November 2019
Dear Colleagues,
Hopefully everyone is ready for the holiday season as it rapidly approaches. 2019 certainly has gone quickly and I am hoping to see many of you at MY Clinical meeting which is right around the corner.
Last month we had another great Conference for Pharmacy Leaders! The Conference offered something for everyone – leadership development, staff and leader engagement, revenue cycle and infusion center management, progressive technician roles and development, AI and advanced analytics, multiple business of pharmacy topics, presentation of the John W. Webb Lecture Award, SPPL’s Mangers’ Boot Camp and Experienced Leaders Workshop, and a special evening tailored for our HSPA residents with past and current ASHP leaders. The Conference also included its 2ndyear of posters geared for attendees.
The Conference was made possible through the excellent work of 36 Section leaders, 3 Section of Pharmacy Informatics and Technology leaders, and 2 Pharmacy Technician Forum leaders serving as faculty for the pre-Conference and Conference programming. In addition, there were 43 volunteers that included past and current ASHP Board and Section Executive Committee members, past John W. Webb Awardees, HSPAL residents, and Section members making the networking sessions an awesome total meeting experience. It was a memorable conference for all, and we are already looking ahead to 2020 planning.
The Section’s Advisory Groups (SAG) and Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs met with our Executive Committee for our annual November Section leadership call to review their objectives and tactics for the year. These impressive groups are absolutely committed to our mission as they plan for webinars, ASHP meeting programs, tools, and networking events to serve our members. This month I’d like to focus on the Advisory Group on Strategy and Industry Disruptors led by Tara Vlasimsky and Anthony Boyd. This is one of our new advisory groups and they will be focusing on three areas including AI and machine learning integration into pharmacy practice, supply chain and drug delivery disruptors in the marketplace, and virtual health. One of the strengths of our profession is sharing of ideas and having crucial conversations on advancing health system pharmacy practice. Be on the look-out as they start conversations through Connect that will be accompanied by webinars, networking opportunities, and resources to support our strategic thinking on these important topics.
On ASHP’s advocacy front, we are all working diligently to resolve the opioid epidemic facing our nation. ASHP is routinely commenting and supporting legislation to address needed policy. ASHP’s CEO Paul Abramowitz’s recent blog ASHP Opioid Task Force Focuses on Role of Pharmacists in Combating Opioid Crisis shares information on the October 2019 Task Force. At MCM there will be a Town Hall on Tuesday, December 10th from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. PT (Banyan B, Level 3, Mandalay Bay South Convention Center) to share early outcomes from the task force and continue the conversation on how health system pharmacy can address this crisis including the resources and tools required to drive change and care for our patients. One of these “tools” is the ability for pharmacists to prescribe buprenorphine for medication assisted therapy (MAT) to expand access to this important patient care modality. ASHP is advocating on our behalf nationally, but it is so important for pharmacy leaders to also be active locally in our organizations and states to support this effort. Take this opportunity to let our elected leaders know our opinions on this important issue through ASHP’s portal to Expand Pharmacists’ Ability to Treat Opioid Addiction.
Next month, at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, plan for your C.E. sessions by adding to your schedules the great opportunity of networking through the Section’s Roundtables that include: (For date, time, and location)
- Leveraging Data to Demonstrate Pharmacist Impact on Value-Based Measures
- Controversy in Cannabis: CBD Products and Health System Approaches
- Demonstrating Innovation and Value of Pharmacy in the Ambulatory Care Setting
- High Cost Medications and Organizational Decision Making
- Caregiver Engagement and Conflict Management
Thanks so much for all you do for the Section and in supporting our patients and each other.
Best regards,
Sam Calabrese, B.S.Pharm., M.B.A., FASHP
Chair, Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders (2019-2020)
sections@ashp.org