Pennsylvania Pharmacist January/February 2017

Pennsylvania January/February 2017 z Volume 98 z Issue 1

The official publication of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association

PPA is Stronger Together! s rdY a Aw collaboration POLIC

INFORMATION

CONNECTIONS patient care

Webinars

Benefits Competitions Idea Sharing

grants

COMPETITIONS ADVOCACY

CONFERENCES

WEBINARS

advocacy Leadership POLICY NETWORKING

competitions Webinars conferences ce networking grants

IDEA SHARING CONNECTIONS NETWORKING S

Y POLIC

AWARD

COLLABORATION

CONTENTS On the Cover PPA IS STRONGER TOGETHER!

s rdY a Aw collaboration POLIC

Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, Pharmacy Students and friends connect through PPA — making pharmacy stronger.

Webinars

Our Vision

INFORMATION

Pennsylvania pharmacists will be recognized, engaged, and fairly compensated as healthcare providers.

CONNECTIONS patient care

Benefits Competitions Idea Sharing

grants

COMPETITIONS ADVOCACY

CONFERENCES

WEBINARS

advocacy Leadership POLICY NETWORKING

competitions Webinars conferences ce networking grants

Our Mission

IDEA SHARING CONNECTIONS NETWORKING S

Y POLIC

AWARD

COLLABORATION

DEPARTMENTS 4 President’s message 5 Calendar of Events 6 Welcome! New Members 8 Campus Checkup

features 12 Member Spotlight: Improving Outcomes In A PatientCentered Medical Home 14 Member Profile 15 Student Member Profiles 16 PPA Foundation Grant

association news 18 Call for Nominations — PPA Officers and Board of Directors 19 Call for Nominations — Affiliated County Board of Directors 20 2017 Mid-Year Conference 24 Call for Award Nominations 25 PPA’s Board of Directors Adopt New Policies

The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, as the leading voice of pharmacy, promotes the profession through advocacy, education, and communication to enhance patient care and public health.

26 Legislative Victory: Act 169 of 2016 27 APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition 28 Election Outcomes and Pharmacy 30 PPA Involvement in Critical Bills to Battle the Opioid Epidemic!

32 Affiliated County News 33 Member News

JOURNAL 36 Abstract: Impact on Readmission Rates of Psychiatric Patients Following Pharmacist Discharge Counseling in a Community Hospital

INDUSTRY news 37 PrescribeWellness Partners with NCPA as Official Medication Synchronization Technology of Simplify My Meds®

PPA Board of Directors PPA Officers President: Eric Pusey, RPh President Elect: Nicholas Leon, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP Vice President: Lauren Simko, PharmD Immediate Past President: Donna Hazel, RPh Regional Directors Central Region: Robert Killoran, RPh Northeast Region: Thomas Franko, PharmD, BCACP Northwest Region: Nickolas Kernich, PharmD Southeast Region: Mark Lawson, PharmD, MBA Southwest Region: Cory Krebs, RPh Practice Directors Academia: Roshni Patel, PharmD Community-Independent/LTC: Stephanie Smith Cooney, PharmD Community Independent/LTC: Chuck Kray, RPh Chain Pharmacists: Stephen Pfeiffer PharmD, MBA Health System Pharmacists: Richard Demers, RPh, MS, FASHP Managed Care/Government/Industry and Other: Julene Vidic, RPh Associates: Greg Drew, RPh

Student Directors East: Rachel Von Vital West: Marissa Badzik PPA Office Staff CEO: Patricia A. Epple, CAE pepple@papharmacists.com | Ext. 3 Program Manager: Sara Powers spowers@papharmacists.com | Ext. 2 Government Relations Manager: TBA Communications Coordinator: Danielle Adams dadams@papharmacists.com | Ext. 1 Membership Coordinator: Ashley Robbins arobbins@papharmacists.com | Ext. 5 Bookkeeper: Michele Dibble mdibble@papharmacists.com | Ext. 4 PPCN Executive Manager: Mindy Kozminski, PharmD, BCACP mkozminski@papharmacists.com PPCN Trainer: Brandon Antinopoulos, PharmD ppcntrainer@papharmacists.com

8 CORRECTION In the November/ December issue the images of Michael Ruggiero, PharmD and Jonathan Kovac, PharmD, Top TIER Residents, were swapped on page 22. We sincerely apologize for this error.

Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA) 508 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 (717) 234-6151 Fax: (717) 236-1618 www.papharmacists.com | ppa@papharmacists.com Pennsylvania Pharmacist (ISSN 0031-4633) is the official publication of the Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Association d/b/a Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association and is published every other month, six times per year. Annual subscription is $100 for non-members; for members it is included in the annual dues. Editorial information should be addressed to the PPA address listed above. Peer reviewed articles accepted according to the stated guidelines available from PPA. Editorial Board Olufunmilola Abraham, PhD, MS, BPharm Hershey S. Bell, MD, MS, FAAFP Kim Coley , FCCP, PharmD, RPh Bernard Graham, PhD Stephanie Smith Cooney, PharmD Associate Editor: Danielle Adams Editor/Manager: Pat Epple

Designed and Published

by Graphtech Sarah DiCello, Publications Manager (717) 238-5751 x118 sarah@thinkgraphtech.com For Advertising Information: Alexis Kierce, Account Manager (717) 238-5751 x119 alexis@thinkgraphtech.com Pharmacist State Board of Pharmacy Members Institutional: Gayle Cotchen, BSPharm., PharmD., MBA Independent Community: Rob Frankil, RPh Chain Community: Janet Hart, RPh Chain Community: Theresa M. Talbott, RPh Independent Community: Mark J. Zilner, RPh Board of Pharmacy Meeting Dates: January 24, 2017 March 7, 2017 April 18, 2017 May 31, 2017

Pennsylvania MAGAZINE

papharmacists.com | ppa@papharmacists.com |

www.papharmacists.com • 3

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

2016, A great year for Pennsylvania Pharmacy!!

The Pennsylvania Pharmacist Association is a strong organization dedicated to the betterment of the entire profession of Pharmacy and the year 2016 has proven to have been a great year! We have had some momentous legislative victories that have been years in the making. It has been through the hard work, effort and persistence of our CEO Pat Epple, her entire administrative staff, the Board of Directors and our Officers over the last several years that has enabled our organization to succeed. We also wish to thank each person who took the time to contact their legislators when we issued a “Call to Action.” It really made a difference.

Some of the more recent laws signed

by Governor Wolf include the PBM Registration, Generic Drug Pricing Transparency(MAC), Pharmacy Audit Integrity and updated PACE Reimbursements which were enacted together as Act 169 of 2016. Pennsylvania also of course began the Prescription

Drug Monitoring Program(PDMP) in late summer and has already amended the law effective January 1st, 2017. There is also a new CE requirement which will 2 CE in pain management, identification of addiction and the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. Pharmacies will be able safely collect and destroy unused, expired or unwanted prescription drugs if the pharmacy wishes to. The specific details can be found on the PPA website in much more detail.

The use of medical marijuana in Pennsylvania has been approved and the regulations are being formulated. There will be pharmacist involvement in a nondispensing capacity which will present both challenges and opportunities for our profession. Pharmacists can also now provide flu vaccine to children 9-18 years old with parental consent and there are more positive changes occurring in the new year.

As the new year begins, Pharmacy in Pennsylvania also begins with new challenges and opportunities ahead of us.

We have already begun to work on a new legislative agenda for the next 2 years.

Healthcare on the national and state levels will also be changing rapidly with possible dramatic changes to Obamacare and Medicaid. Be assured that PPA is working hard on your behalf, for all Pharmacists, Pharmacy students, technicians and staffs and I will say it again, “Keep Pharmacy Great Again” together!  Eric M. Pusey, R.Ph, CDE PPA President 2016–2017

ELEMENTS of Success Re

Af

Cn

Lo

Reputation

Affiliation

Connections

Location

Jefferson College of Pharmacy is recognized as an emerging force in the future of Pharmacy education. We prepare students to be leaders, as demonstrated by victories in ASHP, APhA and ACCP student pharmacy competitions. Our grads have an aboveaverage pass rate among all who take national boards. And, it’s happening just steps from the best Center City Philly has to offer. These are contributing elements to our success.

explore.Jefferson.edu/Pharmacy

CALENDAR OF EVENTS | ADVERTISERS INDEX

JANUARy 26–29 Mid-Year Conference 2017 Lancaster, PA 27

28

29

Foundation Board of Directors Meeting Lancaster, PA PPCN Board of Directors Meeting Lancaster, PA PPA Board of Directors Meeting Lancaster, PA

29

Student Advisory Board Lancaster, PA

MARCH

APRIL

ADVERTISERS INDEX PRS Lattanzio Consulting Group – 2 Thomas Jefferson University – 4 Legislative Day – 10 Independent Pharmacy Buying Group – 11 McKesson – 13 HD Smith – 14 S & L Solutions LLC – 19 Value Drug Company – 23 The Ten Under Ten Award – 25 Pharmacy Law Review 2017 – 25 Keystone Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance – 29 RJ Hedges – 31 Wilkes University – 32 Pre-Residency Excellence Program – 33 The Foundation Sunnyside Up Breakfast – 34 On-Demand CE Webinars – 34 LECOM – 35 Hayslip & Zost – 36 Member-Get-A-Member Contest – 37 GRASP Program – 38 RDC – Inside Back Cover Pharmacists Mutual – Back Cover 

PPA Board of Directors Meeting Harrisburg, PA

MAY

24–27 APhA Annual Meeting San Francisco, CA

19

27

Pharmacy Legislative Day

20-23 National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Annual Meeting Orlando, FL For additional events including webinars, CE opportunities, and PPA committee meetings, be sure to see our Calendar of Events on the PPA website! 

PPA Dues Easy Monthly Payment Options—Now Available!

Pharmacist members now have the option to pay their PPA dues in convenient, low monthly payments.

How to switch to the monthly installment plan online: • Visit www.papharmacists.com when it is time to renew your membership • Enter your User Name and Password in the Sign In box on the right side of the page. Click Sign In. • Select Renew Membership Now • Verify that all of your information is correct and update anything that needs updated, Click Save Changes.

• Check the box for Pharmacist Dues-Monthly Installment Plan, fill in your payment information and click Submit * You can contact the PPA office at 717-234-6151 ext. 5. to renew your membership over the phone or if you have forgotten your usernamer password.

www.papharmacists.com • 5

WELCOME! NEW MEMBERS

PPA Welcomes the following New Members who joined the association on October 3, 2016 – November 17, 2016. Please make these new members feel welcome and part of Pennsylvania pharmacy! Help us recruit more members – more members = a stronger PPA = better pharmacy practice in our state!

Pharmacists Jacob Reaser, Erie, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Ashley Woss, Belle Vernon, Walgreens Jordan Covvey, Coraopolis, Duquesne University – Mylan School of Pharmacy Marvin Schulte, Philadelphia, University of the Sciences Philadelphia Asha Varghese, Horsham, Rite Aid Pharmacy Michael Gionfriddo, Shavertown, Geisinger Health System Mark End, Pittsburgh, Bill’s Hometown Pharmacy Mary Pater, New Kensington, Professional Specialized Pharmacies Paul Cook, Greensburg, The Medicine Shoppe Anne Marie Quagliariello, Newton Square, CVS Health Bradley Gill, Lewisburg, Lewisburg Pharmacy James Chikwanha, East Stroudsburg, Stroud Compounding Drugstore Allen Whisler, Grantville, CVS Health Tam Truong, Philadelphia, Golden Health Pharmacy LLC Mark Sauritch, Philadelphia, Cambria Pharmacy #1 Yong Li, Philadelphia, Best Care Pharmacy Alex Keylin, Feasterville, Alltown Pharmacy Alex Long, Philadelphia, Patient Care Pharmacy Paul Burrichter, Paoli, Paoli Apothecary Andrew Mubbala, Harrisburg, Morrison Towers Pharmacy Nana Mubbula, Harrisburg, East Shore Pharmacy Gino Cuffari, Philadelphia, Pennsport Mall Pharmacy Osinska Gracja, Conshohocken, Omni Pharmacy Services Mojgan Evoghlian, Hatboro, Pharmacy of Hatboro

6 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

Jim Lui, Philadelphia, Sunray Drugs Kensington Andrei Milenko, Philadelphia, Dream Pharmacy LLC Vincent Ekenga, Pittsburgh, Duquesne University – Mylan School of Pharmacy Angela DiPaola, Philadelphia, ACME Sav-On Pharmacy Sarah Lee, Egg Harbor Township Kimberly Grant, Pittsburgh, Duquesne University – Mylan School of Pharmacy Gabriella Pepe, East Norriton, Virginia Commonwealth University Diane Borman, Allentown Pharmacy Technicians Yuan-Ling Chou, Allentown Martin Ruskin, Montclaire, Bloomfield College Patience Ward, Newville, Big Spring Pharmacy Inc. Associates Dave Manns, Reeseda, Mann’s Drug Store Students Duquesne University – Mylan School of Pharmacy Nicole Handlow, Pittsburgh Andrew Gaiser, Worthington Jefferson School of Pharmacy Toni Campanella, Philadelphia LECOM School of Pharmacy Ornella Yonkeu, Erie Kelly Duan, Rego Park Dana Bookamer, New Castle Clare Dyczkowski, Erie Brianna Kousin, Erie Emma Wysocki, Erie Michael Coulter, Erie

Shannon Haberman, Wexford Courtney Perry, Erie Matthew Silbaugh, McKean Joanne Hernandez, Erie Anh Ngo, Erie Cody Smith, Kittanning Ohio Northern University Hayley Acker, Saegertown Ryan Waldschmidt, Allison Park Michaela Mrosek, Ada Morgan Doverspike, Punxsutawney Kayla Baxendell, Washington Alexandria Lacombe, Connellsville Chelsea Travis, West Finley Morgan Augustine, Gibsonia Erin Altmeyer, Leechburg Shanna Conway, West Newton Carrie Freed, Ada Katherine Platt, Harmony Amanda Scharf, Pittsburgh Temple University Danh Thach, Philadelphia Alyssa Snyder, West Chester Matthew Fried, Toms River Kristen Milenki, Warrington Taylor Lentz, New Hope Olivia Calabro, Olyphant Matthew Goosherst, Philadelphia Abiemwense Iyamu, Philadelphia Eliza Totsky, Philadelphia Samantha Zlock, Nesquehoning Sara Groome, Wyncote Jeremiah Subramani, Huntingdon Valley Jacqueline Von Bulow, Philadelphia Lan-Anh Do, Philadelphia Khoi Nguyen, Philadelphia Jamie Axelrod, Lafayette Hill Nicole Coccia, Southampton Shano Vildbaum, Huntingdon Valley Yosief Ghebremichael, Philadelphia Vatsal Trivedi, Edison

WELCOME! NEW MEMBERS continued

Radhika Chunduru, West Chester Deep Majmundar, King of Prussia Jullien Navizaga, Philadelphia Krishna Patel, Colonia Jessica Roth, Bristol Jenny Shi, Philadelphia Andrew Paik, Cheltenham Ayooluwa Tonade, Philadelphia Sutikshan Gupta, Feasterville Trevose Tina Thomas, North Wales Chinaza Arungwa, Philadelphia Barbara Ohiaeri, Philadelphia Jeanna Le, Doylestown Marina Youssef, Plymouth Phu Tran, Philadelphia Dominic Tran, Philadelphia Tai Tram, Philadelphia Allison Shofran, Old Forge Ann Sam, New York Myungsun Ro, Doylestown Alexandros Pitsakis, Huntindon Valley Olga Piliutkevich, Philadelphia Devanshi Patel, Philadelphia Lauren McDaniel, Philadelphia Anastasiya Malanchuk, Holland Lindsey Kelly, Shavertown Ahsia Iqbal, Lake Hiawatha Brittany Farber, Horsham Anthony Corry, Bensalem Anthony Chong, Galloway Madiha Ashfaq, Philadelphia Vishesh Patel, Palmyra Shauna Nunes, Old Forge JJ Lapin, Philadelphia Jacqueline Keselman, Holland Samuel Ewusie, Levittown Andrew Chen, Staten Island Ivy Chen, Philadelphia Daniel Chang, Holland Kelly Chanbers, Malvern Truong Bui, Leola Sagar Bhatt, Philadelphia Tesfahun Angasso, Philadelphia Ilirjuana Amzovski, Bensalem Joshua Ruane, Moosic Maggie Lee, Philadelphia Victor Olusajo, Philadelphia Sabina Zamanova, Feasterville Trevose Ralph Grillo, Cherry Hill

University of Pittsburgh Danielle Nichols, Dublin Qingqing Liu, Bethesda Abigail Kois, Macedon Philadelphia College of Pharmacy Kelly Mitchell, Pittston Daniel Huang, Exton Charissa Pham, Upper Darby Edgard Trott, Stroudsburg Jalpa Thaker, Ambler Bethina Escala, Havertown Stephy Johnson, Philadelphia John Farrell, Bensalem Rob Lodise, Bensalem Brittany Souryavong, Duryea Janki Patel, Philadelphia Bailey Colvin, Floyd Nikhila Indukuri, Edison Sarah Park, Blue Bell Christina Haddad, Schwenksville Mei Ling Rong, Philadelphia Sara Skoritowski, Scranton Kayla Askey, Tafton Alexandra Cerino, Morton Jodie Fong, Wayne Zachary Prall, Morrisville Erin Fegley, New Ringgold Elissa Muller, Harford Travis Murray, Honesdale Arig El-Sayed, Upper Darby Robert Cheeseman, Newton Square Anas El-sayed, Upper Darby Jessica Kim, Philadelphia Christian Ruffin, Ambler In Hye Suh, Philadelphia Mara Oesterle, Pine Grove Jobin Johnson, Philadelphia Lisa Varughese, Elkins Park Molly Walter, Columbia Ariel Cohen, Warminster Sherin Abu, Philadelphia David He, Doylestown Prianka Dadhich, North Wales Sherin Abu, Philadelphia Hope Shen, Bethlehem Kyle Obrien, Orwigsburg Lauren Farmer, Philadelphia Daniel Leehan, Pittsburgh Dianna Arndt, New Ring Gold

Haithm Abdou, Chadds Ford Bianca Nguyen, Downington Samantha Frear, Factoryville Caitlyn Heaps, Philadelphia Andrej Quatrone, Center Valley Adetutu Gbadebo, Hatfield Kyle Hultz, Birdsboro Yiming Zhang, Bensalem Alexander Bimson, Harleysville Ashley Shotwell, Tunkhannock Nathan Kubus, Archbald Shifa Zachariah, Philadelphia Joshua Jo, Horsham Marques Williams, Philadelphia Michael West, Philadelphia Klarida Zeqollari, Wayne Klajdi Zeqollari, Wayne Samantha Jackson, Broomall Jeannie Nguyen, Philadelphia Thomas Lee, Glen Mills Sarah Kerdesky, Luzerne Hajar Mokhlis, Philadelphia Jonathan Rhee, Philadelphia Daniel Min, Lansdale Enid Curevac, Levittown Thuong Lam, Philadelphia Eric Seda, Philadelphia Philip Masaitis, Philadelphia Tommy Giang, Philadelphia Stephen Cho, Ambler Wilkes University Deanna Getgen, Wellsboro Kevin Kachurak, Macungie Amber Zigmont, Easton Sarah Ahearn, Blandon Lauren Lewis, Wilkes-Barre Sarah Hughes, Lake Ariel Nicholas Mangino, Nazareth Brittany Smith, Wyalusing Kayla Hiryak, Gilbertsville Lorena DiGuiseppe, Bechtelsville Rachel Wood, Pottsville Kimberly Jones, Endwell Michael Dimaggio, Wilkes-Barre Bethany Chmil, Wilkes-Barre Jarret LeBeau, Philipsburg Kara Cooper, Lebanon Evan Henry, Carlisle ď Ź

www.papharmacists.com • 7

CAMPUS CHECKUP

Duquesne University

LECOM

Contributed by: Danielle Taciuch, Communication Ambassador

Contributed by: Ashley Freeman, Communication Ambassador

Duquesne’s PPA chapter and the rest of the pharmacy community have been busy throughout the last few months as we continue to advocate, educate, and make our voices heard! The PY2 class took a trip to Washington D.C. at the end of October and met with their local congressmen to advocate for H.R. 592 and S. 314, the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act. The students also advocated for the role that pharmacists can play in stopping the opioid epidemic. The Duquesne PPA Executive Board organized a Health Fair at a local YMCA and spoke to the public about the harms of smoking and ways to quit. In the future, we plan on having more public events to help educate the public on all aspects of health!

At our general assembly meeting in November, Executive Board members educated the group on the naloxone standing order and pharmacists’ role. We have also been busy organizing a local OTC competition, in which the winners won a paid trip to the Mid-Year Conference in January!We are excited to see what the spring semester has to bring and look forward to upcoming opportunities to educate the public and advocate for our profession!

Jefferson College of Pharmacy Contributed by: Gianna Girone, Communication Ambassador As always, our PPA chapter at Jefferson College of Pharmacy is planning to finish out the semester strong with some great events for our student body! We recently held our annual Self Care and OTC competition with much success! We’re proud to have a team of P2’s representing our school at PPA Mid-Year this coming January and we wish them the best of luck! In the spirit of OTC related events, we also continued our tradition of educating elementary school students on the topic. In the past we’ve traveled to Southwark Elementary to visit their elementary school students, but we’ve now established a new connection with John B. Kelly elementary school outside Philadelphia! Hopefully we can continue both of these connections and expand beyond these two as well. We are also looking forward to our upcoming naloxone training event, where many of our students will learn the importance of using naloxone to combat the growing opioid epidemic.

To get in the holiday spirit, our chapter is also planning some more fun events for the end of the semester! We looked to encourage some pre-finals relaxation by throwing a Christmas sweater and potluck party on November 28th for our whole chapter! Finally, we are still actively working with some of the other Philadelphia pharmacy schools to collaborate on future events, hopefully for next semester!

During American Pharmacist Month, LECOM was very active in the community and held 24 rotating health fairs. These health fairs displayed to patients the importance of receiving flu vaccines, presented information about several disease states such as diabetes, and informed patients about the necessity of maintaining adherence to medication regimens. LECOM also held two walks during the month of October, a diabetes walk and a heart walk. These walks were a great success, reaching as many as 600-700 people at each event. Katie Freeman, a P2 at LECOM, was interviewed by local radio stations and promoted LECOM’s activities during American Pharmacists Month. Additionally, to show our support for American Pharmacist Month, LECOM students wore red and gathered for a picture spelling out the word CARE to show that pharmacists provide patient care. Finally, in November LECOM also held a Relay for Life event. LECOM pharmacy students felt that since many individuals have been touched by cancer in some way, we hope to bring more awareness to this disease and to raise money for the American Cancer Society. LECOM Students was able to use social media and email to promote the fundraiser and asked family, friends, and community members for support this great cause. Through our large amount of volunteers willing to help enhance and promote our ideals, LECOM remains very active in promoting pharmacists and the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association to the surrounding community.

Ohio Northern University Contributed by: Fouad Bahamdain, Communication Ambassador The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association chapter at Ohio Northern University is proud to announce that all ONU students from Pennsylvania (32 students) are now members of PPA. We are also happy to release a Facebook page, as well as a webpage for our chapter on the PPA website. In an effort to ensure that PPA remains a strong group at ONU, we are now officially recognized at our university as a special interest group of our APhA-ASP chapter. This is an exciting news for our chapter, as we are growing each year.

To get our members excited about involvement in PPA and share our plans for this year, we hosted an ice cream social event. Then a group of our members held our first Katy’s Kids Outreach on Monday, November 21st with 65 kindergarten students at St. George School in Erie, PA. The kindergarten students were eager to share

8 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

their thoughts on pharmacists and taking medicine. Students also filled prescriptions for their favorite tv characters, played a candy vs medicine game, and listened to their hearts with stethoscopes.

In February, ONU PPA looks forward to welcoming Donna Hazel to campus to speak about PPA and the importance of advocating for our profession. With many of our P2 students becoming eligible to apply for PA interns licenses and P6 students going on rotations this spring, we plan to host an intern license help session. We are looking forward to sending a group of students to our first PPA Mid-Year conference and can’t wait to everyone else there!

Nebinger School for nearly 200 kids in grades K-3. Thanks to IHI, PPA was joined by Temple Med, Nursing, Dental, and PT. Together we educated children on a variety of health topics from proper nutrition, to safe medication habits. Last but not least, on November 7th PPA’s Government Relations Manager, Don Smith, took the time out of his schedule to visit and discuss our profession, recent victories in the State Senate and House, and also to teach students on how their voice can make a difference. We look forward to hosting more events in the spring and to continue the process of putting Temple’s PPA chapter on the forefront of progress for Pharmacy at our school!

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy / University Of The Sciences Contributed by: Sara Coulter, Communication Ambassador The students of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy’s PPA chapter have been very busy since our last Check-Up. We recently collaborated with Temple and Jefferson during pharmacist week in October to advertise about “pharmacists providing care” and we had a terrific time together. We can’t wait to work with our fellow Philadelphia pharmacy schools again soon. We are also very excited to announce that thanks to Dr. Mark Lawson’s generous membership donations, PCP has recruited over 80 new PPA members! Once again we are extremely grateful for his support and generosity. PCP’s PPA chapter continues to promote our Facebook platform, most recently using it to educate our members about the importance of antibiotic stewardship during the CDC’s “Get Smart About Antibiotics Week!”.

Our members posted and shared educational material each day to help get the word out. And last but not least, PCP is proud to announce that through our month-long fundraising efforts we raised over $300 and will be donating to Pharmpac and Foundation! We are looking forward to seeing you all at the mid-year conference!

Temple University Contributed by: Harris Nguyen, Communication Ambassador Temple started off their October events with a vaccination clinic with ACME Savon at Healthy palooza. We helped to provide patients with influenza, pneumococcal, and shingles vaccines and education. On October 19th, PPA participated in National pharmacy week, alongside various other organizations at TUSP. During this week, we set up events at Temple Hospital where we were able to educate the public with posters, counseling, and games! We also hosted our letter writing campaign in the main lobby of the pharmacy school during Pharmacy week. This was a prime opportunity to raise awareness to recognize pharmacists as health care providers who improve access, quality, and value of healthcare.

Drug Take Back Day was an event where PPA teamed up with Giant Pharmacy and the Bensalem PD to take back left over drugs and educate patients on proper drug disposal. Then on October 28th, PPA alongside IHI, PSHP, IPHO, APHA, and AMCP set up a health fair at

University of Pittsburgh Contributed by: Nicolette Diehl, Communication Ambassador During the fall semester, many University of Pittsburgh student pharmacists have traveled across the country from Hollywood, FL to National Harbor, MD to Somerset, NJ to Las Vegas, NV to attend and present at national and regional conferences. Specifically, seven students attended the ACCP Annual meeting to learn about residency programs and present their current work.

Additionally, the AMCP E-board attended the AMCP Nexus conference to learn about new opportunities in managed care.

The APhA-ASP E-board visited New Jersey to attend MRM, where our Operation Immunization patient care committee won the Region 2 Operation Immunization Award. Our APhA-ASP E-board attended sessions that helped them to grow as a chapter and voted during policy proposal process sessions. Lastly, many P3 and P4 student Continued on next page www.papharmacists.com • 9

CAMPUS CHECKUP pharmacists attended ASHP Mid-Year in December to explore residency programs, attend student programming, and present current research projects.

In January, our PPA E-board and chapter members are excited to travel to Lancaster, PA for the PPA Mid-Year Conference. Many student pharmacists will be presenting posters, participating in the OTC Competition and Know Pain, Know Gain Competition, as well as attend the various student programming events. Our students love meeting student pharmacists and pharmacists from across the state and we hope to see you all there!

Wilkes University Contributed by: Kayla Bardzel, Communication Ambassador Wilkes PPA had a successful American Pharmacist’s Month in October! Our chapter collaborated with our APhA-ASP chapter to participate in going on the Today Show to help advocate for pharmacy. Kathy Grandizio-Stephens, winner of the Pauline Montgomery Leadership Award, also came to talk to us about current pharmacy laws, owning an independent pharmacy, working without a residency and leadership. We were incredibly grateful for her to come talk to us.

Over the months of October and November, our chapter was successful in completing four Katy’s Kids event! We went to multiple pre-school and elementary school classes to talk about the importance of medication safety and poison prevention. One of these events was held at our university’s “Passport to Science” event, which happens annually. Here, over 200 elementary students participated in a lab that went over candy vs. medicine, counting beads just like a pharmacist counts medications, blood pressure cuffs and more! The chapter is ecstatic with the outreach we had

10 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

with Katy’s Kids this semester and plans to continue with more events come spring!

Our chapter also had a super fun social on November 17th, where 27 members went to SkyZone Trampoline Park. Here, we jumped around, played dodgeball and basketball, as well as did flips into a foam pit. All the members had a blast and we even filmed “The Mannequin Challenge” playing dodgeball which could be found on our Facebook page!

Last but certainly not least, our chapter was able to donate 129 soaps to the backpack project that the Wilkes Nesbitt School of Pharmacy participates in annually. This project fills up 250 backpacks with everyday items such as soap, toothbrushes, socks, gloves and more for those locally in need. It was a great cause and we were proud to be able to help.

In December, we held our chapter OTC competition to determine who will be participating on the team at Mid-Year. Our chapter is looking forward to attending and seeing everyone again at Mid-Year in January! 

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FEATURE ARTICLE

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Improving Outcomes in a Patient-Centered Medical Home By: Daniel Brust, PharmD, PGY1 Resident at Erie VA Medical Center This article was contributed while Daniel was on rotation with PPA and he is still a faithful PPA member!

In the current era of our profession, pharmacists are continuously recognized as critical healthcare professionals who can assist in improving patient outcomes, particularly in a collaborative setting with other healthcare providers.

The current landscape of the pharmacy profession is dynamic and evolving quickly, with less of an emphasis placed on typical dispensing services, and a greater emphasis placed on improved patient outcomes through medication management and reducing chronic disease burden.

A great example of pharmacist involvement in patient care activities is the SCRIPT project, which is coordinated between UPMC St. Margaret, the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, and UPMC Health Plan. SCRIPT stands for Successful Collaborative Relationships to Improve Patient Care, and, as the name suggests, it is a holistic effort

to involve multiple healthcare professionals in the patient care process and to recognize the pharmacist’s unique contribution on the team through identifying and resolving medication related problems to improve outcomes.

Dr. Maria Osborne and Dr. Aaron Difilippo are two of the clinical pharmacists involved with the SCRIPT project; they divide their time between two family medicine practices that are affiliated with UPMC St. Margaret. These practices are considered patient-centered medical homes (PCMH), which can be broadly defined as a model of comprehensive, patient-centered care that includes coordination between healthcare providers (including physicians, pharmacists, nurses, etc.) to provide easilyaccessible services with an emphasis on safety and quality improvements.

After graduating from pharmacy school, Dr. Osborne practiced in the community pharmacy

setting for five years. During this time, she became interested in better understanding how to work together with patients and physicians to improve patient care. While the community setting provides some advantages such as accessibility, she recognized that there was a gap between levels of care. She researched and began learning about PCMHs, and identified a community residency program with the University of Pittsburgh in conjunction with Rite Aid. After applying for and matching with that residency, she had a rotation site where the SCRIPT project was to be conducted, and she immediately recognized this as a natural fit for her. She interviewed, and was lucky enough to be selected for the SCRIPT project, which she is still involved with today.

The fundamental structure of a PCMH ensures that pharmacists are involved with the medication use aspect of patient care activities, as this is

The entrance to UMPC St. Margaret.

12 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

their unique contribution to the team. The triad that is formed between pharmacist, patient, and physician allows the care management to be maximized

Access to a full electronic health record allows pharmacists to become highly engaged in patient care activities, and to recognize actual or potential medication-related problems and resolve them before they initiate or progress.

The access to patient data is particularly useful for conducting comprehensive and targeted medication reconcillation activities during transitions of care.

across the spectrum. Access to a full electronic health record allows pharmacists to become highly engaged in patient care activities, and to recognize actual or potential medication-related problems and resolve them before they initiate or progress. Identifying medication problems prior to an appointment helps pharmacists prepare in advance and gather resources necessary to improve care. The access to patient data is particularly useful for conducting comprehensive and targeted medication therapy reviews, as well as medication reconciliation activities during transitions of care.

Dr. Osborne also noted that the ability for follow-up with patients is a crucial component of care, which helps to ensure that patients meet goals, tolerate medications, and are utilizing their medications appropriately.

Clearly, all of these advantages of a PCMH result in overall enhanced care for patients. Dr. Osborne

talked about some aspects of what the future holds in this practice setting. Greater communication and sharing of information is being implemented across the spectrum of pharmacy practices, as this is crucial for patient care. Many settings are looking at alternative payment methods for reimbursement, which include transitioning from standard fee-for-service models to more payfor-performance models, which are seen with certain accountable care organizations (ACOs). In general, there is a large push in pharmacy for moving towards quality of care over quantity of services. The PCMH basic structure and the SCRIPT program are excellent examples of how to involve pharmacists to improve patient care. By analyzing the concept of PCMHs and other structures with pharmacist-physician collaborations, we can see that outcomes are improved and care is optimized. 

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www.papharmacists.com • 13

FEATURE ARTICLE

MEMBER PROFILE • Kristin M. Hart, PharmD When and why did you decide to join PPA?

Kristin M. Hart , PharmD PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident, Geriatrics UPMC Presbyterian/ Shadyside Pharmacist, Rite Aid

I joined PPA when I found out that I had matched for the PGY-1 Community Pharmacy Residency with the University of Pittsburgh. They had a pre-residency excellence program that I thought would help jump start my transition from student to resident, and I had really liked their law review that I attended that April. I had also been involved in my local pharmacist society in New York throughout pharmacy school, and knew that I wanted to continue that connection with whichever local or state organization that I had my residency in.

of pharmacy practice. I feel that the organization has enriched my experience as a new practitioner, and it keeps me “in the know” about legislation that could expand or limit services that I provide in the community, in the clinic, or in the hospital.

If you were not a pharmacist, what would you be doing?

If you had asked me this question when I was in the 3rd grade, I would have said that I want to be a professional ice skater. Now I might say food critic.

I’m a big proponent of local restaurants.

Would you recommend joining PPA to other pharmacists and why?

What advice would you give to a newly licensed pharmacist on their first day of work?

I would wholeheartedly recommend joining PPA to any pharmacist that I could because it is important to be connected to an organization that helps your profession on a local, state, and national level. It also allows for the opportunity to network and gain mentors from across the state in different areas

I would tell them to take deep breaths, and to think about the people that they could reach out to if they get stuck (a trainer, supervisor, colleague, etc.).

Pharmacy is a small world, and there are lots of people willing to assist if you ask. 

I CHOOSE A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

STUDENT MEMBER PROFILES Alexis Stinson If you weren’t in pharmacy school, what would you be doing?

Alexis Stinson, Jefferson College of Pharmacy PharmD Candidate, 2017

When I initially applied to colleges, my major was actually vocal music education. I thought I would be the next great performer and choral director. So if I wasn’t in the pharmacy field, I would likely have pursued a career in music education. Since music and performance are passions of mine I stayed involved by assisting with a local high school marching band and colorguard program, engaging in philanthropic performances with the Miss America Organization, and singing the National Anthem at various minor league games.

What was the best advice you ever got, and who did you get it from?

Rachel von Vital, Temple University PharmD Candidate, 2017

The best advice always comes from my Dad. When I was interviewing for pharmacy schools, he was my travel partner and would pass along his wisdom during our long road trips up and down the east coast. The best advice I received was to treat every experience as a learning opportunity and to live with no regrets. At the time he said those words to calm my nerves before my pharmacy interviews, but it really applies across the board. I know that I have often learned and grown more from lost competitions, relationships, and missteps than anything else. The real value lies in what you learn from the circumstance and how you better yourself.

What is your favorite experience you have had since studying pharmacy?

My favorite experience actually occurred in my hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania when I had the opportunity to address the 7th grade students at a local middle school. At the time I held the title of Miss Susquehanna Valley in the Miss America Organization and I came in to speak about clichés and (of course) the crown. My discussion mostly focused on three main themes: get healthy now, follow your dreams, and be kind to others. Basically I covered my background, my aspirations, how I got to where I am today, and I not-so-subtly slipped in educational healthcare material. It was an awesome opportunity to engage students when they are really preparing to start making their own lifestyle decisions and to embark upon their own careers. Overall it was a wonderful way to harness my various skill sets learned throughout my education to speak with and ultimately to educate students in my hometown.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

There are two people who have made a major impact on my life and who influence me daily. My younger siblings Julie and Terrence are easily the coolest kids I know, and are largely responsible for the woman I am today. Although they are only 13 and 10 years old, they greatly influence my actions and goals. Since they were born, I have done the absolute best I can to be a good role model for them and to set an example for determination, faithfulness, erudition, and service.

Rachel von Vital Why did you choose to study pharmacy?

I have always enjoyed the sciences and found the concept of treating people to be extremely fascinating. I knew that I would enjoy learning the science behind the drugs.

Why did you choose to become involved in PPA? I was an active member of APhA at my school, which is a national organization, but collaborated with PPA on various advocacy efforts. After attending a couple of PPA conferences, I realized that I wanted to focus more on my state’s legislature and work to unite pharmacists in my home state of PA. What are your words to live by?

Don’t live to work, work to live.

What advice would you give to first year pharmacy students?

Focus on school. There are many organizations and fraternities to get involved in, but stay focused that first year. It’s quite an adjustment from undergraduate school. 

www.papharmacists.com • 15

FEATURE ARTICLE

PPA Foundation Grant • Final Report Patient Activation as a Measure of Medication List Accuracy

Contributed by: McCormick K1,2, Bacci J1, McGivney M1, Smith Cooney S2, Kunkel A1, Smith R1 E-mail: kmccor2008@gmail.com This study and report was made possible in part through a grant provided by the PPA Educational Foundation grant in 2015. This report was not submitted through the peer review process and is presented as a report only. The full report may be found under the Foundation sections Grant – 2015 Grants. http://www.papharmacists.com/page/FBOD_Grants15 Introduction: Medication safety is critical to the provision of healthcare. Flaws in the medication system lead to poorer outcomes, deaths, and increased healthcare costs. Medication errors have been linked to as many as 98,000 deaths each year in the United States.4 Medication errors account for an estimated one-third of medical errors in the hospital. Due to the segmented nature of care within the healthcare system, many of these errors occur at the various care transitions. To that end, accuracy of medication lists at all practitioners’ offices is important to medication safety.

The availability of accurate medication lists at every contact point in the healthcare system is critical to improving medication safety and ensuring seamless transitions of care. Patients’ medications lists contain an average of 6.2 medication discrepancies at hospital admission.1 It is estimated that 14.1% of patients will experience at least one medication discrepancy upon hospital discharge.2 More than 40% of medication errors are estimated to result from inadequate reconciliation of medication discrepancies.3 Fifty percent of the approximate $3.5 billion in preventable adverse drug events are attributed to failures in medication reconciliation at the various transitions in care. Medication reconciliation efforts have been initiated to improve the transitions of care process. The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum have established National Patient Safety Goals and quality measures aimed at ensuring the creation of comprehensive medication lists at admission and medication reconciliation throughout the hospital stay.5,6 Upon discharge, Medicare is compensating providers for transitions of care visits to reduce hospital readmissions.

The following factors have been correlated with medication list accuracy: fewer medications and the presence of a spouse or caregiver.7 It is likely that more factors affect medication list accuracy because of the complexities of patient care within the US healthcare system. This study aims to determine whether a relationship exists between patient activation, as measured by the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), and the accuracy of patient medication lists among patients’ practitioners. Higher levels of patient activation are indicative of patient’s taking responsibility for their care, which can result in better communication among the healthcare team.8 Independent predictors of movement between activation levels include age and severity of baseline self-reported health.9 Patient activation levels have been tied to care experience10 and several healthcare outcomes including medication adherence and hospitalization. We hypothesize that as a patient becomes more 16 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

engaged with his/her health, as evidenced by a higher PAM score, the medication lists among his/her practitioners will be more accurate as a result of increased communication.

Identifying patients in the community that are most at risk for medication errors remains difficult. Understanding the relationship between patient activation and medication list accuracy may provide insight into causes of error in transitions of care. The PAM score may be a way to triage patients who need assistance from pharmacistprovided coaching.

Methods Medication List Accuracy This study occurred in a rural, community setting in western Pennsylvania among patients who received a pharmacist-provided comprehensive medication review (CMR). The study included patients who were taking two or more medications for a chronic illness and were at least 18 years of age. Participants were recruited through marketing of the independent pharmacy’s MTM program, identification through the pharmacy’s medication synchronization program, and identification by the pharmacy technician and/or pharmacist. A power of 0.88 was calculated using an estimated correlation coefficient of 0.3 and α=0.05. Number of participants needed to meet power was found to be 120.

CMRs took place in either an independent community pharmacy or as part of a home consult. Personal medication lists (PML) created during the CMR served as the “gold-standard” medication list (GS-PML) for comparison to practitioners’ lists. The CMR-generated medication list was selected to serve as the “gold-standard” because it has previously been demonstrated that pharmacists’ medication lists are the most accurate among all healthcare practitioners.5 Practitioners included the patients’ pharmacists and prescribers identified during the CMR. Patients were asked to complete the 13-question Patient Activation Measure (PAM) survey during the CMR. The PAM survey is a validated tool that assesses a patient’s knowledge, skills, and confidence in managing his or her health (information available via Insignia Health and upon request). Results are classified into four categories of activation: Disengaged and overwhelmed (Level 1); Becoming aware, but still struggling (Level 2); Taking action (Level 3); and Maintaining behaviors and pushing forward (Level 4).

With patient approval, a pharmacist contacted the patients’ practitioners and compared the GS-PML to medication lists from practitioners’ records. Medication list discrepancies were classified as any incongruity between medication name, dose, frequency, or route or as an omission or duplication.

Accuracy was calculated based on average percent agreement with the GS-PML. The correlation coefficient of the relationship between patient activation and medication list accuracy was calculated as a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient.

Table 1: Breakdown of Medication List Discrepancies

Prescriber Survey The top-prescribers for patients of the independent pharmacy were sampled. A nine-question survey that assesses the practitioner’s experience with pharmacist communication, openness towards pharmacist-provided patient medication list updates, the method and frequency of such communication, and demographic information was be administered (Appendix A) via fax.

Discrepancy Type

No. (percent)

Name

4 (3.96)

Dose

10 (9.90)

Route

0 (0)

Frequency

13 (12.87)

Omission

56 (55.45)

Commission

18 (17.82)

TOTAL

101

Table 2: Patient Demographics Patients (n=16) Age

Results of the prescriber survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Sex

Results

Analysis revealed a correlation coefficient of -0.218 (n=16) between the raw PAM score and percent medication list agreement. Patient demographics were 50% female with a mean of 13.3 medications and a median PAM score of 3.5. The mean age was 65.4 years.

Discussion Results reveal that medication list discrepancies exist even in a highly activated patient population. The most common discrepancy category was omissions. Over-the-counter, herbal, and supplement medications accounted for a number of the omissions on medications lists. Analysis of the correlation coefficient between patient activation and medication list accuracy showed a trend towards no relationship between the two. Limitations to the power of this study included a low response rate for medication list requests. Participants were primarily recruited during monthly medication calls as part of a voluntary medication synchronization program. The voluntary nature of the program may introduce selection bias into the study, leading to a more activated pool of patients.

Results from the prescriber survey showed a trend for preferring medication list updates via fax. The information to be included and frequency with which to send updates had varied responses. Further studies need to be done to determine prescriber communication preferences. From subjective prescriber feedback and results from this survey, it may be that communication with members of the healthcare team is most effective when customized to the preferences of each individual person. 

64.68

64

8 (50%)

Female

8 (50%) 70.2

PAM Category

Comparison of prescriber medication lists to the GS-PML revealed a mean percent agreement of 52.4% with 6.3 discrepancies per medication list. Omissions (55.4%) represented the largest cause of these discrepancies, followed by commission (17.8%) and frequency (12.9%).

Median

Male

Raw PAM

Medication List Accuracy

Mean

Medications

Rx

3.44

3.5

8.25

6.5

5

5

4.69

5

OTC No. of Conditions

68.75

PRESCRIBER SURVEY Table 3: Desired Information to be Communicated Date initiated

2

66.7%

Date stopped, when applicable

2

66.7%

Diagnosis

0

0%

How patient is actually taking

1

33.3%

Medication name and strength

3

100%

Patient directions for use

2

66.7%

Prescriber

3

100%

Other

0

0%

Table 4: Prescriber Demographics Sex

Male (66.7%)

Age

35–44 (33.3%), 55–64 (33.3%), 65–74 (33.3%)

Practice

10–19 years (33%), 20–34 years (66%)

Specialty

Family medicine (100%)

Setting

Private practice (100%)

Past PharmD Experience

Receive calls – 100% Call to discuss case – 100% PharmD on rounds – 100% Work side-by-side – 33.30% Other – 0

REFERENCES 1 University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh PA 2 Gatti Pharmacy, Indiana PA

www.papharmacists.com • 17

ASSOCIATION NEWS

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Nominations Being Accepted for PPA Officers and Members of the Board of Directors The following positions are available: President Elect and Vice President Regional Directors Northwest and Southeast Practice Network Directors Academia, Community Independent/LTC, and Health System Student Pharmacists East and West Directors

Help lead your profession and pharmacy forward!

Officers

Regional Directors

PPA’s Nominating Committee is seeking nominations from our membership for the officer positions of President Elect and Vice President. This is a great opportunity to help lead the profession. Candidates for the office of President Elect and Vice President must be Active Pharmacist members of PPA. Job descriptions for officer positions and the Board may be found by clicking on the respective position on the PPA website, under About PPA, and selecting Leadership Team.

PPA is also seeking pharmacists interested in serving as the regional director for their region. The position is a two-year term and individuals are eligible to serve two consecutive terms.

The Director serves on the PPA Board of Directors and generally represents that region. PPA is comprised of five regions and this year the regions that are up for election are: Northwest and Southeast. To see what areas comprise a region – please go to the PPA website, then under About PPA, select Leadership Team. On that page, click on Regions. You can also find a job description for the Regional Director.

Any individual member or group of members may nominate someone for consideration. However, prior to submitting a nomination, the individual’s consent must be secured. Individuals may also nominate themselves. All nominations are to be received at the PPA Office by Friday, March 10, 2017.

Letters/faxes/emails of nomination should be sent to: Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association 508 North Third Street Harrisburg, PA 17101-1199 Attention: Nominating Committee or faxed to 717-236-1618.

18 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

Practice Network Directors The Nominating Committee also needs individuals willing to lead their practice setting through their Practice Setting Network. A Director is needed for each Practice Network up for election this year. Terms are two years and individuals may serve two consecutive terms. The Director serves on the PPA Board of Directors.

The following Practice Setting Networks are electing a Director this year: Academia, Community Independent/ LTC, and Health System.

Student Directors Student Directors, of which there are two, one from the Eastern schools (Jefferson, PCP, Temple, or Wilkes) and one from the Western schools (Duquesne, LECOM, Ohio Northern University or Pitt), elect every year for one year terms.

They may also be sent to the general PPA email to the committee’s attention, ppa@papharmacists.com.

Nominations may initially be a simple statement of interest.

Candidates will then be requested to submit photos, additional information, and bios or CVs. 

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Affiliated County Board of Directors Call for Nominations Allegheny County

BucksMont

President-Elect

President

Vice-President

Vice President

Secretary

Secretary

Treasurer

Treasurer

Director

Event Manager

Director

Montgomery County Director

University of Pittsburgh Student Director

Montgomery County Director

University of Pittsburgh Alternate Director

Bucks County Director

Duquesne University Student Director Duquesne University Alternate Director

Lehigh Valley Director Director

If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact PPA at ppa@papharmacists.com. ď Ź

www.papharmacists.com • 19

ASSOCIATION NEWS

ASSOCIATION NEWS

22 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

The state of

specialty pharmacy.

Did you know…

• That specialty medications paid under the prescription drug benefit will exceed half of all community pharmacy drug spend in a couple of years?

• In 2012, specialty drug spending reached $87 billion and current trends suggest that spending on specialty drugs could triple by 2020 to nearly $250 billion?

• That while there were only 10 specialty drugs in the market in 1990, there are nearly 300 specialty drugs available today with another 700 under development?

The specialty drug market is expanding rapidly, and independent pharmacies now have the ability to treat specialty patients and capitalize on this emerging sector with CP Specialty Pharmacy ServicesTM.

CP Specialty Pharmacy ServicesTM

The CP Specialty Pharmacy Services program is designed to provide Value Drug Company retail pharmacies with the valuable services and resources that are expected by prescribers, payers, manufacturers and patients when specialty pharmaceuticals become part of a treatment plan.

The CP services are priced at $40 for a new therapy and $25 for each refill, and include: • Management of the Prior Authorization process • Financial assistance research for patient co-pays over $100 • “Welcome to Therapy” phone calls detailing drug and disease clinical management • Ongoing clinical support and refill reminder phone calls • 24/7 nurse and pharmacist call line Don’t miss this opportunity to break into the specialty drug market. Contact us today to find out how CP Specialty Pharmacy ServicesTM can help you and your patients! contact: Eric Fromhart at 814-283-1615 or efromhart@valuedrugco.com for more information

195 Theater Drive, Duncansville, PA 16635 | phone: 1-800-252-3786 | www.valuedrugco.com

PPA’s Awards Committee is seeking nominations for several prestigious association awards that are presented annually during the Association’s Annual Conference which will be held September 21 - 24, 2017 at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Pocono Manor. Many pharmacists currently practicing in Pennsylvania are excellent candidates for these awards; individuals whose contributions have made pharmacy a better profession for all of us. Below is a list of the awards and criteria for selection of the award recipient for each.

Criteria for all awards A nominee must be a current member of PPA to be considered.

For all awards except those noted with an *, nominees must be a licensed Pennsylvania pharmacist.

Nominations are considered for one year only. Please note that nominations are no longer held on file and eligible for consideration for 3 years.

Bowl of Hygeia Award Sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association Foundation and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) with support from Boehringer Ingelheim

Granted to recognize and honor a Pennsylvania pharmacist who has demonstrated sustained commitment to community service, apart from his/her specific identification as a pharmacist, which reflects well on the profession of pharmacy. Specific Award Eligibility:  Nominee must not be currently serving or have served in the  Nominee must be living; awards are not presented last two (2) years as a member of PPA awards committee, an posthumously elected PPA officer or a paid employee of PPA  Nominee must not be a past recipient of the award

PPA Pharmacist of the Year Award

Presented to a pharmacist who has demonstrated dedication to the profession of pharmacy, contributed time and effort to the various professional organizations, furthered the profession of pharmacy through community service and embodied those qualities of attitude and leadership which exemplified the profession.

George S. Maggio Memorial Award

Presented to the pharmacist who has contributed the most to pharmacy in Pennsylvania through his/her work in legislative activities and advocacy in conjunction with and for PPA.

NASPA Excellence in Innovation Award Sponsored by Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc.

Recognizes a pharmacist who is involved in an innovative pharmacy practice resulting in improved patient care. The nomination must include a description of the innovative pharmacy practice which would qualify the recipient for this award. . George H. Searight Community Service Award* Presented to an individual who has shown outstanding devotion and service to PPA, and his/her own county or local association, and for outstanding community service which has enhanced the image of the profession of pharmacy within his/her community. This award may be presented to a pharmacist or a non-pharmacist.

Cardinal Health Generation Rx Champions Award Sponsored by the Cardinal Health Foundation

This award honors a pharmacist who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to raising awareness of the dangers of prescription drug abuse among the general public and among the pharmacy community.

The award is also intended to encourage educational prevention efforts aimed at patients, youth, and other members of the community.

Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Companies “Distinguished Young Pharmacist” Award

Recognizes new pharmacists for their dedication to and participation in PPA, commitment to the practice of pharmacy, and involvement in community activities. Minimum selection criteria:  Licensed to practice for nine years or less.  Has distinguished themselves in the field of pharmacy practice.  Participated in national pharmacy association(s), professional programs, PPA activities and/or community service.

Preceptor of the Year

This award has a separate nomination form for students to use.

Nominees must be PPA members, must be a preceptor for a Pennsylvania pharmacy practice site, and must be nominated by a PPA Student Member.

Pharmacy Technician of the Year*

Presented to an individual who has at least 2 years of experience working as a pharmacy technician in any pharmacy setting, who has demonstrated a professional attitude at their place of employment, and who has shown leadership in the training of their technicians in their practice settings.

J. Allen Duffield Pharmaceutical Industry Award*

Presented to an individual who is associated with the pharmaceutical industry or other pharmacy associated/related business or service, who has contributed time, effort, commitment, and supported and participated in the activities and programs of PPA and who has, through his/her affiliation with the company and industry he/she represents, contributed to the betterment of the profession of pharmacy.

Pauline Montgomery Leadership Award Sponsored by Value Drug Company

The Pauline Montgomery Leadership Award, sponsored by Value Drug Company, is presented annually to a female independent owner, manager, or employee of an independent pharmacy who is part of Value Drug Company and who demonstrates leadership in all of the following areas: pharmacy, politics/advocacy, and community. Value Drug Company provides a $1,000 check to the recipient.

Nominate a deserving individual for an award and recognize them for all they do for the pharmacy profession!

Find the nomination form at http://www.papharmacists.com/Awards

ASSOCIATION NEWS

PPA’s Board of Directors Adopt New Policies The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association’s (PPA) Board of Directors recently approved adding the following policies to PPA’s Health Policy Manual:

Restricted Drug Distribution System

Payment Transparency

The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association opposes the practices of mail order “Brown Bagging” and “White Bagging”. Collectively, these practices involve requiring patients and physician offices to transport and store, respectively, various injectable drugs from mail order delivery by a specialty pharmacy to a physician’s office for administration. This practice circumvents the safety provided by a retail pharmacy which uses policies and procedures that are subject to intense regulation.

The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association supports transparency to pharmacy payments by informing pharmacies at the point of sale what their reimbursement will be for clean claim prescriptions, including, but not limited to, direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees imposed by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

Continuing Professional Development The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association supports professional development, a selfdirected, individualized, systematic approach to life-long learning, to support pharmacist’s efforts to maintain professional competence in their practice.

To view more policies adopted by PPA, please visit http://www.papharmacists.com/ page/Policy and click on “Policy Manual.” 

If so, you may qualify for The Ten Under Ten Award which recognizes the top ten pharmacists practicing for less than ten years that demonstrate commitment to advancing the profession, involvement in PPA and other pharmacy associations, and/or service to their community. Winners are announced at the Leadership & Awards Dinner at the Leadership & Awards Dinner at Annual Conference!

Award nominations are due June 1, 2017.

Visit www.papharmacists.com/page/TenUnderTenAwards for more information!

STUDENTS - SAVE THE DATE! Pharmacy Law Review 2017

Duquesne University Mylan School of Pharmacy: Saturday, April 22, 2017 Pennsylvania and Federal course offered

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy: Thursday, May 11 and Friday, May 12, 2017 Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Federal course offered

ASSOCIATION NEWS

LEGISLATIVE VICTORY

Act 169 of 2016 PBM Registration, Generic Drug Pricing Transparency, Pharmacy Audit Integrity and PACE Reimbursement

BIG WIN FOR PHARM ACY!

On November 21, 2016 Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 169 of 2016 into law which will require Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to register with the Department of Insurance provide for greater transparency in the establishment and management of multiple source generic lists to pharmacies provide for uniform and fair standards in the auditing of pharmacy claims and rebalances PACE reimbursement to National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) + a $13 professional dispensing fee or Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC) +3.2% (when NADAC is not available).

A detailed summary of the key provisions of Act 169 is below. To read Act 169 in its entirety, please visit www.papharmacists.com/page/issues.

PPA thanks the advocacy efforts of our pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and student pharmacists for making this happen. This act will make major strides for pharmacy in the state!

PBM REGISTRATION • Effective Date: February 19, 2017.

• To conduct business in Pennsylvania, a PBM or auditing entity must register every two years with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID).

• The application must contain the name, address and phone number of the PBM; along with the name address and phone number of the contact person for the PBM. (Federal Employer Identification Number for the applicant must be included, when applicable.)

• PID must set an initial application fee and a renewal application fee; which may not exceed $1,000.

• A pharmacy audit may not cover a period of more than 24 months or include more than 250 new prescriptions.

• The auditing entity may not use extrapolation; unless required by federal requirements or federal plans.

• The auditing entity may not include dispensing frees in the calculation of overpayments unless a prescription is considered a misfill.

• A pharmacy may use certain validation procedures when a pharmacy audit is performed.

• An auditing entity shall provide the pharmacy with preliminary and final reports of a pharmacy audit.

• Applies to audits conducted on-site by or on behalf of an auditing entity.

• A pharmacy may not be subject to a charge-back or recoupment for a clerical or bookkeeping error in a required document or record, including a typographical error, scrivener’s error or computer error unless the error resulted in an overpayment.

• Compensation for the auditing entity cannot be solely based on the amount claimed or the actual amount recouped by the audit.

• A pharmacy may appeal a final audit report in accordance with the procedures established by the entity conducting the pharmacy audit.

• Pharmacy must be given at least 14 calendar days’ notice of an audit, unless both parties agree otherwise.

• Provisions of this chapter do not apply to an investigative audit of pharmacy records when:

PHARMACY AUDIT INTEGRITY • Effective Date: May 20, 2017.

• Audit cannot be scheduled the first 5 business days of any month for a pharmacy that averages in excess of 600 prescriptions filled per week without the express consent of the pharmacy.

26 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

o Fraud, waste or abuse or other intentional misconduct is indicated • This chapter does not supersede any audit requirements established by federal law.

MULTIPLE SOURCE GENERIC LIST TRANSPARENCY • Effective Date: May 20, 2017.

• To place a drug on a multiple source generic list a PBM shall: o The drug is listed as “A” or “B” rated in the Orange Book or “NR” or “NA” rated o There are at least two therapeutically equivalent multiple source drugs or at least one generic drug available from one manufacturer: and the drug is available for purchase by all pharmacies in this commonwealth from a national or regional wholesaler and is not obsolete or temporarily unavailable. o A PBM must maintain a procedure to eliminate drugs from the list in a timely fashion.

• Upon each contract execution or renewal, a PBM shall: o Include in the contract the sources utilized to determine pricing o Update pricing information every seven calendar days o Establish a reasonable process by which pharmacies have a method to access relevant or current MAC lists in effect and any successive pricing formulas in a timely manner.

• All contracts shall include a process to appeal. The contract provision for appeals shall include: o The right to appeal shall be limited to 14 calendar days following the initial claim.

o The appeal shall be investigated and resolved by the PBM through an internal process within 14 calendar days of receipt of appeal.

• Generic Drug List transparency applies to all contract and agreements for PBM services executed or renewed on or after May 20, 2017.

o Provide a phone number at which a pharmacy may contact the PBM and speak with an individual

PACE REIMBURSMENT

o If appeal is denied, the PBM shall provide the reason for the denial and identify NDC of an equivalent. o If appeal is approved, the PBM shall make the price correction, permit the reporting pharmacy to reverse and rebill the appealed claim and make price correction effective for all similarly situated pharmacies from the date of the approved appeal.

• Effective Date: December 1, 2016.

• Applies to straight PACE/PACENET patients ONLY.

• Where a NADAC price is not available, WAC + 3.2% plus a $13 Professional Dispensing Fee will be used; and the subtraction of the copayment; or the pharmacy’s usual and customary charge for the drug dispensed with the subtraction of the copayment.

• Coordination of Benefits (COB), where a PACE/PACENET patient also has a Part D plan assigned to them, is not subject to the new reimbursement formula. 

• National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) + a $13.00 Professional Dispensing Fee; and the subtraction of the copayment; or the pharmacy’s usual and customary charge for the drug dispensed with the subtraction of the copayment.

www.papharmacists.com • 27

ASSOCIATION NEWS

ELECTION OUTCOMES AND PHARMACY PRESIDENT Businessman Donald Trump was voted as President-Elect to the White House. On issues of importance to pharmacy, Trump and congressional Republicans have set high expectations for repealing the Affordable Care Act; and they have a road map to repeal significant parts of the law; but the they are still far apart on specifically what kind of alternative to enact. Trump also has given only broad outlines of policies he has embraced such as allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, requiring price transparency from all health care providers, turning the Medicaid program into block grants to the states and allowing for the importation of foreign drugs.

U.S. SENATE Nationally, Republicans retained control of the US Senate. Pennsylvania incumbent Republican Pat Toomey was re-elected over Democrat Katie McGinty.

U.S. CONGRESS Republicans retain control of the US House of Representatives. In Pennsylvania, Republicans still have 14 Members of Congress versus five for the Democrats.

Incumbents were returned with comfortable margins.

PENNSYLVANIA ELECTED OFFICES Democrats swept these with former State Rep. Josh Shapiro winning Attorney General.

His opponent, John Rafferty, remains a PA Senator. Incumbent Auditor General Eugene DePasquale was reelected to office. Democrat Joseph Torsella won State Treasurer.

PA SENATE RESULTS PA Senate Republicans increased their margin to 34 seats out of 50, picking up three seats held by Democrats. Incumbents defeated were Rob Teplitz (D-Dauphin) and Sean Wiley (D-Erie).

28 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

New Senators are: John DiSanto (RDauphin), Wayne Langerholc (R – Cambria), Daniel Laughlin (R – Erie), Scott Martin (R – Lancaster), Mike Regan (R – Cumberland) and Sharif Street (D – Philadelphia).

Pharmacy caucus members’ in House leadership positions for the 2017-18 legislative session include:

New Senators are: John DiSanto (RDauphin), Wayne Langerholc (R – Cambria), Daniel Laughlin (R – Erie), Scott Martin (R – Lancaster), Mike Regan (R – Cumberland) and Sharif Street (D – Philadelphia).

• Rep. Kurt Masser (Republican Caucus Administrator)

PA HOUSE RESULTS PA House Republicans strengthened their control with a net pick-up of three Democratic seats. Only one incumbent Republican, David Parker (Monroe), lost.

New Representatives are: Aaron Bernstine (R-Lawrence), Morgan Cephas (D – Philadelphia), Alex Charlton (RDelaware), Bud Cook (R- Washington), Michael Corr (R – Montgomery), Matthew Dowling (R- Fayette), Isabella Fitzgerald (D – Philadelphia), Jonathan Fritz (R- Susquehanna), Kevin Haggerty (D – Lackawanna), Carol Hill-Evans (D-York), Dawn Keefer (R-Cumberland), Brian Kirkland (D –Delaware), Anita Kulik (D – Allegheny), Maureen Madden (D-Monroe), Zach Mako (R-Northampton), Tom Mehaffie (R-Dauphin), Chris Rabb (D – Philadelphia), Jared Solomon (D –Philadelphia), Justin Walsh (R – Westmoreland) and Perry Warren (D – Bucks).

LEADERSHIP With some exceptions, most leaders from the 2015-16 session were re-elected.

Pharmacy caucus members’ in Senate leadership positions for the 2017-18 legislative session include: • Sen. Dave Argall (Republican Policy Committee Chair), • Sen. Chuck McIlhinney (Republican Caucus Administrator), • Sen. Jay Costa (Democratic Leader), • Sen. Larry Farnese (Democratic Caucus Secretary), and: • Sen. Lisa Boscola (Democratic Policy Chair)

• Rep. Stan Saylor (Republican Appropriations Chair)

• Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (Republican Policy Chair) • Rep. Joe Markosek (Democratic Appropriations Chair)

PHARMACY CAUCUS All pharmacy caucus members in the Senate who were up for reelection will be returning, except for Sen. Shirley Kitchen, who was not seeking reelection.

33 out of 37 pharmacy caucus members in the House were re-elected. Rep. Nick Kotick (not seeking re-election), Rep. Mark Cohen (lost in the primary election), Rep. Jaret Gibbons (lost in the General Election) and Rep. Tim Mahoney (lost in the General Election) are the pharmacy caucus members who will not be returning next session.

This leaves us with 49 members heading into the 2017-18 legislative session.

2017–18 LEGISLATIVE SESSION As we begin to work with many newly elected officials, we will continue in our efforts to fight for a number of issues for pharmacy. Our focus and our efforts will not change with the election results. PPA will continue to ensure that we are well positioned to advocate on behalf of its membership.

And if you have a new Representative and/or Senator, now is a great time to get out there and meet him or her! 

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Owned and supported by PARD An Association of Community Pharmacies www.papharmacists.com • 29

ASSOCIATION NEWS

PPA Involvement in Critical Bills to Battle the Opioid Epidemic!

PPA was actively engaged on many opioid-related bills during the 2015-16 legislative session that will affect pharmacy. The following opioidrelated bills have been signed into law by Governor Wolf:

Changes to Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Act – Act 124 of 2016 • Effective Date: January 1, 2017.

• New Reporting Requirement: Dispenser/ pharmacy shall report no later than the close of the subsequent business day after dispensing a controlled substance; • New Query Requirements: A dispenser shall query the system before dispensing an opioid drug product or a benzodiazepine prescribed to a patient if the patient is: o A new patient of the dispenser; o Pays cash when they have insurance; o Requests a refill early; or o Is getting opioid drug products or benzodiazepine from more than one prescriber; • A new patient does not include an individual going to the same pharmacy, or a different physical location of that pharmacy, if that patient’s record is available to the dispenser.

Continuing Education Requirements – Act 124 of 2016 • Effective Date: January 1, 2017.

• State Board of Pharmacy shall require initial and continuing education in pain management, identification of addiction and the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. o Renewal – Dispensers must complete at least 2 hours of continuing education in this area as part of license renewal. o Initial License - Within 12 months of obtaining an initial license, dispensers must complete at least 2 hours of education in pain management or identification of addiction, and at least 2 hours of education in the practices of prescribing or dispensing

30 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

of opioids. This education may be part of the individual’s professional degree program.

Note: At the time of printing, questions still remain on if there will be specific course requirements. More information will be coming.

Safe Pharmaceutical Destruction by Pharmacies – Act 123 of 2016 • Effective Date: January 1, 2017.

• Household prescription drug and pharmaceutical waste programs and events conducted by pharmacies are exempt from registering with the Department of Environmental Protection prior to commencing collection of unused, expired, or unwanted prescription drugs and OTCs. • Clarifies that waste collected by a pharmacy and destroyed using incineration shall not be classified as hazardous waste so long as it is separately managed and destroyed in a manner that renders the drugs and pharmaceutical products nonretrievable through incineration.

• PLEASE NOTE: Collection of controlled substances must follow DEA rules.

Additional Note: The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs sent a letter to Pennsylvania pharmacists recommending that pharmacies: • Register with the DEA as an authorized collector and purchase a safe drug take-back box for your location; OR • Stock and/or supply drug deactivation packets such as the Deterra Drug Deactivation System or Disposa-Script to make available to patients.

For questions about registering with the DEA or setting up your own drug take-back box, please contact George Reitz, drug and alcohol prevention program analyst with DDAP, at 717-736-7469.

Limitations on Dispensing of Opioids in Hospital Emergency Departments (ED) and Urgent Care Centers – Act 122 of 2016 • Effective Date: January 1, 2017.

• Limits a health care practitioner prescribing an opioid drug product for an individual seeking treatment in an emergency department or urgent care center to no more than seven days; • The health care practitioner may prescribe more than a seven day supply using their professional medical judgement under certain conditions; • A health care practitioner may not write a refill if they are caring for a patient in observation status and must refer an individual believed to be at risk for substance abuse for treatment; • Requires a health care practitioner to query the PDMP, unless the medication is provided to a patient in the course of treatment undergoing care in an emergency department.

PPA looks forward to continuing to work with the General Assembly and Governor Wolf next session on additional strategies that can be utilized to curb the heroin and opioid epidemic here in Pennsylvania. 

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Affiliated County News ACPA Update ACPA student members helped to make the holiday season a little extra special for some families in the Pittsburgh area. During the month of November, students from Duquesne University Mylan School of Pharmacy and the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy conducted toy drives at their schools. The toys were given to the UPMC Matilda H. Theiss Health Center and were handed out on December 21st to families of the communities the Health Center serves. UPMC Matilda H. Theiss Health Center is an FQHC that provides primary care services to patients of all ages, including the uninsured, and also utilizes pharmacists, pharmacy residents, and interns as part of the health care team. Students also had the opportunity to help hand out the toys as well.

Lehigh Valley Pharmacists Association The Lehigh Valley Pharmacists Association continues to grow! LVPA held an informational dinner program, “Vascepa: Pure EPA Prescription Omega 3” on November 16th at the Blue Grillhouse in Bethlehem with an excellent turnout of members and non-members. Another informational dinner, “New Treatments for Type 2 Diabetes” was held on December 13th at the Edge Restaurant, again with excellent turnout.

LVPA is planning events including a Lehigh Valley Phantoms game for 2017! More information will be coming soon.

BucksMont Pharmacists Association Meeting ­— November 3, 2016 On Thursday, November 3rd, BMPA hosted its final informational dinner meeting of the year at the Villa Barolo in Warrington. This event was open to members and non-members free of charge, and over 40 people attended the meeting including five pharmacy students from Temple, Jefferson and USP/PCP.

Earn continuing education credit with Wilkes Enroll in our upcoming continuing education program for pharmacists and nurses. It takes place at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The cost to attend is $55.

ADDICTION AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE 9 a.m. to noon • Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 Topics include opioid overdose, the administration of naloxone, and the new state monitoring program for narcotic prescriptions.

Register at www.wilkes.edu/continuedlearning or by calling (800) WILKES-U Ext. 5615.

Wilkes is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the PA State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

The Nesbitt School of Pharmacy at Wilkes is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

32 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

The meeting was sponsored by Daiichi-Sankyo, who provided a generous dinner, hors d’oeuvres and beverages. The guest speaker, Robert Adamson, PharmD, FASHP, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Barnabas Health in West Orange, NJ spoke on the topic “Hospital Readmissions: Impact on the Coordination of Care Continuum.” Dr. Adamson skillfully incorporated his great sense of humor and ability to engage the audience, while providing useful information about key factors that drive potentially preventable hospital readmissions, coupled with multiple possible approaches to save health care costs by minimizing the incidence of readmissions. This timely and relevant topic was well appreciated by the audience and there was a lively discussion that lasted for 30 minutes. Both pharmacists and students alike were actively engaged in the discussion and offered several thought-provoking comments.

After the dinner presentation, BMPA Vice President Dave Cunningham led an open business meeting. We reviewed the BMPA experience at the recent PPA Conference in September and noted that our booth was well attended and our recently reactivated scholarship program was most appreciated by this year’s recipients from Temple University and Wilkes College of Pharmacy. We are exploring additional non-dues funding opportunities for setting up a scholarship foundation and also considering inviting pharmacists from Delaware County to attend one of our upcoming meetings.

Other topics of discussion included the need for identifying new officers and board directors, as several current board directors have terms expiring in 2017. Event Manager, Jan Kitzen, described several new programs that have committed sponsors for 2017 including Teva, Abbvie and Amarin. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for February-March, 2017 and will be sponsored by Teva Pharmaceuticals. The topic for this informational presentation will be on Granix and the meeting will be held at a venue in Montgomery County. 

MEMBER NEWS Kovac Receives Incentive Grant The American Pharmacists Association announced 20 recipients of its 2017 Incentive Grants for Practitioner Innovation in Pharmaceutical Care. The Incentive Grants program provides pharmacists with seed money to implement or support innovative patient care services within their pharmacy practice. Congratulations to Jonathan Kovac, Giant Eagle Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA on receiving this award! Jonathan’s project is “Eliciting Successful Patient Engagement Methods by Pharmacists and Technicians in a Regional Grocery Chain Pharmacy.”

Gans Steps Down John A. Gans PharmD, HonDSc, will step down from his full-time position as Professor of Clinical Pharmacy

and Associate Dean for Professional Affairs at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy at USciences as of June 30, 2017. John also previously served as the CEO for the American Pharmacists Association and is a previous recipient of PPA’s Mortar and Pestle award.

Vogenberg Honored PPA Past-President Alan J. Vogenberg, BSPharm, RPh, FASCP was recognized with a tree planting ceremony for his 32 years of service on the Bristol County Planning Commission. After Alan left the Planning Commission, Middletown Township agreed to plant a tree with a plaque honoring him on the grounds of the Municipal complex.

This tree was planted on August 2, 2016 with friends, family, and Township officials in hand. 

Tree dedication, August 2, 2016. Left to right: Tom Gallagher, Vice Chairman Middletown Township (Bucks County) Board of Supervisors, Alan Vogenberg, and Joseph Bartorilla, Middletown Township Police Chief.

We’re Celebrating!

Celebrate all the hard work of the Educational Foundation on Sunday, January 29, 2017 at the Sunnyside Up Breakfast at the Best Western Premier Eden Resort and Suites in Lancaster! Registration is part of the 2017 Mid-Year Conference as a package or single event.

34 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

IT’S TIME TO HAVE THE TALK WITH YOUR FUTURE PHARMACISTS. As a pharmacist, you may know someone in your family or at work who’s thinking about becoming a pharmacist.

Let them know pharmacy is a well-paying, patient-centered profession with a major role in health care.

Then tell them about the LECOM School of Pharmacy and our innovative, affordable student-centered pathways.

Tell them how the Erie three-year accelerated program can save as much as $70,000 or more* in tuition compared with more expensive, private four-year programs.

Tell them how the LECOM Distance Education program allows students to learn from home without the expense or burden of moving to another city.

Tell them how they can also choose the equally affordable four-year program at our beautiful state-of-the art campus in Bradenton.

Tell them to choose the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy.

Welcome to LECOM. Visit LECOM.edu *LECOM, PA 3-year tuition = $76,470; LECOM, FL 4-year tuition (out of state) = $101,960; LECOM Distance Education Pathway = $100,120; National Average tuitions range from $149,064 for a 3-year program to $145,500 for a 4-year program. (Source: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy).

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PA Pharm Journal ad rev.indd 1

9/16/16 4:36 PM

JOURNAL

ABSTRACT

Impact on readmission rates of psychiatric patients following pharmacist discharge counseling in a community hospital Corresponding author: Vicky M. Shah, PharmD, BCPSE Jasmine Sudhakar, PharmD The authors involved in this paper do not have any conflicts of interest, including but not limited to: consulting fees, paid expert testimony, employment, grants, honoraria, patents, royalties, stocks, or other financial or material gain that may involve the subject matter of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest Statement: All authors have no potential conflicts of interest and have nothing to disclose. No one received any funding of any sort nor did anyone receive payment for completing this project..

Key words Psychiatric patients Psychiatric unit Readmission Counseling Discharge Medication reconciliation Prevent readmission

PURPOSE Psychiatric patients at community hospitals without psychiatric pharmacists tend to have a higher rate of readmissions within 30 days of discharge for multiple causes, many of which could be medication related. The study objective was to determine if 30-day readmission rates could be reduced by conducting pharmacist-led discharge medication counseling for patients discharged from a psychiatric unit. Counseling was directed towards improving patient education regarding their medications and lifestyle modifications with the goal of preventing future readmissions.

Methods A prospective, randomized study was conducted from September 2014 to March 2015 at a Maryland community hospital. Discharged patients from the psychiatric unit continued to receive discharge counseling from physicians and nurses; however, a pharmacist also performed discharge medication reconciliation and additional counseling. The rate of readmission within a 30 day period was evaluated and compared to hospital-specific retrospective data.

Results A total of 572 patients were discharged during the six month study; 128 of which were excluded due to prespecified exclusion criteria. Of the 210 patients counseled, 2.4% (5 patients) of patients were readmitted within 30 days compared to 13.2% (31 patients) of the 234 patients not counseled. There were 59 total readmissions within 30 days, five within the study group and 31 within the control group (p-value = <.001); remaining readmissions occurred in excluded patients.

ConclusionS Pharmacist intervention in the psychiatric unit can potentially reduce readmission rates. Further studies are needed with fewer confounding factors to draw conclusive results; however, preliminary data suggests that discharge counseling and pharmacist presence on the psychiatric unit can have a positive impact on readmission rates (p-value = <.001).

The full article can be found at: http://www.papharmacists. com/Articles. 

36 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • January/February 2017

INDUSTRY NEWS

PrescribeWellness Partners with NCPA as Official Medication Synchronization Technology of Simplify My Meds® The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) has announced that PrescribeWellness, the cloud-based services company whose mission is to inspire collaboration for better health, has become the Official Medication Synchronization (Med Sync) Technology of NCPA’s Simplify My Meds® program.

Simplify My Meds is a turnkey medication adherence program for independent community pharmacies. It provides pharmacists with the tools necessary to implement and maintain a med sync program. Community pharmacies that provide med sync services report that they garnered praises from patients, improved pharmacy operating efficiency and increased revenueand prescriptions filled. 

www.papharmacists.com • 37

Congratulations PPCN and PPA!

The visual identity (logo) developed by PPO&S for the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Care Network was recognized with a Certificate of Excellence in the 2016 American Graphic Design Awards. This national design competition is sponsored by Graphic Design USA, a leading visual communications trade publication.

The competition, now in its 53rd year, recognizes outstanding work across all mediums for creative excellence. Nearly 10,000 entries were submitted this year by design firms, ad agencies, corporations, non -profits, institutions, freelancers, and students from across the country, with a only a highly selective 15 percent receiving awards.

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