Pennsylvania Pharmacist November/December 2016

Pennsylvania November/December 2016 z Volume 97 z Issue 5

Be The

Change Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association

PERMIT NO. 533

PAID

HARRISBURG PA

PRSRT STD

U.S. POSTAGE

America’s Healthcare Revolution

The official publication of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association

2016 Annual Conference September 22–25, 2016

SAVE THE DATE

Mid-Year Conference “Pharmacists Delivering Solutions” January 27–29, 2017 in Lancaster

http://www.thepharmacyconsultants.com/pharmacogenetics papharmacistpgx2016.indd 1

10/10/16 2:28 PM

CONTENTS America’s Healthcare Revolution

28 On the Cover 2016 ANNUAL CONFERENCE Nearly 500 people attended some part of the four day conference to be a part of the change!

Be The

Change

Our Vision Pennsylvania pharmacists will be recognized, engaged, and fairly compensated as healthcare providers.

Our Mission The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, as the leading voice of pharmacy, promotes the profession through advocacy, education, and communication to enhance patient care and public health.

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40

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DEPARTMENTS President’s message, events, advertisers index, new members,financial forum, Rx and the law, campus checkup,

JOURNAL

INDUSTRY news PTCB releases new practice exam and calculations practice app

8 features Naloxone, spotlight, improving people’s health, profiles, top tier, PPA foundation grant,

Abstract: evaluation of the impact of pharmacist-led tobacco cessation classes on abstinence rates in patients of a patient-centered medical home (pcmh) practice

28 association news Annual conference, member news, time capsule,

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PPA Board of Directors PPA Officers President: Eric Pusey, RPh President Elect: Nicholas Leon, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP Vice President: Lauren Simko, PharmD Immediate Past President: Donna Hazel, RPh Regional Directors Central Region: Robert Killoran, RPh Northeast Region: Thomas Franko, PharmD, BCACP Northwest Region: Nickolas Kernich, PharmD Southeast Region: Mark Lawson, PharmD, MBA Southwest Region: Cory Krebs, RPh Practice Directors Academia: Roshni Patel, PharmD Community-Independent/LTC: Stephanie Smith Cooney, PharmD Community Independent/LTC: Chuck Kray, RPh Chain Pharmacists: Stephen Pfeiffer PharmD, MBA Health System Pharmacists: Richard Demers, RPh, MS, FASHP Managed Care/Government/Industry and Other: Julene Vidic, RPh Associates: Greg Drew, RPh

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Student Directors East: Rachel Von Vital West: Marissa Badzik PPA Office Staff CEO: Patricia A. Epple, CAE pepple@papharmacists.com | Ext. 3 Program Manager: Sara Powers spowers@papharmacists.com | Ext. 2 Government Relations Manager: Donald L. Smith, III dsmith@papharmacists.com | Ext. 6 Communications Coordinator: Danielle Adams dadams@papharmacists.com | Ext. 1 Membership Coordinator: Ashley Robbins arobbins@papharmacists.com | Ext. 5 Bookkeeper: Michele Dibble mdibble@papharmacists.com | Ext. 4 PPCN Executive Manager: Mindy Kozminski, PharmD, BCACP mkozminski@papharmacists.com PPCN Trainer: Brandon Antinopoulos, PharmD ppcntrainer@papharmacists.com

Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA) 508 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 (717) 234-6151 Fax: (717) 236-1618 www.papharmacists.com | ppa@papharmacists.com Pennsylvania Pharmacist (ISSN 0031-4633) is the official publication of the Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Association d/b/a Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association and is published every other month, six times per year. Annual subscription is $100 for non-members; for members it is included in the annual dues. Editorial information should be addressed to the PPA address listed above. Peer reviewed articles accepted according to the stated guidelines available from PPA. Editorial Board Olufunmilola Abraham, PhD, MS, BPharm Hershey S. Bell, MD, MS, FAAFP Kim Coley , FCCP, PharmD, RPh Bernard Graham, PhD Stephanie Smith Cooney, PharmD Associate Editor: Danielle Adams Editor/Manager: Pat Epple

Pennsylvania MAGAZINE

papharmacists.com | ppa@papharmacists.com |

Designed and Published

by Graphtech Sarah DiCello, Publications Manager (717) 238-5751 x118 sarah@thinkgraphtech.com For Advertising Information: Alexis Kierce, Account Manager (717) 238-5751 x119 alexis@thinkgraphtech.com Pharmacist State Board of Pharmacy Members Institutional: Gayle Cotchen, BSPharm., PharmD., MBA Independent Community: Rob Frankil, RPh Chain Community: Janet Hart, RPh Chain Community: Theresa M. Talbott, RPh Independent Community: Mark J. Zilner, RPh Board of Pharmacy Meeting Dates: September 20, 2016 October 18, 2016 November 15, 2016 December 13, 2016

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

THIS IS THE SEASON TO VOICE YOUR OPINION AND TAKE PRIDE IN BEING A PHARMACY PROFESSIONAL Tis the Season, no it’s not the Holidays yet, but it is political season for sure. The Presidential Election cycle is a drama in full force mode. One candidate attacks and the other counter attacks, then they switch roles. The decision on whom we individually choose to be president is our own but please make the effort to voice your opinion and do get out and vote. Fortunately, or unfortunately the profession of pharmacy and politics are intertwined. There are decisions being made right now at the state and federal levels which will directly affect all areas of pharmacy practice.

There are currently several bills in the Pennsylvania State Legislature, specifically the Fair Audit Bill and PBM Registration/ MAC Transparency Bills that can have a major positive impact on our profession. I am hoping by the time you read this that these two bills have fully passed and are awaiting the signature of the Governor.

4 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

Please know that when you personally call your local Rep or Senator it really makes a huge difference. They need to hear from us. Every personal visit leaves an impression that we care about our profession, our communities, and the general well-being of our mutual constituents and patients.

There are major federal issues such as the hidden and after the fact DIR (direct and indirect remuneration) Fees imposed on Medicare Part-D claims; PBM transparency; Any Willing Provider; and Provider Status to name just a few. I have had the privilege of attending many local, state and national meetings which have discussed the issues, challenges and accomplishments of all areas of pharmacy such as the Opiate Epidemic, the future of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the PDMP (Prescription Dug Monitoring Program), both in the state and nationally. Open enrollment for Medicare recipients starts in October, immunizations have begun, our schools of

pharmacy are at full throttle academically and hospital pharmacists are more involved with directed patient care than ever before.

It is a very busy, hectic and confusing season but now is the time when we can voice our opinions, we can be heard, we can be recognized and we can all take pride in being a Pharmacy Professional. I have used this line before and will use it again: “LET’S HELP KEEP PHARMACY GREAT, AGAIN!” 

Eric M. Pusey, R.Ph, CDE PPA President 2016–2017

CALENDAR OF EVENTS | ADVERTISERS INDEX

novEMBER

JANUARy

MARCH

4–6

26–29 Mid-Year Conference 2017 Lancaster, PA

24–27 APhA Annual Meeting San Francisco, CA

27

APRIL

ASCP Annual Meeting Dallas, TX

deceMBER

1

4–8

15

PPA Board of Directors Meeting Harrisburg, PA ASHP Mid Year Clinical Meeting Las Vegas, NV Foundation Board of Directors Meeting

28

Foundation Board of Directors Meeting Lancaster, PA PPCN Board of Directors Meeting Lancaster, PA

29

PPA Board of Directors Meeting Lancaster, PA

29

Student Advisory Board Lancaster, PA

27

PPA Board of Directors Meeting Harrisburg, PA

TBD

Pharmacy Legislative Day

For additional events including webinars, CE opportunities, and PPA committee meetings, be sure to see our Calendar of Events on the PPA website! 

ADVERTISERS INDEX PRS Lattanzio Consulting Group – 2 2014 Mid-Year Conference – 4 American Pharmacy Services Corporation – 5 S & L Solutions LLC – 7 Pharmacists Mutual – 10 AmerisourceBergen – 14 PPA Educational Foundation – 17 LECOM – 20 Buy-Sellapharmacy – 21 PA Pharmacists Care Network – 22 Independent Pharmacy Buying Group – 23 Keystone Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance – 25 Value Drug Company – 27 Hayslip & Zost – 36 RJ Hedges – 39 Pre-Residency Excellence Program – 42 RDC - Inside Back Cover Thomas Jefferson University – Back Cover 

www.papharmacists.com • 5

WELCOME! NEW MEMBERS

PPA Welcomes the following New Members who joined the association on July 22, 2016 — October 3, 2016. Please make these new members feel welcome and part of Pennsylvania pharmacy!

Pharmacists Christina Tarantola, Wexford, Beaver HealthMart Mirza Perez, Media, Premier Pharmacy Network Timothy Porter, Allison Park, West Penn Hospital Adrienne Jantzi, Lancaster, Lancaster General Hospital and Penn Medicine Jill Davies, Colmar, Sellersville Pharmacy Marysue Grassinger, Wexford, Rite Aid Zina Saidi, Huntingdon Valley, Jeanes Hospital and TUHS Lynn Anyaele, North Plainfield Zachary Schmehl, Philadelphia, Nexcare Pharmacy Irvin Meredith, Johnstown, Martella’s Pharmacy Justin Brooks, Philadelphia, Walgreens Soha Hammad, Jenkintown, Ashfield Healthcare Patty Seeley, Hummelstown, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Vijeta Sareen, Easton, Kmart Pharmacy Reyan Caceres, Lansdowne, ACME Sav-On Pharmacy Brad Gerstein, Wayne, Temple University Hospital Sherry Gipe, Chambersburg, Robert T. Henry Pharmacy Robyn Peffley, Palmyra, Wellspan Health Nafisa Khan, Lancaster, Lancaster General Hospital Rosemarie Halt, Media, Maternity Care Coalition Corinn Floyd, Pittsburgh, Duquesne University – Mylan School of Pharmacy Hilary Schilla, Exton, Coatesville VA Medical Center Anastasia Ipatova, Pittsburgh, Walgreens

6 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

Amna Jamil, Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Michael Ruggiero, Philadelphia, University of the Sciences Susan Cummings, Allentown Karen Granger, New Tripoli, DeSales University Pharmacy Technicians Elise King, Erie, CVS Pharmacy Laura Ann Lahoda, Morrisdale Joanne Patterson, Downington, The Medicine Shoppe Juthamat Fuangthaisong, Folcroft Pharmacy Technician Students Roger Burgan, Altoona Associates Mike Mills, McKesson Ash Lulla, Eagleview, ESigma McKay Whiting, Reeseda, Recoveryas. com Students Creighton University Bethany Abrahams, Lindenhurst Duquesne University – Mylan School of Pharmacy Rebecca Broadt, Bloomsburg Katherine Iseman, New Kensington Zachary DeJames, Pittsburgh Jefferson School of Pharmacy Rebecca Warrington, Philadelphia LECOM School of Pharmacy Gerald Andu-Anzah, Erie Crystal Gleason, Erie Jessica Brown, Erie

Ashton Simonette, Meadville Christina Schuler, Warren Joseph Cristello, Natrona Heights Temple University Rohit Reddy Mahjabeen Maaf, Philadelphia Bendite Barak, Burlington Smitha Kuriakose, Philadelphia Mai Uyen Le, Philadelphia Angela Lee, Philadelphia University of Pittsburgh Sarah Rumcik, Pittsburgh Danielle Snyder, Lansdale Layne Reihart, Alexandria Hannah Akerberg, Pittsburgh Haley Lien, Downingtown Kelsey Hake, Wexford Lauren Xu, Pittsburgh Diana Mansour, Greensburg Amanda Colangelo, Pittsburgh Gabrielle Hill, Pittsburgh Sophia Cothrel, Dayton Rishi Arora Andrew Stehley, East Berlin Kara Ioannou, New Kensington Angela Sutt, Johnstown Meghan Cahalane, Pittsburgh Catherine Pfendner, Downingtown Melanie Hawn, Huntingdon Jenna Ingram, Saint James Hannah Hoseyni, Bryn Mawr Kimberly Hill, Gettysburg Marissa Waterloo, Mercer Casey Butrus, Linwood Domenica Ricciuti, Huntingdon Valley Sarah Zielinski, Ellwood City Evan McGarry, Reading Gabriel Valasek, Ford City Madison Freehling, Butler Jamie Cekada, Johnstown

WELCOME! NEW MEMBERS continued

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy Michael Severo Anisha Shah Vivian Chen, Philadelphia Brooke Witmer, Manheim Tiffany Varughese, Bergenfield Brandon Nguyen-Phan, Upper Chichester Wilkes University Erika Zarfoss, York Jonathan Sytko, Brick Hillary Harris, Wilkes Barre Alexis Nicholson, Wilkes Barre Cody Morcom, Scott Township

Kaitlin Yurko, Orangeville Abigail Nemeth, Whitehall Shannon Gilhooley, Avoca Catherine Sarver, North Rose Sarah Brozena, Larksville Dylan Fox, Denver Alex Ponce, Oley Aaron Knopp, Muncy Abby Stevens, Allentown Mara Wilson, Elysburg Amber Dietrich, Bernville Jacqueline Reiss, Wilkes Barre Amanda Boyer, Girardville Kirsten Fisher, Schnecksville Virginia Edwards, Warrington

Mia Lussier, Wilkes Barre Youstena Zaki, Wilkes Barre Meghan Muretta, Easton Kelly Kempa, Old Forge Justine Seymour, Apalachin Marisa Perrella, Dunmore Vienna Jones, Dickson City Katelyn Jimison, Huntingdon Valley Sarah Metzinger, Ashland Austin Paisley, Sugarloaf Lisa Koppenhaver, Wilkes Barre Todd Grove, Mt. Joy Chelsey Klein, Wilkes Barre Nicole Hughes, Olyphant ď Ź

www.papharmacists.com • 7

FINANCIAL FORUM

Paying Attention

Wrong Things Becomes to the

All Too Easy

If you ever have the inkling to manage your investments on your own, that inkling is worth reconsidering. Do-it-yourself investment management is generally a bad idea for the retail investor for myriad reasons.

This series, Financial Forum, is presented by PRISM Wealth Advisors, LLC and your State Pharmacy Association through Pharmacy Marketing Group, Inc., a company dedicated to providing quality products and services to the pharmacy community.

Citations 1 cnbc.com/2015/09/10/this-market-is-setting-awild-volatility-record.html [9/10/15] 2 research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/ UEMPMEAN [9/4/15] 3 research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/U6RATE/ [9/4/15]

Pat Reding and Bo Schnurr may be reached at 800-288-6669 or pbh@berthelrep.com.

Registered Representative of and securities and investment advisory services offered through Berthel Fisher & Company Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. PRISM Wealth Advisors LLC is independent of Berthel Fisher & Company Financial Services Inc. This material was prepared by MarketingLibrary.

Net Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates.

All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please note

8 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

— investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Getting caught up in the moment. When you are watching your investments day to day, you can lose a sense of historical perspective — 2011 begins to seem like ancient history, let alone 2008. This is especially true in longstanding bull markets, in which investors are sometimes lulled into assuming that the big indexes will move in only one direction. Historically speaking, things have been so abnormal for so long that many investors — especially younger investors — cannot personally recall a time when things were different. If you are under 30, it is very possible you have invested without ever seeing the Federal Reserve raise interest rates. The last rate hike happened before there was an iPhone, before there was an Uber or an Airbnb. In addition to our country’s recent, exceptional monetary policy, we just saw a bull market go nearly four years without a correction. In fact, the recent correction disrupted what was shaping up as the most placid year in the history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.1

Listening too closely to talking heads. The noise of Wall Street is never-ending, and can breed a kind of shortsightedness that may lead you to focus on the micro rather than the macro. As an example, the hot issue affecting a particular sector today may pale in comparison to the developments affecting it across the next ten years or the past ten years.

Looking only to make money in the market. Wall Street represents only avenue for potentially building your retirement savings or wealth. When you are caught up in the excitement of a rally, that truth may be obscured. You can build savings by spending less. You can receive “free money” from an employer willing to match your retirement plan contributions to some degree. You can grow a hobby into a business, or switch jobs or careers.

Failing to pay attention to your emergency fund.

On average, an unemployed person stays jobless in the U.S. for more than six months. According to research compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the mean duration for U.S. unemployment was 28.4 weeks at the end of August. Consider also that the current U-6 “total” unemployment rate shows more than 10% of the country working less than a 40-hour week or not at all. So you may need more than six months of cash reserves. Most people do not have anywhere near that, and some DIY investors give scant attention to their cash position.2,3 Overreacting to a bad year. Sometimes the bears appear.

Sometimes stocks do not rise 10% annually. Fortunately, you have more than one year in which to plan for retirement (and other goals).

Your long-run retirement saving and investing approach — aided by compounding — matters more than what the market does during a particular 12 months. Dramatically altering your investment strategy in reaction to present conditions can backfire.

Equating the economy with the market. They are not one and the same. In fact, there have been periods (think back to 2006-2007) when stocks hit historical peaks even when key indicators flashed recession signals. Moreover, some investments and market sectors can do well or show promise when the economy goes through a rough stretch.

Focusing more on money than on the overall quality of life. Managing investments — or the entirety of a very complex financial life — on your own takes time. More time than many people want to devote, more time than many people initially assume. That kind of time investment can subtract from your quality of life — another reason to turn to other resources for help and insight. 

Saving too little. For a DIY investor, the art of investing equals making money in the markets, not necessarily saving the money you have made. Subscribing to that mentality may dissuade you from saving as much as you should for retirement and other goals.

Paying too little attention to taxes. A 10% return is less sweet if federal and state taxes claim 3% of it. This routinely occurs, however, because just as many DIY investors tend to play the market in one direction, they also have a tendency to skimp on playing defense. Tax management is an important factor in wealth retention. www.papharmacists.com • 9

Dedicated to Our Members since 1909. phmic.com 800.247.5930

Our Mission To help our customers attain peace of mind through specialized insurance products, risk management solutions, and superior personal service.

Rx AND THE LAW

ADVOCACY

By Don. R. McGuire Jr., R.Ph., J.D. This series, Pharmacy and the Law, is presented by Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company and your State Pharmacy Association through Pharmacy Marketing Group, Inc., a company dedicated to providing quality products and services to the pharmacy community.

To paraphrase John Godfrey Saxe; laws are like sausages, it’s better not to see them being made. I am not an expert on sausages, but I would disagree with this comment with regards to laws. Even if we don’t get involved in the making of laws, we will be subject to them nonetheless. Pharmacists can ill afford to be impacted by laws drafted by those who know nothing about pharmacy.

Unfortunately for many of us, lobbying is a word with very negative connotations. It projects images of under the table dealings and improper exchanges of cash. So how do we inform lawmakers of the impact of proposed laws on the practice of pharmacy? Through advocacy.

Advocacy is simply the act of supporting a cause, an idea, or a proposed policy.

Many state and national associations organize advocacy meetings for their members. While we can all do this individually, a group of concerned citizens visiting the lawmaker’s office together can certainly make a larger impact. The purpose of these visits is to educate the lawmaker and their staff on proposed laws that impact our profession. We might be in favor of a proposal, opposed to it or want to amend the language as presented.

Lawmakers are serving because they want to make a positive difference in our society. However, they are not experts in every field. There is only one pharmacist, Buddy Carter of Georgia, in the 114th Congress. The other Senators and Representatives need pharmacists’ help to understand how proposals will affect pharmacy practice.

I have participated in advocacy meetings on both the state and national level. In my experience, the lawmakers and staffers are eager to hear how proposals will affect constituents in their districts. The meetings usually consist of an introduction, explanation of why you are there, what the real impact in their district will be, and what action you want them to take. For pharmacists, the potential impact is not always direct. The impact may be on our patients; denying access, increasing costs, or creating hurdles to care. Of course, these indirect impacts will have impact on your pharmacy practice. Many times the true impact on patients is not readily apparent.

Pharmacists can explain how a particular policy will make it more difficult for patients to get their medications. Don’t expect immediate action. It is always a pleasant surprise to get a commitment, but many times the materials that you provide are circulated in the office before decisions are made.

Not all advocacy has to take place in Washington, D.C. or your state capital. Invite your lawmaker to visit your pharmacy while they are home in the district. Then they will get to see first-hand what you are doing for your patients, their constituents. You can also advise them about how proposed laws will impact your ability to provide these services. First-hand knowledge and stories of real impacts (not just theoretical ones) will have the most influence on the process.

If pharmacists don’t educate lawmakers about the effects of the changes on their practices and their patients, who will? Don’t think of it as lobbying. We are really educating our lawmakers. Joining and participating in professional organizations is a good way to get started. In the end, the profession will benefit and ultimately, our patients will too.  © Don R. McGuire Jr., R.Ph., J.D., is General Counsel, Senior Vice President, Risk Management & Compliance at Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company.

This article discusses general principles of law and risk management. It is not intended as legal advice. Pharmacists should consult their own attorneys and insurance companies for specific advice. Pharmacists should be familiar with policies and procedures of their employers and insurance companies, and act accordingly.

Not all advocacy has to take place in Washington, D.C. or your state capital. Invite your lawmaker to visit your pharmacy while they are home in the district.

Then they will get to see first-hand what you are doing for your patients, their constituents.

CAMPUS CHECKUP

Duquesne University

LECOM

Contributed by: Danielle Taciuch, Communication Ambassador

Contributed by: Ashley Freeman, Communication Ambassador

Duquesne PPA has been busy this semester as we continued our second annual membership drive through the end of October. Our first meeting, held mid-September, brought in 41 pharmacy students to talk about medical marijuana legalization and legislation. We had a few PPA members attend the Annual Conference this year along with many alumni and faculty! Duquesne PPA also participated in the Market Square Health and Wellness Fair on October 5th along with numerous other pharmacy organizations from Duquesne. All the organizations came together to provide everything from blood pressure screenings to various OTC products to the community of downtown Pittsburgh. PPA members educated the public about provider status and how it can benefit the community! We are also currently in the process of organizing a local PPA Health Fair where we will discuss various topics related to smoking cessation, tobacco legislation, etc.

Jefferson College of Pharmacy Contributed by: Gianna Girone, Communication Ambassador This year, Jefferson College of Pharmacy is working hard to improve membership within our PPA and APhA-ASP chapters, and provide unique leadership opportunities to our student body. We’ve had some great membership initiatives such as, our open house event for students to talk to executive board members and committee chairs about what membership can do for them! Through events like this, and social media outreach, we hope to have record numbers in membership for the year.

We have also been busy planning events! During the summer, our PPA and APhA-ASP members participated in a health fair at Arch St. United Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Our students were able to perform blood pressure screenings, life style modification education, and diabetes education! It was a fantastic way for our students to be involved in community outreach and give back to Philadelphia. This semester, we’re planning to do a Katy’s Kids activity, where we will help educate local elementary school students on medication safety.

We also will be participating in our local OTC skills competition.

As always, our chapter is dedicated to giving our students the opportunity to be great pharmacy leaders.

LECOM has been actively encouraging new pharmacy students to join PPA. The weekend before classes started, LECOM held a welcome picnic for the new incoming students to introduce them to the available clubs on campus. The new students were able to talk with current student PPA members about the benefits of joining their state association. The picnic provided a relaxed atmosphere where new students could discuss reasons for actively becoming involved with PPA. Students were able to learn the importance of advocating for the pharmacy profession and their future patients.

Students were encouraged to take on leadership roles within PPA to help develop critical leadership skills. Communications Ambassador, Ashley Freeman, was able to express LECOM’s support for student involvement in PPA Conferences, competitions, and Legislative Day. LECOM student Director, Sally Habusta, created a poster presented at the welcome picnic which included the opportunities available to student PPA members.

The opportunities presented on the poster included information about GRASP, Legislative day, Student Awards at the PPA Annual Conference, Grants available to students through PPA, and Student Member-Get-A-Member Contest.

Ohio Northern University Contributed by: Fouad Bahamdain, Communication Ambassador The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association chapter at Ohio Northern University was established in Feb 2015 when two generous PPA members and ONU alumni, Mr. Paul Kocis and Mr. Bill Ferri, funded PA students’ memberships to PPA. As the first out-of-state school chapter, we wish to share a new perspective with students and pharmacists and become more familiar with the practice of pharmacy in Pennsylvania. As PA residents and often pharmacy interns in PA, we feel that it is important to understand the rules and regulations in PA and get to know pharmacists and students practicing in PA. In addition, we are excited to unite PA residents attending ONU Raabe College of Pharmacy to make a positive impact on our community through the outreach opportunities within PPA. Four student pharmacists represented ONU at the Annual Conference in King of Prussia this fall. Students had the opportunity to learn about the new medical marijuana and controlled substance legislation, which is quite different than the legislation in Ohio. Students were also excited to see many pharmacy friends from their hometowns at the conference. During the Student Advisory Board meeting, students learned more about the programs offered by PPA and what other

12 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

student chapters are doing to promote the profession of pharmacy in Pennsylvania.

We plan to take the excitement and new ideas from the conference and begin to grow our chapter at ONU. In the next month, we hope to have 100% of the PA residents (32 students) at ONU registered as members of PPA. Before the end of this year, we are planning to have a legislative activity, a Katy’s Kids outreach event, and dodge ball social event. We are also very excited to have a special guest speaker possibly visit ONU this spring.

in voter registration. We held our first general body meeting on September 19th where we introduced the idea of class representatives to our chapter. These class representatives would be responsible for making announcements to their respective classes, as well as their own collaborative patient care project. Last but not least, our chapter attended the PPA Annual Conference in King of Prussia, which gave us an opportunity to catch up with the other chapters and trade ideas on how to improve our respective groups.

ONU is proud to be a small but strong chapter of PPA. We are excited for this opportunity to become involved in pharmacy in the state where we live and work.

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy / University of The Sciences Contributed by: Sara Coulter, Communication Ambassador Coming home from the PPA Annual Conference with the Public Awareness and Communications award had the students of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy eager to begin an event-filled semester. We worked really hard to spread the word about PPA among our campus community by increasing on-campus events and promoting our chapter’s Facebook platform in the past few months.

We were very surprised and excited to be given recognition for this at the PPA Annual Conference!

We were also very pleased to hear Dr. Mark Lawson, PCP alumnus and PPA board member, will once again provide funding for student membership!

We also hosted a collaborative event with our fellow Philadelphia schools, Temple and Jefferson, in honor of American Pharmacists Month. We had a great time working with our peers and are looking forward to planning many more events like this in the future. We are looking forward to seeing all of you at the Mid-Year Conference in Lancaster!

Temple University Contributed by: Harris Nguyen, Communication Ambassador The Temple Chapter of PPA has had a busy start to the 2016-2017 school year. As an organization who is trying to increase our presence on campus, it was important for us to hit the ground running. We started off this year at the Temple Welcome Back BBQ on September 9th, which was a great way introduce the incoming PY1 Class to all the organizations Temple has to offer. We talked to a lot of fresh new faces who expressed interest in PPA and were eager to get involved and make their mark.

University of Pittsburgh Contributed by: Nicolette Diehl, ommunication Ambassador The University of Pittsburgh PPA Chapter started the semester off strong by attending the School of Pharmacy Back to School Picnic, where our E-board talked to 66 student pharmacists. We then held our first General Body Meeting with 111 students in attendance.

Eight of our PPA members attended ACPA’s Annual Back to School Picnic in September. Our students were able to enjoy a picnic with many Allegheny pharmacists and participate in the annual kickball game against Duquesne’s School of Pharmacy. Our team was able to bring home the “W” with the help of Drs. Pater, McCormick, and Patel!

Additionally, we had many students attend the PPA Annual Confer­ence and participate in the many student programing events. Congratu­ lations to our Achieving Independence Team on our fifth win in a row!

Every year, each organization in the School of Pharmacy works together to plan an event centered on a theme determined by Dean Kroboth. This year’s “Dean’s Theme” was Operation Diabetes and four pharmacy organizations worked together to host a health fair and block party called Rock the Block on October 15th. Our students talked to attendees about various diabetic topics from immunizations to diets to high blood pressure and made a great impact in the community.

PPA participated in APhA-ASP’s annual “Giving Back to Temple” health fair on September 16th. This gave student pharmacists the opportunity to counsel on numerous topics ranging from OTC medication safety to support for provider status and assistance www.papharmacists.com • 13

CAMPUS CHECKUP

Wilkes University Contributed by: Kayla Bardzel, Communication Ambassador With classes back in session, the Wilkes University PPA chapter has been off to a great start! Our officers kicked off our membership drive at P1 Orientation where Anthony Fanucci, Allie Grudeski, Felicia Snyder and Keri Diehl helped introduce the new pharmacy students to the greatness known as PPA. During our first week back, we collaborated with the Wilkes APhA-ASP chapter to host a Mocktail Party that had over 35 attendees. At Club Day, Ashley Robbins, PPA’s Membership Coordinator, came to Wilkes University to help recruit members for our chapter. Our first membership drive ending on September 22nd and we had 30 new members! We are continuing by hosting a 2nd membership drive that ended on October 8th.

Wilkes had an incredible presence at the Annual Conference this year in King of Prussia! We had over 50 students and faculty in attendance ranging from P1s to P4s. Shane Daugherty and Holly Margiotti presented in the Achieving Independence Competition, doing a phenomenal job. During the Leadership & Awards Dinner, the Membership Award and Government Relations Award were given to our chapter.

Our fundraising chair and treasurer, Christian Giovannini, is currently holding a t-shirt fundraiser to help us raise money for PharmPAC. Since October is American Pharmacist’s Month, we collaborated with our APhA-ASP chapter and went to the Today show on October 6th to advocate for our profession. We will also have the opportunity of having Kathy Grandizio-Stephens, come and present on some of the current pharmacy laws that PPA is advocating for. Katy’s Kids is taking off by holding an event at our University’s “Passport to Science” day in November. 

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14 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

FEATURE ARTICLE

Naloxone In Real Life Contributed by: Andrew Gaiser, Lauren Curry, and Hannah Cawoski All authors are Duquesne University PharmD Candidates, 2017 Pittsburgh is home to many things to be proud of: championship national sports teams, a thriving cultural scene, and top rated colleges and universities. However, in 2015, there was one startling statistic that Pittsburgh could not boast of, as drug overdose deaths in Allegheny county had reached epidemic proportions and shattered previous years on record. This same year, officials expanded access to the opioid overdose reversal agent, naloxone, through a countywide standing order even prior to the statewide issuance later that same year.

Duquesne University School of Pharmacy quickly recognized the gravity of the situation and began to mobilize resources to address this public health crisis. As a part of the curriculum’s introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs), student pharmacists were educated on the standing order and provided training on naloxone rescue with placebo devices.

To further disseminate this lifesaving information to a broader audience, we collaborated with the Center for Pharmacy Care, an ambulatory care center at the university, and developed a community outreach program to educate, advocate,

and train the Pittsburgh and surrounding communities. Local agencies dedicated to providing addiction and treatment education were recruited, and representatives from these organizations provided information to connect seminar participants with community based resources. An individual in long-term recovery for addiction, who currently practices as a certified recovery specialist, provided testimonial regarding her own journey. The event was attended by 67 community members. Throughout the event, participants were educated on the science behind addiction, recognizing signs and symptoms of an overdose, as well as how and when to administer naloxone.

As with the IPPE training, the event offered the opportunity to practice with placebo intranasal and autoinjector devices.

One month after the community outreach presentation, we were presented with a situation that required us to put our skills to use. While returning from lunch in downtown Pittsburgh, we encountered an unconscious individual in distress. Upon closer evaluation of the situation, the individual was presenting with signs and symptoms of an overdose. After calling for

emergency medical assistance, it became increasingly obvious that immediate reversal of the overdose was necessary to prevent a fatal outcome. As we were assessing the situation, an employee of a nearby women’s shelter arrived at the scene with intranasal naloxone, but was unsure of how to administer the reversal agent. We quickly assembled the device and administered the naloxone to the unconscious individual. This dose was able to sustain the individual long enough for EMS to arrive and administer a second IV dose, which reversed the overdose and prevented a possible fatality.

While naloxone by itself is not a solution to the substance abuse issue that has plagued this country, it is a harm reduction measure that has been proven to save lives — something we experienced first-hand and will not soon forget. Had we not received naloxone rescue training, we may not have recognized this as an overdose, which could have resulted in another fatality. As student pharmacists, we must recognize that we have the skillset and knowledge to positively impact public health and play a part in addressing this opioid abuse epidemic.  www.papharmacists.com • 15

FEATURE ARTICLE

Medicap Pharmacy Is Proof That Hard Work Pays Off By: Daniel Brust, PharmD, PGY1 Resident at Erie VA Medical Center This article was contributed while Daniel was on rotation with PPA Medicap Pharmacy is an independent community pharmacy located in Olyphant, Pennsylvania, a suburb located outside of Scranton. The owner and pharmacy manager, Eric Pusey, has been involved in the pharmacy profession in one way or another for most of his life. After graduating from Temple University in 1982, Eric worked in several community independent and chain pharmacies throughout Northeastern PA, as pharmacy manager and district manager.

Medicap Pharmacy had its genesis in December of 2004, when Eric made the bold, but calculated move of leaving Rite Aid Pharmacy, and starting

his own community pharmacy from scratch. Although this was undoubtedly a daunting task, Eric proved to be resilient and resourceful enough to make the pharmacy profitable and sustainable.

Currently, Medicap is a highvolume pharmacy, typically filling anywhere from 250–300 prescriptions a day, although often exceeding this number.

In addition to the standard dispensing duties that we associate with community pharmacies, Medicap employs a plethora of other services such as: weekly medication planners/ adherence packaging at no extra charge to patients, hospice services, including comfort

packs and delivery to local hospice units through the VNA, medication synchronization, and MTM services. In addition to these patient-centric activities, Eric is a certified diabetes educator (CDE), and provides diabetes education to a number of patients of the pharmacy.

This includes carrying durable medical equipment, braces, canes, as well as fitting patients for diabetic shoes.

Although it may seem as though Medicap is thriving effortlessly, it has not always been this way. Eric described many of the challenges of owning an independent pharmacy, which include personnel management, inventory control, and marketing. He said it can be challenging for an independent owner to organize and maintain control over all of these aspects, especially without resources that chain pharmacies may have.

In the first few years, return on investment was also an issue, and it can be frightening to new owners when they do not see results in a timely fashion.

However, Eric reiterated the point that to thrive as an owner, you must remain persistent and be courageous enough to take risks at times, if you believe it can result in something beneficial.

In addition to the challenges, Eric talked about benefits of Medicap and independent ownership. The increased income potential is a big draw for many of those going into independent business, and it can be important. Eric stressed that being in an independent community pharmacy, such as Medicap, allows the pharmacist to treat the patient and deliver the care that they deserve,

16 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

MEDICAP PHARMACY keys to success

family involvement with the business

having a trustworthy STAFF

BEING INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL community

without worrying about metrics. This brings a sense of professional satisfaction, and helps to develop an outstanding pharmacistpatient relationship. Eric will be one of the first to tell you that Medicap is successful due its strong relationship with patients. Those who utilize the pharmacy trust Eric and the rest of the Medicap staff and know that Medicap always has the patients’ interests first.

Eric discussed the keys to success of Medicap. First and foremost, he discussed family involvement with the business as being crucial, as well as having staff that you can trust.

There is a great relationship between all of the staff members, some of whom have been working at Medicap since the beginning. These aspects allow you to focus on what is important in a pharmacy: taking

care of the patient. Another key to success that he emphasized is community involvement.

Eric is involved with numerous organizations such as being a former school board member, his local parish, parents of down syndrome (PODS), and he frequently participates in health fairs and career events, as well as sponsoring and donating to local community events.

Eric is the immediate pastpresident of the Lackawanna County Pharmacy Association, a member of NCPA, AADE, ADA, a member of the APhA House of Delegates, and a board member of PFOA. Eric believes that every pharmacist needs to be involved with their professional organizations. This allows Medicap’s name to get community recognition, and can open the door for other avenues of business.

Clearly, Medicap is not your run-of-the-mill independent pharmacy. Although it took years of hard work before the pharmacy was able to turn a profit and see a significant return on the investment, it is now a thriving business and a landmark in the local community. Patients know that

they can receive the highest level of care at Medicap, and that is another reason for its success. Eric encouraged people with an interest in independent ownership to pursue their dreams. You reap what you sow; success will come to those who work diligently and are motivated. 

www.papharmacists.com • 17

www.papharmacists.com • 19

IT’S TIME TO HAVE THE TALK WITH YOUR FUTURE PHARMACISTS. As a pharmacist, you may know someone in your family or at work who’s thinking about becoming a pharmacist.

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Tell them how the Erie three-year accelerated program can save as much as $70,000 or more* in tuition compared with more expensive, private four-year programs.

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Tell them to choose the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy.

Welcome to LECOM. Visit LECOM.edu *LECOM, PA 3-year tuition = $76,470; LECOM, FL 4-year tuition (out of state) = $101,960; LECOM Distance Education Pathway = $100,120; National Average tuitions range from $149,064 for a 3-year program to $145,500 for a 4-year program. (Source: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy).

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FEATURE ARTICLE

MEMBER PROFILE • Katherine A. Sulkowski

Katherine A. Sulkowski Clinical Pharmacist at Gateway Health Plan® and Rite Aid Pharmacy Duquesne University Mylan School of Pharmacy

What made you choose the profession of pharmacy?

Where do you see the profession going in the next ten years?

Organic chemistry was one of my favorite classes, both in high school and in college. Because of my interest in chemistry, I knew I wanted a career in the science or medical field. In addition, I love helping people. Being an expert on the medications that can help people in very simple and very complex ways appealed to me and I am so thankful that it did!

I ask myself this question frequently since it is a topic of discussion in the field of pharmacy. In the next ten years, I envision more board-certified specialties and even more collaboration with other health care professionals. In less than ten years, I think there will be a pharmacist on every health care team. I also foresee prescribing authority since in some states pharmacists are already able to prescribe certain medications after adequate training.

How has being a PPA member helped you professionally?

Being a PPA member has allowed me to become more involved in the profession of pharmacy.

Being a member has provided me with endless opportunities for networking and has also provided me with opportunities to get involved in different committees, events, and activities. I also believe my involvement made the transition from student to pharmacist much easier.

If you were not a pharmacist, what would you be doing?

If I was not a pharmacist, I think I would be a dentist because I would be able to see patients all day long and keep them smiling! 

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FEATURE ARTICLE

top tier 2016–2017 residents Angela DiPaola, PharmD Residency Program: ACME Sav-On Pharmacy University Affiliation: Temple University School of Pharmacy Pharmacy Degree: University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy 2016 Research Question: What are the barriers to opioid counseling in a grocery store pharmacy?

Corinn A. Floyd, Pharm D Practice Site: Giant Eagle Pharmacy Residency Program: Duquesne University Pharmacy Degree: LECOM School of Pharmacy 2016 Research Question: What are the perceptions of patients with diabetes on initiating statin therapy?

Karen Hoang, PharmD Practice Site: Rite Aid Residency Program: University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Pharmacy Degree: University of Pittsburgh 2016 Research Question: How would patients like to be engaged in a community pharmacy diabetes education program?

Jonathan M. Kovac, PharmD Practice Site: Giant Eagle Pharmacy Residency Program: University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Pharmacy Degree: University of Pittsburgh 2016 Research Question: What successful methods of patient engagement are utilized by pharmacists and technicians of pharmacies in a regional grocery chain pharmacy with high participation in patient care service?

Michael A. Ruggiero, Pharm.D Practice Site: SunRay Drugs Residency Program: University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy Pharmacy Degree: University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy 2016 Research Question: Is there a potential impact on community pharmacists counseling patients with HIV on concomitant OTC medications?

Great Partners for Community Resident Research A Community Pharmacy Residency Research Course 22 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, through the Comprehensive Medication Management Collaborative, is providing toolkits to help all pharmacists implement successful patient care programs. The toolkits contain a variety of samples, ideas, steps, and links to help you in your development of a program at your pharmacy!

Visit: http://www.papharmacists.com/ page/Toolkitshome to view these toolkits!

The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association wishes you a happy and safe Holiday Season!

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FEATURE ARTICLE

STUDENT MEMBER PROFILES Dylan Atkinson

Dylan Atkinson University of Pittsburgh PharmD Candidate, 2017

Why did you choose to become involved in PPA?

Why did you choose to study pharmacy?

There are few things more important than getting involved in your state. Your state practice laws really shape how you will practice as a pharmacist, and can even shape how you practice as a student pharmacist.

I became involved in PPA because I wanted to make a real difference on the way pharmacists practice everyday.

I chose to be a pharmacist because of a volunteer position I held at my local hospital in high school. I loved helping the patients so much that I decided I needed a career that could incorporate my love for chemistry and my passion for helping others.

If you weren’t in pharmacy school, what would you be doing?

If you were to ask a 7-year-old version of myself, I would be a part-time Teacher who also plays professional golf and is an astronaut. But realistically, I think I would have found myself taking on political science and going for law school, mainly because I’m a terrible golfer.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Emily Petrak, LECOM PharmD Candidate, 2017

Emily Petrak

Ideally I would like to be working in a policy or regulatory affairs setting, working to increase the quality of healthcare. It might take longer than five years, but I would love to have the opportunity to work as a Health Care Legislative Aide for a future President of the United States.

What is your favorite experience you have had since studying pharmacy?

Well I’m going to have to pull the cliché card and go with meeting my better-half Daisy. In all seriousness, I never thought I would find a group of people so driven and passionate about their work so much as my fellow student pharmacists. Each day student pharmacists inspire me to do more and help make an impact in our great profession. To me, the experience that really tied up pharmacy school would have to be going to Legislative Day and hearing that after meeting with us, our Immunization Expansion bill passed through the House that very same day.

24 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

Why did you choose to become involved in PPA? I chose to become involved in PPA because I needed to expand my horizons and venture into an area of pharmacy that I was not completely comfortable with.

I didn’t understand the purpose or mission of PPA at first, but over the years I have come to love being an advocate for pharmacy legislation.

What advice would you give to first year pharmacy students?

I would tell first year students to relax and not go into school thinking they need to know everything right away. Pharmacy takes time and practice to learn everything it takes to be an effective and caring health professional What is your favorite experience you have had since studying pharmacy?

My favorite experiences include the PPA Conferences and Legislative Days I’ve attended with my class mates in Harrisburg, PA. I really enjoy meeting other students and pharmacists from all over the state. It’s exciting to be around so many people at once who share the same goals and dreams.

If you weren’t in pharmacy school, what would you be doing?

I would love to be a track & field coach because running is my other passion outside of pharmacy. 

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FEATURE ARTICLE

PPA Foundation Grant • Final Report Abstract

Mobile application features sought after by patients of a grocery store chain pharmacy Contributed by: Elizabeth McCartney, PharmD1,2, Jennifer Bacci, PharmD1, Kristine Ossman, PharmD1, Renee’ Richardson, PharmD2, Dina DelPizzo, PharmD2, John DeJames, BS Pharm2, Melissa Somma McGivney, PharmD, FCCP, FAPhA This study and report was made possible in part through a grant provided by the PPA Educational Foundation in 2014. This report was not submitted through the peer review process and is presented as a report only. This full report may be found under the Foundation section Grants ­— 2014 Grants. http://www.papharmacists.com/FBOD_Grants14 Objective To determine the features of a pharmacy mobile application sought after by patients of a grocery store chain pharmacy.

Methods Key informant interviews were conducted at five pharmacy locations in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area during March and April 2014. The interview questions centered around participants’ current use of mobile applications and a mobile application for the pharmacy. Participants were asked to complete a demographic survey prior to the interview. Participants were eligible to participate if they were over the age of 35, owned and used a smartphone on a daily basis, and received a prescription from a Giant Eagle Pharmacy on a monthly basis.

Results A total of 24 interviews were conducted at five pharmacy locations.

Demographic information was obtained from 25 participants, but only 24 participants completed the interview process. Patient demographics are summarized in Table 1.

A third party transcribed the audio-recorded interviews verbatim. The transcriptions were coded by the primary investigator (EM) and co-investigator (KO). The coded transcripts were reviewed and approved by all members of the research team. This qualitative analysis revealed four major themes. The themes derived from the interviews are described below.

Theme 1: Application designed for usability and convenience Theme 2: Application fosters an improved, convenient pharmacy experience Theme 3: Features designed to support patient self-management Theme 4: Features designed to increase personalized, timely access to pharmacists Conclusion The findings of this study reveal that there are a number of patient desires to consider when designing a pharmacy mobile app. A well-designed mobile app for pharmacy services may increase patient engagement and support the provision of patient care services in the community pharmacy setting. Future research on pharmacy mobile apps should focus on whether the app can affect pharmacy workflow or change patient behaviors.  REFERENCES 1. University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy 2. Giant Eagle Pharmacy

26 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

Table 1. Demographic Information n = 25 Survey Item Age 35-39 40-49 50-59 60+ Not Disclosed

No. (%) 6 (24) 7 (28) 3 (12) 8 (32) 1 (4)

Gender Male Female

7 (28) 18 (72)

Type of Smartphone iPhone Android Other

13 (52) 10 (40) 2 (8)

Perceived Ability to Use a Smartphone Proficient Intermediate competency Beginning competency Inexperienced

10 (40) 11 (44) 3 (12) 1 (4)

Pharmacy Services Received at Giant Eagle Automatic refill service Immunizations OTC Recommendations by a pharmacist Refill prescriptions via IVR

9 (36) 5 (30) 13 (52) 19 (76)

Person Responsible for Managing Household Prescriptions Yes No

22 (88) 3 (12)

# of Prescriptions 1 2-4 5-10 10 +

4 (16) 11 (44) 8 (32) 2 (8)

# of OTCs 0 1-2 3-4 5+

6 24) 7 (28) 7 (28) 5 (20)

Visits to Giant Eagle per Month 0-1 2-3 4-5 6+ Phone Calls to Giant Eagle per Month 0 1 2 3+ Current Use of Health-Related Apps Yes No Used Features of Health-Related Apps Access to personal health record Blood sugar log Calorie tracker Pill identifier Medication interaction checker Symptom evaluator

7 (28) 12 (48) 3 (12) 3 (12) 6 (24) 7 (28) 7 (28) 5 (20) 13 (46) 15 (54) 8 3 3 2 1 1

(67) (25) (25) (17) (8) (8)

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

America’s Healthcare Revolution

Be The

Change

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Crowne Plaza Philadelphia in King of Prussia on September 22nd to the 25th for ‘America’s Healthcare Revolution ­— Be The Change”. Nearly 500 people attended some part of the four day conference to be a part of the change!

For additional photos from conference, please visit PPA’s website and Facebook page!

28 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

www.papharmacists.com • 29

ASSOCIATION NEWS

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Residency Showcase PPA held their Annual Residency Showcase on Saturday with an overwhelming number of residency programs looking for potential residents!

This year’s showcase featured over 70 residency programs from Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas! We would like to thank the following programs for attending this year’s showcase: We would like to thank the following programs for attending this year’s showcase: « Moses Taylor Hospital « Abington Hospital- Jefferson Health « OptionCare « Acme Sav-on Pharmacy « Penn Presbyterian Medical Center « Allegheny General Hospital « Penn State Health Saint Joseph’s « Bayhealth « Penn State Hershey Medical Center « Cleveland Clinic Marymount Hospital « Pennsylvania Hospital « Coatesville VA Medical Center « Philadelphia College of Pharmacy/ University of the Sciences « Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center « Rutgers Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship Program « Duquesne University – Mylan School of Pharmacy « Sibley Memorial Hospital – Johns Hopkins Medicine « Geisinger Medical Center « Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical « Sinai Hospital of Baltimore Center « St. Luke’s University Health Network « Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital « Thomas Jefferson University « Hahnemann University Hospital Hospital « Howard County General Hospital « University of Pittsburgh « Hunterdon Medical Center « UPMC Shadyside « Kaiser Permanente-Mid Atlantic « VA New Jersey Health Care States System « The Johns Hopkins Health System « Valley Health « Kaiser Permanente-Mid Atlantic States « Lancaster General Health/ Penn Medicine

A Special Thanks to our Conference Sponsors!

Independence Level Conference Sponsors: Keystone Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance, Kinray, Rite Aid Liberty Level Conference Sponsors: Walgreens Justice Level Conference Sponsors: AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, Sigma Tau Health Science Achieving Independence Competition Sponsor: PioneerRx Saturday Breakfast Sponsor: Datascan Sunday Breakfast Sponsor: LifeScan

Thank you also to…

RDC’s coordination of the golf-tee sponsorships Rx Systems for providing the themed note pads for the conference S & L Solutions, LLC for sponsoring the lanyards 30 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

Achieving Independence Competition This year, five schools of pharmacy competed in the 7th Annual Achieving Independence Competition! The teams that participated were from Jefferson, LECOM, Philadelphia College Philadelphia, The University of Pittsburgh, and Wilkes University. The University of Pittsburgh and ‘Ferri Pharmacy: Where We Keep Your Health In Check’ came out victorious! Team members included: Mariah Brown, Elyse Tomaszewski, Heather Johnson and Harry Wilkinson; faculty advisor was Bridget Regan, mentor was Greg Drew, and Independent coach was Brandon Antinopoulos. A big thank you to the competition judges: Mel Brodsky, Pauline Vargo, Karla Moschella, Nick Kernich, and Ed Bechtel!

Exhibit Hall Thank you to the companies who exhibited with us this year!

LifeScan (Johnson & Johnson)

PRS Lattanzio Consulting Group

Mass Mutual

PSECU

McKesson

QS/1

AmerisourceBergen

Medical Probiotics, Inc.

Rite Aid

AstraZeneca

Merck & Co., Inc. (Primary Care)

RJ Hedges

Allegheny County Pharmacists Association Amarin Pharmaceuticals

BucksMont Pharmacists Association

Miami-Luken, Inc.

Cardinal Health

Micro Merchant Systems, Inc.

Conklin Fashions

Novo Nordisk, Inc.

Coshatt Co.

PBA Health

Datascan

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC GeriMed

Pennsylvania Pharmacists Care Network

H. D. Smith

Pfizer Vaccines

Health Business Systems

Pharmacists Mutual Companies

Independent Pharmacy Buying Group

Pharmacy Franchisees & Owners Association

Keystone Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance

PharmaDiversion LLC

Kinray Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Lehigh Valley Pharmacists Association

PharmPAC Philadelphia College of Pharmacy

Rochester Drug Cooperative S & L Solutions Sanofi Sigma-Tau Health Sciences Stone Age Wellness Temple School of Pharmacy Tri State Distribution Inc. University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Value Drug Walgreens Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy

PioneerRx PPA Educational Foundation PPA Membership

www.papharmacists.com • 31

ASSOCIATION NEWS

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Rite of Roses We extend our deepest sympathy to the families, friends, and business associates of these members. Their contributions to the profession of pharmacy and the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association will be forever etched on our memory to not be forgotten

In Loving Memory Of… Sister Jean Patricia Crowe, Director of Pharmacy at Camilla Hall and PPA member prior to retirement in 2006 Ida May Englehart, PPA Past President and Life Member Douglas Kay, previous Dean, Duquesne University Mylan School of Pharmacy

Wayne Kiser Kris Konforti, owner of CKC Palmyra Pharmacy and Gift Shop, and other CKC locations Pauline Montgomery, PPA Past President and first woman President, State Board member, and owner of Montgomery Pharmacy in Hughesville

William Terry Wentzel, owner and founder of Cumberland Apothecary and Professional Pharmacy in Camp Hill and Past president of Capital Area Pharmacists Association.

Christine Wintz, CKC Pharmacy in Steelton manager

Golf Outing The PPA Annual Golf Outing benefiting PharmPAC and the Educational Foundation took place on Thursday, September 22nd at Turtle Creek Golf Course in Limerick. Thank you to all of the golfers who participated, and to all of our Golf Tee Sponsors. A special thanks to RDC for their coordination of the golf tee sponsorships!

Congratulations to the three foursomes who received prizes for placing first, second, and last in this year’s golf outing!

First Place: Steve Connell, Rob Frankil and Chuck Kray with a score of 61 Second Place: Ed Costello, Dave DeFelice, and Russ Daniels with a score of 64

Last Place: Dave Epple, Pat Epple, Coleen Kayden, and Bob Kayden Congratulations to the following golfers for winning the individual prizes: Longest Putt Hole #9: Scott Miskovsky Longest Putt Hole #11: David DeFelice Closest To The Pin Hole #15: Rob Frankil

32 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

Closest To The Pin Hole #3: Ed Costello Women’s Longest Drive Hole #13: Coleen Kayden Men’s Longest Drive Hole #2: Dan Rudy

PPA Leadership PPA Board of Directors From left to right – Front Row: Lauren Simko (Vice-President), Nicholas Leon (President Elect), Eric Pusey (President) and Donna Hazel (Immediate Past President) Second Row: Rachel Von Vital, Marissa Badzik, Tom Franko, Roshni Patel, Nick Kernich and Stephanie Smith Cooney Back Row: Pat Epple (CEO), Rick Demers, Bob Killoran, Chuck Kray and Steve Pfeiffer

SPPA Student Advisory Board From left to right – Front Row: Marissa Badzik, Rebecca Wytiaz, Rachael Richter, Jenn Fever, and Rachel Von Vital Second Row: Olivia Marchionda, Jamie Celento, Lauren Stabler, Sally Habusta, Matthew McGuire, Olivia Erickson, Lin Tran, and Kaitlin Bova Back Row: Anthony Fanucci, Allie Grudeski, Colleen D’Amico, Brandon Barry, and Joey Muscarella

PPA Foundation Board of Directors From left to right – Front Row: Coleen Kayden, Michele Musheno, Nish Kasbekar, Maria Osborne, Rebecca Wytiaz Second Row: Melissa Sherer Krause, Stephanie Smith Cooney, Megan Weigand, Pat Epple (CEO), Ed Bechtel, John DeJames, William Ferri, Jon Ference, Julie Gerhart- Rothholz and Michele Hebda

PPCN Board of Directors From left to right – Pat Epple (CEO), Jim Reed, Nicholas Leon, Mindy Kozminski and Rick Demers

PPA Past Presidents, along with wannabes Nick Leon and Jon Ference. 

www.papharmacists.com • 33

ASSOCIATION NEWS

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Leadership and Awards Reception & Dinner And the 2016 Award Winners Are …

Gayle Cotchen: Bowl of Hygeia Sponsored by the APhA Foundation, NASPA, and Boehringer Ingelheim

Brandon Antinopoulos: Pharmacists Mutual Companies Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award

Gayle Cotchen, BSPharm, MBA, PharmD is a graduate of Duquesne University and currently works as Lead Pharmacist at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. She is extremely active with professional activities and currently serves as the Institutional Member on the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy.

Cotchen volunteers with the Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, one of the oldest rape crisis centers in the United States.

Brandon Antinopoulos, PharmD, is a 2014 graduate of The University of Pittsburgh, where Pitt Pharmacy student involvement in PPA grew exponentially. He completed a PGY1 Community Pharmacy Practice Residency with the University of Pittsburgh and PPA, where he established the key components of the Pennsylvania Pharmacist Care Network. Brandon was recently installed as the President of the Allegheny County Pharmacists Association and is working with law enforcement and community groups in his hometown to ensure that Naloxone is available to those in the community.

Lauren Simko: PPA Pharmacist of the Year Award Lauren Simko, PharmD, graduated from Duquesne University in 2000 and has demonstrated her dedication to the profession of pharmacy through her involovement at the local and state level. She served as the President for the Allegheny County Pharmacists Association (ACPA), as well as the Southwest Regional Director for PPA, and currently serves as the Vice-President. Lauren has made various presentations at PPA Conferences, as well as presentations at Duquesne University Pharmacy Alumni weekends.

Mel Brodsky: Mortar and Pestle Award Mel Brodsky, RPh, is 1966 graduate of Temple School of Pharmacy, and has been a pharmacist for over 50 years. After moving to Chicago, Brodsky returned to Philadelphia and opened his own pharmacy, Parkway Drugs Inc. In 1996, he started the Keystone Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance, now fully owned by the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists.

He currently serves as the CEO of Keystone Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance, and is the Executive Director of PARD.

Holly Lassila: Excellence in Innovation Award Sponsored by Upsher Smith Laboratories Holly Lassila, BSPharm, MSEd, MPH, RPh, is associated with Pittsburgh Mercy Behavioral Health System and Operation Safety Net where she provides immunizations, point-of-care screening services, lifestyle recommendations, and MTM/ disease state management services. She accompanies medical residents on the Operation Safety Net medical van, an outreach program that delivers medical care to the homeless population.

34 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

Jennifer Andres: PPA Preceptor of the Year Award Jennifer Andres, PharmD is a 2011 graduate of Temple University School of Pharmacy, where she received the highest honor of Renzulli Scholar. She completed a PGY1 Residency at Martinsburg VA Hospital and began her career as an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy.

In 2014, she continued her teaching career at Temple University and took on the role of Faculty Liaison for the Temple Chapter of PPA. Andres has suggested new ways to promote the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association at Temple, expanding membership, and leading to one of the most successful Legislative Day turn-outs for Temple University.

Kathryn GrandizioStephens: Pauline Montgomery Leadership Award Sponsored by Value Drug Kathryn GrandizioStephens, RPh, graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Sciences in 1998. After starting her career working as a pharmacist for Rite Aid and Giant, Grandizio acquired Danville Pharmacy and became a member of a small, select group of female pharmacy owners.

She strives to give a positive personal experience to every patient at Danville Pharmacy. Whether she is interacting with her customers, managing her staff, or serving in various capacities as a member of Value Drug Company, her leadership shines as an example to all. She serves as Chair of ValuePAC as well as a member of the Value Drug Regional Advisory Board, and is incredibly generous with support of her local community and beyond.

Amanda Curry: PPA Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award

Jan Kitzen: George H. Searight Community Service Award

John DeJames: J. Allen Duffield Pharmaceutical Industry Award

Amanda Curry, CPhT, is the Pharmacy manager of Mill Street Pharmacy, and serves as the lead pharmacy technician, reconciliation specialist, certified diabetic shoe fitter, scheduler and more. Curry has been named employee of the month by Mill Street Pharmacy members several times.

Jan Kitzen, RPh, PhD, has served as the Event Manager for the BucksMont Pharmacists Association since 2013, where he has organized numerous well attended dinner events along with several meetings that featured continuing education accreditation all of which have become critical to BMPA’s revival and ongoing growth and success. Jan also helped in the merger of the MCPA with the Bucks County Pharmacists Association to form the current BucksMont Pharmacists Association.

John DeJames, RPh, is a graduate of Duquesne University and currently serves as Manager of Clinical Services and Special Projects for Giant Eagle Pharmacy.

Under his management, Giant Eagle has more than doubled the number of immunizations administrated companywide, expanded Diabetes SelfManagement Education services and public health outreach initiatives, become a preferred pharmacy provider for numerous healthcare plans, and gained national recognition for its success in the provision of Medication Therapy Management. He championed the initiation of a community residency with both The University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University, and has actively engaged research projects for students, residents and faculty partners at both schools.

Honorable Frank A. Farry: PPA Legislator of the Year Award Representative Frank Farry is a prime sponsor of House Bill 2069 which would make several significant pro-pharmacy changes to the PACE statue. He has worked side-by-side with PPA and PACDS to champion this bill through the House of Representatives, and continues to be involved in final negotiations.

Representative Farry is also a member of the Pennsylvania Community Pharmacy Caucus, where he works to advocate for the important role of pharmacists in supporting the health and wellness of all patients throughout the Commonwealth. He is a co-sponsor of both the PBM Registration and Generic Drug Pricing Transparency Bill and the Pharmacy Audit Integrity Bill.

Edward Christofano: Cardinal Health Generation Rx Champions Award Edward Christofano, RPh, earned his Pharmacy degree from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy in 1997, and became an independent owner. He has recently directed his focus on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – The Council of Substance Abuse and Youth Coalition. Through his education series, “The New Backyard Program – Drug Abuse Awareness and Overdose Prevention”, has held open forum events in local school districts, distributed more than six-hundred narcotic drug lock boxes, and helped community first responders, teachers and parents receive certified trainings on the administration of Naloxone.

Student Organization Awards Wilkes University: Membership Award The Membership Award is presented to a school that has made outstanding efforts in membership, participation, and recruitment of students in order to strengthen PPA and Pharmacy in Pennsylvania. Points were awarded for overall membership numbers, conference attendance, membership activities, and also special credit was given for creative and innovative efforts. Wilkes University held several unique recruiting events including a Mocktail Party, a Pre-Pharmacy Round Table, an event at Skyzone, and a pharmacy themed spelling bee – all while focusing on growing and retaining their membership.

Wilkes University: Government Relations Award The Government Relations Award appropriately salutes the school which has gone above and beyond in the area of advocacy work. Points were awarded for participation in legislative day, meetings with legislators, PAC awareness, and other innovative advocacy efforts. Wilkes University greatly increased their legislative activity this past year and had 28 attendees at Legislative Day with 40 legislative appointments, held bake sales, sold clothing and portfolios to raise money for PharmPAC. Wilkes also graduated 18 students from the GRASP program, conducted letter writing campaigns and held numerous meetings at their school on legislative and policy matters.

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy University of the Sciences: Public Relations and Awareness Award The Public Relations and Awareness Award recognizes the school that really worked at developing and participating in public awareness and community activities promoting the role of the pharmacist and participation in generation Rx and Katy’s Kids. Credit was also provided based on communications activities with PPA through the Student Voice, articles in the journal, and media outreach and of course imagination and creativity were rewarded. The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy held multiple Katy’s Kid and Generation Rx presentations, participated in numerous community health fairs, and was very active on social media. They also held a “Share Your Why Photoshoot” that allowed students to share why they love or chose pharmacy.  www.papharmacists.com • 35

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Time to start holiday shopping with AmazonSmile!

Did you know that Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the PPA Educational Foundation?

This contribution supports the grant program, student poster presentations, the LEAD program, pain competition, and much more!

Take advantage of this easy way to do your holiday shopping and help your Foundation!

You can help PPA’s Educational Foundation just by buying the stuff you need every day, using Smile.Amazon.com. 

Sorry We Missed You… Kristin M. Hart

PharmD, UPMC Presbyterian/Shadyside PGY2 Graduate of: University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Year: 2015

Maria Felton

PharmD, UPMC St. Margaret PGY2 Graduate of: University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Year: 2015

Sana Mandal

PharmD, Temple University Health System Inpatient PGY1 Graduate of: Northeastern University Year: 2015

The 1-2-3 of amazon smile

Step One Go to Smile.Amazon.com.

Step two Choose PPA Educational Foundation as your charity.

Step three Whenever you are shopping, start at Smile.Amazon.com!

36 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

As a note, Haley Kavelak was listed as a PGY1, but is actually a PGY2 in Critical Care Pharmacy Resident 

AFFILIATED MEMBER NEWS ACPA Update Once again, the Allegheny County Pharmacists Association was well represented at this year’s PPA Annual Conference in King of Prussia at the end of September. Numerous awards presented Saturday night during the Leadership & Awards Dinner went to ACPA members including our student members. ACPA would like to congratulate: Brandon Antinopoulos Pharmacists Mutual Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award John DeJames J. Allen Duffield Pharmaceutical Industry Award Holly Lassila NASPA Excellence in Innovation Award Lauren Simko PPA Pharmacist of the Year Award Gayle Cotchen Bowl of Hygeia Award

Also, a big congratulations to PittPharmacy students for winning the Achieving Independence Competition: • Addie Brown • Elyse Tomaszewski • Heather Johnson • Harry Wilkinson We are fortunate to have so many outstanding members!

On September 29th, ACPA President, Brandon Antinopoulos, participated in a panel discussion coordinated by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs titled, “Building Bridges to Recovery.” Brandon, along with other providers of various backgrounds and folks in recovery from the disease of addiction, discussed ways to improve identification of people with addiction and effectively refer them to treatment as well as addressing barriers, including stigma, to those efforts.

Opening speakers included: Gary Tennis Secretary of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Dr. Rachel Levine Pennsylvania Physician General Dr. John P. Gallagher Vice Chair of the PA Medical Society Board of Trustees, as well as Chair of the PA Medical Society Opioid Advisory Task Force The event was broadcasted live on PCN and webcasted live online. Addressing the opioid abuse and overdose epidemic will be a major focus of ACPA this year along with the continued promotion of safe medication use through programs such as Katy’s Kids and Poison Prevention Week.

BucksMont Pharmacists Association Experience at 2016 PPA Conference The BucksMont Pharmacists Association (BMPA) was well represented at PPA’s Annual Conference with over 25 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy student members attending. BMPA sponsored a booth that was very popular, as over 100 BMPA pullovers and about 50 coffee mugs to people who visited our booth. Several of our members were recognized by PPA in various ways: Jan Kitzen, the event manager since 2014, was the recipient of the George H. Searight Community Service Award Amanda Curry received the PPA Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award Steve Pfeiffer & Rick Demers were officially inducted as PPA Board Directors At the Local County Association Forum, several of our members offered advice to other regional PPA affiliates and participated in a brainstorming session to discuss new ideas for future events. Our activities concluded at the Sunday morning breakfast when we presented two pharmacy students who are residents of either Bucks or Montgomery counties with $500 scholarships. Student recipients were Sarah Fillman (Wilkes) and Veronica Friederich (Temple).

Lehigh Valley Pharmacists Association The Lehigh Valley Pharmacists Association (LVPA) is continuing to kick-off its revitalization, as LVPA is the third county to affiliate with PPA. LVPA held an informational dinner meeting in September “Purdue Pharma L.P. Product Portfolio Options for the Management of Chronic Pain” at the Blue Grillhouse. There was an excellent turnout and the group held a great discussion following the event. LVPA also had a booth in the exhibit hall at PPA’s Annual Conference, where individuals were challenged with a game trying to get a ring on a hook. Our booth was a big hit and hopefully got individuals interested in joining LVPA! Another event was held in October at Grain that focused on the latest Diabetes updates.

Informational dinner programs are also being planned for November and December! More information will be coming soon! 

www.papharmacists.com • 37

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Q4|2016

• Pharmacy Time Capsule • By: Dennis B. Worthen, PhD, Cincinnati, OH One of a series contributed by the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy, a unique non-profit society dedicated to assuring that the contributions of your profession endure as a part of America’s history.

Membership offers the satisfaction of helping continue this work on behalf of pharmacy, and brings five or more historical publications to your door each year. To learn more, check out: www.aihp.org

1991 • The first attempt to cure cancer by gene therapy takes place at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

1966 • All US cigarette packs begin carrying the warning: “Caution! Cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health.”

• In 1966, Medicare’s coverage took effect, as Americans age 65 and older were enrolled in Part A and millions of other seniors signed up for Part B • The first pancreas transplantation was performed

1941 • On December 7, 1941 the US was attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. More than 2400 American servicemen were killed that day and America entered the war.

1916 • The unique contour bottle design of Coca-Cola is introduced

38 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

MEMBER NEWS Pennsylvania Appointees to APhA 2016–2017 House of Delegates The following PPA members will serve as the Pennsylvania Delegation in the APhA 2016-2017 House of Delegates: Kimberly Carter, Howard Cook, Julie Gerhart- Rothholz, Daniel Hussar, Yardlee Kauffman, Nicholas Leon, Mary McManus, Julie Olenak, Roshni Patel, and Emily Scopelliti.

Welcome Baby Leon!

PPA President-Elect, Nick Leon and his wife Iris, welcomed baby Alexander on October 6th, weighing 6lb 8oz.

Congratulations Nick and Iris!

James Schiffer Named Recipient of 2016 NARD Ownership Award The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Foundation announced that James Schiffer, an associate with the law firm Allegaert Berger & Vogel LLP and a former independent pharmacy owner, is the recipient of this year’s NARD® Ownership Award. The award was presented at NCPA’s 2016 Annual Convention in New Orleans. Sponsored by the NCPA Foundation, the NARD Ownership Award, now in its fifth year, recognizes an independent pharmacist who embraces the entrepreneurial spirit through promotion and demonstrated excellence in the field of community pharmacy ownership. Congratulations James!

Welcome Baby McConaha!

ACPA Past-President, Jamie McConaha and husband, Mike, welcomed baby Viviana on October 14th.

Congratulations Jamie and family! 

JOURNAL

Abstract: Evaluation of the impact of pharmacist-led tobacco cessation classes on abstinence rates in patients of a PatientCentered Medical Home (PCMH) practice Primary author: Lauren E. Wolfe, PharmD Corresponding author: Jamie L. McConaha, PharmD, CGP, BCACP, CTTS, CDE Co-authors: Angela M. Raymond, Gibbs Y. Kanyongo, PhD, Michele F. Hebda, PharmD, TTS Funding for this project was provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association Educational Foundation.

Conflict of Interest Statement: The educational classes utilized in this study were funded in part by a medical education grant from Pfizer, Inc. Information pertaining to presentation/ poster: Presented as Research in Progress Poster at ASHP Midyear Meeting in New Orleans, LO on December 9, 2015.

Presented as Research In Progress at PPA Annual Meeting in Harrisburg, PA on January 31, 2016.

Key words Smoking cessation Nicotine addiction Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Pharmacist

Background Even with the resulting decline in cigarette smoking from 42% in 1965 to 18% in 2012 following the initial US Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee report on smoking and health, over 42 million Americans still smoke. Guidelines explicitly advocate for the combined use of counseling and medication(s) as the most effective means to improve cessation rates. This study evaluated abstinence rates of patients that attended pharmacist-led group tobacco cessation classes in conjunction with tobacco cessation medications compared to those who utilized medications alone.

Methods Patients with a documented active smoking status in the electronic medical record (EMR) of a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) beginning July 2013 through October 2015 were invited to attend a pharmacistled tobacco cessation class titled “The Courage to Quit.” Study inclusion criteria for the intervention group included the use of nicotine replacement treatment (NRT), bupropion, or varenicline and attendance

The full report may be found under the Foundation section Grants – 2015 Grants. http://www.papharmacists.com/ page/FBOD_Grants15

40 • Pennsylvania Pharmacist • November/December 2016

in at least 3 of the 4 the classes. An EMR report was used to identify patients for the control group who utilized NRT, bupropion, or varenicline during the same timeframe but did not attend the class.Tobacco abstinence rates in both the control and intervention groups were assessed telephonically at 2, 4, 12, and 24 weeks following treatment.

Results Of the 80 patients who had previously taken “The Courage to Quit” classes, 30 patients met the inclusion criteria and consented to involvement in the study. The control group of 30 patients was determined based on smoking cessation treatments utilized in the intervention group and by consent to study participation. The primary endpoint, cessation at 24 weeks, was identical between intervention and control groups (26.7%).

Conclusion While overall cessation success rates did not differ between groups, patients who attended “The Courage to Quit” classes were equipped with additional knowledge and resources to support future attempts to quit. 

www.papharmacists.com • 41

INDUSTRY NEWS

PTCB Releases New Practice Exam and Calculations Practice App Calculations Questions App is First PTCB Math Practice Tool Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) has released two new Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (PTCE) practice tools: the updated Official PTCB® Practice Exam; and the Official PTCB® Calculations Practice Questions app, a math practice tool PTCB is offering for the first time.

Updated Official PTCB Practice Exam The updated Official PTCB® Practice Exam is the only practice test authorized by PTCB. Designed with the look and feel of the PTCE, it provides an experience much like taking the actual exam. PTCB developed the updated practice exam according to industry best practices. It was written and reviewed by subject matter experts, piloted by real test takers, and built according to the same content specifications as the PTCE. Like the PTCE, the practice exam contains 90 questions and has a 110-minute time limit. After completing the practice exam, test takers can log in to view their results, including correct and incorrect answers, with explanations for each. Test takers are allowed a total of 24 hours of post-exam review time within

their 90-day exam delivery window. The Practice Exam price is $29, with bulk discounts offered to pharmacy technician educators and employers who participate in the PTCB Advocate Program.

Official PTCB® Calculations Practice Questions App The first Official PTCB® Calculations Practice Questions app is now available for iOS and Android devices. Released September 27, 2016, the app features 90 questions that have appeared on the actual PTCE and represent calculations commonly performed by pharmacy technicians. To provide the best preparation experience, questions were selected from previous live PTCE exam questions that reflect a variety of calculation types, strong item performance, and a style similar to the current PTCE. Although the exact questions are no longer on the actual PTCE, these questions will help users develop a feel for the calculations they will encounter when they take the real PTCE, and strengthen their math skills. Test takers can take advantage of step-by-step explanations provided at the end of the practice questions to further enhance their studying.

Visit ptcb.org/practice for information about Official PTCB Practice Tools. 

ELEMENTS of Success Re

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Reputation

Affiliation

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Connections

Location

Jefferson College of Pharmacy is recognized as an emerging force in the future of Pharmacy education. We prepare students to be leaders, as demonstrated by victories in ASHP, APhA and ACCP student pharmacy competitions. Our grads have an above-average pass rate among all who take national boards. And, it’s happening just steps from the best Center City Philly has to offer. These are contributing elements to our success.

Jefferson.edu/PharmacyJournal