January/February 2013 z Volume 94 z Issue 1
The official publication of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association
Pennsylvania Celebrates American Pharmacists Month
PAID
HARRISBURG PA PERMIT NO 533
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
www.papharmacists.com
The
building blocks to a
Family
of Companies
ASI
NETWORK ACCREDITATION SERVICES, INC.
A PRS Affiliate
PPA Board of Directors PPA Officers: President: Robert B. Frankil, RPh President Elect: J. Scott Miskovsky, RPh First Vice President: Eric R. Esterbrook, RPh Second Vice President: Donna Hazel, RPh Immediate Past President: Adam C. Welch, PharmD, MBA, BCACP Regional Directors: Central: Janet Getzey Hart, RPh Northeast: Jonathan D. Ference, PharmD, BCPS Northwest: Mary E. Grisnik, PharmD Southeast: David B. Cunningham, RPh Southwest: Lauren Simko, PharmD Academy Directors: Academy of Alternative Pharmacy Practice: Jamie McConaha, PharmD Academy of Pharmacy Technicians: Jennifer L. Simpson, CPhT Academy of Chain Pharmacists: Stephanie Harriman McGrath, PharmD Academy of Community Pharmacists: Martin J. Kendra, RPh Academy of Health System Pharmacists: Paul T. Kocis, PharmD, FASCP Academy of Long Term Care and Consultant Pharmacists: Donald R. Brindisi, RPh Academy of Pharmacy Industry Association: Al Emmans Academy of Student Pharmacists: Tamiko Yamatani PPA Office Staff: CEO: Patricia A. Epple, CAE pepple@papharmacists.com Ext. 3 Communications Coordinator: Erika Butts ebutts@papharmacists.com Ext. 2 Membership Coordinator: Corey Wenger cwenger@papharmacists.com Ext. 1 Program Coordinator: Sara Powers spowers@papharmacists.com Ext. 4 Government Relations Manager: Donald L. Smith, III Ext. 6 dsmith@papharmacists.com Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA) 508 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 (717) 234-6151 Fax: (717) 236-1618 www.papharmacists.com ppa@papharmacists.com www.facebook.com/PAPharmacy www.twitter.com/papharmacists 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: Tara L. Pummer, PharmD, Chairman Hershey S. Bell, M.D., M.S., FAAFP Stephanie Smith Cooney, PharmD Bernard Graham, PhD Brian S. Plager, RPh, MBA Associate Editor: Erika Butts Editor/Manager: Pat Epple Published by: Graphtech Publishing Sarah DiCello, Publications Manager (717) 238-5751 sarah@thinkgraphtech.com For Advertising Information: Alexis Kierce, Account Manager (717) 238-5751 alexis@thinkgraphtech.com Creative Design: Graphtech State Board of Pharmacy Members: Edward J. Bechtel, R.Ph. – Independent Community Gayle A. Cotchen, PharmD., MBA – Institutional Philip McCarthy – AG/Consumer Pauline Montgomery, R.Ph. – Independent Community Theresa M. Talbott, R.Ph. – Chain Community Mark J. Zilner, R.Ph. – Chain Community 2013 Board of Pharmacy Meeting Dates: January 15, February 19, March 19, April 16, May 14, June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17, October 15, November 19, December 10
Our Vision
Pennsylvania pharmacists will be recognized, engaged, and fairly compensated as health-care 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.
Pennsylvania
Departments
MAGAZINE
Message from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Member News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Features Community Pharmacy Spotlight—Hartzell’s Pharmacy: Serving the Catasauqua Community Well Into The Future . . . . . . . . 11 Pennsylvania Pharmacy Resident Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 PPA Member Profile: John Barrett, RPh, CHC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Profiles in Pharmacy Innovation: Dr. Karleen Melody, PharmD . . . . . . . 21 Message from the Secretary of the Commonwealth . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Association News Pennsylvania Celebrates American Pharmacists Month . . . . . . . . . . 25 On Rotation With PPA, A Unique and Beneficial Experience . . . . . . . . 28 Call for Award Nominations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Nominations Being Accepted for PPA Officers and Members of the Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Pharmacy Technician Corner: Pharmacy TEAM Series— 10 FREE Hours of CE for Certified Pharmacy Technician Members . . . 34 Member Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Industry News Purdue Pharma L.P. and the National Community Pharmacists Association Join Forces to Help Prevent Internal Pharmacy Theft and Prescription Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 GlaxoSmithKline Offers Free Recycling Program for Empty GSK Respiratory Inhalers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Continuing Education and CPE Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 ISMP Releases Sterile Compounding Safety Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . 42
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 3
“Your Compliance Experts for Today and Tomorrow.”
Therapeutic Shoe Policy and Procedure Program R.J. Hedges & Associates understands the difficulty of writing Policies & Procedures and keeping them up to date with ever changing federal laws. We specialize in writing policies and procedures for your facility to help you properly administer your program and be compliant with these laws. The Medicare Quality Standards “Appendix C” requires facilities to have Policies and Procedures for your therapeutic (diabetic) shoe program as well as a fitter assessment. Our Therapeutic Shoe Policy and Procedure Program meets all of the Quality Standards “Appendix C” requirements including a detailed initial and final assessment. Our program features Dr. Comfort, is easy to use, customized and prepared specifically for your pharmacy in CD Format.
Benefits: • Complete Policy and Procedure program for dispensing therapeutic shoes • Detailed Therapeutic Shoe Fitting Assessment for both the Initial and Final Assessments and Fittings • The Assessment process is the main requirement for all diabetic shoe fittings that auditors review • If there are no documented physical assessments with the patient file, the reimbursement claim will be denied during an audit • Processes to ensure documentation compliance for Medicare audits • Meets and exceeds Medicare and insurance audit requirements • Features Dr. Comfort shoes, but can be used for any manufacturer • Medicare patients are permitted one pair of shoes per calendar year, some insurance companies permit a new pair of shoes every six (6) months • Therapeutic shoes offers an additional revenue stream plus keeps patients returning to your facility • Fitting area can also be used for additional immunizations and mastectomy • Dr. Comfort and R.J. Hedges & Associates Computer Based Training included
Order Today for Your Customized Policy & Procedure Manual!
For Orders or More Information:
$400
Phone: 724-357-8380 | Email: info@rjhedges.com Web: www.RJHedges.com/therapeutic-diabetic-shoe-program
Departments
Robert Frankil, RPh PPA President 2012-2013
Article Head Message fromGoes the President Here
I
hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday season. As we begin a new year, we have many things to be thankful for, and many things to look forward to in this great profession of pharmacy. We can be thankful for SB201 being passed. Community Pharmacy in Pennsylvania finally has language passed into law that will prohibit insurance companies from forcing our patients to use mail order, or use a preferred network. The language also prohibits lower copays at a preferred network. The law will take effect in March 2013, and will apply to insurance contracts as they expire. So the landscape will not change overnight; it will take time. However, it is up to us to make sure insurance companies comply with the law. If we see a new contract introduced that uses mandatory mail order or a preferred network, we must report that to our legislator. I would like to thank all parties that were instrumental in getting this landmark law passed including: Carmen Dicello and Value Drug, Rochester Drug, Pat Epple, Ron Raymond and PARD, Don Smith, our previous lobbyists Carl Marrara
and Matt Diloreto, and, of course, the many pharmacists who called and visited their legislators. We can be thankful for optimism in our profession. Besides SB201, we have many other areas of pharmacy that are progressing forward. Most pharmacies offer immunizations. This produces another revenue stream for us, and promotes good health and a more professional image for pharmacists. If your practice offers immunizations, think of ways to expand that practice. Before you know it, immunizations will become a big part of your work day, and add to your bottom line. We can be thankful for collaboration among other health care professionals. We hope that regulations for Collaborative Practice will be published soon, so we can enter into agreements with physician groups outside the hospital setting. Dr. Hershey Bell is among many physicians who can’t wait to have the opportunity to work with pharmacists, and use our expertise. Home health care facilities and their nurses are always receptive to help from pharmacists. Any way we can help with the medical home setting is
appreciated. We can offer special packaging, home delivery, and even home visits by pharmacists. These are great ways to help your business, professionalism, and our profession. We can look forward to a great year in 2013. As equal access to community pharmacy in implemented, we will be able to serve our patients and our profession better. We can expand our profession with more services and programs. We can work with other professionals to be a more involved part of health care. We can think of ways to make PPA stronger. If PPA is stronger, our profession in Pennsylvania will be stronger. Our student membership is very active and engaged, however our penetration among the schools of pharmacy can be deeper. The bigger our student membership, the better our chances are for a sustained membership, and the better chances for a better profession in Pennsylvania. I call upon our wonderful group of student members across the state to expand the student membership of Continued on page 9
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 5
Departments Thank You to Our Corporate Partners These companies support PPA activities throughout the year.
PLATINUM LEVEL
GOLD LEVEL
SILVER LEVEL
BRONZE LEVEL
GoodNeighborPharmacy.com
Calendar of Events
JANUARY PPA MID-YEAR CONFERENCE 25-27 CAMP HILL, PA 27 PPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS FEBRUARY AACP INTERIM MEETING 9 -12 RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO 15-17 PPA GRASP PROGRAM HARRISBURG, PA MARCH APHA ANNUAL MEETING 1-4 LOS ANGELES, CA 3 PENNSYLVANIA RECEPTION AT APHA APRIL AMCP ANNUAL MEETING 3-5 SAN DIEGO, CA 9 PPA PHARMACY LEGISLATIVE DAY 20-23 NACDS ANNUAL CONFERENCE PALM BEACH, FL MAY NCPDP ANNUAL CONFERENCE 5-9 PHOENIX, AZ 9 PPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 16-18 ASCP SPRING CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION, ORLANDO, FL 18-21 NABP ANNUAL MEETING ST. LOUIS, MO JUNE ASHP SUMMER MEETING 1-5 MINNEAPOLIS, MN For additional events and PPA committee meetings, be sure to see our Calendar of Events on the PPA website!
The benefits of the network.The power of the brand. Today, thousands of independent Good Neighbor Pharmacy members enjoy the power of volume purchasing, scaled services and best practice solutions from ® AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation.
We provide pharmaceuticals, business support and consulting services to help our participating pharmacists focus on their most valuable strength — caring for their patients.
Please call us at 877.892.1254 or visit www.AmerisourceBergenDrug.com today to learn more.
6 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
Helping You Care For Your Community
You know your community’s health and wellness needs better than anyone. To provide the level of care your community deserves, you need a wholesaler that understands you and is committed to your success. At H. D. Smith, we understand your uniqueness. Every day we strive to provide service and solutions that make running your business that much easier. We are more than a wholesaler - we’re your advocate and partner. Let us help you care for your community.
888. 552.2526 | hdsmith.com
Departments Department
Member News Duquesne University’s Mylan School of Pharmacy Visits Capitol Hill Impact of Pharmacy on Patient Health Care Outcomes, Reduced Healthcare Costs Addressed
8 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
N
early 160 students, faculty, and staff from Duquesne University’s Mylan School of Pharmacy recently visited Capitol Hill to promote the critical role that pharmacists play in providing medication therapy management services. Student pharmacists from the School of Pharmacy’s class of 2015 met with members from 37 U.S. House and Senate offices on Oct. 22 to demonstrate how pharmacistprovided medication therapy management services can improve patient health care outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. “The trip was very successful,” said Ben Andrick, president of the class of 2015. “The experience demonstrated that we do have a say and that we can have an impact on future practice.” The Mylan School of Pharmacy implemented an advocacy class trip for students in their second professional year as a graduation requirement for its Doctor of Pharmacy professional degree. In addition, with support provided by the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, the student pharmacists participated in mock legislative visits to prepare for the Capitol Hill visit. “Most pharmacy schools don’t offer a program that addresses advocacy and provides this opportunity,” added Andrick. During their trip, the student pharmacists also had exposure to pharmacy career opportunities
Departments with the U.S. Public Health Service. Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Indian Health Service, Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Food & Drug Administration met with students at U.S. Pharmacopeia headquarters in Rockville, MD. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) provided logistical and informational support for the Duquesne students’ visit to Capitol Hill. NACDS Director of Government Affairs and Grassroots Programs Heidi Ecker delivered a presentation on grassroots advocacy to the students. Tom O’Donnell, NACDS Vice President of Federal Government Affairs, hosted an overview and briefing of the issues just prior to the Congressional visits.
Continuing Education – Free Home Studies for PPA Members PPA members can still access free home study articles on the PPA website at www.papharmacists/ CE. These articles are a collection of home studies that have been featured in past issues of the Pennsylvania Pharmacist, but are available for three years after the initial release date! For those who have already completed these articles or would like different topic options, check out the home study articles from the Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA). These can also be found on PPA’s CE website, but completed exams should be sent directly to OPA with a $5 fee for credit.
State Rep. Matt Bradford Speaks at Montgomery County Pharmacists Association Meeting The Montgomery Country Pharmacists Association held a dinner meeting & CE on November 1, 2012. Pat Epple, PPA CEO, provided the Pennsylvania Pharmacy Update 2012 and State Rep. Matt Bradford, was the guest speaker at the dinner. Rep. Bradford represents the 70th District which covers much of Montgomery County. During the meeting, Rep. Bradford was presented with the 2012 MCPA Legislator of the Year Award. In addition to the CE & dinner program, it was a fun evening networking and catching up with fellow PPA members.z
Rep. Bradford addresses members at the MCPA meeting.
Message from the President
Continued from page 5
PPA. I know you can do it! One of the first steps we can make to become more active and involved is to attend our conferences. And we can invite a friend or two to attend as well (whether they are a PPA member or not.) Our Mid-Year Conference is scheduled for the last weekend in January, the weekend before the Super Bowl. If you are not already registered to attend, make plans to join us in Camp Hill, PA, January 25-27. We have lots of fun scheduled, including the Student OTC Competition, plenty of relevant CEs, and a keynote speaker in RADM Scott Giberson, a true pharmacist leader in our country. There are also a few surprises planned, and the latenight entertainment gets better and better! Continue spreading the good PR through social media and other outlets. Positive vibes are contagious! Here’s to a great 2013 for our profession, and a healthy and successful year for all of us.z Robert Frankil, RPh PPA President 2012-2013 Bobbygolf@comcast.net Twitter @bobbygolf
Bruce Sigman and Rob Frankil present Rep. Bradford with the 2012 MCPA Legislator of the Year Award.
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 9
Departments
New Members P
PA welcomes the following New Members who joined the association October 3 - November 30, 2012. Please make these new members feel welcome and part of Pennsylvania pharmacy!
Active Pharmacist
Karen A. Ludmerer Schultz
Lisa Pang
Michael Bunn Pharmacy Healthcare Solutions, Inc. Pittsburgh
Garnet Valley
David Parker
Tanvi Patil CVS Caremark Managed Care Jefferson Hills Kelly Marie Gaertner Allegheny General Hospital Pittsburgh
Student
Julie Savelloni
Ashley Rose Kearney
Lisa Sleiminger
LECOM School of Pharmacy
Technician
Bryan Koronowski
Debra Jane Blum Pittsburgh
Christopher Sedgwick
Daniel Steven Moody CVS Caremark Pittsburgh
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy at USP Kelly White
Kellie Sadler Pittsburgh
Temple University School of Pharmacy
Steven Jay Somerson National Institute of Emergency Care Media Susan K. Yoder Lansdale Hospital Telford
Christopher S. Anderson Thomas Jefferson University School of Pharmacy Joseph Altmann Katherine Blocher Pamela Buckwalter Elizabeth Cannon-Davis Brianna Carbo
Tech Student
Helen Choi
YTI Career Institute
Alana Ciolek
Iris D. Apple Mechanicsburg
John Covotta
Lizabeth Colon
Jack F. Butler Mechanicsburg
Shafullah Dadpor
Kelly Dworak Mechanicsburg
Matthew Dimetrosky
Joshua M. Gill Mechanicsburg
Shafkat Hussain
Catherine E. Harris Mechanicsburg
John Pitsakis
Duquesne University Mylan School of Pharmacy
Hawa Fall
Kenneth Smith Pittsburgh
Sonia Patankar
Albert Dang Michael Gault Andrea Lordan Nicholas Macri
Morgan E. Hull Mechanicsburg
Kyle Massey
Eloy J. Jerome Mechanicsburg
Monica Motwani
Mina Meshreki
10 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
Rucha Shah Sergio Vernovsky Brittany Vining Baldric Wat Jack Williams Jonathan Zadrejko University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Caitlyn Anderson Amanda Antosz Vantonile Vien Bui Anthony Richard Kostka Stephen P. Sapienza Neal A. Sprissler Wilkes University Nesbitt College of Pharmacy Stephanie Horger Alyssa Jones Danielle Koch Lauren Para Tricia Quay David Swanger Kevin Taylor Christine Trusky Shantha Venugopal Brittany Wills Tyler Young Thank you to everyone who has helped to recruit a member. You have helped to make PPA stronger!
Features
Community Pharmacy Spotlight
Hartzell’s Pharmacy: Serving the Catasauqua Community Well Into The Future By: Molly S. McBryan, 2013 PharmD Candidate at Wilkes University
M
any independent pharmacies are disappearing, and for some, it is due to their hesitation to embrace new technology and implement new services. Hartzell’s Pharmacy is unlike those disappearing pharmacies. Hartzell’s Pharmacy, located in Catasauqua, PA, has evolved to offer services that are important to its success. Robert Hartzell purchased the pharmacy in 1968 from its previous owners; the pharmacy dates back to the late 1800s. During the existence of Hartzell’s Pharmacy, it has progressed from two employees to the current 47 employees. When asked, Robert Hartzell explains that the biggest change to community pharmacy has been dealing with insurance companies and regulations. In order to keep up with the regulations and the introduction of new technology, Hartzell’s Pharmacy has made necessary changes. According to Vince
Continued on page 14
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 11
Features Community Pharmacy Spotlight
Continued from page 13
Hartzell, the current owner of the pharmacy and Robert Hartzell’s son, “in the mid 80s we started to get involved in home medical equipment and started looking for a lot of medical third party PPO plans and got contracted [with] them… [and]…we started getting into long term care.” In 2007, Vince and his wife, Kristen, began working full time at Hartzell’s and at that time, the legislation passed allowing pharmacists to administer injectables. The Hartzells knew that this was an important opportunity for the pharmacy and hurried to organize and implement a vaccination clinic. Vince Hartzell explains, “Since then we’ve been able to expand our vaccine clinic over the past five years to do travel health consults and basically do any kind of vaccine.” Hartzell’s Pharmacy continues to incorporate and introduce numerous clinical services for their patients. According to Vince, “my dad did some before, but we’ve been working to do a lot more, especially in weight loss, nutritional, and also do a lot more of our screenings. We can do cholesterol, blood glucose and we can also do osteoporosis screenings.” Hartzell’s Pharmacy is a prime example of going beyond ordinary patient care by offering numerous services for its patients. Besides adding clinical services, Hartzell’s Pharmacy recently expanded their gift shop. Vince Hartzell gives credit to the success
of the gift shop to two of his employees. He explains, “I feel like I can manage anything, but I do not have a knack to know what your average demographic of gift buyers…would want in our area. However, these two do a very good job teaming up to do that.” Vince Hartzell obtained his PharmD from Wilkes University and completed a community pharmacy residency at Leesburg Pharmacy, affiliated with Shenandoah University, in Virginia. He states that his experiences at Leesburg Pharmacy and working at CVS as a regional manager for clinical services allowed him the opportunity to prepare for owning his own pharmacy. Those experiences guide Vince and determine what may work best or help him develop ideas on how the pharmacy may run more efficiently. With many departments and services to oversee, Vince Hartzell admits that owning a pharmacy can be stressful, “because you know the decisions you make not only affect you, but they affect your employees and your patients so you have to make sure that you get the most data and information possible to make educated decisions.” Human resources have been the biggest challenge Vince has faced when it comes to owning his own pharmacy. He explains, “Employees are the most valuable resource I have and we have a ton of very good employees here. But the hardest thing is learning how to manage and diffuse situations so that everyone is happy and
12 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
everyone has different opinions. The biggest thing is trying to find ways to meld all that together.” When asked what makes independent pharmacies unique from chain pharmacies, Vince Hartzell states, “I used to think personal service, but more and more I just don’t. I think every pharmacy strives to give personal service and I think that really depends on who’s the pharmacist there and who’s the pharmacy manager there.” Vince believes the real difference is the ability of independent pharmacies to adapt faster than chains. For example, independents offered immunizations sooner than chains and they offer unique services, such as travel consultations or compounding medications. According to Vince, “I think that’s the interesting thing about independents that they can kind of carve out little niches that are available and find quick ways to put them into production rather than a chain that would have to go through layers and layers of management.” Vince Hartzell supports organizations like the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association. He believes those organizations are important to independent pharmacy success and that they “allow them [independent pharmacists] to have a collective voice of a larger number than just that one person in that one pharmacy.” These organizations are important to the future of independent pharmacy; however, the pharmacy must work hard on
Features its own too. Vince “foresee[s] that there will be a point in time where a lot of the independents are going to be forced to start getting on board with a lot of technology that’s out there and those that don’t are significantly going to start struggling.” He continues, “Pharmacies that stay ingenuitive will be successful and stay in business and I think they’ll be a major player in patient care.” Vince Hartzell has hopes for the
future and the continued success and growth of Hartzell’s Pharmacy. “One is to advance our business, add a second location. Two is increasing our educational abilities. We have a residency program. Find ways to increase and augment that and increase our precepting and our student education portion. Three would be to increase our vested interest in the community itself and finding ways to develop practices with other organizations
that would develop better patient care, especially the big thing in and out of health systems.” It is clear that Hartzell’s Pharmacy has implemented many services in order to stay successful, but also to improve the lives of their patients by making patient care a top priority. Hartzell’s Pharmacy will continue to serve the Catasauqua community well into the future.z
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 13
Features
Pennsylvania Pharmacy Resident Spotlight
P
PA thanks all of the residents in Pennsylvania that submitted their spotlight information for inclusion in the publication. Residents from Pennsylvania programs were featured in the September/October and November/December issues of the publication. This issue includes the final spotlights for 2012-13. We are so proud of all the Pennsylvania residents and wish them all the best in their pharmacy careers! PPA will once again send out a call for spotlight information during the summer of 2013, for 2013-2014. Esther Lee, PharmD, Erie Veterans Affairs Medical Center, PGY1 School Attended: University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 2012 Project: An evaluation of opioid conversion from short acting to long acting in the treatment of chronic pain. Pharmacy Practice Vision: My vision is to practice as a specialized ambulatory care clinical pharmacist and incorporate academia into my career. My practice interests include pain/palliative care and chronic management of diseases such as diabetes. I look forward to the opportunity to teach and precept students to give back to the community of future pharmacists.
Bret Chapman, PharmD, Allegheny General Hospital, PGY2, Infectious Diseases School Attended: South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy, 2011 Project: This year, my potential major research project will be to evaluate the clinical outcomes for vancomycin colonic lavage in patients who have undergone diverting ileostomy. I will also perform a medication use evaluation on micafungin to evaluate the appropriate utilization of this agent. Pharmacy Practice Vision: In 5 to 10 years, I envision myself practicing as an inpatient clinical pharmacy specialist in infectious diseases at an acute care teaching hospital. I would also like to be involved in ASHP and SIDP by serving on a committee or advisory group as well as precept pharmacy students and residents. Ahmedul Ambia, PharmD, Moses Taylor Hospital, PGY1, Pharmacy Practice School Attended: Ernest Mario School of PharmacyRutgers University, 2012 Project: Assessment of the Impact of Pharmacy Interventions in HCAHPs Score. Pharmacy Practice Vision: My current specialty interests include critical
14 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
care and infectious diseases. In 5 years, I would like to work in an academic medical institution in which I can help provide exceptional patient care. I have always been interested in academia and I hope to one day integrate my clinical interests into teaching at a pharmacy school, while being able to provide services as an clinical specialist in an institution. Travis Reinaker, PharmD, York Hospital, PGY1, Pharmacy Practice School Attended: Wilkes University Nesbit School of Pharmacy, 2012 Project: My research question will involve the decreased morbidity and mortality experienced from Pharmacist education of a Sedation Protocol to the staff of a Trauma Surgery ICU. Pharmacy Practice Vision: I plan to complete my PGY-1 and go on to pursue a PGY-2 in Critical Care. I hope to earn my BCPS and practice in either a teaching institution or explore the option of a faculty position at a school of pharmacy. Thao K. Huynh, PharmD, Lancaster General Hospital, PGY1 School Attended: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences, 2012 Project: Evaluation of Efficacy and
Features Safety of Prothrombin Complex Concentrate (PCC) 25 IU/kg vs 35 IU/kg in Anticoagulant Reversal in Head Traumas. Pharmacy Practice Vision: Pharmacy is a constantly evolving field and I hope to play a part in advancing our profession. In the future, I plan on practicing as a clinical specialist and a stalwart advocate for the patient, especially in regards to medication safety and contributions to research. I also believe in mentoring student pharmacists and fostering their growth like many of my mentors have done for me in helping me become the pharmacist that I am today. Gregory Castelli, PharmD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, St. Margaret Hospital, PGY1, Pharmacy Practice School Attended: Wilkes University Nesbit School of Pharmacy, 2012 Project: My research will be looking retrospectively at the treatment of patients with MRSA infections that have a vancomycin MIC of 2 mcg/mL. Our hope is to see if the utilization of other antibiotic agents in these infections improves mortality and readmission rates. Pharmacy Practice Vision: After completing my PGY1 residency, I will continue my training in St. Margaret’s Family Medicine PGY2 specialty. After postgraduate training, I plan to pursue a faculty position in academia. I enjoy teaching others, especially in small group or one-on-one settings. I
also hope to work closely with a family medicine residency so I may aid in the development of future doctors and a collaborative physician-pharmacist relationship. Yevgeniya Kogan, PharmD, Lancaster General Hospital, PGY1, Infectious Disease School Attended: Jefferson University School of Pharmacy, 2012 Project: Pharmacist impact on shortening length of hospital stay in patients with a primary diagnosis of pneumonia, through proactive conversion of intravenous antibiotics to oral formulations. Pharmacy Practice Vision: In 5 to 10 years I envision myself to be working side by side with fellow pharmacists, medical doctors, and nurses to enhance patient care. I hope to impact my community by providing excellent evidenced based medicine that is attainable and comprehendible to all patients that come across my path. Lauren E. Kattner, PharmD, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, PGY1, Pediatrics School Attended: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences, 2012 Project: The pRIFLE score has been developed to assist physicians with rapid assessment of a pediatric patient’s renal status. My research project will be a pilot study to focus on the practical
utility of this scoring system for the pediatric intensive care unit clinical pharmacist. There will be a comparison between calculated creatinine clearance (using the Bedside Schwartz formula) and pRIFLE scores for patients receiving aminoglycosides and/ or vancomycin. I will be looking for a correlation between serum drug levels and each method of estimated renal function. One purpose of this analysis is to determine if the pRIFLE score is a more accurate real-time indicator of acute renal dysfunction and declining creatinine clearance rate. Another is to evaluate if pRIFLE score can be used to predict therapeutic dosing of vancomycin/aminoglycosides through correlation with serum drug levels that can be customized to an individual patient’s rapidly changing clinical condition. Pharmacy Practice Vision: At the present time I am seeking opportunities to expand my knowledge and involvement in precepting students, expand my opportunity in academia by obtaining a mastery of teaching certificate, and learn, participate in, and master the research process while completing this PGY1 residency program. I look forward to participating in a variety of clinical experiences which will challenge me to become a competent professional clinician and confident educator of health care professionals, patients and students. My future goals include practicing as a unit based clinical pharmacist in general pediatrics,
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 15
Features or as a cardiac intensive care or neonatal intensive care practitioner. I plan on obtaining my Master’s degree in Business Administration in Healthcare Management for further advancement into a pharmacy administrative role. Amanda P. Wojtusik, PharmD, UPMC St. Margaret, PGY1, Pharmacy Practice School Attended: University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, 2012 Project: UPMC St. Margaret FHC Transitions of Care Initiative; Primary Objective: Identify and categorize pharmacists’ interventions following transitions of care. Pharmacy Practice Vision: My primary areas of interest include chronic disease state management, medication adherence, and medication safety during transitions of care. I ultimately hope to attain an academic faculty position. Ideally I would like to practice in an environment where I can combine my passion for teaching, clinical practice and research. Johanna Thompson, PharmD, UPMC St. Margaret, PGY1, General Practice/ Family Medicine School Attended: University of Washington School of Pharmacy, 2012 Project: Assess the impact of pharmacists as providers of comprehensive medication management within a senior living
community on patient-related clinical outcomes. Pharmacy Practice Vision: In 5-10 years I plan to return to Washington State and help expand the role of clinical pharmacists in the family medicine setting and in the Medical Home. Specifically I would like to specialize in geriatric care, and I always want to devote time to precepting and teaching students and residents. Jennifer Harmon, PharmD, PerformRx, PGY1, Managed Care School Attended: Jefferson University School of Pharmacy, 2012 Project: I am not sure, at this point. I know that it will likely have some sort of MTM/DTM (medication therapy management or drug therapy management) component. Perhaps it will focus on rheumatoid arthritis. Pharmacy Practice Vision: In 5 to 10 years I envision myself as a fully competent, high-functioning managed care pharmacist. I’d hope to have created or been a part of creating inventive programming within managed care that could further improve patient health outcomes. I might also look to eventually apply my experience toward a career in public health policy.
16 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
Justin Harris, PharmD, Temple University Hospital, PGY1 School Attended: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences, 2012 Project: An Evaluation of the Cardiovascular Care of High Risk Abdominal Transplant Patients. Pharmacy Practice Vision: After completing my PGY-1 pharmacy residency experience, I intend to sit for my BCPS certification. The following year I would like to complete a PGY-2 in either internal medicine or ambulatory care. Depending on where I specialize, I would like to become a clinical specialist at a major hospital institution (internal medicine) or a Veterans hospital (outpatient/ ambulatory care). I would also like to become an adjunct faculty member of a pharmacy school so that I may precept students and hopefully one day impart all of the knowledge that I have gained throughout this journey. Megan E. Fleischman, PharmD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PGY2, Ambulatory Care School Attended: University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2010 Project: Evaluate the health outcomes/healthcare utilization impact of a six prescriptions per month limitation in patients with prescription coverage under ACCESS, a patient population serviced by Medicaid.
Features Pharmacy Practice Vision: I enjoy educating others. My preferred position is one where I am a faculty member working part-time as an ambulatory care pharmacist. Over the next 5 to 10 years I plan to build upon or develop my practice setting and advance my teaching skills in an effort to have quality pharmacist-patient relationships and provide excellent learning opportunities for students and residents. Robert Alspach, PharmD, Lancaster General Hospital, PGY1, Pharmacy Practice School Attended: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences, 2008 Project: Bivalirudin utilization in morbidly obese patients and the incidence of post-procedure bleeding complications in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Pharmacy Practice Vision: I see myself working as a clinical pharmacist in an ambulatory care setting progressing towards being a director of a hospital pharmacy. Gerard Mascara, PharmD, Allegheny General Hospital, PGY2, Hematology/ Oncology School Attended: University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, 2011 Project: While I have not settled on a final project yet, I do have an interest in pharmacokinetics
and drug interactions involving antineoplastic agents. I am also considering completing a project evaluating modified chemotherapy regimens used at WPAHS. Pharmacy Practice Vision: I am preparing for a career as a clinical oncology specialist. I would like to practice for several years following completion of my residency program, and then ultimately obtain a faculty position at an academic medical center where I can both teach and maintain a clinical practice. Catherine Lee, PharmD, PerformRx, PGY1, Managed Care School Attended: Shenandoah University, 2010 Project: Evaluation of DMARD initiation and compliance in Rheumatoid Arthritis for the Medicaid Population. Pharmacy Practice Vision: My goal is to become proficient in all aspects of managed care. I would like to become a clinical pharmacist with focus on plan management and implementation. I am also interested in further exploring the field of formulary management, personalized medication and account management. Ultimately, I hope to use my knowledge to create and implement comprehensive programs that will promote clinically sound and costeffective patient care. In the future, I would like to explore a role in teaching as well as government compliance and policy creation.
Shemane H. Fritz, PharmD, Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy/ Duquesne University, PGY1, Community Pharmacy School Attended: Hampton University School of Pharmacy, 2012 Project: The recent approval of protease inhibitors boceprevir and telaprevir has greatly improved Hepatitis C viral response rates. My research topic will be centered on Hepatitis C and the long term analysis of patients treated with boceprevir or telaprevir in addition to standard therapy with ribavirin and interferon-alfa. My intent is to observe patient response rates beyond 24 weeks of therapy. Pharmacy Practice Vision: In 5 to 10 years I hope to attain a pharmacist position that utilizes the principles of pharmaceutical care and provides services that optimize drug and disease management in patients with various needs. Also one that builds on my retail experience and clinical knowledge while also offers opportunities for advancement. My particular areas of interest are in specialty pharmacy, managed care and academia. z
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 17
McKesson is proud to sponsor PPA as we work together to secure the future of independent pharmacy
Team Up with a 180-Year Leader! For 180 years, McKesson has been providing independent pharmacies with high-value distribution excellence and business solutions to help you stand out in the marketplace. Today our commitment includes: – 99.998% order accuracy and 98% fill rates – Local McKesson distribution center – Award-winning ServiceFirst customer care center
GrowWithMcKesson.com | 855.MCK.RETL
Health Mart Is Your Competitive Advantage. A national network of nearly 3,000 independently owned pharmacies, Health Mart® Systems, Inc. is a comprehensive pharmacy-franchise program. Health Mart can help you attract new customers, maximize the value of your current customers and increase your business efficiency.
BecomeAHealthMart.com | 855.HLTH.MRT
©2012 McKesson Corporation. All rights reserved. HM-06396-06-12
HM-06396-06-12_Health Mart-Ad-Pennsylvania_Pharmacy_Association_FIN.indd 1
6/4/12 10:13 AM
3 AM
Features
PPA Member Profile John Barrett, RPh, CHC Pharmacy/ Practice Site: URAC Title: Pharmacy Accreditation Reviewer Education: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy La Salle University, currently working on MBA Career Background: I worked in community retail pharmacy… an independent then a chain pharmacy while I was in school. After I graduated, I practiced at Thrift Drug then CVS/Pharmacy. I also was an adjunct faculty member at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy on a part time basis assisting in their Pharmacotherapeutics lab. I became interested in managed care and the prior authorization/ utilization management aspect of pharmacy and had an opportunity to work for Cigna in their Mail Order facility as a Clinical Pharmacist handling exceptions and prior authorizations. After a few years at Cigna, I accepted a position at Keystone Mercy Health Plan and PerformRx in Philadelphia as a pharmacist handling prior authorizations and as a resource to the Pharmacy Help Desk. After a series of management assignments in the Pharmacy Call Center, Pharmacy Network and Prior Authorization Departments,
I was promoted to Associate Vice President of Pharmacy Operations. In 2010, I was asked to oversee Compliance and Quality for the PBM and I obtained my, Certification in Healthcare Compliance (CHC). I currently work for URAC as a Pharmacy Accreditation Reviewer where I am responsible for conducting all aspects of accreditation reviews as well as participating in the standards development/revision process, providing educational instruction, and responding to external inquiries related to the interpretation of the pharmacy standards. What made you choose the profession of pharmacy? A pharmacy degree does not narrow you down to have to do one specific type of job in the world of pharmacy. You can use that degree and that education to do many different types of jobs because pharmacy has many different components to it. In pharmacy, it seems like the world is the limit. I also like dealing with patients and helping people get the best and the most out of their health and their drug therapy. During your career, what do you believe is the single most significant advancement in pharmacy? I think that the focus of pharmacists from just being dispensers of drugs to being more patient coordinators of drug
therapy has been a big change. When I first started pharmacy school and was practicing in a pharmacy, we focused on the process of dispensing drugs, and compounding. We had a patient focus too with profile reviews and counseling, but that really has changed so much the last couple of years with drug therapy management programs and pharmacists now involved in giving immunizations. How has being a PPA member helped you professionally? I found that my being a member of PPA helped me understand the issues that community pharmacists were facing in their practice – what they liked, what they didn’t like, what their focus was. So, when I was on the other side being in the insurance/PBM industry, I was able to use that information internally and say, let’s think about these programs before we put them into play, let’s consult with our network pharmacists and see how they feel about different things. I tried to be an advocate for the community pharmacy within the PBM and PPA was my conduit to get that information. Would you recommend other pharmacists join PPA, and if so, why? I think that for a number of reasons pharmacists should join. One is that it’s a fantastic networking opportunity for you. You meet a Continued on page 20
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 19
Features PPA Member Profile
Continued from page 19
lot of other pharmacists that are in the same situation you are and you can discuss issues that you are having and together find common ground to resolve those issues and use PPA as your advocate to do that. It’s also important because you get information that may not
be available to you. There’s a lot of information about legislation that is coming up, that may be important to a pharmacist. It’s important to know that type of information so you can think about how it is going to affect your practice setting and what you need to do with regard to that legislation; to advocate for or against that legislation. I also find the education
component...like the CEs and local meetings…are really valuable. When you are not working you can be found doing what? I like to go work out at the gym. I also play keyboard and sing in a contemporary Christian band. My daughter is involved with volleyball (high school and club) almost year round and we attend her games. z
certified pharmacy technicians:
join today & receive free cpe! receiVe 10 free hours of cpe Become a PPA Pharmacy Technician Member in 2013 and receive the Pharmacy TEAM Series a new benefit which will give you free access to quality, acpe-accredited cpe activities. The complete TEAM Series of 10 CPE activities are available Jan. 2013. Go to www.Gotocei.org (under OF INTEREST) to review this year’s TEAM activity topics.
Pharmacy Technician Education for Association Members
Join now to receive more ppa benefits plus all the cpe required for your recertification!
www.papharmacists.com
20 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
Features
Profiles in Pharmacy Innovation: Brought to you by the Educational Foundation, Dr. Karleen Melody, Pioneer of the MTM Frontier Education: Baccalaureate Degree in Biology from Shippensburg University PharmD University of Pittsburgh Community Practice Residency, Kerr Drug and MUSC, Charleston, SC. Site Description: Dr. Melody is a full time Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. Her two clinical practice sites are Sunray Drugs, a community pharmacy, and Sayre Health Center, a federally qualified health center, both located in west Philadelphia. Innovative Services Provided: Originally, Dr. Melody was assigned to Sunray drugs as her clinical practice site upon acquirement of a full time faculty position at PCP Dr. Melody quickly recognized the need for clinical services in her practice site and devoted herself to developing clinical services such as immunization and medication therapy management, MTM, services from scratch. As a result of Dr. Melody’s efforts, Sunray
drugs has now partnered with Mercy Philadelphia Hospital, to provide MTM services for high risk patients in attempt to reduce readmission rates. During this service, Sunray Drugs increases access to medications through bedside delivery of discharge medications or free delivery directly to the patient’s home and provides MTM consultations. The MTM service consists of talking to patients one on one and completing a medication review, and disease state and medication education. The overall purpose of this service is “to make sure our patients get the most out of their medications.” Not only does Dr. Melody provide MTM for hospital discharge patients but also for referrals from Outcomes and Mirixa. Dr. Melody says, “It’s kind of like online dating. These companies are platforms that contract with insurance companies and pharmacist to connect patients with pharmacist for MTM.” Sunray Drugs was Dr. Melody’s assigned practice site; however, she expanded her opportunities to provide MTM services when she gained a position at Sayre Health Clinic. Dr. Melody was asked to provide clinical services at this practice site while promoting the clinical services of Sunray Drugs to local physicians. The health center was looking to acquire a pharmacist for MTM and Dr. Melody offered the services they desired. She now works at
Sayre one day a week where she receives referrals directly from the physicians for medication management of patients with uncontrolled DM and HTN. Sayre also provides Dr. Melody with a venue to host monthly diabetes education groups. During these group sessions, Dr. Melody and her students, on rotation, educate diabetic patients on topics such as diabetic nutrition, how their medications work, and complications associated diabetes. Having two clinical practice sites provided Dr. Melody with the opportunity to stimulate collaboration between healthcare providers. When at Sunray drugs, Dr. Melody can refer patients to Sayre Health Clinic for treatment of medical conditions that are found during health screenings or refer underserved patients in search of an all inclusive health clinic. Dr. Melody also refers patients from Sayre to Sunray drugs for the clinical and pharmaceutical services they provide. Advice for Others Interested in Providing Clinical Services: Although Dr. Melody acquired most of her MTM background from her residency she says, “You do not have to do a residency” in MTM to gain a working knowledge of how to conduct and create MTM programs. The Pennsylvania Project provides MTM training at all of the schools of pharmacy in PA and APhA usually provides Continued on page 24
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 21
Features
Message from the Secretary of the Commonwealth G ov. Tom Corbett is fighting to make Pennsylvania a state where small businesses can flourish, create jobs, and provide important products and services to our citizens. The governor’s recent signing of Act 207 of 2012, the Access to Community Pharmacy Services Law, is a big step forward in this effort, as well as a win for Pennsylvania consumers. Pennsylvania is home to nearly 3,400 pharmacies. These local businesses keep our citizens healthy by dispensing prescription drugs and counseling customers to make sure they understand their medications, as well as making sure prescriptions can be taken safely in combination with other medications. Pharmacists help make our state’s health care system work. Containing health care costs is also an important public policy goal, but must be balanced with providing the best care possible. These two goals began to collide in recent years, as more and more health plans cut deals with large, mail-order pharmacy companies to provide prescriptions at reduced cost. While good for consumers’ wallets and holding down insurance costs, this is not a good situation for consumers in terms of their health care and it is not positive for Pennsylvania’s
economy. Patients can’t talk to mail order pharmacies about individual health care concerns, such as whether a prescription should be taken with food. The mail order company doesn’t know whether the prescription will combine safely with the patient’s other medications. For many people, just having the peace of mind that a trusted, local health care professional is concerned about their wellbeing makes all the difference. Earlier this year, a study showed that consumers, when costs are similar, prefer dealing with a local pharmacy over a mail-order firm by a four-to-one margin. Pharmacies employ about 122,000 Pennsylvanians. These key, local businesses also buy supplies and services from other firms in their communities. Community pharmacies pay more than $1.1 billion a year in state and local taxes, supporting education, public safety, and other important services. This is why Gov. Corbett supported and signed this law, so consumers can choose to get prescriptions at their local pharmacies. This issue had been debated in the Legislature for 15 years. Finally, because Gov. Corbett understands how important this is to Pennsylvanians’ health care, and
22 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
Carol Aichele
how important it is to keeping and creating jobs in our state, it is now law. The legislation says simply health insurance plans, both private and government run, must provide the same benefits and costs for consumers to get prescriptions at local pharmacies, as they provide for those who use mail order pharmacies. Retail pharmacies must agree to accept, from the insurer, the same pricing and terms as mail order companies. If they do, local pharmacies can compete fairly for customers business. This common sense law levels the playing field, which has been increasingly tilted away from our local pharmacies. The law protects consumers by requiring the same terms for both retail and mail order pharmacies, and keeps costs consistent for health plans as well. Gov. Corbett is working every day to keep good jobs in Pennsylvania and make our state Continued on page 24
Š 2011 Cardinal Health. All rights reserved. KINRAY and the KINRAY logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cardinal Health. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Lit. No. 1R16734 (11/2011)
Features Message from the Secretary
Profiles in Pharmacy Innovation
Continued from page 22
Continued from page 21
attractive for new businesses to locate. As our population ages, the need for pharmacies to provide access to prescriptions and health care advice that only local, trusted pharmacists can provide, will increase. Gov. Corbett’s signing of this law says to Pennsylvania citizens he will continue to fight for the greatest choice in health care, while also keeping costs down. To the pharmacy industry, the governor’s ability to get this law passed says Pennsylvania welcomes your business and your jobs in our state.z
Delivering Medication Therapy Management Services at its meetings. When starting MTM services, Dr. Melody advises, “It is important to find out who the MTM payers are for your patient population as well as to lobby for increasing the depth of payers for MTM services.” She also stressed the importance of networking with other pharmacists as well as being passionate, determined, and flexible when creating programs from scratch, as things do not always work out as planned.
How has being a member of PPA helped you? Being involved in PPA allow Dr. Melody to network with a community sense, connect with other pharmacists who have similar issues “on a home level,” attend meetings with programs that address issues in PA healthcare, and collaborate with other pharmacists through discussions of “challenges and triumphs.” z Contact Information: Email: k.melody@usciences.edu Phone: 215-596-7208
BS_PennAd_Beatty12_color_Layout 1 5/23/12 9:53 AM Page 1
When buying, selling or evaluating a pharmacy... be sure you have the right people on your team!
1-(877)-360-0095 Your Local Specialist Jim Beatty, R.Ph. jimb@buy-sellapharmacy.com Tel: 1-(732)-563-0295
Over 30 pharmac 0 ies sold 2,500 registered buyers
“My goal is to create value for independent pharmacists. As a participant in the industry for many years, I have observed and been a part of many dramatic changes in independent pharmacy. At Buy-Sell, I work diligently to protect the value of my clients’ businesses, assist them with evaluating those businesses and implement an effective exit strategy plan. I then utilize our company’s large database of active buyers and the expertise of my professional colleagues to help identify the right buyer for your pharmacy, while structuring a transaction that works for all parties. The services we provide are well documented and our list of satisfied clients who will vouch for our professionalism is lengthy.”
Completely Confidential! We work hard to help reach your goals!
24 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
Association News
Pennsylvania Celebrates American Pharmacists Month
A
merican Pharmacists Month 2012 was well celebrated in the Commonwealth this year! Thank you to the members of the PPA Public Relations Committee for all of their hard work to help promote this important pharmacy event. Thank you also to all those who submitted photos of their Pharmacists Month celebrations, we enjoyed reading about your celebrations and looking at the photos! These photos and captions are included in this article. PPA also released a series of press releases during the month of October on topics including the regulation of PBMs, pharmacy mail order waste, the value of community pharmacists and expanding immunization abilities. One press release was distributed each week during the month of October. The press releases are available to read on the PPA website under Communications, Archived News Releases. What will your pharmacy do next year to celebrate? It’s time to start planning now! Rite Aid Pharmacy #10909 in Pittsburgh, PA, hosted a Wellness
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 25
Association News
Event to kick-off American Pharmacists Month. Rite Aid pharmacists and store management partnered with the University of Pittsburgh Pharmacy, Dental and Nursing schools. The event attracted many new people into the store to participate in kid-friendly activities such as healthy snack “compounding” and blister packing of candy corn, and to learn about safe medication use. An in-store farmer’s market promoted healthy eating and raised money for a local charity assisting underserved patients in Pittsburgh in obtaining health care. At Wilkes University, The PPA Student Group promoted American Pharmacist month with a variety of events and collaborations with APhA-ASP. Events included “Speed Date and Debate” with 30 students rotating between tables and discussing issues in the pharmacy world. PPA-Wilkes also took part in Media Day in NYC and a “Medication Safety” education where 24 people were informed about safe OTC medication use.
LECOM students teamed up to “Make Their Mark” in terms of promoting the “Know Your Pharmacist, Know Your Medicine” theme of American Pharmacists Month. They also participated in a wellness fair on October 14 in honor of American Pharmacists Month. They informed the public on the differences between Type I and Type II Diabetes, discussed the dangers of prescription drug abuse, and shared heart healthy treats, recipes and tips with mall patrons.
26 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
Association News Millennium Pharmacy Services in Cranberry Township “boo-ed” their co-workers with a pumpkin filled with goodies! This was for all employees to thank each other and share their appreciation!
Red Cross Pharmacy in Forest City created pharmacy “goody” bags for local friends and business associates.z
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 27
Association News
On Rotation With PPA, A Unique and Beneficial Experience
regarding legislation. Fortunately for me, I gained experience as an active advocate by assisting Don with supporting Senate Bill 201. WeUniversity handed out letters of support Molly S. McBryan, PharmD Candidate 2013 Wilkes to the members of both the House and the Senate in order to get y elective rotation at the PPA’s voice heard. During the last Pennsylvania Pharmacists days before the final House vote, I Association proved to be a unique realized how valuable time is and and beneficial experience. My that every opportunity to talk with introduction into the association a legislator counts. Don certainly lifestyle involved diving right into taught me a great deal about the the final preparation for PPA’s 2012 legislative process and I gained an Annual Conference in Scranton, appreciation of the importance of PA. I caught a glimpse, in the days advocating for your profession. leading up to the conference, of Additionally, I assisted all the dedication, commitment Membership Coordinator, Corey and hard work involved in running Wenger, with adding or renewing a weekend long event. While at members and I learned how the the conference, I assisted with a membership process of PPA works. variety of tasks and staffed the It can be challenging organizing registration desk. The conference the members, creating invoices was an opportunity to meet many and making sure the information pharmacists and to learn about in the system is accurate. Members career and residency opportunities. are an essential part of PPA and I strongly encourage all PPA the organization strives to offer members to attend future PPA its members services such as CE conferences. I am especially credits and other programs. Sara looking forward to the Mid- Year Powers, Program Coordinator, conference this January in Camp described to me the process of Hill, PA. I know the staff is hard at developing CE programs for the work planning the programs and it conferences and the qualifications promises to be just as great, if not necessary for consideration as a better. CE program. She explained how a After the conclusion of a pharmacist or pharmacy technician successful conference, I spent the actually receives CE credit. I remainder of my experience at PPA realized the difficulty in reviewing working with the staff members. the programs and editing them From Don Smith, the Government in order to fit into the standards Relations Coordinator, I witnessed set by the Accreditation Council personally how the legislative of Pharmacy Education (ACPE). process functions and why It was worthwhile to obtain an advocacy is important. I had the understanding of that process for opportunity to attend a committee my future career as a pharmacist. meeting and numerous meetings
M
28 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
I enjoyed working with Communications Coordinator, Erika Butts. Erika plays an important role in communicating to PPA members by managing publications, such as the Pennsylvania Pharmacist Magazine and the PPA Weekly Bulletin. The assignments and interviews I completed for her were beneficial for me because it allowed me to talk to pharmacists in a variety of practice settings with different opinions and it gave me great insight into the field of pharmacy and the potential opportunities. One of the most valuable experiences for me was when I interviewed independent pharmacy owners and learned what it is like to own a pharmacy and their opinion on independent pharmacy in the future. Furthermore, working with CEO, Pat Epple was a wonderful opportunity. I observed and participated in numerous conference calls involving committees and foundations and
Association News attended important meetings. She strived to provide necessary information to the members and to assist her staff with any questions or projects. She needed to make decisions that would be best for all PPA members. She had abundant insight and knowledge into what considerations are necessary when it comes to making decisions and running an association.
My rotation at PPA was well worth the experience. It has been enlightening and has made me realize the importance of advocating for pharmacy. It is important for pharmacists and pharmacy students to stay informed on current legislation in order to advocate for or against specific issues that could affect pharmacy practice. PPA is certainly beneficial
for all Pennsylvania pharmacists and involvement at the student level is a great start. I recommend interested pharmacy students to elect to participate in this unique opportunity.z
Mark Your Calendar And
PPA’s 2013 Legislative Day
Save the Date!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Calling All Pennsylvania Pharmacists ~ Students ~ Pharmacy Technicians Come make your mark and impact pharmacy’s future! You have a voice. You can make a difference. Join us as we march on the Capitol! More information will be available soon, on our website, Facebook, and Twitter. Or contact PPA Government Relations Manager, Don Smith at dsmith@papharmacists.com or (717) 234-6151, ext. 102
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 29
Independent Pharmacy Buying Group Pays Your PPA and NCPA Dues So You Don’t Have To!
What Did Your Buying Group Do For You In the Past Year? Independent Pharmacy Buying Group (IPBG) members receive: • • •
•
• •
•
Membership Dues for PPA and NCPA Paid in Full (not just a percentage off of your dues) Paid Membership Fee to DeaLookUp.com Pharmacy Audit Assistance Service (PAAS) Yearly Fee Paid 100% of all rebates received from Federation Pharmacy Network (FPN) contracts returned to our members Up to $1,200 for attending AmerisourceBergen’s Wholesale Expo in Las Vegas Free Seminars on Accreditation and Competitive Bidding, FSA Certification, and Fraud, Waste and Abuse Compliance
$3,500,000 was distributed to our members in the form of rebates and end of year bonuses
IPBG and it’s Members Proudly paid the PPA over $76,000 for dues and Political Lobbying Efforts during the last 12 months Mention This Ad and Receive $50 Off Processing Fee
In Addition, IPBG Provides: The Lowest Cost of Goods From AmerisourceBergen With The Highest Generic Rebate Percentage Free HIPAA Custom Manuals Prepared For Your Store At NO CHARGE Lowest VISA/MASTERCARD Contract for Independent Pharmacies in Pennsylvania And Much More – All For A One Time Processing Fee of $100
Call 866-910-IPBG (4724) To Start Benefiting Today!
PPA 2013 Mid-Year Conference Staking Your Claim For The Future Radisson Penn Harris Hotel & Conference Center Camp Hill, PA January 25-27, 2013 The future of pharmacy practice and innovation is now!
Radisson Penn Harris Hotel &
PPA invites you to join us by “Staking Your Claim For The Future” of pharmacy. How will you personally stake your Conference Center, Camp Hill, PA at the 2013 PPA Mid-Year Conference will assist claim to enhance patient care and public health? The programming 25-27, 2013for the future of pharmacy. you with determining your planJanuary for staking your claim
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: PPA is proud to announce that Rear Admiral Scott F. Giberson, U.S. Assistant Surgeon General; Director, Commissioned Corps Personnel and Readiness; and Chief Professional Officer, Pharmacy, will be our keynote speaker at the Mid-Year Conference. We hope you will join us for his timely and motivating speech and CE titled Transform Health Care in 2013! A Call to Action. RADM Giberson will discuss his Pharmacy Report to the U.S. Surgeon General and provide ideas to guide regulation and policy based on current health system needs and current pharmacy practice. He will advise attendees on facilitating partnerships at the state level to transform practices, and participants will leave the program inspired to improve the Nation’s health and safety. Additional Event Highlights: • Continuing Education Programs • Socializing and networking at the Kick-Off Celebration, the Beer & Banter Reception, and the Dessert Reception • Student Programming • Student Competitions • Technician Programing • The PPA Educational Foundation Auction • And more!
MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION AVAILABLE AT WWW.PAPHARMACISTS.COM/MIDYEAR
Association News
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 26 to 29, 2013 at the Wyndham Gettysburg in Gettysburg, PA. 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. All nominations will be 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 the area of third party relations
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 is the fifth year for this award and it 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.
Nominate a deserving individual for an award and recognize them for all they do for the pharmacy profession!
Find the nomination form at www.papharmacists.com/awards 32 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
Association News
Nominations Being Accepted for PPA Officers and Members of the Board of Directors The following positions are available: President Elect, First Vice President and Second Vice President Regional Directors – Northwest and Southeast Regions Academy Directors – Academy of Health System Pharmacists, Academy of Long Term Care Pharmacists, Academy of Alternative Practice Pharmacists, and Academy of Student Pharmacists
Help lead your profession and pharmacy forward! Officers The Nominating Committee is seeking nominations from our membership for the officer positions of President Elect, First Vice President, and Second Vice President.This is a great opportunity to help lead the profession. Candidates for the office of President Elect and First Vice President must be Active (Pharmacist, Retired, or Life) members of PPA. Candidates for the office of Second Vice President may be either Active members or Associate members of the Association. Job descriptions for officer positions and the Board may be found by clicking on the respective position at www. paharmacists.com/Board, as well as the general link for Board members.
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: Southeast and Northwest.To see what areas comprise a region – please go to www.papharmacists. com/Regions.
Academy Directors The Nominating Committee also needs individuals willing to lead their practice setting through their Academy. A Director is needed for each Academy up for election this year. Terms are two years and individuals may serve two consecutive terms, except for the Academy of Student Pharmacists, which is a one year term.The Director serves on the PPA Board of Directors. The following Academies are electing officers this year: Health System, Long Term Care, Alternative Practice, and Students. Any individual member or group of members may nominate
someone for consideration. However, prior to submitting a nomination, the individual’s consent should be secured. Individuals may also nominate themselves. All nominations are to be received at the PPA Office by Monday, March 11, 2013. 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.z
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 33
Association News – Pharmacy Technician Corner
Pharmacy TEAM Series – 10 FREE Hours of CE for Certified Pharmacy Technician Members!
D
o you find yourself looking for quality, affordable, pharmacy technician continuing pharmacy education (CPE) only to come up short in time to recertify? Well look no further, the Pharmacy TEAM Series will meet your expectations, as well as the requirements of pharmacy technician recertification. The Pharmacy TEAM Series, provided by the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, puts quality education at your fingertips and takes out all the guess work of where you can find your next CPE! All ACPE-accredited activity topics were selected by pharmacy technicians, like you, and follow the PTCB blueprint domains for pharmacy technician knowledge. Plus, all of the programs are home study articles that can be completed when and where works best for you! Topics the Pharmacy TEAM Series cover include: Medication Safety, Weight Loss Medications, Acetaminophen Changes, Off-Label Medication Use, Pharmacy Law for Technicians, and more! Articles are available to PPA pharmacy technician members through the Collaborative Education Institute (CEI) at www. gotocei.org. Interested members will be given an access code to view and complete the activities.
Articles can be printed and mailed to your home or office for a $5 fee per article. For more information, go to http://www.
34 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
gotocei.org/Technician.aspx. To get an access code, email PPA’s CPE Administrator, Sara Powers, at spowers@papharmacists.com.z
Association News
Member Services Join PSECU Today!
A
s a member of PPA, you have the opportunity to enroll in the Pennsylvania’s State Employees Credit Union (PSECU), the largest statewide credit union in PA. As a member of PSECU, you will be able to take advantage of great rates normally reserved for state employees. With both business and personal packages, PSECU offers a variety of bank account options, credit cards, loans, investments, and planning resources. To find out more about opportunities available to PSECU members, visit the PSECU website at http://www.psecu.com/.
Ident-a-drug Since you are a member of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, you can get Ident-ADrug at a special discount. Ident-A-Drug quickly and
accurately identifies medications and helps make you the expert. Ident-A-Drug offers the most comprehensive database of drug identification codes. Find detailed information like product ingredients…product strengths… and tablet descriptions (color, logo, marking, imprint, score, shape, etc.) Ident-A-Drug is compiled by the Pharmacist’s Letter research and editorial staff. You can get the book or access to the website or the PDA version of Ident-A-
Drug. Mention the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association Special when you order and receive a 10% discount off the purchase price. For more info, go to www. identadrug.com/PAPharm, call 209-472-2240, or email mail@identadrug.com. Your purchase is covered by a 100% money-back guarantee.z
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 35
Industry News
Purdue Pharma L.P.Here and the National Article Head Goes Community Pharmacists Association Join Forces to Help Prevent Internal Pharmacy Theft and Prescription Fraud New “RxPATROL® Pharmacy Safety and Security” video premiers on www.RxPATROL.org
P
urdue Pharma L.P. and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) debuted the fourth annual “RxPATROL® Pharmacy Safety and Security” video on www. RxPATROL.org. Purdue Pharma and NCPA created this free tool to help educate pharmacists and pharmacy staff about preventing pharmacy crime as part of NCPA’s Protect Your Pharmacy Now! initiative, begun in 2008. Community pharmacist and NCPA member Toni Sumpter and Retired Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Virginia State Police Landon Gibbs, discuss preventing and dealing with internal theft and prescription fraud. They tour Sumpter’s store, Medicap Pharmacy in Adel, Iowa, evaluating security measures and discussing additional
steps that can be taken to prevent internal theft and how to identify fraudulent prescriptions. The goal is to help pharmacists make their stores a harder target for crime and educate them on how they can assist law enforcement in the event of an internal theft incident or prescription fraud. “Pharmacy crime affects our customers, our staff, and our businesses” said NCPA President
Donnie Calhoun, R.Ph “As communities across the country experience internal theft and prescription fraud, NCPA is pleased to continue our Protect Your Pharmacy Now! partnership with Purdue’s RxPATROL program to help our members prevent pharmacy crime.” Created in May 2003, RxPATROL is the only program specifically Continued on page 41
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 37
Industry News
GlaxoSmithKline Offers Free Recycling Program for Empty GSK Respiratory Inhalers Program is available to Pharmacies in 31 Major Markets throughout the U.S.
G
laxoSmithKline is initiating a new program in 31 U.S. markets to collect and recycle empty GSK inhalers used in the delivery of its prescription respiratory medicines. The “Complete the Cycle™ Recycle Program for GSK Respiratory Inhalers” beginning in October will provide participating retail pharmacies with an in-store location for customers to drop off their empty GSK respiratory inhalers for shipment to a specialized recycler. One of the 31 markets where the program is being offered is Philadelphia. Retail pharmacies in the Philadelphia market can learn more about or enroll in the Complete the Cycle™ program by visiting the program’s website, www. GSKCompleteTheCycle.com. Once enrolled, pharmacies will receive in-store materials which include a small collection container and informational materials for customers, as well as pre-paid shipping envelopes for the empty GSK inhalers. The program is simple for pharmacies to implement and convenient for their customers, as reported by pharmacists who
participated in the design phase of the program in late 2010. The design phase involved 50 stores in five U.S. markets and resulted in the recycling of more than 2,600 respiratory inhalers. “The program was easy and comments from our patients were very positive,” said Deidre Briegel, Registered Pharmacist, Whitehall, Michigan. “They appreciated our participation in the program and the impact that this might have on the environment.” The Complete the Cycle™ program is being administered for GSK by TerraCycle, an international company that is dedicated to the collection and reuse of nonrecyclable post-consumer waste. TerraCycle will manage the recruitment of pharmacies and rollout of program materials to the participating stores.
38 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
Program Details Pharmacies that enroll in the program will receive a Complete the Cycle™ recycle kit that contains a collection container that holds 2025 empty GSK respiratory inhalers and prepaid shipping envelopes. They will also receive a pharmacist information sheet and a supply of consumer brochures with recycle stickers. Participating pharmacies can inform customers of the program as they pick up their GSK respiratory inhaler prescriptions, and by placing brochures in the bags and stickers on the cartons of GSK respiratory inhalers. Empty GSK respiratory inhalers returned to a pharmacy are placed in the recycle container that is lined with a prepaid shipping envelope. Once the boxes are full, pharmacies remove the shipping envelope and send the inhalers directly to a specialized recycler
Industry News where the inhalers will be sorted into material type and recycled. The plastics will be used to make new household products, such as plastic hangers and plastic flower pots. The recovered aerosol canister will be sent to a specialist company that will capture remaining gas and recycle the metal components. The inhalers will not be recycled to produce new inhalers.
Environmental Impact The Complete the Cycle™ Recycle Program for GSK Respiratory Inhalers is designed to reduce the environmental
impact of the GSK inhalers sent to landfills. The GSK program aligns with other efforts offered by many pharmacies to collect and recycle items, such as empty drink containers, plastic bags or pill bottles, and was designed in response to the growing U.S. interest in environmental sustainability. In a survey of over 6,400 customers, conducted by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Deloitte Consulting, 54 percent considered sustainability to be a key decision-making factor in product and store selection. In 2011, a study from SC Johnson and GfK Roper showed increasing
Why do our clients stay with us?
interest in recycling, with 58 percent of American respondents reporting that they recycle on a regular basis. For more information on the Complete the Cycle™ Recycle Program for GSK Respiratory Inhalers, call the GlaxoSmithKline Customer Response Center at 1-888-825-5249, MondayFriday between the hours of 8a.m.-6p.m. ET. To enroll in the program, please visit www. GSKCompleteTheCycle.com or call TerraCycle at 1-866-967-6766 Mon-Fri 9a.m.-5p.m. ET.z
...
Our Network of Exceptional, Reputable Pharmacists and Performance Based Results.
“So You Can Do the Things... That Only You Can Do!”
• Results Driven Pharmacy Support Programs • Pharmacist Sourcing • Proven Marketing and Promotional Programs
CALL 1.888.273.0325 www.sandlsolutions.com • info@sandlsolutions.com
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 39
Together, Building for the Future
There’s ground breaking news at Value – literally we’re breaking ground on our new distribution center June 2012. This state-of-the-art facility will increase the level of service we provide our members and expand our geographic reach beyond our current 8 state distribution area. This new distribution center will be located at 195 Theater Drive, Duncansville PA. This Project is scheduled to be completed in mid 2013.
also
NEW
We have just completed the Phase I of our new centralized web-based ordering system! ValueDrugHub is user friendly! Its functionality provides many upgrades to our members experience and we will continue to make enhancements in Phase II and Phase III later this year. Value Specialty Pharmacy, our NEW one-of-a-kind closed door specialty pharmacy is up and running. We are servicing over 300 Value Specialty Pharmacy Care Sites and growing every day. Contact us today to be a part of this exciting cooperative,
800-252-3786 ext.126.
follow us on
www.ValueWorldConnect.com
toll free: 800-252-3786 fax: 814-944-9553 www.valuedrugco.com
toll free: 855-265-8008 fax: 814-283-2211 www.vsprx.com
Industry News
Continuing Education and CPE Monitor
T
he National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has mandated that beginning January 1, 2013, all continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credit must be uploaded to the CPE Monitor database. This system eliminates the need for paper statements of credit and brings the CPE aspect of re-licensure into the digital age. What is CPE Monitor? CPE Monitor is a collaborative service from NABP and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) that provides an electronic system for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to track their completed CPE credits. It will also streamline reporting and compliance verification for
participating boards of pharmacy. What do I need to comply? If you haven’t done so already, you will need to register with NABP to get your CPE Monitor ID Number (this is also referred to as your NABP e-Profile ID Number). To do this, go to www.napb.net and click on the CPE Monitor link. You will need to log in to your NABP e-Profile (or create one if you don’t have one), then under “Professional Information” enter
your License Number, State of License, and Expiration Date – you will then receive your CPE Monitor ID Number. It is your responsibility to ensure that PPA and any other providers you receive CPE credit from have your CPE Monitor ID Number. As a failsafe, providers also need to know your birthday (just month and day, year is not required) to upload credit to the CPE Monitor system. You can log in to your PPA profile at www. papharmacists.com to edit your profile and add your birthday and NABP e-Profile ID. You can also email this information to PPA’s CPE Administrator, Sara Powers, at spowers@papharmacists.com. Any questions should also be directed to Sara.z
on RxPATROL’s Twitter page, www.twitter.com/rxpatrol. “Purdue encourages pharmacists and pharmacy staff to register with RxPATROL,” said Gibbs. “The more pharmacists and law enforcement use the RxPATROL system the more effective the system will be in helping combat pharmacy crime.” RxPATROL partners with Crime Stoppers and other community anti-crime programs to offer rewards for information leading to arrests for pharmacy crime. Tips can be made anonymously and have led to more than 100 arrests since the program’s inception. More information about
the program can be found at www.RxPATROL.org. In addition to RxPATROL, Purdue provides law enforcement and healthcare providers with training and educational materials to help them combat prescription drug abuse and pharmacy crime. The LELE team is comprised of seasoned former law enforcement professionals who are knowledgeable about prescription drug-related crime and healthcare fraud issues. Visit www.RxSafetyMatters.org to learn more about Purdue’s efforts to combat prescription medicine abuse.z
Purdue Pharma L.P.
Continued from page 37
tracking pharmacy crime. Using visual and other evidence gathered by RxPATROL, the web-based program issues alerts to pharmacies and law enforcement is alerted to crimes that have occurred in their area and trends in criminal activity. More than 3,500 drug diversion investigators receive daily RxPATROL pharmacy crime alerts and more than 4,200 law enforcement officers have utilized the database. Pharmacy staff, law enforcement officials and loss prevention personnel can follow updates about pharmacy robberies, burglaries and potential threats in their area and nationwide
Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013 I 41
Industry News
ISMP Releases Sterile Compounding Safety Guidelines N ew guidelines on sterile compounding from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) provide practitioners with input on best practices to implement. The guidelines are a result of ISMP’s October 25-26, 2011 national sterile preparation compounding safety summit, which addressed frequent reports of critical intravenous (IV) compounding errors to national reporting programs, the scientific literature, and the lay press. The completed document, “Proceedings from the ISMP Sterile Preparation Compounding Safety Summit: Guidelines for Safe Preparation of Sterile Compounds,” can be found at: www.ismp. org/Tools/guidelines/IVSummit/ IVCGuidelines.pdf. The summit was co-sponsored by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Participants included medication safety officers, IV safety technology experts, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses, healthcare consumers and representatives of the medical product vendor community. A representative from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as a representative of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Committee that is overseeing future revisions of USP Chapter <797> also were in attendance.
Summit participants comprehensively reviewed current methods used to prepare compounded sterile products, identified manual and automated safeguards to provide assurance that the proper preparation is dispensed, addressed barriers that might inhibit safe practices, and sought to identify and standardize critical quality control practices needed for preparing and verifying the quality and safety of the final compounded product. Core compounding processes and practices addressed in the guidelines include: • Policies and Procedures for Compounding Sterile Preparations • Order Entry and Verification • Drug Storage • Assembling Products and Supplies for Preparation • Compounding • Drug Conservation
42 I Pennsylvania Pharmacist I January/February 2013
• Preparation of Source/Bulk Containers • Technology/Automation Used for Compounding CSPs • IV Workflow Software • Automated IV Compounding Devices • Quality Control/Final Verification of Manually Prepared Product • Product Labeling ISMP is urging all healthcare organizations to review the guidelines and take appropriate action. In addition, ISMP and ClinicalIQ, an organization headed by Eric Kastango and well respected for its expertise in sterile compounding and USP Chapter <797> education, are combining efforts to provide targeted onsite assessments of IV admixture production (see www.ismp.org/consult/ oneDayRiskAssessment.pdf.) as well as simulation training.z
808 Highway 18 W | Algona IA 50511
How does your
Professional Liability
measure up?
Coverage Benefits Our Professional Liability Policy is specifically designed as excess coverage, yet it can become your first line of defense when no other coverage is available.
Apply Online!
Go to www.phmic.com, and choose the Pharmacist Liability Application under the Online Services tab.
• Additional protection for you above that provided by your employer. • Covered 24 hours a day anywhere in the United States, its territories and possessions, Canada or Puerto Rico. • Covers compounding and immunizations (if legal in your state).
For more information, please contact your local representative:
• On-staff pharmacist-attorneys are available to counsel policyholders. • Risk management assistance that may reduce pharmacy professional exposure.
Bruce Charon
800.247.5930 ext. 7100
Cliff Lange , LTCP
800.247.5930 ext. 7131 724.538.5230
Endorsed by*:
Steve Hanks, CLU, LUTCF, CLTC, ChFC
800.247.5930 ext. 7122 717.394.0405
*Compensated Endorsement Not licensed to sell all products in all states. Form No. PM PhL 196