PA Pharmacist January-February 2020

pennsylvania

PHARMACIST January/February 2020 • Volume 101 • Issue 1

PPA participates in the exciting national

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H E A LT H C A R E D I S T R I B U T O R

CONTENTS PPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PPA OFFICERS President: Richard Demers, MS, RPh, FASHP President Elect: Chuck Kray, RPh Vice President: Thomas Franko, PharmD, BCACP Immediate Past President: Lauren Simko, PharmD REGIONAL DIRECTORS Central Region: Deron Shultz, RPh Northeast Region: Vick Shah, PharmD, BCPS Northwest Region: Brandon Antinopoulos, PharmD Southeast Region: Karleen Melody, PharmD Southwest Region: Brian Sidone, PharmD PRACTICE DIRECTORS Academia: Nicole Pezzino, PharmD, BCACP, CDE Chain Pharmacists: Renee Richardson, PharmD Community Independent: Shawn Nairn, RPh Community Independent: Christopher Antypas, PharmD Health System Pharmacists: Darryle Tillman Jr., RPh MCO/Industry/Government/Other: John Barrett, MBA, RPh Associates: Pat Lavella, RPh STUDENT DIRECTORS Student Director East: Dylan Fox Student Director West: Elizabeth Leonard

ON THE COVER: Forty Pennsylvania PPCN pharmacies are participating in the national Flip the Pharmacy initiative led in our state by the University of Pittsburgh. The initiative is designed to transform pharmacy practice around delivering patient care and focuses on a different transformation package every month. Coaches work with the pharmacy staff through phone calls and actual pharmacy visits helping the team implement change!

DEPARTMENTS

INDUSTRY NEWS

PPA OFFICE STAFF CEO: Patricia A. Epple, CAE pepple@papharmacists.com | Ext. 3 Conference and CE Manager: Linsley Gentile, MEd lgentile@papharmacists.com | Ext. 2 Government Relations Manager: Angela Zaydon, JD azaydon@papharmacists.com | Ext. 6 Communications Manager: Victoria Madonna, CPhT vmadonna@papharmacists.com | Ext. 5 Membership Coordinator: Katie Hoster khoster@papharmacist.com | Ext. 1 PPCN Grant and Program Manager: Holly Spence hspence@papharmacists.com | Ext. 7 Bookkeeper: Michele Dibble mdibble@papharmacists.com | Ext. 4 PPCN Executive Director of Network Operations: Stephanie McGrath, PharmD smcgrath@papharmacists.com

5

President’s Message

27 Important Regulatory News

7

Calendar of Events

8

Member News

Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA) 508 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 (717) 234-6151 Fax: (717) 236-1618 www.papharmacists.com | ppa@papharmacists.com

18 Legislative Profiles

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.

20 Pharmacy Spotlight

EDITORIAL BOARD Kim Coley, FCCP, PharmD, RPh, Chair Elizabeth Harris, PharmD, BCACP Michael Gionfriddo, PharmD, PhD Yardlee Kauffman, PharmD, MPH, BCACP Jinsun Paek, PharmD, BCPS Associate Editor: Victoria Madonna Editor/Manager: Pat Epple PUBLISHED BY GRAPHTECH Alexis Kierce, Publications Manager (717) 238-5751 x119 alexis@thinkgraphtech.com For Advertising Information: Jen Smith, Account Manager (717) 238-5751 x124 jen@thinkgraphtech.com

10 Affiliated Member News 12 Welcome! New Members

JOURNAL 28 Implementation of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) in Community Pharmacy

14 Campus Checkup

RESEARCH FEATURES 16 Student Member Profiles 19 Member Profile 23 How Are You Going to Get There? Creating an “Intentional” Marketing Plan 29 Financial Forum: Making a Charitable Gift From Your IRA

ASSOCIATION NEWS 11 Meet PPA’s Grant and PPCN Program Manager 24 PPCN Update

29 Professional Development for the Practicing Pharmacist: Conducting a Research Study: Tips and Tricks

OUR VISION

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

OUR MISSION

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.

DESIGNED BY GRAPHTECH PHARMACIST STATE BOARD OF PHARMACY MEMBERS Institutional: Vacant Independent Community: Rob Frankil, RPh Chain Community: Janet Hart, RPh Chain Community: Theresa M. Talbott, RPh Board of Pharmacy Meeting Dates: January 28, 2020 March 17, 2020 May 5, 2020 June 16, 2020

www.papharmacists.com 3

President’s Message As we prepare ourselves to begin a new decade, this is a great time to understand where we are and focus on our future. In my presidential address, I referred to our current situation in pharmacy practice as being in a state of crisis. I also pointed out that in some languages, “crisis” is defined as opportunity with risk. I firmly believe that this next decade is the time for us to take our opportunities while exerting some risk. We need to continue to come together through organizations like PPA to evolve our practice models to that of greater care for our patients through drug therapy. With over 24,000 Pharmacists in Pennsylvania, we have the ability to touch and support a plethora of patients across the Commonwealth. We can push to change the model of practice for the betterment of all. As Peter Drucker has stated “the best way to predict your future is to create it.”

A great example of what we all can do through PPA is the work being done by our PPCN; PPCN is one of the largest local networks in CPESN USA, which consists of nearly 2,500 pharmacies nationwide. PPCN’s network includes nearly 160 pharmacies across Pennsylvania and Delaware. PPCN launched its 3rd contract with Gateway Health in 2019, and is on track to engage 2,500 Medicaid patients in comprehensive medication reviews. With 90% of the Pennsylvania population residing within delivery distance of a PPCN pharmacy, it is well positioned to be impactful to almost all across our state. Continued growth, participation, and maturation of this network can establish a practice model that is not totally dependent on the product and can bring new revenue streams to our participating pharmacies.

Another important role for us all to take on is that of advocacy.

It is no news to any of us that we need to continually work with our elected officials to amend current laws and regulations for the benefit of our patients and pharmacies. We have had great success with the passage of a host of bills through the House of Representatives on Transparency in Medicaid. We now need to focus our efforts on having these bills passed through the Senate and signed by the Governor. There are two very specific ways that we can help this process; one, to reach out to your local senator to gain their support and two, to support the Political Action Committee. We need to come together to provide the push to see these bills passed to law.

Richard Demers, RPh, MS, FASHP PPA President 2019–2020

“With over 24,000 Pharmacists in Pennsylvania, we have the ability to touch and support a plethora of patients across the Commonwealth. We can push to change the model of practice for the betterment of all. As Peter Drucker has stated ‘the best way to predict your future is to create it.’”

— Richard Demers

I also hope that we can generate a large turnout for our upcoming 2020 Mid-Year Conference in Harrisburg. The theme of Connect, Collaborate and Create is timely to our mission of working together to build our future. As with all of our conferences, our educational programming will be top notch and reflective of the many current issues in practice. This is our time to work together to achieve. It will not happen on its own though, and we need all of us to engage.

Lastly, as we continue through the New Year I hope that we can all find time to spend with our loved ones and look upon all of the blessings that we have. www.papharmacists.com 5

Calendar of Events January

March

April

23–26

10–11

8

2020 PPA Mid-Year Conference — Harrisburg, PA

NACDS Rx Impact — Washington, DC

Legislative Day – Harrisburg, PA

24

20–23

PPAEF Board of Directors Meeting

APhA Annual Meeting — National Harbor, MD (Washington, DC area)

25 PPCN Board of Directors Meeting

26 PPA Board of Directors Meeting

19 CE Webinar: Feedback to Feed Forward: Assessing Learner Performance Through Feedback — 12PM

February

19–20

19

National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations — National Harbor, MD

CE Webinar: Pumping at the Opportunity: An Overview of Insulin Pump Therapy — 12 PM

26

Academy of Managed Care – Houston, TX

22–23 NCPA Congressional Fly In, Washignton, DC

25–28 NACDS Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ

May 4–6

21 Pennsylvania Reception at APhA — National Harbor, MD

NCPDP Annual Conference, Scottsdale, AZ

17–18

CE Webinar: Bridging the access gap: Cultivating Strategies to enhance health care access – 11AM

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @PAPHARMACISTS

21–24

NASPA – PMI Leadership Conference, San Antonio, TX

For additional events including webinars, CE opportunities, and PPA committee meetings, be sure to see our Calendar of Events on the PPA website!

Advertisers Index RDC 2

Value Drug Company 17

IPBG 4

Epic 22

PRS 6

AmerisourceBergen 30

R.J. Hedges 9

API 31

Wilkes University 13

Pharmacists Mutual 32

www.papharmacists.com 7

Member News Congratulations to Tom Franko!

Congratulations to Tom Franko, PharmD, BCACP, Vice President on the PPA Board of Directors on his recent marriage. Tom and his wife, Maureen Hozempa, tied the knot in Dallas, PA in June 2019.

Congratulations to Tom!

A Future Pharmacist Has Been Born!

Congratulations to Ashley Robold!

Congratulations to Emily Lohr, PharmD, Experiential Education Coordinator, Duquesne University School of Pharmacy, on the recent birth of her child. Emily and her husband, Brian, welcomed Isaac Robert, born September 25, 2019, at 7lbs 5oz and 20in. Congratulations to Emily and her family.

Congratulations to Ashley (Robold) Rauchet, PharmD, BCACP, Vice President on the PPA Board of Directors on her recent marriage.

Ashley and her husband, Pete, tied the knot in Philadelphia, PA in October 2019. Congratulations to Ashley!

SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH US Send all snippets of achievements and honor to PPA’s Communications Manager — Victoria Madonna vmadonna@papharmacists.com

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 – Central, Northeast, and Southwest; Practice Network Directors – Community Independent/LTC, Community – Chain, and Managed Care/Industry/Government/Other; Student Pharmacists – East and West Directors Help lead your profession and pharmacy forward!

Officers 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. While it is recommended that Officers have prior Board of Directors experience it is not a Bylaw requirement.

Regional Directors 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: Central, Northeast, and Southwest. 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.

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

8 Pennsylvania Pharmacist — Jan/Feb 2020

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: Community Independent/ LTC,; CommunityChain; and Managed Care/Industry/Government/Other.

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.

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 Monday, March 2, 2020.

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. 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. Candidates may be asked to participate in an interview call with the Nominating Committee.

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Affiliated Member News Allegheny County Pharmacists Association (ACPA) Update The Allegheny County Pharmacists Association continues to be a busy group during November and December with educational dinners and volunteering events! We were elated to host our own CEO, Pat Epple, for a continuing education dinner reviewing the legislative progress within the Commonwealth and updates on regulations affecting all of pharmacy.

This is one of our favorite and best attended events!

Our learning did not stop there- we also hosted a nonbrand educational dinner focusing on Recognizing and Responding to Inadequately Treated Major (L-R) ACPA members Amy Woods, Ann Johnson, Nick Wytiaz, Sydney Keremes, Lauren Depressive Disorder. This Xu, and Kenneth Richardson at Global Links packing medical supplies to be shipped was another packed house internationally to provide much needed aid event organized by our own Programming Chairs, Lindsey Meston and Katie Central and South America. We also partnered with Sulkowski, providing an update on changes in the our local University Chapters at Duquesne University management of major depression and resources to and the University of Pittsburgh for a toy drive of new provide the best patient care. toys to be included in the collection of toys distributed by one of our local health centers. ACPA wishes We continued to give back to the community everyone the happiest of holidays and a prosperous participating in Global Links medical supplies new year. We look forward to seeing so many of you at packaging event. Our group of six pharmacists and PPA Midyear! student pharmacists packed dozens of boxes of orthopedic and trauma medical supplies to be sent to

10 Pennsylvania Pharmacist â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Jan/Feb 2020

BucksMont Pharmacists Association (BMPA) Update On Thursday November 7, BMPA hosted an informational dinner meeting sponsored by Eli Lilly and Co. at Fisher’s Tudor House restaurant in Bensalem, PA. About 20 BMPA members and guests were present for the event and it was nice to see a few new people at our meeting for the first time. After gathering for a brief period of networking and drinks, BMPA scholarship chairman John Gatto presented the 2019 BMPA scholarships to awardees Monica Woloshin from Jefferson College of Pharmacy and Cynthia Ly from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. Monica and Cynthia were presented with their certificates, cash awards, and treated to dinner as the guests of BMPA. After the awards presentation, meeting attendees assembled for the dinner presentation on the topic “Verzenio®- The Only CDK4 & 6 Inhibitor Approved Across HR+, HER2- MBC.” Amal K Arnaout, PharmD, an oncology pharmacist from Boston, displayed her good sense of humor as she delivered the presentation to an interested interactive audience. Although this new product is a useful addition to the growing number of new drugs for management of metastatic breast cancer, Verzenio® is a specialty pharmacy product and will not be available in retail pharmacies.

After the informational presentation many of our attendees stayed on for additional networking and socializing. Event manager Ashley Rauchet mentioned

(L-R) BMPA board director John Gatto and Rose Ellen Gatto with our two pharmacy student scholarship recipients Cynthia Ly and Monica Woloshin

that Otsuka Pharmaceuticals has offered to sponsor our next meeting on April 2, 2020 at a venue in Montgomery County. The topic will be on “Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease”.

Meet PPA’s Grant and PPCN Program Manager Holly Spence is now a part of PPA as a Grant and PPCN Program Manager.

A graduate of Shippensburg University, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and then traveled to DC, where she processed competitive grant proposals for the past four years for the American Chemical Society. She’s excited to be back and establish roots in the PA region!

www.papharmacists.com 11

Welcome! New Members PPA Welcomes the following New Members who joined the association from October 5, 2019 – December 1, 2019.

Please make these new members feel welcome and part of Pennsylvania pharmacy!

ASSOCIATES

STUDENTS

University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy

Jim Bernitt, Rochester, NY, RDC

Duquesne University School of Pharmacy

Arika Bartusek, Kingston

Rachel Fazzini, Lancaster

Kayo Tsuchihashi, Monroeville

Brian Dunleavy, Chalfont, PMC Pharmacy Chris Masseth, Rochester, NY, RDC

PHARMACISTS Amanda Conrnna, Bethlehem, CVS Pharmacy

Caitlynn Shiring, Homer City Cheyenne Ware, Rockwood

Elizabeth Donnelly, Pittsburgh

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy Kayla Carraghan, Nazareth

Jefferson College of Pharmacy

Jordan Heldman, Wayne, NJ

Farah Ahmed, Cherry Hill, NJ

Minkyung Kim, Norwood

Isaac Haddy, Clymer, Gatti Pharmacy

Hiba Dabbas, King of Prussia

Han Le, Adamstown, MD

Lauren Herb, Munhall, The Medicine Shoppe

Adrianna Goodin, Eagleville

Cynthia Ly, Philadelphia

Sogand Hafezi Birgani, Philadelphia

Rayn Shou, Philadelphia

Racelyn Lawas, Princeton, NJ

Michael Swierczynski, Philadelphia

Joseph Gaughan, South Abington Township, DePietro’s Pharmacy

Lori Huber, Hastings, Forest Hills Pharmacy, Inc. Bahar Khalighi, Bethlehem, Whitehall Pharmacy

Isabelle Lawler, Collegeville Marissa Mauro, Easton

Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy

Georges Lahoud, Pottstown, Custom Prescriptions of Lancaster, LLC

Elizabeth Nguyen, Mount Ephraim, NJ

Kayla Broscious, Paxinos

Morgan Quinn, Clarkston, MI

Kevin McCaffrey, Pittsburgh, Spartan Pharmacy

Victoria Ireland, Clearfield

Meredith Stoeckl, Lancaster

Danielle McGlynn, Langhorne

Amisha Mehta, Pittsburgh, UPMC St. Margaret

Menaka Suri, Lansdale

Andrea Noldy, Sayre

Elma Telushi, Philadelphia

Elena Patestos, Toms River, NJ

Tiffany Peoples, Youngwood, CVS Health

LECOM School of Pharmacy

Natalie Podgorska, Stroudsburg

Garrison Rosato, Plymouth Meeting, Walgreens Boots Alliance

Mikaila Eross, Erie

Alexandra Ruth, Sellersville

Abigail Martin, Seward

Zachary Schmidt, Randolph, NJ

HaYoung Ryu, Edwardsville, Wilkes Barre General Hospital

Michael McConnell, Patton

Natalie Sanzone, Pittsburgh, Spartan Pharmacy Angela Slampak-Cindric, Danville, Geisinger Medical Center Sony Tuteja, Merion Station, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Lisa Varughese, Abington, University of Pennsylvania

TECHNICIANS Ashley Brown, Reading, Penn State Health St. Joseph

Ohio Northern University Scott Alexander, Monroeville Rebekah Cox, Cranberry Township Danielle Moretti, Pittsburgh Yasmine Seidu, Ada, OH Lois Young, Zelienople Temple University School of Pharmacy Grace Bringhurst, Philadelphia Kevin Dang, Philadelphia Madiou Diallo, Philadelphia

Veronica Cain, Conshohocken, Myers Drug Store

Devin Kenny, Philadelphia

Maria Nieves Valentin, Reading, Penn State Health St. Joseph

Andy Li, Philadelphia

Zhong Li, Philadelphia Adill Malik, Philadelphia Muaz Mustafa, Philadelphia David Nguyen, Philadelphia Arelis Nunez, Philadelphia Kimberly Sripong, Philadelphia Yoo Suh, Philadelphia Duc Ton, Philadelphia Melinda Tran, Philadelphia

12 Pennsylvania Pharmacist — Jan/Feb 2020

Campus Checkup

Jefferson College of Pharmacy

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy

Contributed by: Ashling Cook, Communication Ambassador

Contributed by: Julia James, Communications Ambassador

This semester has been off to a great start for Jefferson’s chapter of SPPA! Jefferson has some really exciting events planned for this upcoming semester! We are in the process of planning fall legislative events including a pizza and letter writing event to state senators advocating for PBM transparency and the pharmacist’s role in public health. We also plan to have more members complete the GRASP program this year and plan to organize an event where students register for and complete the GRASP program to prepare for legislative day. We are participating in PPCN’s day of service in early November and will hold a blood pressure event at a local pharmacy in the Philadelphia area.

This fall, our PCP students were very busy preparing for the Mid-Year Conference and focusing on advocacy events! We started off by partnering with APhA for American Pharmacists Month for our Pins and Policy event! Students could stop by and learn about the importance of our profession, as well as ways for students to advocate while making pins! We also held a letter writing campaign in collaboration with DPhA and NJPhA. We educated many P1 students on current legislation in preparation for their upcoming advocacy assignments!

14 Pennsylvania Pharmacist — Jan/Feb 2020

Our main event for the fall semester was our OTC Competition in collaboration with APhA’s Operation OTC Literacy! We had a total of 18 teams compete in the competition and our winners were P2 students Dean Pham, Ayush Sood, and Ryan Shou! We are excited to see them compete at the Mid-Year Conference in January!

Temple University School of Pharmacy Contributed by: Brett Nguyen, Communications Ambassador Since the start of the semester, Temple PPA hit the ground running and has been very active this semester. We hosted a fall health fair at Temple’s main campus in recognition of National Health Education Week in October in collaboration with PDC, ODA, PPAG, and SNPhA. There, undergraduate students were educated on various topics including organ donation, flu vs. cold, blood pressure screenings, and many others. We also had the pleasure of hosting a general body meeting that featured Temple Alumni Dr. Harris Nguyen of Genomind who spoke to students about the process of fellowship and industry. Upcoming, we have our second annual Patagonia sweater fundraiser which saw a lot of interest in the previous year. This year, we’re allowing customizations along with new colors! With finals coming up, we’re proud of what we’ve done this semester and we’re looking forward to all the fun events that we’ll have next semester!

University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy

Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy

Contributed by: Emily Dell, Communications Ambassador

Contributed by: Stephanie Ostir, Communications Ambassador

The University of Pittsburgh Chapter of PPA had a really productive fall semester. In October, we held a voter registration table in the lobby of our School of Pharmacy where we were able to help about 30 students in the building register to vote, change their address and get information about absentee ballots. Later in the semester, we held a Letter Writing Campaign during which we used the PPA platform to send letters to our legislators concerning pharmacy issues. We were very happy about the turnout for this event, and about 40 students sent letters. One of our most exciting happenings this semester was the choosing of an APhA resolution dealing with GRASP training for all students. We are the only state organization focusing on a resolution talking about advocacy program for students and the future of the pharmacy profession. We are very excited about what we have to come in the spring semester, especially the Mid-Year Conference in January!

The Wilkes Student PPA chapter is excited for what the upcoming spring semester will bring!

Our members finished the fall semester off with some Katy’s Kids Events, a Generation Rx Drug Take-Back Day, and a visit from Dr. Courtney Smith, a Wilkes PPA and SOP alumna. Dr. Smith spoke with our chapter about the impact PPA has made on her as a student and as a professional, and the importance of advocacy in our profession. We were so happy to have her back on campus for the day! Our club also planned a beef stick fundraiser, which was very successful, and held an OTC Competition to choose our representatives for the Mid-Year competition. Our chapter wrapped up the semester with a club social to a WBS Penguins Hockey Game! This was a fun way to end a busy semester and take a study break from finals. Our students are looking forward to next semester, where preparation for Legislative Week and MidYear will take place.

www.papharmacists.com 15

Student Member Profiles

Jessica Cunningham Goldsboro, NC 2020 PharmD Candidate Jefferson College of Pharmacy How did you hear about PPA? I was interested in learning about advancing community pharmacy and PPA had a lecture at my college discussing PPCN as a way Pennsylvania holds community pharmacies to a higher standard.

Favorite drug name to pronounce Aripiprazole Flashback to your first year of pharmacy school; what advice would you give yourself knowing what you know now?

You will remember more than you expect during your pharmacy experiences.

Don’t stress out when it feels like you have to learn and retain everything year one!

Why did you choose to become involved in PPA? I want to continue advocating for provider status and the services a community pharmacist can provide. We are trained to become more than prescription verifiers. PPA knows that and I want to continue to advocate for it.

Why I choose PPA? I was instantly drawn to join PPA during my first year of pharmacy school, as I was interested in advocating on behalf of the profession of pharmacy and expanding my professional network to connect with pharmacists and students throughout the state.

Have any professors influenced you since you have started down this career path?

Yes! Dr. Danielle Mayer helped enhance my counseling skills and my ability to identify ways to optimize patients care in small ways. Without her guidance, I wouldn’t be as passionate about community pharmacy, and making sure patients understand their medications.

Influential professors: I am endlessly inspired by two of my professors at the University of Pittsburgh School of PharmacyDr. Randall Smith and Dr. Melissa McGivney.

They are dedicated to enhancing the educational experiences of student pharmacists both inside and outside of the classroom and lead with creativity and professionalism.

Where do you think you’ll be in five years?

Hopefully counseling a patient on their medications!

Favorite food you have eaten on campus?

Sweetgreen - but only when burrata is in season!

Brooke E. Kulusich Warren, Ohio 2022 PharmD Candidate University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy How did you hear about PPA? During my first week of pharmacy school at PittPharmacy’s “back-toschool picnic”, I met a student at the PPA booth and was inspired to join after learning about our chapter’s fascinating projects and events.

Favorite drug name to pronounce Xylometazoline Advice I would give my younger self: I would remind myself to always keep an open mind to the many unique avenues that a career in pharmacy can offer.

Where I want to be in five years: After graduation, I plan to earn an MBA and pursue a career in pharmacy business administration or health systems management. I would love to remain in the Pittsburgh region and continue involvement with PPA as a pharmacist.

Favorite food on campus: Pittsburgh Popcorn!

If you, someone you know or a pharmacy would like to be featured in a future issue of the magazine, please contact Victoria Madonna, Communications Manager at vmadonna@papharmacists.com

16 Pennsylvania Pharmacist — Jan/Feb 2020

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Legislative Profiles Sen. Maria Collett D-12

Rep. Marcy Topel R-147

What are the key issues you would like to see addressed this session (2020)?

What are the key issues you would like to see addressed this session (2020)?

Addressing the environmental and public health crisis in my district and around the Commonwealth caused by dangerous PFAS “forever chemicals.”

Health care access and affordability, especially for seniors. Criminal justice reform. And menstrual equity — addressing period poverty by making menstrual products available in public restrooms.

The House passed a package of bills to add oversight and transparency to PBMs. I am hopeful the Senate will pass these bills and send them to the governor. In addition to that package, we have a host of bills dealing with health, public safety, fiscal responsibility and further reforms to the two state pension systems.

Tell our members a little about your background and why you became a legislator?

Before running for office, I worked as a lawyer for children victimized by abuse and neglect, and then as a registered nurse, working in trauma and long term care. I became a legislator because Harrisburg needed new voices more in touch with the common problems of today’s families. I have always fought for people in need. This lets me do so on a bigger platform.

How do you see pharmacy and its role in health care evolving in the in the future?

With your knowledge of the insurance companies and PBMs, I think pharmacists are well-suited to help tackle prescription affordability and access. Additionally, pharmacists often have closer relationships with their patients, especially seniors, than other health professionals and I think you can play an even bigger role in encouraging health and wellness and identifying risks like isolation or depression.

Advice for pharmacists about the political process?

Stay informed. There is a lot of legislation at the federal and state level that may ultimately affect you and your patients.

And don’t be afraid to speak up. Your perspectives and experiences as front-line health professionals are very valuable and necessary for legislators to make good decisions.

What do you do for relaxation or enjoyment?

I love to spend time with my family — my husband, my 7-year-old son, and my 84-year-old dad who lives with us.

I also love to run. I especially like participating in 5K races across my district.

18 Pennsylvania Pharmacist — Jan/Feb 2020

Tell our members a little about your background and why you became a legislator?

I worked for private and public entities including my position as first deputy in the Recorder of Deeds and Clerk of Courts in Montgomery County prior to my election to the PA House of Representatives. I have been an active participant in the community, serving as a PTA president, school board member, volunteer coach and referee for youth sports, as well as holding grassroots political positions. My interest in becoming a legislator began when I was asked by party leaders to run for the seat. I felt my involvement in a variety of public and private organizations, as well as my community engagement, provided me a firm background to represent the constituents of the 147th Legislative District. I have always been interested in serving the community, helping others, and working together to solve issues facing our families, communities and Commonwealth.

How do you see pharmacy and its role in health care evolving in the in the future?

I see the role of the pharmacist and the pharmacy in general, playing a larger part in the health care needs of the community. As health care dollars are limited, and providers struggle to meet the demand for care, the pharmacy can play an important part in making sure patients receive prompt care, including preventative care, as well as assist in the oversight of prescribed medicines and the impact they may have on the patient. All of these initiatives require pharmacists and physicians to develop more collaborative relationships in order to better serve patients.

Continued on next page

Member Profile

Lenore Kelley Long Term Care Pharmacist Camilla Hall Nursing Home Pharmacy Degree/Education: BS (Rutgers), MA (Temple)

What is the most important piece of advice you would give a newly licensed pharmacist on their first day of work?

While pharmacy school and your rotations provide you with an invaluable set of tools, in order to be a truly effective pharmacist, it is necessary to develop and maintain relationships with patients and colleagues. My advice is: be available, build trust from the start, and know the value of asking questions as well as providing answers.

How has becoming a member of PPA made you grow professionally?

PPA has provided me with a professional organization to identify with at a local level. Being a member of PPA has given me the forum to

interact with pharmacists with similar interest in patient care but who have a variety of backgrounds and interests.

It also serves as a means of keeping current with the changes to pharmacy from a practice, innovation and legislative prospective.

“PPA has provided me

Name the number 1 reason why you became a pharmacist?

a member of PPA has

As a student, I felt that pharmacy was the perfect blend of chemistry and a career in healthcare. Even though the practice of pharmacy has evolved over the years, I still see this relationship as integral to the profession and even if I had the chance to do it all again, I would still see myself as a pharmacist!

Is there anyone in your professional career that helped shape you into the Pharmacist you are today?

with a professional organization to identify with at a local level. Being given me the forum to interact with pharmacists with similar interest in patient care but who have a variety of backgrounds and interests.’”

— Lenore Kelley

As an intern and in my first position after licensure, I worked with a wonderful pharmacist named Sam Moses. By example, Sam taught me how to transition my educational knowledge to actual pharmacy practice, and how to communicate effectively with patients, caregivers and other healthcare professionals in order to achieve the best outcomes.

profiles for these individuals, I see some prescribing habits that differ from those that are common in the US. It would be interesting to be able to practice pharmacy in Peru to understand these differences and any effects that the different climates there may have on overall patient health.

Out of anywhere in the world, if you had to choose a different place to live and practice pharmacy where would it be and why?

I am a chocolate lover and I consider the best food to be stracciatella gelato. Not only does it taste absolutely delicious, but never fails to remind me of the many different yet wonderful places where I have been able to enjoy it.

In my current role, a number of our patients have previously lived in Peru.

When reviewing the medication

Best thing you ever ate?

Legislative Profiles continued Advice for pharmacists about the political process?

What do you do for relaxation or enjoyment?

I would encourage them to educate themselves about their state lawmakers and the issues that impact them most. They should also contact their state senator and/or representative and let their voices be heard on legislative measures that impact their industry.

I enjoy working outside, especially in my garden. I have a flower garden as well as a small vegetable and herb garden that I plant each year. I also have strawberries, which I harvest to make jam and pie. I also enjoy reading. Currently, I am reading a fiction and non-fiction book, although it can be hard to find time to read for enjoyment when I have so much reading to do as part of my job. www.papharmacists.com 19

Pharmacy Spotlight: Rite Aid A Caring Neighbor in the Communities We Serve Bringing Our Mission to Life through the Efforts of The Rite Aid Foundation One of Rite Aid’s core values is to be a caring neighbor in every community we serve, reaching beyond our store walls to actively improve health and wellness and make a meaningful difference. Our efforts, which range from charitable giving to hands-on service, touch literally millions of people every year.

The Rite Aid Foundation was established in 2001 to help us give back to the communities and cities we serve in meaningful ways. Since its inception, The Rite Aid Foundation has awarded $66 million to nonprofit organizations.

To make the greatest impact possible, The Rite Aid Foundation focuses on three core areas for charitable giving within the communities Rite Aid serves: 1. Children’s health and well-being 2. Special community health and wellness needs 3. Rite Aid’s own community of associates during times of special need The Rite Aid Foundation developed KidCents, a charitable giving program dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children, to provide Rite Aid customers with an opportunity to do even more to help the kids in the communities Rite Aid serves. Members of Rite Aid’s loyalty program, wellness+ rewards, can round up their in-store or online purchases to the nearest dollar and donate their change to KidCents. The program focuses on four primary areas for improving the health and well-being of children: healthy eating, active living, education and creating a safe environment.

The Rite Aid Foundation has long been committed to ensuring that kids who are in need have a chance for better lives and brighter futures by supporting partner nonprofit organizations. The KidCents program annually supports a select group of more than 400 nonprofit, kid-focused organizations committed to improving the health and wellbeing of children living in the communities Rite Aid serves and national organizations focused on critical children’s issues, including Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, The Fred Rogers Company and Folds of Honor.

To further advance our efforts and continue investing in our communities, The Rite Aid Foundation has several signature initiatives.

Prescription Drug Safety The rise of prescription drug misuse and abuse is one of the fastest-growing drug problems in the United States, and it is having an adverse effect on the physical and mental health of our nation’s young people. The Rite Aid Foundation has implemented two national initiatives to address the epidemic.

In 2017, The Rite Aid Foundation launched the KidCents Safe Medication Disposal program. The program provides law enforcement agencies in communities served by Rite Aid with free medication disposal units for individuals to safely dispose of expired or unwanted medications. Since launch, the program has expanded to 18 states. To date, The Rite Aid Foundation has partnered with more than 450 law enforcement agencies to make more than 500 units available to customers and communities. Those units are also searchable on Google Maps, making it even easier for people to safely dispose of unneeded or unwanted medications.

To further advance its efforts, The Rite Aid Foundation partnered with EVERFI, the nation’s leading education technology innovator, to offer the Prescription Drug Safety program, an innovative digital course about prescription drug abuse prevention for high school students, in Rite Aid communities. As part of its commitment to creating safe and healthy environments for children and teens, The Rite Aid Foundation has made a $3 million commitment to the program. To date, the digital course has been activated in 460 high schools in California, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, reaching nearly 45,000 students.

To complement The Rite Aid Foundation’s work, Rite Aid has several in-store initiatives to help address the growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse and misuse. Rite Aid was the first drugstore chain to offer DisposeRx packets at all its pharmacies. Rite Aid also provides ongoing education and training about prescription drug misuse and abuse to its more than 5,000 pharmacists and has worked hard to increase access to the opioid overdose reversal medication, naloxone, which is now available in all Rite Aid pharmacies without a prescription.

KidCents Regional Grant Program As part of its ongoing efforts to address critical children’s health and well-being issues in the communities it serves, The Rite Aid Foundation has awarded more than 400 grants and $9 million through the KidCents Regional

20 Pennsylvania Pharmacist — Jan/Feb 2020

Grants Program. The program, which provides grants of $15,000–$30,000, significantly expands the reach of the KidCents program by funding specific out-of-school time programs focused on children’s nutrition, physical fitness and academic success.

KidCents Regional Grants support nonprofit organizations with programs that serve children, grades K-12, and improve quality of life in Rite Aid communities. The grants support three of KidCents’ primary focus areas for improving the health and well-being of children: healthy eating, active living and education. To be considered, programs and projects are required to take place during out-of-school-time with priority given to programs that support communities in need.

Charities receiving grants range from local affiliates of national organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Girls on the Run to local and regional community-based organizations like Philly Girls in Motion in Havertown, Pennsylvania, and Inspiring Minds in Warren, Ohio. Several nonprofit organizations currently participating in the KidCents in-store round-up program were also awarded Regional Grants.

Funded programs include food assistance and nutrition education, leadership programs for girls, physical fitness programs for youth with disabilities, STEM and STEAM programs for at-risk youth, academic support programs for children battling homelessness and summer enrichment programs for children in need.

Another cycle of KidCents Regional Grants will launch in 2020.

Educational Scholarships for Military Families Education is critical to the development and overall well-being of children. There’s no better way to honor the tremendous sacrifice of our military heroes than by helping their children achieve academic success, and ultimately, brighter futures.

In 2019, The Rite Aid Foundation announced its second, three-year, $6 million commitment to Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to children and spouses of fallen or disabled service members. Since 2015, the Foundation has awarded $9.1 million to the organization.

Over the last four years, The Rite Aid Foundation has provided military families across the country with more than 1,500 scholarships. The scholarships help the children of our military heroes gain access to better educational opportunities and future academic growth by providing everything from after-school tutoring to tuition to special music education programs.

Continued on next page www.papharmacists.com 21

Pharmacy Spotlight continued Miracles for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

Support for Disaster Relief Efforts The Rite Aid Foundation supports disaster relief and response year-round by working with local branches of the American Red Cross to be a resource to the communities we serve in times of need. For example, The Rite Aid Foundation has made donations to support wildfire relief efforts in California the past two years to provide hope, relief, and support as families and residents begin to recover and rebuild their lives.

Rite Aid and The Rite Aid Foundation have been passionate supporters of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for 25 years. Every year, Rite Aid associates from across the country have come together to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Through our annual in-store Miracle Balloon Campaign and other special events, we’ve raised more than $92 million to help local children’s hospitals provide the highest level of care to sick and injured children. All money raised at Rite Aid stores goes directly to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital closest to the specific store.

In October of 2019, more than two dozen wildfires across California forced thousands of residents in Northern and Southern California to flee their homes and destroyed more than a quarter-million acres of land. To support wildfire relief efforts, The Rite Aid Foundation awarded $75,000, which was distributed to the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region and American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region, to provide shelter, food, and emotional and recovery support to families impacted by the fires.

To further expand the reach of our partnership and help local children’s hospitals make an even greater difference in their communities, The Rite Aid Foundation awarded $2.4 million to 20 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the nation through a special KidCents Grant Program. The grants, which range from $49,124 to $300,000, will enable the local hospitals to advance initiatives focused on children’s health and well-being.

To learn more about these and other initiatives of The Rite Aid Foundation and KidCents, visit www.kidcents.com.

We Deliver Solutions for a Healthier Bottom Line EPIC Pharmacies, Inc. provides more than 1,500 independent member pharmacies across the U.S. with the group buying power and managed care solutions essential to delivering quality patient care.

Membership offers: • Group volume purchasing power • Aggressive wholesaler pricing programs • Profits distributed to members at year-end • EPIC Pharmacy Network, Inc. (EPN) membership fee included at no cost – access to third-party contracts • Clinical services tools, including expert assistance from our in-house pharmacist and access to custom PrescribeWellness offerings and EQuIPP •

PUT THE POWER OF A NETWORK BEHIND YOU

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22 Pennsylvania Pharmacist — Jan/Feb 2020

•

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TM

How Are You Going to Get There?

Creating an “Intentional” Marketing Plan

By Paul Zabroske This article is the second of a three part series focusing on marketing for the independent pharmacist. To read part one “Debunking 3 Independent Pharmacy Marketing Myths”, see page 23 of the September/October 2019 issue of the PA Pharmacist.

Your pharmacy business already has a marketing plan.

You select products. You decide what you will charge (especially with front end merchandise). You decide what you will or will not say about your products. And you decide how that message will get out to your customers.

The question is: are you doing all this “accidentally” without a written, thought-out plan or do you have an “intentional” marketing plan?

You may be thinking: “I don’t have time.”

7) BUDGET How much is 1.5% of your annual sales? This is a place to start when coming up with a marketing budget investment level.

8) MESSAGING Why do customers buy the products you offer? And just as importantly, why do they buy them from you?

9) COMMUNICATION CHANNELS Where do your best customers spend their time?

Where do they get their information?

“I don’t know how.”

Now put your answers aside for a few days. Go back later to review and revise if needed.

…or worse yet

Then find yourself a marketer.

“I don’t really see the need.”

Research your local ad agencies. Make sure they have retail and healthcare experience. You can also go online or check your pharmacy association’s recommendations for a firm that specializes in pharmacy marketing and will work with you remotely. Also, don’t forget to ask the pharmacists you admire, for their recommendations. Narrow down the source field to three or four and then ask them for bids on your business.

A written “intentional” marketing plan will make a difference in your business because it requires you to: 1) Identify where you are going 2) How you are going to get there.

If you do not have a written marketing plan ... then take a moment to quickly write out the answers to these questions: 1) BRAND What kind of reputation do you want?

2) CUSTOMERS Who buys from you now? Who else do you want to sell to?

3) PRODUCT What do you sell? What would you like to sell?

4) STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES What are you good at and what are you not good at?

They will then guide you as to what is the most effective use of your marketing dollars, giving you the information you need to complete an intentional marketing plans.

In today’s very challenging, but exciting environment, you can have a thriving pharmacy business, but you need a map — an intentional marketing plan — so you know exactly “how you are going to get there.”

Paul Zabroske is the president of Pharmacy Marketing Opportunities from ZHMC LLC where he uses 20 years of pharmacy marketing experience to “help those who help others”.

5) OPPORTUNITIES & THREATS What and who help your business and who and what do you have fighting against you? What are their strengths and weaknesses?

6) GOALS What do you want from your business this year (and not just sales and profit targets)?

www.papharmacists.com 23

PPCN Update The “Flip” is On! Our 24 practice transformation coaches are hard at work across Pennsylvania, coaching our 40 Flip the Pharmacy participating pharmacies through each month’s Change Package. PPCN encourages all pharmacies to access and imple­ ment each Change Package with pharmacy teams to make manageable changes and take small steps to transforming the pharmacy model to one that can sustain clinical services.

Over 500 pharmacies nationwide are participating in the Flip the Pharmacy initiative, and in the first two months they have submitted over 10,000 eCare plans demonstrating their impact on patients! Read PPCN Pharmacist Peter Kreckel’s essay on how Flip the Pharmacy is helping to revolutionize our profession and visit www.flipthepharmacy.com for more information.

The Revolution: Flip the Pharmacy Essay

by Peter Kreckel, RPh, Thompson’s Pharmacy, Altoona, PA One of my favorite contacts I made in my pharmacy career is the husband of my first pharmacy technician. His name was Jack and is known as the area’s finest finish carpenter. Jack would go to the lumbermill and hand select the boards, plane them down and could make anything from paneling to kitchen cupboards.

Because I have no such handyman skills, I am always curious to converse with carpenters, plumbers and anyone that works with their hands.

I asked Jack if his Dad taught him his amazing carpentry skills. Jack replied no, that he learned them by working 24 Pennsylvania Pharmacist — Jan/Feb 2020

on his Dad’s rather large dairy farm. I asked Jack why he didn’t take over the family farm. Jack related that after he got out of the service in 1965, he was talking with his Dad about the new tractor he just purchased for $4,500. Jack’s Dad told him the last tractor he bought was a 1945 model, and that cost only cost him $1,500. Jack pressed on with his next question about the cost of a hundredweight of milk in 1945 and was told it was $3.00. Jack inquired about the cost of a hundred-weight of milk and was told it was $4.00. Jack looked into his father’s eyes and said. “Dad, you just said that the cost of a tractor went up 300%, and the selling price for a hundred-weight of milk went up 30%. How long do you think a farm can sustain itself with numbers like these? ” I feel that is where we are in the world of community pharmacy today. I remember back in the 1980’s when Medi-Met was the first payer in our area to reimburse pharmacists with a 5% discount off AWP. Everyone screamed and said pharmacies couldn’t sustain those reimbursements. Now that we are approaching AWP minus 20%, our profession is in a crossroads. Unlike Jack, we don’t want to abandon the profession, we need to make it work.

The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association is promoting a new program called “Flip the Pharmacy.”

Lots of promotion has been done encouraging pharmacists to participate. I am writing from the perspective of a pharmacist who is going through the program. I really lucked out when the powers that be assigned me John DeJames as my coach. John comes with

colossal amount of clinical experience and is willing to share his knowledge base with me. This program relies on our experience as clinicians, using the knowledge base and customer care skills we have accumulated over our careers. I have been practicing for 38 years and I am not as interested in “Flipping My Pharmacy” as I am “flipping” this whole profession!

This is not the first flip for our profession, rather it is the third. Galen, the father of pharmacy started our profession by growing and dispensing his own medicinals around 200 A.D. He was a physician, philosopher and pharmacist. Flip the Pharmacy 1.0 occurred in the early 1500’s when Paracelsus (aka Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim) took opium and manufactured his own pills for distribution. This method of pharmacy practice lasted 400 years until the early 1900’s epinephrine was discovered, and an industrial chemist figured out a way to purify the compound. This technology was sold to Parke-Davis and was sold under the brand name Adrenalin®.

Adrenalin® was the first purified drug manufactured by a pharmaceutical company. Flip the Pharmacy 2.0 was about to begin. Many of our senior pharmacists were trained in practice of pharmacy where compounding and manufacturing of tinctures, capsules, suppositories and powder papers were the major part of the pharmacy school curriculum.

Flip the Pharmacy 2.0 took over in the 1950’s when the manufacturers produced most of the products we dispense. Compounding gave way to dispensing of the premade drugs that we bought from our wholesalers.

This practice of pharmacy left over

ACT for Pharmacy Launches National Day of Service This month the ACT (AcademiaCPESN Transformation) Pharmacy Collaborative, led by PPCN founding member Melissa McGivney at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and Pennsylvania colleagues Sophia Cothrel, Kim Coley, Joni Carrol, Nick Leon and Stephanie McGrath, is celebrating reaching 75 member schools/colleges of pharmacy and the successes of their National Day of Service. For the National Day of Service, schools and community

pharmacies nationwide partnered to hold patient care-focused events at the pharmacies during the first two weeks in November.

According to preliminary results, over 25 schools, 110 students, and 45 pharmacies participated nationwide, seeing over 850 patients and providing over 375 blood pressure screenings and over 280 immunizations. Thank you to the pharmacies who helped make these events possible!

(Above) P4 Student Coordinator, Lauren Hertzog spent the day at Bechtel’s Pharmacy in Slatington, PA conduction blood pressure screenings and medication reviews.

(Left) Getting ready to kick off the National Day of Service at Weis Pharmacy in Schnecksville, PA.

from the 1950’s is still the way most pharmacists, be they hospital or community-based, practice our profession. Although most pharmacy school curriculums are intensive with therapeutics and patient care, the models most of us practice under do not lend themselves to the utilization of our skill set. We have the skills, getting reimbursed is another story.

Flip the Pharmacy 3.0 began on October 1, 2019 and is in progress now in the state of Pennsylvania, thanks to the work of Stephanie McGrath and the leadership of PPCN. We’re done growing herbs and medicinals. We’re done compounding drugs according to the physician’s orders. Hopefully we’ll soon be done dumping the pills from the big bottle to the little bottle.

Patient care is what we are trained to do, patient care is what we should do, getting paid for our interventions is what we must do.

Many of us do these interventions every day. “Smear a topical protectant to baby’s butt before starting amox/ clav. Take your calcium and iron four hours from your levothyroxine. Watch for red stools in baby’s diaper with cefdinir.” We do this stuff every day.

We need to document our work using e-care plans and get reimbursed for the amazing service we do every day. Flip the Pharmacy will indeed revolutionize our profession the same way that Paracelsus and ParkeDavis did. Personally, this gray-haired pharmacist has been waiting 38 years for such a change.

If you would like to learn more about PPCN, visit http://papharmacistsnetwork. com/ or email PPCN Executive Director of Network Operations Stephanie McGrath, PharmD at smcgrath@papharmacists. com. Follow us on Twitter @ PPCN_CPESN and Instagram papharmacistsnetwork

www.papharmacists.com 25

Industry News Important Regulatory News Most of the following has been shared more than once on the PPA email bulletins, but in case you missed this information, we are sharing it again as it is important, especially as we start the new year. If you are not receiving the bulletins, please let us know. This information may also be found on our PPA website at https://www.papharmacists.com/page/PennsylvaniaLaws or https://www.papharmacists.com/page/CurrentHotTopics with active links.

Statewide Preferred Drug List (PDL) Beginning January 1, 2020, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance has implemented a statewide PDL for both feefor-service and managed care.

Information on the PDL is on the PPA website at: https:// www.papharmacists.com/page/PennsylvaniaLaws This information includes the actual drug list, the bulletin announcing the PDL, and procedures for prescribers to request prior authorization.

United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) and PA State Board of Pharmacy At the October 22, 2019 Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (Board) Meeting, the Board discussed issues related to USP’s decision to delay implementation of the revisions to chapters <795> and <797> pending resolution of appeals. The following decisions were approved by the Board and placed on record: 1. The Board is enforcing USP <795> and <797> as currently written. Board Regulation Section 27.601 was finalized on June 22, 2019 and requires compliance with section 503a of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, federal regulations promulgated thereunder and the current version of the USP chapters governing compounding.

2. The Board is delaying the enforcement of USP <800> until the appeals of certain provisions of the revised USP <795> and <797> are resolved. While enforcement of USP <800> is being delayed, pharmacies should do their best to comply with the requirements of USP <800>, including the sections related to the handling of hazardous medications, as these requirements will be enforced at some time in the future, dependent on resolution of the appeals of the revised USP <795> and <797>.

3. The Board voted to adopt the following position and will be amending its regulations to reflect this information: The definition of “compounding” does not include the unencumbered flavoring of conventionally manufactured medications provided that the flavors used are inert, tested and do not alter a medication’s concentration beyond USP’s accepted level of variance.

The Board hopes that this information is of help to you. It may be viewed on the welcome page at www.dos.pa.gov/ pharm.

The Board’s compounding regulations were approved and finalized June 2019 and state the Board follows the current version of USP governing compounding.

Prescription Drug Monitoring Program The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) is now updating the reporting requirements for dispensers. As we discussed last year, the following changes are being made:

• Patient Phone Number (PAT17) is now required, with an option to enter ten 9’s when phone number is unknown.

• NCPDP Provider ID field (PHA02) is now required.

• Transmission Form of Rx Origin Code (DSP12) is now required.

• Partial Fill Indicator (DSP13) is now required.

• Prescriber State License Number (PRE04) is now situationally required (must be submitted when available).

Please review the updated data submission manual which can be found at https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/ Documents/Programs/PDMP/PAPDMP_DispenserGuide_ v5.pdf. These changes will go into effect February 28, 2020.

Eprescribing for All Controlled Drugs On October 24, 2020, e-prescribing became mandatory for all prescribers of CII - CV controlled substances.

There are exceptions for certain prescribers and the PA Department of Health is in the process of finalizing the regulations.

To better understand your role as a dispenser which is not as an “enforcer,” please see the Department’s website.

Type the following link into your web browser: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/programs/ Electronic%20Prescribing/Pages/Electronic%20 Prescribing.aspx The website also has additional information about the exceptions and a FAQ document. www.papharmacists.com 27

Implementation of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) in Community Pharmacy Corresponding Author: Corinn Floyd, PharmD, at the time of this project was a Postgraduate Year Two (PGY2) Ambulatory Care Resident, Duquesne University Center for Pharmacy Care (CPC) Authors: Suzanne Higginbotham, B.S., PharmD, Director of the Duquesne University Center for Pharmacy Care (CPC), Elizabeth Bunk, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist, Duquesne University Center for Pharmacy Care (CPC) There are no actual or potential conflicts of interest or funding to disclose in relation to this publication.

Keywords: Diabetes Prevention Program, DPP, National Diabetes Prevention Program, NDPP, Prediabetes, Community Pharmacy Background The National Diabetes Statistic Report from 2017 revealed that diabetes remains the seventh leading cause of death in the United States with a total of 252,806 death certificates listing diabetes as either the primary or secondary cause of death.1 Patients who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are managed with medication and lifestyle modifications to prevent the development of complications or death. Prediabetes is a diagnosis that can be managed to prevent patients from developing T2DM. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) defines prediabetes as a fasting glucose ranging from 0 to <126 mg/dL, a 2-hour plasma glucose ranging from 140 to <200 mg/dL after a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, or hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C) ranging from 5.7% to

28 Pennsylvania Pharmacist â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Jan/Feb 2020

6.4%.2 Approximately 9.4% of the population in the year 2015 were diagnosed with T2DM, and an estimated 29% of the population remains undiagnosed.1 Due to this high prevalence, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created a National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) in 2010. Research led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports the success of this one-year curriculum in preventing progression from prediabetes to T2DM with implementation of healthy lifestyle choices.3 Overview of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)4 The National DPP Program is a partnership of public and private organizations working towards preventing or delaying T2DM. The CDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DPP is a one-year lifestyle change program that is offered to a group of individuals diagnosed with prediabetes or recognized to be at risk for developing diabetes. There are two phases to this program, divided into six-month intervals. The first phase is comprised of 16 weekly one-hour classes, and the second phase consists of at least one monthly class. A trained lifestyle coach and a DPP facilitator lead the classes, utilizing a CDC-approved curriculum that occurs inperson, online, or combines both. Lifestyle changes such as healthy eating habits and regular physical activity are the focal point of the program.

To read the full article, please visit: www.papharmacists. com/Articles.

Professional Development for the Practicing Pharmacist:

Conducting a Research Study: Tips and Tricks Amber D. Lapping, PharmD, CTTS; Pharmacist, Giant Eagle Pharmacy

This Research Series is brought to you by PPA’s Editorial Review Board. This series of articles will cover a variety of professional development topics, solicited from and written by our members. To read previously published articles from the series, please visit www. papharmacists.com/Peer.

Throughout this professional development series on research, various authors have discussed topics to help practicing pharmacists prepare to conduct a research project. In this article, I will discuss tips to facilitate the conduct of your research project including how to: create your research team, manage time effectively, implement a project successfully and minimize challenges that may occur along the way.

Research Team Perhaps one of the most important parts of a research project is the research team. The team should be supportive and knowledgeable about the type of research being performed. Ideally, the research team helped you craft and refine the question and study design. You should plan to collaborate closely with your team throughout the duration of the project. Your research team should consist of individuals that can contribute to the study design, conduct, and manuscript or report preparation, and who are also committed to helping you complete your project. Suggestions include topic experts, colleagues, and statisticians. For residents involved in research, you might include your residency director, preceptors, and other members of your institution that will be helping you conduct your study. Meet with the research team often to keep everyone informed on the current status of your project. These meetings can also serve as an opportunity to brainstorm solutions to any barriers encountered during the project. The frequency of meetings may depend on the research team’s availability and the nature of the project. However, it is generally recommended that these be scheduled regularly such as weekly or twice monthly.

Meetings can be held in-person, telephonically, or online.

Keep an open line of communication at all times, and be sure to share all wins and setbacks, even ones that may seem trivial. This will allow your research team to keep the project moving forward in the right direction.

Time Research projects take time. Many times, you will not have complete control over each step (e.g. lack of patients for recruitment, competing priorities for collaborators, etc.).

It is often helpful to create timelines with plenty of buffer built in for delays. A common maxim is to double how long you think a task will take. Creating a timeline is also a helpful way to prioritize responsibilities. It is easy to get caught up in other day-to-day tasks, and the research project may fall to the back burner. Having regularly scheduled research team meetings is a good way to keep the team accountable for progress. The timeline should be detailed and specific, and deadlines should also be realistic. Time should be set aside each week (or each day

if completing the project in a shorter timeline) to focus solely on conducting your research. Built-in administrative time is an ideal time to set aside to work on your project.

Take advantage of meeting time where all members of the research team are together to focus on your project.

Setting aside time may seem like the hardest task to accomplish, but this step is imperative to conducting a successful research project.

Project Implementation As discussed in the last article in this series, before the research process can begin, you must obtain approval from your institution’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). The sooner your project is IRB approved, the sooner you can begin the research. This is often the rate-limiting step when beginning a research project, so it is important, especially for time-constrained projects (such as those that must be completed during a residency year) to submit for approval as soon as you have finalized your study protocol with your research team.

Once the IRB application is approved, gather your research team and review roles and responsibilities as well as timelines and ensure that if necessary, team members are appropriately trained (e.g. delivering the intervention, consenting patients, collecting data, etc.). Documentation is a key component of any research project, especially those involving human subjects. The IRB may require continuing review where you may need to report out on the progress of your study (e.g. number of patients recruited, problems encountered, etc.). Additionally, good documentation will be useful when writing up the results of your research project. For example, you may not remember six months from now what your thought process was when selecting inclusion criteria, but with proper documentation, you will have this information available. A good way to keep track of this is by keeping a document updated after each meeting with any discussion points, action items from the meeting, and members of the research team who attended the meeting. This documentation will also help with preparation of study reports and a manuscript.

Continued on next page www.papharmacists.com 29

Professional Development continued Challenges Even the most well-planned research project may encounter challenges along the way. Whether you are having trouble enrolling patients in the study or the data collected did not match what was expected, it is important not to become discouraged by any problems that arise during the implementation of your project. Meet regularly with the research team to troubleshoot any problems that have occurred. Remember -- the research team cannot help with your problem if they do not know it exists! A small tweak may be all that is needed for your project to continue on the right path.

While the idea of conducting a research project may be intimidating, take the process one step at a time. Start by gathering a team of individuals you trust to help you complete the project. Set time aside to work on the project and hold yourself accountable to small deadlines. Let your team know of any challenges or setbacks you are

having with the project. Project implementation may seem overwhelming, but you can enter this phase of your project with confidence by focusing on these few key areas.

KEY POINTS ●• Build a research team that is committed to helping you conduct your research project ●• Meet with your research team often ●• Allot time to work on your project within your schedule ●• Create a realistic timeline and hold yourself accountable to deadlines ●• Share all milestones with your research team, including progress and setbacks, so they can help keep your project on track

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