ASHP's 2023 Summer Meetings & Exhibition is about to begin in Baltimore, where you can network in exclusive and intimate settings with pharmacy leaders and learn during professional development sessions specific to your area of practice. With a theme of "Be Bold, Be More," we will offer specialized education sessions about compounding, practitioner resilience, innovation, informatics, digital and telehealth, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and health and social disparities.

This year also marks the 75th session of the House of Delegates, ASHP's policymaking body. This group of ASHP members collaborates on developing important ASHP professional policies that help guide pharmacy practice. These policies constitute the core of what ASHP stands for on medication use and pharmacy practice issues.

To commemorate the 75th session, a recently published news article highlights some of the notable decisions made by ASHP's House of Delegates over the decades that helped make significant advances in public health, patient care, and pharmacy practice. During the Summer Meetings, we will release a special video series featuring interviews with delegates who reflect on some of the most memorable policies and discussions. And be on the lookout for our special on-site news coverage of the Summer Meetings to keep you updated on exciting events, presentations, and happenings from Baltimore. If you haven't registered yet, there is still time. We hope to see you there.

As we head into the second half of 2023, issues affecting pharmacy practice are top of mind for many pharmacy leaders and practitioners. The new revisions to USP General Chapters <795> and <797> become enforceable on Nov. 1, 2023, and represent significant changes from the 2008 standards. We encourage you to visit our Compounding Resource Center, which brings together ASHP's expansive and comprehensive offerings, including a series of documents exclusively for ASHP members that outline the fundamental changes in the revised chapters. We also have several webinars, podcasts, and an ASHP Connect Community on compounding. Please consider registering for our next webinar on June 14, which will cover changes to USP <795>, and register for our June 28 webinar on key changes to USP <797>.

We are also facing staffing challenges that are affecting hospitals and health systems across the country, particularly shortages of pharmacy technicians. Beyond staffing shortages, it is time to give our pharmacy technician colleagues the recognition they deserve given the important roles they play across the entire continuum of care. To further support the technician workforce, ASHP recently announced the creation of The Pharmacy Technician Society™ (TPTS). TPTS will serve as an independent subsidiary of ASHP led by pharmacy technicians from all patient care settings, and will be dedicated to elevating and promoting the vital roles they play in patient care and healthcare more broadly. TPTS will provide advocacy and support the technician workforce through professional development, education, networking opportunities, and much more. TPTS will launch later this year, so stay tuned for more details.

Embracing innovation in pharmacy practice is essential to advancing our roles as care providers. You'll hear more about the pharmacist's critical role in digital healthcare from ASHP President-elect Nishaminy Kasbekar, who will deliver her inaugural address at the Summer Meetings. As part of ASHP's Innovation Center, we launched the Pharmacogenomics Accelerator Program last year. In collaboration with the University of Minnesota, this yearlong program was designed to accelerate the implementation and growth of pharmacy-led pharmacogenomics services in hospitals and health systems. Three organizations, Froedtert Health in Milwaukee, Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy in College Station, and Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, New Hampshire, recently completed the program's first cohort. You can read more about their successes in the latest ASHP InterSections article. We are currently accepting applications for the second cohort of the Pharmacogenomics Accelerator Program, which will start in the fall.

Rounding out our efforts to provide members with exceptional opportunities to advance practice is our new and in-demand Certified Pharmacy Executive Leader (CPEL) credential. This provides national recognition of pharmacy leadership and communicates your value to colleagues, healthcare administrators, other healthcare professionals, and the public. The CPEL credential also demonstrates your commitment to achieving and maintaining excellence in pharmacy leadership. We are currently accepting applications for the September and November cohorts.

In addition, we have several important meetings coming up. The ASHP Conference for Pharmacy Leaders will take place Oct. 16-17 in Chicago. It is a learning experience for current and aspiring leaders to develop focused skills in critical areas such as strategic planning, systems thinking, and building teams to advance pharmacy services. Registration for the ASHP Conference for Pharmacy Leaders is now open. The ASHP Virtual National Pharmacy Preceptors Conference will occur on Oct. 4-5. Specifically for pharmacy preceptors and residency directors, this event provides education about the latest updates on accreditation standards and advanced practice area goals. Registration for the National Pharmacy Preceptors Conference is now open. 

Finally, mark your calendars for the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition in Anaheim from Dec. 3-7. Registration opens on July 16.

Thank you for being a member of ASHP and for everything you do for your patients and our profession. We look forward to continuing to support you at every stage of your career and to ensuring that pharmacy professionals continue to be leaders in the optimal, safe, and effective use of medications now and in the future. 

Sincerely,

Paul

Posted on June 7, 2023