MPhA 144th Annual Convention Registration is Open - It’s a Shore Thing! 


Head to Ocean City with MPhA!

What’s a ‘Shore Thing?” 

• ​Relevant and interactive CE content
• Engaging roundtables
• Pharmacy Practice Awards 
• Networking opportunities 
• New meeting location, with updated rooms
• Golf! Tournament at Ocean City Golf Club (get your foursome ready) or mini golf with the family
• Crab Feast-We’ll show you how it’s done!
• More to be shared in the coming weeks... 
• Early Bird rates through May 26, 2026!

Congratulations to Lauren Haggerty-Tomita

Congratulations to MPhA Board Chair, Lauren Haggerty-Tomita and husband, who welcomed their son, Theo, into the world last month. Happy to share they are all doing well. 

MPhA on Capitol Hill

MPhA Executive Director Aliyah Horton joined Maryland independent pharmacy owners in Washington for NCPA on the Hill to advocate for several bills related to PBM reform, including fair payment in Medicaid, Tricare pharmacy program audit, enhanced professional dispensing fee for LTC patients, and federal "Test and Treat.” The team included Brian Hose of EPIC Rx /Sharpsburg Pharmacy (Sharpsburg), Tom Wieland of Ritchie Pharmacy (Brooklyn Park), Karen Slagle of Northside Pharmacy LTC (Elkton), and David Ayres of Northside Pharmacy Inc. (Elkton). We are grateful for their consistent support over the years. Our thanks to Representatives April McClain Delaney and Andy Harris, and the staff of Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, and Representative Sarah Elfreth for learning about the issues and the impact they are having in communities across Maryland. 

Aliyah and Krystal Weaver, CEO of the National Alliance of Pharmacy Associations (NASPA), participated in a panel discussion with Cardinal Health’s Retail Advisory Board to discuss legislative advocacy at the state level. There was thoughtful discussion about the trends, opportunities, as well as the impact individual pharmacists can make with their legislators. More photos from last week are available on our social media pages. 

Rural Health Transformation Program

MPhA staff participated in an update call with the Maryland Department of Health related to next steps in Maryland’s implementation of the Rural Health Transformation Program. Maryland’s first-year allocation is $168 million in federal funding, with those funds expected to be obligated by the Fall of 2026. We were pleased to see pharmacies specifically mentioned as an option for program delivery under Pillar 2 - Promote Sustainable Access & Innovative Care. RFPs for this focus are expected to be launched in the next few weeks. With 18 of Maryland’s 24 counties state-designated rural counties, this is an opportunity for our community to show real impact. The recording of the meeting and additional updates will be posted to the state’s RHTP website: https://health.maryland.gov/pophealth/Pages/Rural-Health-Transformation-Program.aspx. 

Legislative Update

Governor Moore signed two pharmacy-related bills into law on May 14.

HB637/SB835- Public Health – Recommendations for Immunizations, Screenings, and Preventive Services – Pharmacist

Administration and Required Health Insurance Coverage (The Vax Act). The bill empowers the secretary of the Maryland Department of Health to rely on clinical guidance from independent medical organizations to make official recommendations on immunizations, screenings, and preventative services. And maintains insurance coverage for critical immunizations. The bill also clarifies pharmacists' vaccination authority to administer based ACIP-recommendations; FDA-approved; or recommendations by the Secretary of Health. Effective July 1, 2026.

HB 838 SB562 - State Board of Pharmacy – Prescriber–Pharmacist Agreements – Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders

Authorizes pharmacists to enter into drug therapy management contracts (collaborative practice agreements) to treat opioid use disorder using controlled dangerous substances drug therapy. This specific collaborative practice has specific requirements, including that the pharmacist must register with the DEA and Maryland’s Office of Controlled Substances Administration (OCSA); complete training required by Federal and State laws; and check the PDMP before initiating or modifying therapy. The bill also authorizes certified midwives to enter into collaborative practice agreements with pharmacists ( this is in general and not necessarily specific to OUD). Effective July 1, 2026. 

Don’t miss the full review of the legislative session in our webinar on April 28. Register here! Free to all members. 

Last Call: Maryland APhA Delegate Nominations Due Today (April 20)

Today is the final day to submit nominations to serve as a Maryland delegate to the APhA House of Delegates for the 2026–2027 session.


Delegates have the opportunity to represent Maryland pharmacy in the APhA House of Delegates, held during the APhA Annual Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, March 19–22, 2027.


To be eligible, you must:

• Be a member of MPhA (or agree to renew/join prior to appointment)
• Be a member of APhA (or agree to renew/join prior to appointment)
• Attend the APhA Annual Convention 2027
  

Additional expectations and details are included in the nomination form.


Nominations must be completed by the end of the day today, April 20, 2026!

2026 Maryland Legislative Session Wrap-Up Webinar

The Maryland General Assembly adjourned Sine Die at midnight on Monday, April 13, marking the close of the 2026 legislative session. It was another active year of advocacy for the Maryland Pharmacists Association, working alongside our partners in the Maryland Pharmacy Coalition and pharmacy stakeholders across the state.

Now it’s time to break down what it all means for Maryland pharmacy.

Join MPhA’s Legislative Wrap-Up Webinar on Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 PM for a clear overview of the pharmacy-related legislation that passed this session and what comes next as new laws move toward implementation.

Presenter: Aliyah N. Horton, CAE, FASAE. Executive Director, MPhA


Learning Objectives

• Identify pharmacy practice-related bills passed in the 2026 Legislative Session
• Discuss the administrative and regulatory timelines related to law implementation
• Engage in refinement of practice-related regulations

Free for MPhA Members, $30 for Non-Members


Don’t miss this opportunity to understand how this year’s legislative activity will impact pharmacy practice in Maryland.


RSVP to the webinar here!

FDA Approves First Generic Dapagliflozin Tablets

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generics of FARXIGA (dapagliflozin) tablets to reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and either established cardiovascular disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors, and as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generics of FARXIGA (dapagliflozin) tablets to reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and either established cardiovascular disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors, and as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Read More

Emerging Evidence Links COVID-19–Induced Lung Changes to Increased Cancer Risk

As the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are still unfolding, new research highlights the long-term changes in lung tissue that may extend beyond recovery from acute infection. A recent study summarized by News-Medical and based on findings published in Frontiers in Immunology suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19, may promote molecular changes in the lung that contribute to tumor development, raising concerns about a potential increased risk of lung cancer over time. Read More

CMS Announces Full Manufacturer Participation in Third Round of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations

All the manufacturers that make the 15 drugs selected for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) third round of price negotiations for drugs covered under Medicare Part B or D have agreed to participate, the agency announced in mid-March. Read More

Thank you to the individual EPIC Pharmacies for your financial contributions to MPhA.