Approved by the ASHP Board in January 2020, the newly established Pharmacy Executive Leadership Alliance will serve as a home within ASHP for unique offerings for pharmacy executives. Designed specifically for chief pharmacy officers and multi-hospital system pharmacy executive leaders, this wide array of offerings will include executive leadership development and opportunities to learn through peer-to-peer and non-traditional educational events and will enhance participants'; ability to meet the demands of highly complex vertically and horizontally integrated networks and multi-hospital health systems.

PELA participants must be members of ASHP and can still enjoy the full benefits of their chosen membership sections and other member engagement opportunities. PELA's unique offerings have been designed specifically for:

• Vice Presidents and/or Chief Pharmacy Officers of Multi-Hospital Systems
• System Level Leaders in Multi-Hospital Systems
• Chief Pharmacy Officers and/or Directors of Pharmacy of Large Academic Health Centers of 650 beds and more
• Accountabilities Include Multi-Hospital Outpatient & Specialty Pharmacies
• Accountabilities Include PBM and/or Managed Care
• Accountabilities Include Multiple Medical Practices and Infusion Centers

Shared learnings from PELA may be imparted to all ASHP members to facilitate change management and innovations across all health-systems.

PELA will provide specialized learning and network opportunities for its pharmacy executive participants. Events include an annual invitational summit at ASHP headquarters in Bethesda, MD, invitational networking sessions at ASHP meetings, and committees to create and inform guidance for ASHP's advocacy efforts. PELA will provide a unique platform for ASHP's partners, such as other health care executive groups and industry partners to convene for thought leadership exchange. PELA will leverage ASHP's technology resources to conduct routine information and education exchange on issues unique to this membership group. PELA participants will also help to identify valuable market trends and best practice resources for advancing medication use that is optimal, safe, and effective for all people all of the time across our nations multi-hospital health systems and integrated health networks.

ASHP is uniquely positioned to create distinctive, interactive and highly productive networking, strategic planning and professional development activities for pharmacy executives in complex hospital and health-system settings. Having served pharmacists who practice in these settings for 78 years, no other organization has the depth of understanding of the issues and challenges regularly faced by executives. ASHP has long-standing, dynamic relationships with many influential interprofessional organizations across the healthcare landscape including those representing hospital and health-system executives, and the influence to regularly convene the thought leaders and stakeholders who collectively can identify solutions and long-term trends.

ASHP has been planning the launch of PELA for some time, in response to a growing need to connect pharmacy executives for peer-to-peer knowledge transfer and strategy planning around their unique issues and challenges. As the collective pharmacy community responds to the unprecedented demands of the COVID-19 epidemic, we believe this need is even more urgent. PELA will provide critical opportunities for connecting and sharing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and to assist in recovery and restoration efforts in its aftermath.

Participation in PELA is in addition to all of the ASHP membership experiences, resources, and volunteering opportunities. It is different from ASHP's other membership groups due to its sharper focus on executive leadership of multi-hospital health-systems and the largest academic health systems across the country. Through membership feedback and the impact and growth of hospital and health system organizations, ASHP recognized the need to create a deeper level of membership service to provide a venue to address the cross-cutting demands for integrated strategic decision making to ensure the highest quality, access to care, and affordability of their health systems.

ASHP believes industry partners and its executives provide an important partnership and source of knowledge for pharmacy leaders, clinicians, and executives. There will be opportunities for industry to be part of the PELA experiences and events but this will be with the guidance of PELA members. ASHP staff, with feedback from PELA members, will coordinate how industry is recognized in its support of PELA.