President's Message - January 2011

by Carrie Sincak, ICHP President
January 19, 2011

I am always excited during the holidays to receive Christmas cards in the mail. One card, in particular, listed the top ten highlights of their family over the course of the year. So I thought I would share with you some highlights of ICHP for 2010. Certainly ICHP has had numerous accomplishments over the year, but I have only highlighted ten of them.
  1. The Clinical Practice and Research Network was developed. This Network offers practitioners and researchers a great opportunity to meet and collaborate on ideas, network, and engage in continuing professional development. Be sure to look for emails on meeting dates and times. The network typically meets every other month.
  2. The Division of Marketing Affairs developed the Champions Program. A Champion will serve as the point person or liaison between your workplace and ICHP. This person will display meetings and announcements on your bulletin board, serve as the contact person for web-based continuing education programs, and answer questions or explain the benefits of ICHP membership to colleagues. If you would like to volunteer to serve as a Champion at your workplace, please contact the ICHP office. Technicians and pharmacists are welcome, and no experience is necessary.
  3. The Division of Organizational Affairs worked meticulously over the past two years to revise the ICHP Constitution and Bylaws that were recently approved by our members.
  4. The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules of the Illinois General Assembly approved the final draft of the Illinois Pharmacy Practice Act Rules. The ICHP Division of Government Affairs diligently worked on appropriately addressing and resolving our concerns with the initial draft. The new rules should now provide clear and complete guidance to all licensed pharmacists and registered technicians and students.
  5. Over 225 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy students lobbied on behalf of our profession and our patients at Legislative Day in Springfield. Through these grassroots efforts, our message was heard on numerous house and senate bills. Senator Haine spoke in opposition to one of the bills we highlighted and opposed during this event and based this on concerns expressed by pharmacy students and pharmacists he met that day.
  6. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) provides a national certification program that enables pharmacy technicians to work more effectively with pharmacists to offer safe and effective patient care. PTCB was established in 1995 and is governed by 5 pharmacy organizations, including ICHP. It is a very successful program that ICHP fortunately helped develop. The highlight this year was that the Texas State Board of Pharmacy voted to accept the PTCB examination as its one standard certification test in Texas. This may hopefully take us one step closer to moving toward one certification exam for pharmacy technicians.
  7. The Spring and Annual meetings were another big success with excellent programming.
  8. The ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund Auction with a Twist was a success at the Annual Meeting and raised $3700.
  9. Stan Kent, MS, FASHP, a member of ICHP and 2008 ICHP Health-System Pharmacist of the Year, was elected President of ASHP.
  10. ICHP conducted its elections, and we are excited for the talented professionals who will be serving the organization:
    President-Elect Chris Rivers
    Treasurer-Elect Mike Weaver
    Director-Elect, Government Affairs Ed Rickert
    Director-Elect, Organizational Affairs Linda Fred
    Director-Elect, Professional Affairs Jen Phillips
    Director-Elect, Northern Region Desi Kotis
    Director-Elect, Central Region Sandy Salverson
    Director-Elect, Southern Region Mark Luer
    Chair-Elect, New Practitioners Network Kristi Stice
My major highlight is having the opportunity to work with some of the most talented and hard-working group of professionals in this state – from the ICHP staff, to the Board of Directors, to our valuable ICHP members! Thank you for a great 2010, and I look forward to a productive and healthy 2011!

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