/ct-drug-interactions-pharmacy-met20161214-story.html
The Chicago Tribune tested 255 pharmacies to see how often stores would dispense risky drug pairs without warning patients. Fifty-two percent of the tested pharmacies sold the medications without mentioning the potential interaction.
2Shehab N, Lovegrove MC, Geller AI, Rose KO, Weidle NJ, Budnitz DS. US Emergency Department Visits for Outpatient Adverse Drug Events, 20132014. JAMA. 2016;316(20):2115-2125. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.16201.
