Official Newsjournal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

ICHP KeePosted

November 2021

Volume 47 Issue 4

Print Entire Issue

2017 Spring Meeting

KeePosted Info

Features

Call for Entries: 2017 Best Practice Award

55th Annual National Poison Prevention Week Approaches

Columns

President's Message

Directly Speaking

ICHPeople

Government Affairs Report

Board of Pharmacy Update

College Connection

SIUE Has a Successful Year at ASHP Midyear

Working During Pharmacy School

Stepping Outside the Tailored Pharmacy Role

More

Welcome New Members!

Leadership Profile

Upcoming Events

Officers and Board of Directors

ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund (PAC) Contributors

Over the river and through the woods… to DeSoto House we go!

KeePosted Info



Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists
4055 North Perryville Road
Loves Park, IL 61111-8653
Phone: (815) 227-9292
Fax: (815) 227-9294
ichpnet.org

KeePosted
Official Newsjournal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

EDITOR
Jacob Gettig

ASSISTANT EDITOR
Jennifer Phillips

MANAGING EDITOR
Scott Meyers

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR
Trish Wegner

DESIGN EDITOR
Leann Nelson

ICHP Staff
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Scott Meyers

VICE PRESIDENT - PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Trish Wegner

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Maggie Allen

INFORMATION SPECIALIST
Heidi Sunday

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND
PHARMACY TECH TOPICS™ SPECIALIST

Jo Ann Haley

ACCOUNTANTS
Jan Mark and Trisha Blassage

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Leann Nelson

LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANT
Jim Owen

ICHP Mission Statement
Advancing Excellence in Pharmacy

ICHP Vision Statement
ICHP dedicates itself to achieving a vision of pharmacy practice where:
  • Pharmacists are universally recognized as health care professionals and essential providers of health care services.
  • Patients are aware of the training, skills, and abilities of a pharmacist and the fundamental role that pharmacists play in optimizing medication therapy.
  • Formally educated, appropriately trained, and PTCB certified pharmacy technicians manage the medication distribution process with appropriate pharmacist oversight.
  • Pharmacists improve patient care and medication safety through the development of effective public policies by interacting and collaborating with patients, other health care professionals and their respective professional societies, government agencies, employers and other concerned parties.
  • Evidence-based practices are used to achieve safe and effective medication therapies.
  • There are an adequate number of qualified pharmacy leaders within the pharmacy profession.
  • Pharmacists take primary responsibility for educating pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacist peers, other health professionals, and patients about appropriate medication use.

KeePosted Vision
As an integral publication of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists, the KeePosted newsjournal will reflect its mission and goals. In conjunction with those goals, KeePosted will provide timely information that meets the changing professional and personal needs of Illinois pharmacists and technicians, and maintain high publication standards.

KeePosted is an official publication of, and is copyrighted by, the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP). KeePosted is published 10 times a year. ICHP members received KeePosted as a member benefit. All articles published herein represent the opinions of the authors and do not reflect the policy of the ICHP or the authors’ institutions unless specified. Advertising inquiries can be directed to ICHP office at the address listed above. Image disclaimer: The image used in the Pharmacy Tech Topics™ advertisement is the property of © 2017 Thinkstock, a division of Getty Images. 

Copyright © 2017, Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists. All rights reserved.

Features

Call for Entries: 2017 Best Practice Award

The objective of the Best Practice Award program is to encourage the development of innovative or creative pharmacy practice programs or innovative approaches to existing pharmacy practice challenges in health systems within the state of Illinois.

Applicants will be judged on their descriptions of programs and practices employed in their health system based on the following criteria:
  • Innovativeness / originality
  • Contribution to improving patient care
  • Contribution to institution and pharmacy practice
  • Scope of project
  • Quality of submission
Applicants must be ICHP members for a minimum of 90 days prior to submission. If you have any questions related to the program please contact Trish Wegner at trishw@ichpnet.org.

Previous Winners

2016
Maya Beganovic, PharmD and Sarah M. Wieczorkiewicz, PharmD, BCPS
"MALDI-TOF alone versus MALDI-TOF combined with real-time antimicrobial stewardship interventions on time to optimal therapy in patients with positive blood cultures"

2015
Kuntal Patel, Pharm.D., Pavel Prusakov, and Heather Vaule
“Osteopenia of Prematurity (aka Better Bones for Babies)”

2014
Arti Phatak, Pharm.D.; Brooke Ward, Pharm.D., BCPS; Rachael Prusi, Pharm.D.; Elizabeth Vetter, Pharm.D.; Michael Postelnick, BS Pharm, BCPS (AQ Infectious Diseases); and Noelle Chapman, Pharm.D., BCPS
“Impact of Pharmacist Involvement in the Transitional Care of High-Risk Patients through Medication Reconciliation, Medication Education, and Post-Discharge Callbacks”

2013
Nicole Rabs, Pharm.D., Sarah M. Wieczorkiewicz, Pharm.D., BCPS, Michael Costello, PhD, and Ina Zamfirova, BA
“Development of a Urinary-Specific Antibiogram for Gram Negative Isolates: Impact of Patient Risk Factors on Susceptibility”


Online entry form: Click (here) or paste the link below in your browser.
http://ichpnet.org/pharmacy_practice/professional_practice/best_practices/application_form/ 
Submission deadline: July 1, 2017

Eligibility
Applicants must be a member of ICHP practicing in a health system setting. More than one program can be submitted by a health system for consideration. Past submissions may be re-submitted if not previously given the award. Any new data should be included.

Instructions for preparing manuscript
Each entry for the Best Practice Award must include a manuscript prepared as a Word document, double-spaced using Times New Roman 12-pitch type. A header with the paper title and page number should appear on each page. The manuscript should not exceed 2000 words in length (not counting references), plus no more than a total of 6 supplemental graphics (tables, graphs, pictures, etc.) that are relevant to the program. Each picture, graph, figure, and table should be mentioned in the text and prepared as a separate document clearly labeled.

The manuscript should be organized as a descriptive report using the following headings:
  • Introduction, Purpose, and Goals of the program
  • Description of the program
  • Experience with and outcomes of the program
  • Discussion of innovative aspects of programs and achievement of goals
  • Conclusion
Format
Submissions will only be accepted via online submission form. The manuscript will be forwarded to a pre-defined set of reviewers. Please do not include the names of the authors or affiliations in the manuscript to preserve anonymity.

All applicants will be notified of their status within three weeks of the submission deadline. Should your program be chosen as the winner:
  • The program will be featured at the ICHP Annual Meeting. You will need to prepare a poster to present your program and/or give a verbal presentation. Guidelines will be sent to the winner.
  • You will be asked to electronically submit your manuscript to the ICHP KeePosted for publishing. This program will be accredited for CPE and will require that you complete material for ACPE accreditation.
  • You will receive a complimentary registration to the ICHP Annual Meeting, recognition at the meeting and a monetary award distributed to your institution.
  • Non-winning submissions may also be considered for publication in the ICHP KeePosted, but your permission will be obtained beforehand.
Thank you to PharMEDium for providing a grant for the 2017 Best Practice Award!

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55th Annual National Poison Prevention Week Approaches
March 19-25, 2017

Feature Article

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

It’s only February, but as Ferris Bueller said, “Life moves pretty fast,” so consequently we’re warning you early so you and your pharmacy department can be prepared and make a difference. The third full week in March is normally designated as National Poison Prevention Week and has been now for 55 years. The purpose is to call attention to the dangers of accidental poisonings and to help parents, grandparents and anyone who cares for young children to be aware of how quickly accidental poisonings can occur and how to prevent them.

This year each weekday has a designated theme:1

Monday, March 20th – Children Act Fast…So Do Poisons
Tuesday, March 21st – Poison Centers: Saving You Time and Money
Wednesday, March 22nd – Poisonings Span a Lifetime
Thursday, March 23rd – Home Safe Home
Friday, March 24th – Medicine Safety

Perhaps these themes will help you create presentations, posters or cafeteria table tents that will help inform your visitors, patients and even school children and their parents. Certainly Friday’s theme is one we all should be able to speak about!

If you looking for 15 minutes or maybe only 15 seconds of fame, ask your local municipality to proclaim the week Poison Prevention Week for your city, town or village. If they agree, let the local newspapers and television stations know that a presentation will be made at city hall. You would be surprised at how interested they might be! Years ago, I sure was.

Don’t let this important week pass you and your pharmacy department by. Start planning now and get your whole institution fired up about accidental poisonings. It’s just another way you can save a life!

¹ National Poison Prevention Week. American Association of Poison Control Centers. http://www.aapcc.org/prevention/nppw/ (accessed 2017 January).

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Columns

President's Message
Which Came First: Innovation or Collaboration?

by Charlene Hope, PharmD, MS, BCPS, ICHP President

Which Came First: Innovation or Collaboration? 
Part 1 of 2
As I was re-watching the TED videos for last month’s KeePosted article, there was a recurring theme that I noticed repeated over and over - Collaboration. You may also recall Linda Fred’s 2014 presidential theme of Collaboration, which encouraged us to foster collaboration as a way of expanding our reach as pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. This month I wanted to further explore this topic of collaboration in the context of promoting innovation within our pharmacy departments and outside of our departments within our healthcare organizations. As hospital mergers continue and health-systems expand into the ambulatory space, the ability to collaborate and devise innovative services with often limited resources is paramount. 

I don’t know about you and your personal experience in your current work environment, but it may be similar to mine. Over the last six months I have been working with my hospitals to implement formal diversion prevention programs, preparing for The Joint Commission Survey, including the new Medication Management standard focused on Antimicrobial Stewardship, not to mention tackling already on-going projects focused on compliance with sterile compounding standards USP 797 and 800. The pressure is on!  The challenge lies with the ability to adapt to these changes in a timely manner to meet these demands. We have thus far relied on expanding our roles, changing our pharmacy practice models and leveraging technology. In many organizations, the ability to hire additional staff to meet these demands is often limited. As a result, I am starting to hear more in different venues about what we can do to further accelerate the expansion of the advancing role of the pharmacy technician, and how we can further expand their involvement and leverage their knowledge and skills to meet these demands. How can we achieve this goal? One approach is Innovation through Collaboration. 

In a recent survey1 of over 1,700 CEOs, IBM reported that the need to innovate and collaborate was forefront on the minds of business leaders in both the public and the private sectors. Of the CEOs who participated in the study, collaboration was the most important trait they were seeking in employees. In the face of an increasingly complex world facilitated by the rapid adoption of technological advances, adopting innovation strategies will be key to making significant changes that organizations will need to respond to market pressures.

Innovation happens through collaboration. Jeff Dance, in his article “5 reasons why collaboration contributes to innovation,” lists these top reasons:
  1. Associations – Some of the best meetings are those where ideas are being discussed, bounced around from individual to individual and an excitement starts to build as consensus among all those in the room is reached. It’s the connections and associations that are made between a diverse group of individuals that generate and develop ideas that lead to innovation. Have you attended a meeting or have you included pharmacy technicians in pharmacists meetings where the expansion of pharmacy services are discussed? Have you ever invited a pharmacy technician to a Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) meeting or other related committee meeting and solicited their feedback on what was discussed? A seasoned pharmacy technician may provide a perspective or idea that may lead to an association not previously thought of.
  2. Speed – Last month I presented an insulin pump policy to one of my hospital’s P&T committees. It was small group composed of pharmacists, an ICU Nurse Manager, the Radiology Director and one of our primary endocrinologists. As I made my way through this lengthy document, issues arose of how to manage the pump when the patient had a scheduled procedure in radiology. In a short period of time, numerous ideas were discussed, perspectives were shared and solutions were offered. While the policy was not approved, the feedback that I received over the 15-min discussion saved me hours of work that it would have taken me to schedule and meet with the individual stakeholders.
  3. Connections – The best way to expand your network at work is to work on a project with someone outside of your pharmacy department. 
  4. Energy – There is power in numbers. If there is a team of individuals from many different departments supporting an initiative, it may help it to push through an expected resistance or doubt that may be raised by a manager or other direct report. Also having the positive energy behind a new idea or process can help when the team is experiencing a delay or setback.
  5. Implementation – Lastly, there is no innovation without complete implementation of a project. Staying the course and navigating the ups and downs of implementation is half the battle. With collaboration, it is a little bit more likely you will be able to survive the journey.
In the next issue of KeePosted, I will discuss the barriers to collaboration and what you can do to foster innovation through collaboration at work in Part 2 of this article.

References
  1. IBM. Leading Through Connections. http://www-935.ibm.com/services/multimedia/anz_ceo_study_2012.pdf (accessed 2017 January). 
  2. Dance J. 5 Reasons why collaboration contributes to innovation. https://www.freshconsulting.com/5-reasons-why-collaboration-contributes-to-innovation/ (accessed 2017 January). 

Directly Speaking
I’ve Got a Dog With a Drug Problem!

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

Okay, I’m not proud of it, but I can’t deny it – one of my dogs has a drug problem. But it’s not the kind you’re thinking. Eleven-year-old Comiskey is a Toy Poodle, and yes, he’s a sissy like his breed is portrayed. He has just been diagnosed with diabetes and is scared to death of the needles! I’ve seen him sit through a blood draw without flinching, and I’ve seen him defend his adopted Maltese-Toy Poodle, sister Sadie ferociously against the neighbor’s over-aggressive Schnauzer. But when it comes to his insulin injections, you would think we’re cutting off his leg. And no, we don’t inject the insulin in his leg.

So being the pharmacist, albeit a very out of practice one, I went to my medical library – Google – and searched to see if an insulin pen existed for dogs and if it could solve our problem. First, they do exist, thanks to our friends at Merck who make them. Second, if the U-40 syringe was a no-go, the insulin pen is definitely a double no-go. You see, the pens came out after I left frontline practice, so I’ve never seen one used. But thanks to Google and Merck, the online tutorial showed me that holding the needle in place for the full 5 seconds to fully empty the dose would not make things any better, but probably worse.

Our veterinarian has said, no oral meds exist for dogs at this time and while my own medicine cabinet (above the kitchen sink, probably not the best place) contains three different types of anti-diabetic agents, I don’t think I’m ready to do some research with one of the family pets. Right now we’ll continue to struggle to give him his shots and feed him his diabetic dog food, which you need a prescription for in Illinois. Don’t get me started on that. But hopefully we’ll find a way to keep him going, so he can live a reasonable life for a few more years.

So why did I feel the need to share Comiskey’s conundrum? Because every now and then you will run into a patient with a very difficult medication problem, and it’s up to you as their pharmacy team to solve it! It might be a difficult route of administration like Comiskey’s situation. Or it might be that the medication prescribed has no alternative, again, just like my little buddy. So you have to find a way to help the patient adhere to their medication regimen. It takes out of the box thinking, patience and perseverance.

Most importantly, you have to ask the patient how they are doing with their new medication(s). That is the first step in identifying problems with medication therapy and the one that is probably most often forgotten. Many times the problem is identified when it comes to a head with hospitalization or a physician visit because the initially diagnosed problem is not getting better or a side effect is now intolerable. That’s not a good way to find out that there is a therapy problem. By talking to the patient early and often, most serious problems can be prevented or controlled early. Talking to patients takes time, but that time spent can head off additional dollars spent, days with the illness and patient suffering.

I wish I could talk with Comiskey to convince him that the needle doesn’t hurt that bad and that the consequences of his acceptance or rejection of treatment will have completely different outcomes for him in his remaining years. But I can’t. So instead, I will keep scouring Google and seek out friends in pharmacy with more veterinary experience than me. I may seek support from his veterinarian by asking for a little helper to calm him when it is shot time. But I won’t give up and hopefully neither will you! 
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ICHPeople

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Congratulations to Mary Ann Kliethermes, BS, PharmD, of Downers Grove, IL who will be receiving the Daniel B. Smith Practice Excellence Award at the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA-APPM) Awards. This award recognizes a pharmacy practitioner, in any practice setting, who has distinguished himself/herself and the profession through outstanding performance and achievements.

Congratulations to Gireesh V. Gupchup, PhD, FAPhA, of Edwardsville, Illinois who will be receiving the Outstanding Dean Award at the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) Awards. This award recognizes school or college of pharmacy Deans who have made significant contributions to APhA-ASP chapters and who have promoted, with distinction, the welfare of student pharmacists through various community service, leadership and professional activities.

Mary Ann and Gireesh will receive their awards in March in San Francisco at APhA 2017.

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Government Affairs Report
The Bill Barrage Begins

by Jim Owen and Scott A. Meyers

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At the time of writing, late January, the 100th Illinois General Assembly has been in session 5 days, and we already have 425 Senate bills and 526 House bills introduced! And while the Senate is attempting to come to an agreement on a 2017 Budget (which by the way ends in less than 6 months), the House has made little effort and seems lukewarm to the Senate’s efforts. We have not seen any bills yet related to the sunset of the Pharmacy Practice Act but know that there will be multiple vehicles introduced by a variety of players.

 

In the meantime, ICHP is working with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) and the Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA) to address the Governor’s concerns with pharmacist counseling for drug interactions. Included in the working group is also the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). The working group will attempt to draft new rules for the Pharmacy Practice Act and potentially the Medical Practice Act regarding mandatory counseling for patients. In fact, if our pharmacy group effort is successful, the mandatory counseling will be required not only by pharmacists and physicians, but all prescribers in Illinois. The process is much too young to predict, but one tenant of the pharmacy platform will be that counseling on medications is a shared responsibility.

 

In the meantime, we have provided an early summary of the bills we are already monitoring. We’re sure there will be many more before the February 10th Bill Introduction Deadline, so be prepared to watch our list grow!

 

Bill Number

Sponsor

Summary

Location

ICHP Position

SB0009

Hutchinson – Chicago, D

Creates the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Act. Imposes a tax on distributors of bottled sugar-sweetened beverages, syrups, or powders at the rate of $0.01 per ounce of bottled sugar-sweetened beverages sold or offered for sale to a retailer for sale in the State to a consumer. Requires those distributors to obtain permits.

Revenue Comm.

 

SB0018

Cullerton  - Chicago, D

Technical change to the Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse and Dependency Act.

Executive Comm.

 

SB0073

HB0239

Silverstein – Chicago, D

Amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Adds provision concerning prescription drug price increases. Requires manufacturers of prescription drugs to notify State purchasers, health insurers, health care service plan providers, and pharmacy benefit managers of specified increases in drug prices at least 30 days before such increase and the cost of specified new prescription drugs 3 days before the commercial availability of a new drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or within 3 days after approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration if the new drug will be made commercially available within 3 days of such approval. Provides that within 30 days after such notifications, prescription drug manufacturers shall report specified information to the Department of Public Health and requires the Department to publish such information on its website. Provides that failure to report such information to specified entities shall result in a specified administrative penalty. Provides that the Department may adopt rules and issue guidance to implement these provisions and shall be responsible for enforcing these provisions. Contains provisions concerning the confidentiality of pricing information. Repeals provisions concerning prescription drug price increases on January 1, 2022. Effective immediately.

Assignments

 

HR0016

Gordon-Booth – Peoria, D

Urges Congress to pass legislation in support of the establishment of VA emergency prescription refill programs nationwide to ensure that, in emergency situations, veterans may receive medication directly from their local pharmacy and VA facility.

 

 

HB0008

Lang – Skokie, D

Technical change to the Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse and Dependency Act.

Rules Comm.

 

HB0009

Lang – Skokie, D

Technical change to the Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse and Dependency Act.

Rules Comm.

 

HB0070

Lang – Skokie, D

Technical change to the Insurance Code in the section on addiction.

Rules Comm.

 

HB0072

Lang – Skokie, D

Technical change to the Insurance Code in the section on addiction.

Rules Comm.

 

HB0239

SB0073

Flowers – Chicago, D

Amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Requires manufacturers of brand name or generic prescription drugs to notify State purchasers, health insurers, health care service plan providers, pharmacy benefit managers, and the General Assembly of specified increases in drug prices at least 60 days before such increase and the cost of specified new prescription drugs within 3 days after approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Provides that within 30 days after such notifications, prescription drug manufacturers shall report specified information to State purchasers, health insurers, health care service plan providers, pharmacy benefit managers, and the General Assembly. Provides that failure to report such information shall result in a specified civil penalty. Requires the General Assembly to conduct an annual public hearing on aggregate trends in prescription drug pricing. Provides that if the manufacturer of a prescription drug or its agent meets or otherwise communicates with a prescriber for the purpose of marketing a drug, then the manufacturer or its agent shall disclose to the prescriber if any ingredient in the drug it is marketing is known to pose a risk of dependency in humans. Makes other changes.

Rules Comm.

 

HB240

Flowers – Chicago, D

Amends the Third Party Prescription Programs Article of the Insurance Code, the Pharmacy Practice Act of 1987, and the Wholesale Drug Distribution Licensing Act. Prohibits the licensure, transference, use, or sale of any records relative to prescription information containing patient-identifiable or prescriber-identifiable data by any licensee or registrant of the Acts for commercial purposes.

Rules Comm.

 

HB0274

Mussman – Schaumburg, D

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Provides that "practice of pharmacy" includes the prescribing and dispensing of hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives. Defines "hormonal contraceptive patch" as a transdermal patch applied to the skin of a patient, by the patient or by a practitioner, that releases a drug composed of a combination of hormones that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to prevent pregnancy and "self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive" as a drug composed of a combination of hormones that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to prevent pregnancy and that the patient to whom the drug is prescribed may take orally. Allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense contraceptives to a person over 18 years of age and a person under 18 years of age only if the person has evidence of a previous prescription from a primary care or a women's health care practitioner. Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to adopt rules to establish standard procedures for pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives. Provides requirements for the rules to be adopted by the Department. Provides that all State and federal laws governing insurance coverage of contraceptive drugs and products shall apply to the provisions.

Rules Comm.

Support

HB0281

Flowers – Chicago, D

Amends the Administration of Psychotropic Medications to Children Act. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall adopt rules requiring the Department to distribute treatment guidelines on an annual basis to all persons licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 to practice medicine in all of its branches. Provides that the Department shall prepare and submit an annual report to the General Assembly with specified information concerning the administration of psychotropic medication to persons for whom it is legally responsible. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation may revoke, suspend, place on probation, reprimand, refuse to issue or renew, or take any other disciplinary or non-disciplinary action as the Department may deem proper with regard to the license or permit of any person issued under the Act upon repeated acts of clearly excessive prescribing, furnishing, or administering psychotropic medications to a minor without a good faith prior examination of the patient and medical reason.

Rules Comm.

 

HB0292

Olsen – Downers Grove, R

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that over-the-counter medications that are prescribed to a recipient of medical assistance by a physician, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, or any other medical care provider qualified to prescribe medications shall be covered under the State's medical assistance program. Provides that pharmacies providing prescribed over-the-counter medications shall be reimbursed at the same rate determined by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services for prescription medications covered under the State's medical assistance program. Requires the Department to establish guidelines and standards by administrative rule on the documentation, if any, a medical care provider must submit when prescribing an over-the-counter medication to a recipient of medical assistance. Effective immediately.

Rules Comm.

 

HB0313

Feigenholtz – Chicago, D

Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Extends the repeal of the Nurse Practice Act from January 1, 2018 to January 1, 2028. Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Defines "focused assessment", "full practice authority", "oversight", and "postgraduate advanced practice nurse". Changes references of "advanced practice nurse" and "APN" to "advanced practice registered nurse" and "APRN" throughout the Act. Replaces provisions regarding nursing delegation with provisions that prohibit specified actions. Provides other guidelines for delegation of nursing activities and medication administration. Makes changes to education program requirements, qualifications for licensure, the scope of practice, and continuing education for LPN and RN licensees. Provides that a written collaborative agreement is required for all postgraduate advanced practice registered nurses until specific requirements have been met. Provides that postgraduate advanced practice registered nurses may enter into written collaborative agreements with collaborating advanced practice registered nurses or physicians (rather than collaborating physicians or podiatric physicians). In provisions concerning prescriptive authority for postgraduate advanced practice registered nurses, sets forth the requirements for postgraduate advanced practice registered nurses to have prescriptive authority and the limitations of such authority. Makes changes to provisions concerning the grounds for disciplinary action under the Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to prepare a report regarding the moneys appropriated from the Nursing Dedicated and Professional Fund to the Department of Public Health for nursing scholarships. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Rules Comm.

Oppose

HB0384

Harris – Mt. Prospect, R

Repeals the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act and abolishes the Health Facilities and Services Review Board. Amends the Health Care Self-Referral Act to transfer the Board's functions under that Act to the Department of Public Health. Amends various other Acts to eliminate references to the Board or the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act.

Rules Comm.

 

HB0524

Wheeler – Crystal Lake, R

Amends the Safe Pharmaceutical Disposal Act. Provides that pharmaceuticals disposed of under the Act may be destroyed in a drug destruction device. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Expands the definition of "drug evidence" to include any used, expired, or unwanted pharmaceuticals collected under the Safe Pharmaceutical Disposal Act. Effective immediately.

Rules Comm.

 

 

Watch your emails and future issues of the KeePosted for updates and potential calls to action. 2017 will be a very exciting legislative year!


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Board of Pharmacy Update
Highlights from the January 2017 Meeting

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

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The January 17th Board of Pharmacy Meeting was held at the James R. Thompson Center at Randolph and LaSalle Streets in Chicago. These are the highlights of that meeting.

NABP Annual Meeting 2017 – The Illinois Board of Pharmacy will send several members to the NABP Annual Meeting 2017 to be held on May 20-23 in Orlando, Florida. Board members will attend at their own expense with Board Chair, Yash Patel, using the NABP provided scholarship grant. Dr. Patel will serve as the Board’s delegate and Ned Milenkovich, Board Vice Chair, will serve as the alternate.

The MPJE (Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination) revisions – In March several Board of Pharmacy members will write new questions for the MPJE that test on Illinois Practice Act and Rules. These new questions should appear on the exam in April but will be in the pilot testing phase to identify bias or non-discriminators. Pharmacy candidates should not expect the new questions to count toward their score for several months.

Draft Compounding Rules – The first draft of new compounding rules will soon be published in the Illinois Register releasing them to the profession for a 45-day written comment period. ICHP and other organizations have already had input on the draft before it went to the Governor’s office for review. There was brief discussion at the meeting but no significant concerns.

Self-Inspection Forms Now Available Online – Last issue we told you that institutional self-inspection forms were available at http://www.idfpr.com/profs/pharm.asp under the Resources and Publications tab. Now you can also find self-inspection forms required for any pharmacy that compounds sterile and non-sterile medications. Please check out the website if you haven’t already. 

Dates for Future Board Meetings – The Board confirmed the following future dates and locations for meetings:

March 14, 2017 

Chicago

May 9, 2017

Chicago

July 11, 2017

Chicago

September 12, 2017

Springfield

November 14, 2017

Chicago

January 9, 2018

Chicago

 

 

License Renewals – On March 31, 2017 all pharmacy technician’s licenses are due for renewal. This year, the Department intends to send out all initial notifications via email. Please make sure your contact information with the Department is up to date! Renewals should open 60 days prior to March 31 and most licenses may be renewed online. Technicians moving from licensed technician to licensed certified pharmacy technician and student pharmacists will still be required to renew by mail. Licensees delinquent on child support or student loans will not be able to renew online and must contact the Department directly. Certified pharmacy technicians should now begin collecting their 20 hours of ACPE accredited continuing pharmacy education credits for a two year period. 

Legislative Update – Garth Reynolds, IPhA Executive Director, provided the January Legislative Update and reported that the 100th Illinois General Assembly has begun meeting this month. Among the significant pharmacy issues that will be considered during the Spring Session is the sunset of the Illinois Pharmacy Practice Act.

Permanent Revocation or Denial – Licensees or applicants who had their pharmacist or pharmacy technician licenses revoked or denied because of a previous conviction of a forcible felony (e.g., assault, battery, and murder) may now ask for a review. If there is proof of significant rehabilitation and at least five years since the end of the prison term or probation, an individual may be eligible for licensure.

DEA Rollback of Opioid Production – The DEA has ordered pharmaceutical manufacturers that produce opioid containing compounds to decrease production by 10-15% in 2017 as a mechanism to slow the opioid epidemic. This could mean shortages throughout the year.

Pharmacy Investigators – The State now has five inspectors on staff in addition to Dr. Amin, Pharmacy Compliance Coordinator. Three are based in the Chicago area and two in Springfield. One more investigator position is now posted.

Pharmacy Inspection Forms – With the New Year, don’t forget to complete your pharmacy self-inspection forms (yes plural). All pharmacies must complete one form for the type of practice (community or hospital), and if any compounding is done in the pharmacy, then a form for non-sterile and sterile (if applicable) compounding must be completed annually and retained on file for 5 years. Forms may be found at http://www.idfpr.com/profs/pharm.asp. There are also forms for telepharmacy and remote prescription order processing sites.

Next Board of Pharmacy Meeting – The next meeting of the Illinois Board of Pharmacy will be held at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, March 14th at the Department’s Building at 320 W. Washington Street in Springfield. Announcements and agendas are posted at least 14 days in advance on the IDFPR pharmacy website. The profession is welcome to attend the open portion of this meeting.

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College Connection

SIUE Has a Successful Year at ASHP Midyear

College Connection

by Mallory Belcher, P3, SIUE SSHP President and Kaylee Poole, P2, SIUE SSHP President-Elect Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy

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What a year for SIUE SSHP at ASHP Midyear! Our SSHP chapter won an Outstanding Professional Development Project Award from ASHP for our PPMI project from the previous year entitled “Getting a Jump Start on PPMI.” At the Student Society Showcase, our chapter president, Mallory Belcher, presented on our chapter’s relationship with a local dialysis center and how our students got involved in making a difference in the community. Earlier this year, we reached out to the clinic to see if they had any needs that we could help them with. They asked for blankets to keep their dialysis patients warm during sessions, so our chapter organized a pizza party and we spent the evening making fleece tie blankets to donate to patients at the center. We are continuing to expand our relationship with the center and are looking forward to working with them again in the future. 
SIUE Has a Successful Year at ASHP Midyear

Continuing SIUE SSHP’s streak of success at Midyear were P4 members Jessica Lorenson and Abigail Buchman. They competed in the ASHP Clinical Skills Competition together for the second year in a row and were awarded third place in the national competition. Our chapter is incredibly proud of them and all of the success that they have had competing in the Clinical Skills Competition. “Abby and I were in shock and utter disbelief when they were announcing the Top 10 winning teams and called SIUE” said Jessica Lorenson. Be on the lookout for our next KeePosted submission to hear more about Jess and Abby’s experience competing in the national competition! 

To wrap up our weekend in Las Vegas, graduates from almost every SIUE School of Pharmacy graduating class came together for a reception at the Luxor Hotel to catch up, network, and honor the 2016 Illinois Pharmacist of the Year--SIUE’s very own Dr. Chris Herndon. We are humbled by the success our chapter experienced at ASHP Midyear 2016 and hope for continued success in the future. 
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Working During Pharmacy School

by Haley Boyer, P1, ICHP, Rockford P1 Liaison - UIC College of Pharmacy at Rockford

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Graduate school is the pinnacle of one’s academic career in terms of outcomes and complexity. Most people would support a student’s decision not to work during this tremendously busy time in their life. And, while work can be demanding, many students discover that there is no better time for a professional commitment than during one’s professional education. Working in a field related to one’s studies, such as a pharmacy technician, can provide a wealth of benefits, even when the work seems disparate from their ultimate professional goals. These benefits are namely seen in the form of credibility, connections, and insight.

A major concern for many graduate students is the curriculum vitae, or CV. Having a work history in your field prior to graduation is a great way to show commitment, experience, and accomplishment in your field of study. While organizational and other profession-related activities are important, work experience communicates an array of activities and skills, such as dependability, professionalism, and maturity, just to name a few. Working as a technician can also build credibility with future coworkers or employees by demonstrating a knowledge of their responsibilities.
 
Many of us have heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Ideally, that is not wholly the case when we are talking about doctorate level job positions. But ultimately, getting to know established and connected people in your field will rarely do anything but help you in life. Work experience can offer you the opportunity to get to know accomplished individuals in your area of study, which can translate into references, mentorship, and job opportunities.

Another benefit of working in a relevant field of study is the insight you may gain into your profession. Your working experiences may influence where your interests lie and subsequently eliminate or illuminate future career choices. Another advantage of working as a technician is the familiarity in dosing and dosage forms one learns working in the pharmacy. Even if you are not the one supervising the dosing or counseling, contact with so many facets of the profession offers precious repetition, locking that information into your memory. So, properly utilized, work can be a different and more applicable form of studying.

Prior to beginning pharmacy school, I worked in a Walgreens pharmacy for about two years. During this time, I worked with several different pharmacists who offered me guidance and advice regarding a career in pharmacy. I learned the responsibilities of a retail pharmacist and the demands one can expect. The summer before pharmacy school I wanted to experience another area of the profession so I got a job in a hospital pharmacy. My experience in hospital pharmacy has given me the opportunity to make new connections, as well as learn about medications frequently used in the hospitalized patient. Plus, it never hurts to be making money.

Ultimately, I have benefited from working as a pharmacy technician while in school and I find the work enjoyable and motivating. And while balancing work and school can be challenging, the benefits have outweighed the stress of work and school. My work as a technician has helped me connect my scholarly activities with the work of a pharmacist. I am confident these experience will make me a stronger clinician. 

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Stepping Outside the Tailored Pharmacy Role

College Connection

by Sayeda Wasema, PS-3 - CSU College of Pharmacy

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As a student, one does not need to follow the “standard” path approach when exploring different career options. Initially, I assumed that community pharmacy would be where I would eventually practice. I know that hospital pharmacy practice is another major route for those interested in advanced clinical services. However, I discovered the possibility of practicing in medication patient safety for a healthcare company, and this has transformed my view of what is considered “standard.” 

Because this greatly sparked my interest, I began to do some further research. I was very fortunate to obtain a summer internship focused on this niche area of practice.  I was nervous because it is a complex role. However, I was ready for the challenge. During this experience, I worked on projects dealing with common health information technology errors, anticoagulants, and other high-risk medications. We would begin by reaching out to several clinicians in various hospitals to research what specific types of errors occurred with these medications. Additionally, I performed literature searches related to those high-risk medications to determine if any novel safety practices had been implemented. We would then convene the expert clinicians and have discussions on whether these implementations were practical. I would summarize the findings and send them to the different hospitals. Patient safety is just one of the many facets that I discovered in this corporate environment. I absolutely enjoyed participating in this program and would highly recommend it to others. 

I feel that my experience was unique, and it has prompted me to consider other career paths. I think that students should strongly consider other options outside of the norm, such as conducting research with a pharmaceutical company, consultant pharmacy practice, or academia. We should take full advantage of the opportunities to learn about different career paths. My advice is to speak to others who work in those unique areas to determine the next steps required to obtain those positions. 

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More

Welcome New Members!


ICHPnet.org                                Save to PDF

New Member Recruiter
Carolina Adelman
Pamela Althoff Kristi Stice
Morgan Atwood
Martina Bidzhova
Candace Bobbitt Kristi Stice
Madison Lyn Fleckenstein Kristi Stice
Haley Fox Haley Boyer
Lisa Ingram Kristi Stice
Alexis Kasniunas Brett Barker
Diane Kim
Kenneth Kuczero
Jyoti Mann
Martha Petrowsky Kristi Stice
Linette Robinson Kristi Stice
Sara Schulz
Ashley Stefanski
Katherine Stong Kristi Stice
Layssa Taylor Kristi Stice
Mayme Willard Kristi Stice
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Leadership Profile
Elise Wozniak, Pharmacy Practice Coordinator at Northwestern Memorial Hospital

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What is your current leadership position in ICHP?
ICHP Northern Region Director-elect

What benefits do you see in being active in a professional association such as ICHP?
Broadening perspectives by getting to know other practice sites and practitioners throughout the state.

What initially motivated you to get involved in ICHP?
Honestly, a mentor of mine encouraged me to get involved initially. But now that I have gotten to know about all the available programs and committees, it is easy to stay involved.

Where did you go to pharmacy school?
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy

Where have you trained or worked?
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH). I am homegrown! I both trained at NMH and stayed on afterwards in a few different roles now.

Describe your current area of practice and practice setting.
I currently oversee inpatient pharmacy operations for the two central pharmacies at NMH. In addition, I oversee automation including automated dispensing cabinets and carousels.

What advice would you give to student pharmacists?
Think about the things you like to do in your daily work life and try and incorporate that into the position you choose. For example, I like to solve operational problems, so I decided to change paths in my career and go into pharmacy operations.

What pharmacy related issues keep you up at night?
Management of controlled substances! Like it or not, this is a huge issue and every institution needs to have a program in order to adequately manage controlled substances throughout the entire process from procurement to administration.

Do you have any special interests or hobbies outside of work?
This past summer I made a bet with my father-in-law that I would golf 10 times. So this is a new hobby for me. I also occasionally run, albeit very slowly.

Do you have a favorite restaurant or food?
Anything delicious. I’ve been told I eat like an insect…constantly and above my weight class.

What is your favorite place to vacation?
I love beach vacations! Anywhere with warm weather and free time is my favorite way to relax.

What is the most interesting/unique fact about yourself that few people know?
I’ve run 2 marathons, my front teeth do not touch, and I’ve killed every plant I’ve tried to keep.

What 3 adjectives would people use to best describe you?
Optimistic
Flexible
Determined


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Upcoming Events

Visit the ICHP Calendar for the most up-to-date events!                  Visit the ICHP Calendar for the most up-to-date events!

Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Part 1: Pathophysiology of Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Role of Effector Immune Cells
Part 2: Streamlining the Crash Cart Model: Less is More
NISHP LIVE Program
Maggiano's Little Italy | Oak Brook, IL
Part 1 is not available for CPE credit. This program is sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Part 2 is accredited for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians | 0.5 contact hour (0.05 CEU)
This is an independent program provided by ICHP.


Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Chris Mahaffey, PharmD
Sangamiss LIVE CPE Program
Bella Milano | Springfield, IL
This program is accredited for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians | 1.0 contact hour (0.1 CEU)


Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Topic: Pharmacogenomics – Inpatient and Ambulatory Care Implementation
Mark Dunnenberger, PharmD
James Lee, PharmD, BCPS


Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Radhika Polisetty, PharmD, BCPS, AQ-ID
Jaime Borkowski, PharmD, BCPS
Champions LIVE Webinar
Watch for more information in upcoming CPE news briefs.


Thursday, March 9, 2017
Radhika S. Polisetty PharmD,BCPS, AQ-ID, AAHIVP
Kathleen M. Vest PharmD, CDE, BCACP
NISHP LIVE CPE Program
UIC College of Pharmacy | Chicago, IL
This program is accredited for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians | 1.0 contact hour (0.1 CEU)

Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Kyle Dillon, PharmD
PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident
HSHS St. John's Hospital
Dexmedetomidine for use as adjunct therapy in Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS) and Delirium Tremens (DT)
Fire and Ale | Sherman, IL
This program is accredited for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians | 1.0 contact hour (0.1 CEU)

Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Illinois State Capitol | Springfield, IL
More information coming soon.


Friday, March 31, 2017 - Saturday, April 1, 2017
LIVE Joint Statewide Meeting with Missouri Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Save the date! Watch the Spring Meeting page for more information.

Thursday, April 13, 2017
West Central Society CPE Program
The Growing Role of the Pharmacist in Palliative Care and Hospice
Saint Francis Medical Center | Peoria, IL 
Save the date! Watch for more information.

Saturday, July 1, 2017
More information on the 2017 Best Practice Award and Program coming soon.

Officers and Board of Directors

CHARLENE HOPE 
President
708-783-5933 
chope@macneal.com

JENNIFER PHILLIPS 
Immediate Past President
630-515-7167 
jphillips@midwestern.edu

TRAVIS HUNERDOSSE 
President-elect
THUNERDO@nm.org 

MIKE WEAVER 
Treasurer 
815-599-6113 
mweaver@fhn.org

JENNIFER ARNOLDI 
Secretary 
jearnol@gmail.com

LARA ELLINGER 
Director, Educational Affairs 
laelling@nm.org

CARRIE VOGLER
Director, Marketing Affairs
217-545-5394

KRISTI STICE 
Director, Professional Affairs
217-544-6464 ext.44660 
kristi.stice@hshs.org

CAROL HEUNISCH 
Director, Organizational Affairs 
847-933-6811

KATHRYN SCHULTZ
Director, Government Affairs
312-926-6961

DAVID TJHIO 
Chairman, Committee on Technology 
816-885-4649 
david.tjhio@bd.com

COLLEEN BOHNENKAMP
Chairman, New Practitioners Network

BRYAN MCCARTHY
Co-Chairman, Ambulatory Care Network

VIRGINIA NASH
Co-Chairman, Ambulatory Care Network

CLARA GARY
Technician Representative

JACOB GETTIG 
Editor & Chairman, KeePosted Committee 
630-515-7324 fax: 630-515-6958 
jgetti@midwestern.edu 

JENNIFER PHILLIPS 
Assistant Editor, KeePosted 
630-515-7167 
jphillips@midwestern.edu 

SCOTT MEYERS 
Executive Vice President, ICHP Office 
815-227-9292 
scottm@ichpnet.org 


Regional Directors

NOELLE CHAPMAN 
Regional Director North
312-926-2547
nchapman@nmh.org 

ED RAINVILLE 
Regional Director Central 
ed.c.rainville@osfhealthcare.org 

LYNN FROMM 
Regional Co-Director South
618-391-5539

TARA VICKERY GORDEN 
Regional Co-Director South
618-643-2361 x2330


Student Chapter Presidents

FLORENCE PATINO 
President, Student Chapter 
Chicago State University C.O.P. 

SHAZIYA BARKAT 
President, Student Chapter
Midwestern University Chicago C.O.P. 
sbarkat14@midwestern.edu

KASIA PLIS 
President, Student Chapter 
Roosevelt University C.O.P. 
kplis@mail.roosevelt.edu

JORIE KREITMAN 
President, Student Chapter 
Rosalind Franklin University C.O.P. 
jorie.kreitman@my.rfums.org

MALLORY BELCHER 
President, Student Chapter 
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville S.O.P
mabelch@siue.edu

LEVI PILONES 
President, Chicago Student Chapter
University of IL C.O.P. 
lpilon2@uic.edu 

TREVOR LUMAN 
President, Rockford Student Chapter 
University of IL C.O.P. 
tluman2@uic.edu


ICHP Affiliates 


ANTOINE JENKINS 
President, Northern IL Society (NISHP)

JARED SHELEY 
President, Metro East Society (MESHP)
jpsheley@gmail.com 

KATELYN CONKLEN 
President, Sangamiss Society
Conklen.Katelyn@mhsil.com

ED RAINVILLE
 
President, West Central Society (WSHP)  
ed.c.rainville@osfhealthcare.org

Vacant Roles at Affiliates — 
President, Rock Valley Society; Southern IL Society; Sugar Creek Society

ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund (PAC) Contributors

Names below reflect donations between January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2017. Giving categories reflect each person's cumulative donations since inception.

ADVOCACY ALLIANCE - $2500-$10000
Kevin Colgan
Edward Donnelly
James Owen Consulting, Inc.
Frank Kokaisl
Scott Meyers
Michael Novario
Michael Weaver
Thomas Westerkamp


LINCOLN LEAGUE - $1000-$2499
Scott Bergman
Andrew Donnelly
Ginger Ertel
Ann Jankiewicz
Jan Keresztes
Kathy Komperda
William McEvoy
Christina Quillian
Michael Rajski
Michael Short
Carrie Sincak
Avery Spunt
Patricia Wegner


CAPITOL CLUB - $500-$999
Margaret Allen
Sheila Allen
Rauf Dalal
Drury Lane Theatre
Kenneth Foerster
Travis Hunerdosse
Leonard Kosiba
Mary Lee
Janette Mark
Jennifer Phillips
Edward Rainville
Kathryn Schultz
Heidi Sunday
Jill Warszalek
Alan Weinstein


GENERAL ASSEMBLY GUILD - $250-$499
Tom Allen
Jennifer Arnoldi
Peggy Bickham
Jaime Borkowski
Donna Clay
Scott Drabant
Sandra Durley
Michael Fotis
Jo Ann Haley
Joan Hardman
Kim Janicek
Zahra Khudeira
Ann Kuchta
Ronald Miller
Peggy Reed
Tara Vickery Gorden
Carrie Vogler
Marie Williams


SPRINGFIELD SOCIETY - $100-$249
Rebecca Castner
Noelle Chapman
Lara Ellinger
Jennifer Ellison
Nora Flint
Carol Heunisch
Lois Honan
Charlene Hope
Robert Hoy
Richard Kruzynski
Kati Kwasiborski
Bella Maningat
Milena McLaughlin
Megan Metzke
Katherine Miller
Kenneth Miller
Danielle Rahman
Jerry Storm
Amanda Wolff


GRASSROOTS GANG - $50-$99
Katrina Althaus
Antoinette Cintron
Jeanne Durley
Linda Grider
Heather Harper
Megan Hartranft
Erika Hellenbart
Ina Henderson
Christina Jacob
Leslie Junkins
Connie Larson
Barbara Limburg-Mancini
Brian Matthews
John McBride
Bill Middleton
Mark Moffett
Kit Moy
Gary Peksa
Daphne Smith-Marsh
Jennifer Splawski
Nadia Tancredi
Thomas Yu


CONTRIBUTOR - $1-$49
Marc Abel
Tamkeen Abreu
Trisha Blassage
Colleen Bohnenkamp
Erick Borkowski
Jeremy Capulong
Josh DeMott
Janina Dionnio
Angelia Dreher
Tim Dunphy
Veronica Flores
Frank Hughes
Lori Huske
Vera Kalin
Levi Karell Pilones
Josie Klink
David Martin
Claudia Muldoon
Jose Ortiz
Lupe Paulino
Amanda Penland
Zach Rosenfeldt
Kevin Rynn
Cheryl Scantlen
Joellyn Schefke
Amanda Seddon
Kushal Shah
Sarah Sheley
Beth Shields
David Silva
Helen Sweiss
Steve Tancredi
Kathryn Wdowiarz
Marcella Wheatley
Tom Wheeler
Junyu (Matt) Zhang

Over the river and through the woods… to DeSoto House we go!
ICHP Leadership Retreat

by Milena McLaughlin, PharmD, MSc, BCPS-AQ ID, AAHIVP Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice Midwestern University - Chicago College of Pharmacy HIV/ID Clinical Pharmacist Northwestern Memorial Hospital

At the beginning of November I attended the annual ICHP Leadership Retreat held at the DeSoto House Hotel in beautiful Galena, IL. I have enjoyed becoming more involved in this organization over the past few years and this opportunity is just another reason why membership in ICHP is so valuable to me. After arriving at the retreat with no expectations for the coming activities or learning possibilities, I left with several reflections and messages to take back to Chicago.

The word of the year for ICHP is “innovate” and this theme was felt throughout the retreat. Very briefly, our activities’ included Ted Talks, team building exercises, a scavenger hunt through the streets of Galena, strategic planning, and an inspiring guest lecture. One of the first questions posed to us by ICHP President Charlene Hope was, “Why did you decide to attend the retreat?” As I looked around the room, I saw all levels of experience and wisdom, pharmacist and technician representation, those that had driven from near and far. Such a seemingly simple question was so hard to answer! Finally, I decided that my answer was just as simple as the question, to learn. Whether to learn about leadership or the organization, myself or others, I wanted to learn something that I could not read in a book or a journal article. This question speaks to the motivation behind people’s actions, and this leads me to a few of the highlights of the retreat.

All of the Ted Talks had something to do with innovation and one speaker brought up the idea of otaku. Otaku is a person with an obsessive interest. It can have different meanings depending on the country of origin and context of the sentence. In the context of the Ted Talk, the speaker wanted the audience to find out what drives a person. What makes a person stand outside the Apple store for 5 hours to get the newest iPhone or, more relevant to our profession, to move away from friends and family to pursue a residency that best matches their career goals. When you can understand what motivates a person, you can relate to that person better. When you understand their otaku, you can help them succeed and your own ideas succeed.  

Another great message from the Ted Talks was to “Let 1000 flowers bloom.” As preceptors, we often have a plan for our learning materials and how the students will perform. When activities do not go as planned, we think something has gone wrong. Rather than taking this perspective, “letting 1000 flowers bloom” would teach us that the students are the “end users” of the knowledge and that we need to reflect on the message that they have received. We can all do better when learning from our students in the clinical setting. We may believe that our students are learning how to perform a medication history, but is that really what they are taking away from the experience? We need to ask more questions and make sure that the end user is taking home the intended message. If the message is different (note I mention different and not wrong), then we as preceptors can change the conversation to ensure that our students are equipped with the proper skills. 

After listening and participating with all of the wonderful people at the retreat, I had several great messages to take home. First, leaders at all levels of practice come together and reach out to collaborate. This makes our message and organization stronger. Second, Galena loves socks. Just about every store we visited on our scavenger hunt had some type of novelty socks! Third, and most importantly, perspective is one of the most valuable details that we can bring to the table. As a leader, a pharmacist, or as a preceptor, perspective keeps ideas fresh and keeps us innovating.

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