11 minute read
CEO Corner
Brian Sapita heading our government affairs efforts. The combination of his pharmacy knowledge and seven years in the Michigan Legislature allows him to monitor all issues affecting pharmacy as they arise. Even relative staff newcomer Executive Office Administrator AlexAndria Halcomb spent the first seven years of her career as a pharmacy technician. We (and I) are most fortunate to have her pharmacy knowledge at MPA. And, while not a pharmacist, I came to MPA last December after serving almost four years in the same capacity with the Kentucky Pharmacists Association. I did there exactly what I’ve done throughout my association career and that is to know exactly where to go for input on issues affecting the profession. That’s why we’re continuing to build strong committee resources, so we get critical input from you, the members. For example, we initiated a Government Affairs Committee this year that attracted interest from 25-plus members who are willing and anxious to assist us in discussions regarding our legislative priorities. The diverse group, led by Chair Eric Roath and Vice Chair Dan Lobb, is comprised of members from every practice section. Also new, the Communications Work Group led by John Brubaker will supply staff with added support on social media. We also have tremendous resources available from our national partners, including American Pharmacists Association, National Community Pharmacists Association, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, National Association of State Pharmacy Associations, Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and others. On behalf of all staff, current as well as those being hired, we are ready to serve you. We are ready to grow MPA and take it to the next level in support of you, our members.
EVENTS CALENDAR
MPA, local association and national pharmacy organization events as well as health observances are included below. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our online calendar at www.MichiganPharmacists.org/eventscalendar.
JULY 2021
21 Wednesday, July 21 PSI Board of
Directors Meeting Virtual Only
22 Thursday, July 22 Immunization Training Virtual Only
28 Wednesday, July 28 World Hepatitis Day Nationwide
AUGUST 2021
1-31 Sunday, August 1 – Tuesday, August 31 National Immunization Awareness Month Nationwide
24 Tuesday, Aug. 24 Immunization Training Virtual Only
26 Thursday, Aug. 26 MSHP Antimicrobial Stewardship Symposium Virtual Only
SEPTEMBER 2021 SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 2021 2021
1-31 Wednesday, Sept. 1 – Thursday, Sept. 30 Healthy Aging Month Nationwide
1Wednesday, Sept. 1
MPA New Practitioner Committee Meeting Virtual Only
6Monday, Sept. 6
Labor Day MPA Office Closed
9Thursday, Sept. 9
MPA Third Party Committee Meeting Virtual Only
18 Saturday, Sept. 18 MSPT Five-Live Continuing Education Program Virtual Only 24 Friday, Sept. 24 PSI Board of Directors Retreat Meeting Virtual Only
27 Monday, Sept. 27 Immunization Training Virtual Only
27 Monday, Sept. 27 MPA Executive
Board Meeting MPA Headquarters
28 Tuesday, Sept. 28 MPA Pharmacy Day at the Capitol Michigan State Capitol Lawn
30 Thursday, Sept. 30 MPA Community Pharmacy Council Meeting Virtual Only
Please note: Some virtual board and committee meetings may be subject to a change to in-person at MPA headquarters, at the discretion of the members. Please check the online calendar or contact MPA@MichiganPharmacists.org for more information.
SUBMIT AN AWARD NOMINATION!
Do You or a Colleague Deserve Recognition?
Nominate yourself or one of your colleagues for a prestigious award to recognize their professional accomplishments! Choose from a large variety of awards, including eight Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) awards, four Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP) awards, two Michigan Society of Pharmacy Technicians (MSPT) awards, three Michigan Pharmacy PAC awards, three local association awards, the Michigan Society of Community Pharmacists (MSCP) Pharmacist of the Year Award or the Consultant and Specialty Pharmacists of Michigan (CSPM) Pharmacist of the Year Award. MSHP nominations are due Sept. 1. All other award nominations are due Oct. 1. Learn more and submit your award nominations online at www.MichiganPharmacists.org/awards.
CE Event Recaps and Opportunities
Law & Policy Symposium Recap
The Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) held its annual Pharmacy Law and Policy Symposium on April 28. Topics at this day-long virtual event included: • “Drug Supply Chain Security Act and Counterfeit Drugs,” presented by Ilisa Bernstein, Pharm.D., JD, senior vice president of pharmacy practice and government affairs at American Pharmacists Association in North Bethesda, Md., and Shabbir Imber Safdar, executive director for the Partnership for Safe Medicines in San Francisco, Calif. • “FDA and Health-System Pharmacy Compounding,” presented by Rosilend Lawson, branch chief in the Division of Compounding Policy and Outreach, Office of Compounding Quality and Compliance at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Silver Spring, Md., and Tom Kraus, vice president of government relations at American Society of Health-System Pharmacists in Washington, D.C. • “Pharmacy Law and Ethics Update,” presented by Kim Sveska, R.Ph., JD, principle and lawyer at Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip, PLLC in Milford, Mich. • “DEA Overview: Methods of Diversion and Drug Trends,” presented by Kathy Federico, diversion program manager at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Detroit, Mich. • “Pharmacy Law and Regulatory Update,” presented by Farah Jalloul, Pharm.D., director of professional development at MPA in Lansing, Mich., and Brian Sapita, director of government affairs at MPA in Lansing, Mich. Participants could earn up to six hours of live continuing education credit, covering the law education requirement for pharmacy technicians and the ethics and jurisprudence training requirement for pharmacists. If you missed out on this event and would like to view the recordings, please visit MPA’s website at https://www.michiganpharmacists. org/2021PharmLaw.
Growth at Any Stage of Your Pharmacy Career
On May 13, MPA held a leadership development webinar featuring established member leaders at different stages of their pharmacy career, discussing leadership and management and how it has impacted their professional and personal trajectory. The webinar included panelists Stephanie LaPointe, Pharm.D., CSPO, FMPA, director of specialty patient services – growth + innovation at Optum and residency program director for Diplomat in Flint, Mich., Robin Curtis, Pharm.D., clinical care coordinator at SpartanNash in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Christopher Maksym, Pharm.D., retired from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy in Dexter, Mich. Panelists described their roles, responsibilities and characteristics of pharmacy leaders who are actively engaged in the advancement of the profession, discussed the essential skills a pharmacy professional should acquire to be a successful leader and addressed leadership development opportunities to enhance a pharmacy professional’s career advancement.
‘ Live Your Best Life’ Event Recap
The Michigan Society of Community Pharmacists (MSCP) and Michigan Society of Pharmacy Technicians (MSPT) held a joint daylong virtual event on May 15. Topics focused on helping pharmacy professionals live their best life. Topics included: • “Behavioral Health – Breaking Down Barriers: Helping Patients Live Their Best Lives,” presented by Taylor Pettit-Rademacker, LMSW, CAADC, workforce development trainer at Cherry Health in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Lori Heetderks, CPhT, 340B program coordinator and pharmacy technician at Cherry Health in Grand Rapids, Mich. • “Foundations of Health: Optimize Health Using Supplements and Diet,” presented by Brandi Grimmer, CPhT, nutritional consultant at Keystone Pharmacy in Wyoming, Mich. • “Understanding the Human/Animal Bond,” presented by Dr. Jill Sackman, DVM, Ph.D., owner and CEO at Animal Behavior Consultants of Michigan, PLC in Oxford, Mich., and Ginny Mikita, JD, attorney at Mikita Kruse Law Center and animal chaplain at Animal Blessings in Rockford, Mich. • “A Healthy ‘Great Place to Work’ Culture Begins with Trust,” presented by Pinky McPherson, MEd, owner and lead facilitator of PMc Consulting LLC in Grand Rapids, Mich. Six hours of home study continuing education credits can be obtained by purchasing the recordings of this course at https:// www.michiganpharmacists.org/2021mscpmspt.
Immunization Training Programs
In response to the pandemic and increasing need for pharmacists to become immunizers, MPA has trained 161 pharmacists through a series of American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Pharmacybased Immunization Delivery Certificate Training Programs since January. The purpose of this certificate training program is to prepare pharmacists with comprehensive knowledge, skills and resources necessary to provide immunization services to patients across the life span. Watch the events calendar on MPA’s website at https://www.michiganpharmacists.org/ for additional training programs to be scheduled. Additionally, in recognition of the critical role that pharmacy technicians can play to increase the accessibility of vaccine administration services, MPA now has a pharmacy technician immunization administration program available. This four-part program, consisting of required readings, video-recorded lectures, a virtual live seminar and demonstration, has been specifically designed to provide pharmacy technicians with the skills training to administer immunizations. This course fulfills the education requirement for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Immunization Administration Certificate Program. Additional information about MPA’s Pharmacy Technician Immunization Administration Course can be found online at https://www. michiganpharmacists.org/education/pharm_tech_immun.
AUGUSTINE BUI, MPA/PSI EXECUTIVE FELLOW
Augustine Bui joins the Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) as the MPA/Pharmacy Services, Inc. (PSI) executive fellow. He graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a Bachelor of Science in bioengineering and most recently finished his Doctor of Pharmacy/ Master of Business Administration dual degree from East Tennessee State University. He has previously been involved with the Tennessee Pharmacists Association and American Pharmacists Association (APhA), working to increase student pharmacists’ advocacy efforts and creating engaging social media communications. He looks forward to working with the staff at MPA to further his education and training, as well as to serve MPA’s members and advance the profession of pharmacy. He can be reached at (517) 377-0242 or Augustine@MichiganPharmacists.org.
ALEXANDRIA
HALCOMB, EXECUTIVE OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
AlexAndria Halcomb is the Michigan Pharmacists Association’s new executive office administrator, beginning her journey with the organization in April. Alex has a background as a certified pharmacy technician (CPhT), having worked in a pharmacy for 10 years, and as an executive assistant with more than 16 years’ experience in administrative work. Alex assists in MPA’s day-to-day operations. She is dedicated to the organization’s mission and enjoys impact-focused work. In addition, Alex is passionate about ending human trafficking and has volunteered with various U.S. nonprofits since 2016. In her spare time, she also enjoys cooking, traveling, hiking and spending time with family. She can be reached at (517) 377-0252 or by emailing Alex@ MichiganPharmacists.org.
NEW STAFF BIOS
Bryan Freeman joins MPA as director of marketing and communications, bringing more than 20 years of marketing experience to the position. Prior to joining MPA, he led the marketing departments for a variety of companies in the health care, education and financial services industries. Under his marketing leadership, these companies enhanced their brand image, modernized their marketing organizations, remodeled marketing strategies and drove expansive growth in customer acquisition. A lifelong Michigan resident, he graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in psychology as a natural science.
Jennifer Mora has been selected as MPA’s new director of finance and administration, after working for more than 10 years in the finance and human resources fields. She recently worked at Michigan State University GRAIN Research and Innovation as an accountant. She is a hands-on and participative manager that will lead and develop the internal team to support the following areas: finance, business planning and budgeting, human resources, administration and IT. She is excited to find a new home among the professionals at MPA and looks forward to serving MPA members and helping to advance the profession of pharmacy. DAVE VOSS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) MANAGER
Dave Voss joins MPA as the Information Technology (IT) manager, with more than 25 years of experience as an IT professional. He graduated from Michigan Technological University with a degree in Applied Mathematics and has worked in senior IT leadership and technical positions throughout his career. Dave brings extensive IT infrastructure and enterprise application support experience to his role as IT manager, and most recently has been supporting migrations to cloud-based services from traditional on-premise technologies. Dave is excited about his new role with the MPA and looks forward to helping the MPA Team and its members with their current IT needs and developing the MPA IT roadmap together.
SCOTT WALSH, DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP
Scott Walsh joins MPA as the director of membership, bringing more than 10 years of experience as an association professional. He graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in communications, and most recently was an assistant director for the Michigan Manufactured Housing, RV and Campground Association (MMHRVCA). He brings experience in membership development, retention, marketing and sales. He is very excited to get up to speed and hit the ground running in his new role and looks forward to serving the members of MPA.
BRIAN SAPITA has been promoted to the director of government affairs for MPA, after serving as the government affairs manager for the past two years. Previously, Brian spent 10 years in the Michigan Legislature as a legislative aide and about two years as a pharmacy technician at Meijer.
ALISHA SWANCHARA joined MPA in December 2020 as the education assistant and is being promoted to the director of meetings & education following the departure of Director of Education Mary Farrington. Prior to MPA, Alisha was a meeting and event manager for a third party planning company and has a bachelor’s degree in hospitality tourism management from Grand Valley State University.
