January 2017
Dear Colleagues,
Happy New Year!
To start my message I’d like to take a moment to recognize and appreciate the many Section members that helped make the MCM 2016 a terrific event! We all know how large and crazy the MCM can be and it always amazes me how it all comes together. Our Section hosted five networking sessions and had advisory group and committee members leading a great number of presentations. Thank you for continuing to support ASHP and the Section in the creation of such an important education and networking event for our profession!
I would also like to take moment to give a heartfelt special recognition to this year’s Section’s Distinguished Service Awardee, Dr. Robert P. Granko, Pharm.D., M.B.A.; Director of Pharmacy; Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital/Cone Health, NC. Each year at the MCM the Sections and New Practitioners Forum recognize a standout leader from their perspective groups. It’s such a pleasure to be part of recognizing Section peers who have dedicated years of volunteering and leading Section efforts. There will soon be a full message with Bob’s achievements. Thanks again Bob for your leadership!
During the MCM, the Section’s Executive Committee meets to review the awesome work of our advisory groups and committees and develop priorities for the Section. I’d like to share a few of the key areas we discussed and also draw attention to the ASHP Foundation’s Pharmacy Forecast . As an Executive Committee we draw from the feedback and opinions of our advisory groups and committees, our Needs Assessment survey (which many of you complete for us), our personal experiences, and reference points like the Pharmacy Forecast.
There are three areas for this Chair’s message I’d like to call your attention to and also let you know as a Section we will be dedicating resources and time. But more importantly areas we as pharmacy leaders need to be investing time in learning as much as we can about how we can improve and be prepared for the future.
The areas are (1) Opioid Stewardship, (2) Compliance & Regulatory Demands, and (3) Managing Medication Cost Value. Though I’d encourage reading the complete 2017 Pharmacy Forecast because the whole edition describes ‘signals’ we all need to be considering with very succinct recommendations, these three areas I feel we all need to be acting sooner than later and there are a number of recommendations throughout the report related to these issues.
Opioid Stewardship: This issue is clearly gathering momentum and is important to our communities. A challenge I place before us all is to (a) make sure you are integral the your organization’s review of the new TJC pain management requirements that are out for public comment, (b) utilize the recently released ASHP Guidelines on Preventing Diversion of Controlled Substances , and (c) engage your organization’s government relations and PR staff to make sure you are privy to any community outreach your organization may be involved with. As a Section we will be developing webinars, education, and web resources to support Section members.
Compliance & Regulatory Demands: We are all feeling the pressure of the growing demands, increasing number of regulators, and increasing risks that pharmacy leaders and PICs have in managing the pharmacy enterprise. The 2017 Pharmacy Forecast’s chapter titled “Regulatory Requirements: Proliferation of Complex Demands” describes areas for action and provides great reccomendations. As a Section we will be focusing on this issue at the Executive Committee level to first determine what the goals should be for the Section to support members. Please reach out to me through sections@ashp.org with any thoughts and ideas we should take into consideration.
Managing Medication Cost Value: With the new administration and the growing costs of drugs there is a lot of rhetoric surrounding the pricing and definition of ‘value’ of medication therapies. All of our organizations are grappling with these issues. There is a growing momentum around the notion of value-based drug pricing pharmacy leaders need to pay attention to, though it’s currently primarily in the payer and manufacturer space we can assume it will hit our desks soon. Articles in JAMA and NEJM describe the challenges.
The 2017 Pharmacy Forecast chapter titled “Managing Medication Costs: Focusing on Value” also addresses the issue and describes some of the drivers and provides reccomendations. This issue is also garnering attention in the political and advocacy groups’ arenas. Additionally, the ASHP Council on Pharmacy Management will be discussing to determine if there is ASHP policy that needs development to address the impact of value-based drug pricing. This is a topic that is heating up, and as with the ‘site of care’ experiences we have been all challenged with, this too may become a significant financial influencer.
I continue to be honored and humbled by our Section members and their work to improve pharmacy practice and ASHP. I hope that sharing some of the accomplishments, honors and direction for our Section is informative and you feel is in the right direction. As always, please contact me with your thoughts and ideas sections@ashp.org . Together we will make 2017 a great year!
Best Regards,
Rick
Rick Couldry, M.S., B.S.Pharm., FASHP
Chair, Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers
sections@ashp.org