HHS announces Affordable Care Act mental health services funding

$50 million from the health care law will expand mental health and substance use disorder services in approximately 200 Community Health Centers nationwide

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced that it plans to issue a $50 million funding opportunity announcement to help Community Health Centers establish or expand behavioral health services for people living with mental illness, and drug and alcohol problems.  Community Health Centers will be able to use these new funds, made available through the Affordable Care Act, for efforts such as hiring new mental health and substance use disorder professionals, adding mental health and substance use disorder services, and employing team-based models of care. 

“Most behavioral health conditions are treatable, yet too many Americans are not able to get needed treatment,” said Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N.  “These new Affordable Care Act funds will expand the capacity of our network of community health centers to respond to the mental health needs in their communities.”

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Pharmacists Report Soaring Generic Drug Purchasing Prices

Alexandria, Va. Dec. 9, 2013 - Pharmacy acquisition costs for scores of generic drugs have spiked by as much as 600%, 1,000% or more in 2013, a problem that is harming patient care and pharmacists, according to a survey of more than 1,000 community pharmacists conducted by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).

"Once generic drugs become available, lower costs typically follow and community pharmacists are leading the way to maximize the savings for patients and health plans from the proper use of generics," said B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA. "However, pharmacy acquisition costs for more and more generic drugs are rising in rapid, breathtaking fashion. This is having a negative impact on a number of patients, particularly Medicare beneficiaries. Meanwhile, reimbursement from pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) is not keeping up, leaving pharmacists out in the cold and putting patient access to pharmacist care on unsustainable footing."

Secretary Sebelius announces new HHS regional director

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that Kim Gillan will be appointed Region VIII Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"I am excited to welcome Kim Gillan to the team at HHS,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Kim is a long-time public servant, who brings with her a wealth of experience from her time in both the Montana House of Representatives and the Montana Senate, as well as at Montana State University.  She has been actively engaged on a number of health related policy initiatives and has worked at the regional level to improve the health and well-being of all Montanans.  Kim will join our team of regional directors who work tirelessly with state, local and tribal officials and external stakeholders on a wide range of health and social service issues, particularly as we continue to implement the Affordable Care Act. We look forward to adding Kim’s many strengths to the HHS team.”

Fight the Fakes - Fake Medicines Put Patients and the Public at Risk

Counterfeit and substandard medicines have reached global health crisis proportions, and present a real danger to all of us.  In a concerted effort to help protect people from fake medicines, the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is joining other global health organizations, including two USP Member organizations (International Council of Nurses and International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations), in a campaign to raise awareness and mobilize strategic partners to address this growing problem. 

New Resource from CDC on Pharmacists in Team Based Care

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a set of tools to inform health care providers, decision-makers, insurers, and pharmacists about the role of pharmacists in team based care. These documents, called translational tools because they translate the research about pharmacists’ patient care services into a guide for policy change, include strategies and case examples of how pharmacists and other health care providers can better serve patients through collaborative practice agreements and collaborative drug therapy management. The translational tools were developed with content from the APhA Foundation’s consortium on collaborative practice agreements and pharmacists’ patient care services held in January of 2012. More information about these resources can be found in the APhA Foundation’s press release and on the CDC’s website.

FDA Releases Compounding Guidances

Agency moving quickly, aggressively to implement DQSA

FDA yesterday issued three guidances in draft form that implement the newly signed Drug Quality and Safety Act (DQSA). FDA is taking an aggressive stance in regulating the industry and traditional pharmacies, including a surprising reliance on USP Chapters <795> and <797> in the pharmacy compounding guidance that has potentially far-reaching impact on practice.

“The pharmacy compounding guidance revokes the 1998 and 2002 current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) from FDA that regulated traditional pharmacy compounding and replaces them with this document,” said Lee Rosebush, PharmD, JD, MBA, MS, Counsel at the Baker-Hostetler law firm in Washington, DC, in describing the impact of these regulations if they are adopted unchanged. “By doing so, FDA has provided 10 conditions that must be met before a compounded drug meets the exemption under Section 503A [of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act]. One condition references both USP chapter <795> and USP chapter <797>. These are the chapters for both nonsterile and sterile pharmacy compounding. In other words, all compounding—including mixing powder antibiotics with water—must be done under USP standards.”

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How H.R. 3204 will affect most pharmacists

President Barack Obama has signed the Drug Quality and Security Act (H.R. 3204) into law. What are the practical implications for most pharmacists of the new compounding and track-and-trace legislation?

The short answer is that the compounding part of the legislation, which became effective upon enactment, will affect very few pharmacists. The track-and-trace part of the legislation will affect all pharmacists to some extent, according to Michael Ghobrial, PharmD, JD, APhA Associate Director of Health Policy.

Of course, the language in the legislation is not the last word. FDA has to decide how to implement it through the regulatory process. Traditional community pharmacies are “probably” not going to be affected by the compounding part of the law “unless we get more stringent regulation from the FDA,” said Lee Rosebush, PharmD, JD, MBA, MS, Counsel at the BakerHostetler law firm in Washington, DC. “While we got by with 3204, we may not necessarily get by with the regulations proposed by FDA.”

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The Great American Smokeout

A statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

Today, as we celebrate the Great American Smokeout, I encourage all smokers to join the millions of others around the country who have committed to living a tobacco-free life. Quitting smoking is one of the most impactful things a person can do to improve health, lower risk for a range of diseases, and increase longevity.

Smoking is still the single largest preventable cause of disease, disability, and premature death in the United States. Each year, more than 440,000 people in the U.S. die from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, and more than 8 million Americans are living with a serious illness caused by smoking.

By quitting, smokers can reclaim their health. The benefits begin the day a smoker quits and continue for the rest of his or her life. Over the last several years the Obama administration and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have taken concrete steps to reduce tobacco use. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a successful media campaign encouraging people to quit smoking by highlighting the toll that smoking-related illnesses take on smokers and their loved ones. CDC estimates that 1.6 million Americans tried to quit smoking because of the 2012 Tips From Former Smokers campaign, and at a minimum, more than 100,000 Americans quit smoking long-term because of the campaign.

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Proposed Rule Changes to the Pharmacy Practice Act Rule

Over the past year the Utah State Board of Pharmacy has been working on changes to the Pharmacy Practice Act Rule that needed to be updated due to legislative changes during the 2013 Legislative Session. 

The changes are because of the passage of S.B. 14 and S.B. 194 during the 2013 General Legislative Session. S.B. 14 (2013) exempted research using pharmaceuticals from licensure to engage in the practice of pharmacy, telepharmacy, or the practice of pharmacy technician. S.B. 194 (2013) amended the following: 1) definition of pharmaceutical wholesaler or distributor; 2) definition of the "practice as a licensed pharmacy technician"; and 3) pharmacy technician licensure qualifications. Both S.B. 14 and S.B. 194 granted authority to the Division to adopt amendments and the rule filing establishes those amendments. Other amendments were proposed at the request of the Utah State Board of Pharmacy.

Guidelines for Dispensing Controlled Substances

 As Pharmacists of the Utah Pharmacists Association we are part of a vital healthcare team and serve as gatekeepers to ensure, with the prescribing practitioner, that a prescription for a controlled substance is issued for a legitimate medical purpose by the individual practitioner acting in the usual course of professional practice.

We have seen various questions, recommendations and guidelines from our members regarding controlled substance. The guidelines below have been provided as a guide and recommedation to UPhA from one of our own members. These guidelines come from a retail pharmacy with stores both in and out of Utah. They may not be the best recommendations for you and your pharmacy. They are intended to provide general advice and should not be considered policy and procedure. We do recommend that UPhA members develop their specific practices and policy & procedures for their business and also always recommend seeking the appropriate legal counsel. Federal and local Utah laws regarding the proper dispensing of controlled substances must always be followed.

Recommendations

Communication Works for Those Who Work at It

“Communication works for those who work at it”-  John Powell

All of us know the importance of communication from experience-the effect of lack of or poor communication, as well as the benefit of good communication. 

The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things.  Information is giving out; communication is getting through. - Sydney J. Harris

That being said….with the News Capsule, the communications team would like to provide information that is both current and beneficial to the UPHA community.  Understanding that good communication involves listening as a key component, we invite you to submit any idea as far as topics of discussion, news that is important to our field of practice and any interesting bit of information that would be beneficial to pass along.  We would like to provide current news on new regulations that are in the works as well as those that are already approved, and share ideas on how they will affect us in our scope of practice.

What is the shortest word in the English language that contains the letters: abcdef? Answer: feedback.  Don't forget that feedback is one of the essential elements of good communication. - Anonymous

Please let us know what works and what needs to be changed.  Your feedback is essential to our success!

Submit your Feedback, Ideas, Request and More Here.

Happy Holidays from Your Executive Team

Happy Holidays! 

As we head into the holiday season, many take the tradition to reflect on the events of the year.  This has indeed been an exciting year for UPhA!  As Paige talked about in the last newsletter, we made the transition to Association Solutions for our day to day management.  In addition, we also changed the way in which the Board of Trustees functions, breaking into “teams” focusing on different aspects such as legislation, education and events, membership, etc.  As I reflect on the year, it has been successful and there great optimism in the air for the continued direction of UPhA.   We successfully staged three CE events, we had a good fall golf outing (once it warmed up) raising monies for our scholarship fund and delivered over 300 pounds of food to the food bank.  As we close out 2013 and begin 2014, we invite all pharmacists in Utah to become a member join in the effort of making this one of the best and strongest pharmacy associations in America! 

Diabetes Surge Hits Every Nation

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM--(Marketwired - Nov. 14, 2013) - One in ten of the world's population will have diabetes by 2035 according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). The latest edition IDF Diabetes Atlas, published today on World Diabetes Day, estimates that people living with diabetes will surge from 382 million to 592 million people by 2035, many in low and middle income countries and the majority under 60. This surge will form the backdrop of the World Diabetes Congress (#WDC2013) in Melbourne, Australia this December.

FDA takes action to speed safety information updates on generic drugs

A proposed U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule would speed the dissemination of new safety information about generic drugs to health professionals and patients by allowing generic drug makers to use the same process as brand drug manufacturers to update safety information in the product labeling.

 

Under the proposal, generic drug manufacturers would be able to independently update product labeling (also called prescribing information or package inserts) with newly-acquired safety information before the FDA’s review of the change, in the same way brand drug manufacturers do today. Generic manufacturers would also be required to inform the brand name manufacturer about the change.

 

The FDA would then evaluate whether the proposed change is justified and make an approval decision on the generic drug labeling change and the corresponding brand drug labeling change at the same time, so that brand and generic drug products would ultimately have the same FDA-approved prescribing information.

 

“This proposal will help ensure that health care professionals and consumers have access to the latest safety information for the medications they use,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “More than 80 percent of prescriptions filled in the U.S. are for generics, so we want to make sure that generic drug companies actively participate with the FDA to ensure that product safety information is accurate and up to date.”

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FDA Takes Two Important Actions on Drug Shortages

Strategic plan and proposed rule on early notification by manufacturers will help agency build on recent progress

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking two actions to further enhance the agency’s ongoing efforts to prevent and resolve drug shortages, a significant public health threat that can delay, and in some cases even deny, critical care for patients. Following the President’s 2011 Executive Order on reducing drug shortages, the number of new shortages in 2012 was 117, down from 251 in 2011.

Today’s announcements build on this work. First, the FDA is releasing a strategic plan called for in the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) of 2012 to improve the agency’s response to imminent or existing shortages, and for longer term approaches for addressing the underlying causes of drug shortages. The plan also highlights opportunities for drug manufacturers and others to prevent drug shortages by promoting and sustaining quality manufacturing.

FDA Drug Shortage Proposed Rule and Strategic Plan

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will announce the release of the Drug Shortage Proposed Rule and Strategic Plan. 

As a very important stakeholder, FDA invites you to participate in an upcoming teleconference later today, where you will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Date: Thursday, October 31, 2013

Time: 1:15 pm ET
Dial-in for U.S. Callers: 888-455-4289, passcode “FDA”

Dial-in for international callers: 1-210-835-2398, passcode “FDA"

The stakeholder teleconference will consist of a short presentation by Douglas C. Throckmorton, M.D., Deputy Director for Regulatory Programs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), FDA, and CAPT Valerie Jensen, R.Ph., Associate Director of the Drug Shortages Program, CDER and will be followed by an opportunity for questions and answers.  The moderator for the teleconference will be Beth Fritsch, R.Ph., M.B.A., Deputy Director, Office of Health and Constituent Affairs, Office of the Commissioner, FDA.

A replay of the stakeholder teleconference will be available about one hour after the call ends, for 30 days, by calling 866-405-7299, or for international callers, 203-369-0609.   The passcode for U.S. and International callers is 332.

We appreciate your ongoing support of FDA and its mission and look forward to your participation.

Sincerely,

CAPT Beth F. Fritsch, R.Ph., M.B.A.

Deputy Director

Office of Health and Constituent Affairs

Office of External Affairs

Office of the Commissioner

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

PQS Names Vice President for Professional Relations

Springfield, VA, Oct 28, 2013 - Pharmacy Quality Solutions, Inc. (PQS), announced the hiring of Elliott M. Sogol, PhD, RPh, FAPhA to fill the newly created position of Vice President for Professional Relations. As PQS continues to work collaboratively with health plans, PBMs, and pharmacies, PQS tapped Sogol who has over three decades experience and a proven track record in the community pharmacy practice environment, the pharmaceutical industry, and academia. In this new role, Sogol will support community pharmacy engagement with EQuIPP™, the first national platform for pharmacy quality measurement, benchmarking, and feedback that enables pharmacies and insurance plans to monitor key quality indicators.

What Matters Most

If you are at a business event, dining with a client, with business associates, or if your boss is footing the bill, then eating is the second (or third) purpose of the meal. You are there to do business. The meal is merely the tool you are using to develop the relationship. In these cases, it is poor etiquette (and bad business strategy) to do anything that detracts from the business at hand.

That would include poring over the menu while ignoring your guests, quizzing the wait staff about ingredients of a dish, ordering anything complicated or disruptive, ordering dessert if the timeframe doesn’t allow for it, bringing your own condiments and, unfortunately, requesting a doggie bag.

You need to project power and authority, and there is something vaguely weak and humiliating about doing any of the above, especially taking a little doggy bag home from a restaurant. You’re there for business. You shouldn’t be concentrating on your food.

Good manners must be learned and practiced to succeed in the world. Repeating an action often enough makes the action becomes automatic and helps you feel confident. Continually work on your business etiquette skills and you will be better able to focus on business without worrying about saying the wrong thing or making the wrong gesture.

The objective is to be gracious and make people feel comfortable in our presence.

Two Basis Things to Remember:

Understand your role – Guest or Host - understand what is expected of you.

It is not about the food but about building relationships.

“Good manners sometimes means simply putting up with other people’s bad manners.”

H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Ellen Reddick, is a consultant, writer, and former senior executive with more than 25 years of experience in the technology industry. She is the owner & managing partner of Impact Factory Utah

CDC Update on the Multistate Outbreak of Fungal Meningitis and Other Infections: One Year Later

A year ago this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention activated its Emergency Operations Center as part of the response to the tragic outbreak of fungal meningitis linked to three contaminated lots of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) produced by the New England Compounding Center (NECC). As of October 23, 2013, there have been 751 cases of fungal meningitis and other infections associated with this outbreak; 64 of these patients have died. Since July 2013, one new case has been diagnosed.  

This week, CDC has two papers in the New England Journal of Medicine, one describing the clinical aspects of the infections associated with this outbreak and the other summarizing the epidemiologic investigation. The clinical paper, focusing on the early stages of the outbreak, describes patients who experienced a wide variety of illnesses, including meningitis, stroke, arachnoiditis (inflammation of one of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord), and epidural or paraspinal infections which ranged in severity from very mild to life-threatening. The epidemiology paper finalizes the original preliminary report published by the New England Journal of Medicine and details the efforts undertaken by public health agencies to identify and stop the outbreak.

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Conversation Etiquette

We’re all capable of the occasional social blunder. Of course, some of us seem more prone to it than others, but even the savviest of professionals aren’t impervious to such gaffes. No scenario is richer with these potential faux pas than the everyday conversation, in which you can say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, and occasionally spit on others when trying to pronounce nouns with German etymology.

We’ve all had our moments with conversation etiquette mistakes.

Practice and self-awareness are excellent ways to ensure we master every first and lasting impression. Please keep in mind that the communication process is only complete once the receiver has understood the message of the sender.

‘The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.’ George Bernard Shaw

1 - Interrupting

This is the No. 1 conversation etiquette mistake, committed by everybody at one time or another. It’s unbearable for the one getting cut off, and it shows the interrupter truly has no

Influenza Season is Almost Here

As the 2013-2014 influenza season quickly approaches, now is an opportune time to send reminders and schedule appointments for patients’ flu vaccinations. Seniors and people with chronic health conditions—like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease—are at a higher risk for serious complications from the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last season overall deaths attributed to flu and pneumonia were the highest in nearly a decade, and people 65 years and older accounted for half of all flu-related hospitalizations. Recommending and offering flu vaccine to Medicare beneficiaries ahead of the flu season is very crucial, as patients are more likely to get vaccinated when flu vaccination is recommended and offered by a health care professional.

Generally, Medicare Part B covers one influenza vaccination and its administration per influenza season for Medicare beneficiaries without co-pay or deductible.  Note: The influenza vaccine and its administration are covered under Medicare Part B. Influenza vaccine is not a Part D-covered drug.

For more information on coverage and billing of the influenza virus vaccine and its administration, please visit:

• CMS Medicare Learning Network® Preventive Services Educational Products and CMS Immunizations web pages. (Check back for CMS 2013-2014 influenza season updates — coming soon to these web pages). 
• MLN Matters® Article #MM8433, “Influenza Vaccine Payment Allowances - Annual Update for 2013-2014 Season.”
• While some providers may offer the flu vaccine, others can help their patients locate a vaccine provider within their local community. HealthMap Vaccine Finder is a free, online service where users can search for locations offering flu and other adult vaccines.

Online Medical Journals Accept Fake Study: Could the Public Be Hurt?

A fake study that was accepted at dozens of medical journals for a fee has experts worried that lax oversight of published studies could affect the health of patients searching for medical answers online.

The fake paper was written by John Bohannon, a science journalist who received his doctorate in molecular biology at the University of Oxford. Bohannon submitted the paper to 302 open-access medical journals as an experiment over 10 months.

The results of Bohannon’s experiment were published in Science, a peer-reviewed general science publication that charges subscription fees.

“I chose, for the start of this, to [target] open-access publishers who charge fees for scientists to publish,” Bohannon told ABCNews.com. “Acceptances kept on coming more frequently than rejections. … I thought it would be more like 10 percent.”

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APhA kicks off American Pharmacists Month

WASHINGTON — The message in October is "Know Your Pharmacist, Know Your Medicine" as the American Pharmacists Association launches its annual American Pharmacists Month.

The APhA said the messaging for the month is based on "one essential fact" seen in pharmacies, clinics and other care sites: The more patients know their pharmacist, the more they will know about their medications, the documented successes and cautionary tales, the risks and benefits and potential side effects and contraindications of medications. Patients, the APhA said, should choose their pharmacists as carefully as they choose their doctors.

The organization said that while Americans spend billions on medications every year, the most expensive medications are the ones that don't work properly or cause harm due to misuse. Failure to take medications as prescribed causes more than 1.5 million medication-related adverse events, and costs the healthcare system about $290 billion each year, the group said. But when patients know their pharmacist and feel comfortable seeking their advice, the likelihood of medication errors decreases.

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IACP Position on the Compounding Clarity Act of 2013

Washington, D.C. (September 20, 2013) – The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) today acknowledges the introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives of the Compounding Clarity Act of 2013, a bill aimed at addressing problems of the type associated with last year’s deadly outbreak of meningitis linked to the now-closed New England Compounding Center in Framingham, MA. The IACP, a global professional association representing compounding pharmacists and practitioners, continues to work collaboratively with members of Congress and their staff, providing input and expertise on the issues surrounding the practice and regulation of pharmacy compounding.

We believe the House bill makes many key improvements over legislation introduced earlier this year in the U.S. Senate. These improvements include the creation of a compounding advisory committee within the FDA as well as a communication system between the FDA and state boards of pharmacy to ensure that government regulators are working together rather than separately. While we support the general direction of the House bill, we do have several specific concerns that we are committed to resolving so that compounding pharmacists and physicians may continue to provide patients with the customized medications they need in an effective, timely and safe manner.

First, the bill requires that, for compounded medications to be administered in a physician’s office, those administering the medications would be required to gather the names of individuals receiving the medication within seven days. The form and requirements of a prescription have traditionally been left to the legislative authority of the states and not the federal government. While well intended, we believe that this new mandate would create confusion between existing and evolving state policies on the provision of compounded preparations to physicians and other prescribers. IACP believes that individual state authority over, and regulation of, office-use medications must be recognized at the federal level.

Second, the proposed legislation enables the FDA to prohibit the preparation of “demonstrably difficult” compounded medications. We believe that this provision needs to spell out the criteria by which the FDA makes the decision to put compounded medications on its list of these prohibited

materials, as “demonstrably difficult” is not defined by the new law. Without such specifics, this provision is likely to lead to confusion as well as costly and unnecessary legal challenges. IACP supports clear language that enables the prohibition of compounded preparations based on clear scientific evidence of either safety or efficacy concerns.

IACP believes that these and other concerns about language within the Compounding Clarity Act (H 3089) can be resolved so that the final legislation will appropriately and adequately safeguard the American public while not adversely affecting our profession’s commitment and ability to serve patients.

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About The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists
The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) is an association representing more than 3,600 pharmacists, technicians, student pharmacists, and members of the pharmacy community who focus on the specialty practice of medication compounding. Compounding pharmacists work directly with prescribers including physicians, nurse practitioners and veterinarians to create customized medication solutions for patients and animals whose health care needs cannot be met by manufactured medications. 

FDA Finalizes New System to Identify Medical Devices

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a final rule for the unique device identification system (UDI) that, once implemented, will provide a consistent way to identify medical devices. 

The UDI system has the potential to improve the quality of information in medical device adverse events reports, which will help the FDA identify product problems more quickly, better target recalls, and improve patient safety. The FDA has worked closely with industry, the clinical community and patient and consumer groups in the development of this rule.  

 

“UDI represents a landmark step in improving patient safety, modernizing our postmarket surveillance system for medical devices, and facilitating medical device innovation,” said Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

 

The UDI system consists of two core items. The first is a unique number assigned by the device manufacturer to the version or model of a device, called a unique device identifier. This identifier will also include production-specific information such as the product’s lot or batch number, expiration date, and manufacturing date when that information appears on the label.

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UPhA: Pharmacist or Pharmacy?

What is in a name? What does it tell you about an individual, team, or organization? The name of a person, place, or thing can indicate much. A name can invoke feelings of curiosity, affirmation, inclusion, and perhaps even trust. A name is often the result of much thought and reflection. One may have to search for the history of why the name was given, but nonetheless, the reasons are there. Think of your own given name. Why was it chosen? What does it mean to you and your family?

A name can be the reference point for many characteristics and attributes. These can be strengths [or weaknesses,] depending on the point of view. The selection of a name should be conducted carefully.

The name of our Association is currently UPhA – Utah Pharmacists Association. What does this imply? Only pharmacists are involved? Realistically, that could be how many in, and outside of our Association, interpret the name. But in fact, our Association is made up of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns pursuing either technician or pharmacist licenses/degrees, and others associated with our field.

The elected Board members of UPhA have discussed and voted on whether or not to change the name.

The board has voted unanimously to change the name to reflect a broader scope of pharmacy. The name the Board has selected is Utah Pharmacy Association. The symbol, or abbreviation, will remain the same: UPhA. There have been sixteen other states that have revised their Association name from ‘pharmacist’ to ‘pharmacy.’
Some of the challenges of changing our Association name could include cost: issues such as changing name on advertisement items, and possible waste of time and resources. We considered that ‘pharmacy’ could possibly appear less personable. There are new actions concerning representation to consider. And some folks, for personal reasons, may just not like the change.

Taking into account the possible ‘cons,’ we the Board feel like the ‘pros’ of revising the name to show that our Association encompasses all members of the pharmacy community in Utah is timely and appropriate. In the ensuing months and years, we feel like this is the right call at the right time. Pharmacists are obviously essential to our Association and cause. But technicians and interns are just as indispensable. We feel like the cohesiveness and unity this name change is motivated by is potentially invaluable. In the pharmacy community, we are a network of caring and concerned individuals, focused on the health and welfare of our patients. In enlarging our circle, we hope to foster a commitment and focus among all our members. In Utah, we hope to be a force for good for the professionals within our Association, and a strength and resource to our community as a whole, down to each and every individual patient. 

President's Message

We have been on a wild ride as we have executed the management change this year.  We wanted to take a moment in our Newscapsule and thank everyone in the Pharmacy Community in the State of Utah for their help and support in this transition.  The support of the pharmacists, technicians and industry representatives has been wonderful.  Change is never easy to experience, but we truly believe that it was the right decision, at the right time for our profession.  Great progress has been made in many areas.  We are more financially sound than we have been in years, we have experienced an increase in involvement from members on our teams, and it has been a great learning experience for all of us involved.   If you have a desire to be involved on one of our teams, please contact us and we will make sure to get you involved.  Our teams have been strengthened greatly by an influx of new support this year.  We have also enjoyed a renewed relationship with USHP and look forward to working directly with them in the future.

We would also like to thank the team at Association Solutions for their guidance and leadership and helping the transition to go more smoothly than we could have ever expected.  It is never perfect timing with 3 large events per year.  They were great to step in and with very short notice, pull off a great event in St. George this year.  We really do have a team of support now working towards our common goals.  We encourage you to reach out and get to know them.  They have a wealth of experience in many areas from finance to legislation.  If you have not yet been able to attend any of our events since February, we invite you to come and join us.  We promise that you will notice a difference.  Their professionalism and desire to help us improve as an organization is stellar. 

We invite your feedback.  As the current President, I would invite you to send your feedback directly to me.  I can be reached via email at paigepatterick@icloud.com or through my cell at 801-664-7613.  Please help us really work to bring the profession of pharmacy to a new level. 

Paige Patterick 

Working with Pharmacies Across America

Pharmacies across America are stepping up to help you understand and get ready for the Health Insurance Marketplace. And I want to say “thank you!”

Families throughout our country look to their pharmacy as a place they can go to for honest, straightforward advice they can trust. 

Today, I was in Hoboken, New Jersey, as Rite Aid announced they would take an active role in outreach and education to help their customers learn more about the Marketplace with a range of resources in their stores and online.  And others, too, have agreed to spread the word. 

Companies such as Thrift White Pharmacy, BI-LO Pharmacy, Winn-Dixie Pharmacy, SoloHealth, StayHealthy, and CVS, are willing to help out because they know that quality affordable health coverage is important.

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FDA Drug Safety Podcast: FDA warns of rare but serious skin reactions with the pain reliever/fever reducer acetaminophen

Narrator: Welcome to the FDA Drug Safety Podcast for Healthcare Professionals from the Division of Drug Information.  Today’s Topic: FDA warns of rare but serious skin reactions with the pain reliever/fever reducer acetaminophen

Timothy Kim, a pharmacist in the Division, will provide you with additional information about this communication.

Dr. Kim: On August 1, 2013, the FDA issued a Drug Safety Communication informing the public that acetaminophen has been associated with a risk of rare but serious skin reactions. These skin reactions, known as Stevens- Johnson Syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), can be fatal.  Acetaminophen is a common active ingredient to treat pain and reduce fever; it is included in many prescription and over-the-counter products.

HIPAA Has New Rule Changes Effective September 23, 2013. Is Your Pharmacy Ready?

There are several changes to the HIPAA Rules that go into effective September 23^rd.  Pharmacies need to take action now to avoid repercussions of non-compliance.  All pharmacies should review, revise and/or replace their existing HIPAA Compliance Program.

Who do the Changes Affect?

HIPAA business associates, including a wide range of vendors who contract with pharmacies and access protected health information (PHI). So if you do business with an organization that comes into contact with Personal Health Information from your pharmacy, make sure you have a business associate agreement on file!

What Action is Required? 

So, if your pharmacy cannot locate your HIPAA Manual or Procedures, or if these procedures have never been reviewed or revised, they need to be updated now to be compliant.  

At a minimum:

New Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission Launched

Bethesda, MD—The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) are pleased to announce their collaboration to accredit pharmacy technician education and training programs, beginning in late 2014.

The collaboration will result in the creation of the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC), which will be tasked with assuring and advancing the quality of pharmacy technician education and training programs.

New AHRQ Initiative Helps Pharmacists and Patients Make Informed Treatment Decisions

The Utah Pharmacists Association has partnered with the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to connect pharmacists with valuable research and educational tools. Tools such as AHRQ’s free, evidence-based treatment summaries help health care professionals and patients learn about treatment options for a wide variety of health conditions. 

These brief summaries, developed by AHRQ’s Effective Health Care (EHC) Program, highlight the findings of research reviews that compare the effectiveness, benefits, and risks of treatment options for many common conditions. The clinician summaries, typically just two pages, provide context about key clinical questions and offer a “Clinical Bottom Line” section that summarizes research conclusions and indicates the strength of evidence behind each finding. Patient summaries are designed to help patients and caregivers understand a variety of health conditions and treatment options. 

FDA Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of all Products for Sterile Use From Specialty Compounding

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting health care providers and patients of a voluntary nationwide recall of all products produced and distributed for sterile use by Specialty Compounding, LLC, Cedar Park, TX.  There have been recent reports of bacterial bloodstream infections potentially related to the company's calcium gluconate infusions.

All sterile use products produced and distributed by Specialty Compounding are being recalled and none of these products should be used by patients or administered to patients. Facilities, health care providers and patients who have received the products since May 9, 2013 should immediately discontinue use, quarantine the products, and return the products to Specialty Compounding.

According to information provided by the firm, the recalled products were distributed directly to patients nationwide, with the exception of North Carolina.  Recalled products were also distributed directly to hospitals and physicians’ offices in Texas.

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