October 2024
Dear Colleagues,
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for entrusting me with the role of chair of the ASHP Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners (SACP) for the 2024–2025 term. Over the past year as chair-elect, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with numerous section advisory group (SAG) chairs and members, both in person at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition and the inaugural ASHP Futures Meeting.
In my personal statement during my candidacy, I emphasized my commitment to advocating for the advancement of pharmacy within our healthcare system. Little did I know that this mission would align closely with ASHP's emerging initiatives.
In June, ASHP launched the We’re Your Pharmacist campaign, which seeks to elevate awareness of the critical role pharmacists play in patient care. During her inaugural address, ASHP President Leigh Briscoe-Dwyer urged us to share our stories, emphasizing that “it is our story to tell, and we get to decide how this story unfolds.”
This campaign is particularly relevant for ambulatory care practitioners. A powerful statement by esteemed pharmacy leader Rita Shane has long resonated with me: “A patient is in the hospital five days a year; what about the other 360?” Since its inception in 1942, ASHP has evolved from the American Society of Hospital Pharmacy to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, reflecting our commitment to diverse care settings, including ambulatory and home care.
As we approach the 30-year milestone of ASHP representing health systems, we recognize the rapid growth in ambulatory care. However, the integration of pharmacists into these settings remains less common than in hospitals, largely due to insufficient payment models for pharmacist services. We are seeing positive developments at the state level with Medicaid and commercial plans, while ASHP continues to advocate for provider status recognition through Medicare.
During my recent attendance at ASHP’s Policy Week, I witnessed firsthand the dedication of our councils as they work to adapt policies for the evolving pharmacy landscape. We had the opportunity to meet with our senators and representatives to discuss crucial issues, including advocating against Medicare site neutral payment policies and protecting Medicare funding for residency programs, particularly for expansion of payment model to support PGY-2 programs in ambulatory care.
I would like to take a moment to extend my sincere gratitude to the SACP executive leadership for their warm welcome and reassurance during my transition. Special thanks to Brody Maack, our immediate past chair, and Jackie Boyle, the immediate past chair from 2023–2024, for their invaluable mentorship during my chair-elect year. I also want to acknowledge our directors-at-large: Ashley Parrott (now our chair-elect), Jordan Wulz, and Daniel Trulove, for their hard work and dedication. Congratulations to Jeffrey Olson, our newly elected director-at-large; I look forward to your contributions to the executive committee.
Lastly, I want to recognize the essential role of our advisory groups and their leadership. I extend my appreciation to the 2024–2025 chairs: Megan Adelman (ambulatory care pharmacotherapy), Canice Coan (clinical practice advancement), Allie Fay (compensation and practice sustainability), Patrick Gregory (medication management service), Melissa Nguyen (pain management and palliative care), and Carleigh Krueger (educational steering committee).
My message to all of you is this: Be the change you wish to see. Don’t wait for others to take the lead. By being actively involved in ASHP SACP SAG, you are already taking significant steps toward that change. Continue to share your stories and help build our foundational narrative within the healthcare team.
Here's to a year filled with hard work and dedication as we strive for continued success together!
Warm regards,
Sara M. Panella, PharmD, BCPS, CPh
Chair, Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners
[email protected]
