- Rony Foumia Wins MSCP Pharmacist of the Year Award -
|
|
Rony Foumia, R.Ph., of Commerce Township, Mich. is the 2021 recipient of the prestigious Michigan Society of Community Pharmacists (MSCP) Pharmacist of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to an MSCP member who displays professional excellence and/or exemplary service to the profession toward advancing patient care in the community setting.
Foumia has been a licensed pharmacist in Michigan since 1999 and earned his bachelor’s degree from the Wayne State University (WSU) School of Pharmacy. He started as an intern with Arbor Drugs in 1997 and practiced as a pharmacist for CVS from 1999 to 2007. He worked as a pharmacy district leader for CVS and Rite Aid where he managed more than 200 pharmacy locations in Michigan between the two corporations. He also served as the director of long-term care and currently is the area director for continuity of care for Ascension Rx overseeing the Michigan market.
He was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2017 to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and reappointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2019. He also serves as an executive board member on the Oakland County Pharmacists Association, executive board member for the Chaldean American Association for Health Professionals and as a representative on the Lakes Area Community Coalition. He is a guest teacher several times a year at the WSU School of Pharmacy.
Foumia is passionate about helping the less fortunate and those in need, along with mentoring dozens of pharmacy students throughout the country. He is also actively involved in helping combat the opioid crisis by holding community events throughout Michigan. He was named the 2020 National Person of the Year by Dispensary of Hope, a charitable medication distributor that delivers critical medicine – free of cost – to people in need. Foumia’s compassion and commitment to servant leadership make him a worthy recipient of this distinguished award, along with his unwavering belief in the impact and importance of community pharmacy in advancing patient care.
|
|
- Submit an Award Nomination for MSCP or MPA -
Make a nomination (you or one of your colleagues) for the Michigan Society of Community Pharmacists (MSCP) Board of Directors and Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) awards, including the MSCP Pharmacist of the Year Award! Review the information below and visit the website pages indicated to make a nomination online. Nominate one of your colleagues for an award to recognize their professional accomplishments! Nominations are due Oct. 1. To learn more about MSCP, please visit www.MichiganPharmacists.org/MSCP.
Award Nominations
Additional information and printable and electronic nomination forms are available online.
- MSCP Pharmacist of the Year Award: Presented annually to a CSPM member who displays professional excellence and/or exemplary service to the profession toward advancing public health.
- MPA Awards: MPA is accepting nominations for the following awards:
- Pharmacist of the Year
- Bowl of Hygeia
- Executive Board Medal
- Excellence in Innovation
- Distinguished New Pharmacist Practitioner
- Fred W. Arnold Public Relations
- Fellow of MPA
These awards are presented at the Annual Banquet & Awards Ceremony during the MPA Annual Convention & Exposition the last weekend in February. Nominations are due Oct. 1. Submit nominations here.
|
|
- President's Platform: Community Pharmacy Growing Through Change
- CEO Corner: MPA Working For You
- Legislative Update: 2021 - The Year of the Pharmacist
- Brief History of COVID-19: From Outbreak to Vaccines
- Annual Convention & Exposition Recap
- Legal Insights: Vaccine Ethics
- MSCP Focus: The Oath of the Pharmacist
- Advanced Technician Certification: Techs Take on Immunization
- Click the journal at right to access electronically
Look for the July/Aug./Sept. edition of the Michigan Pharmacist Journal coming next month!
|
|
|
- 2021 Summer Legislative Update - |
|
The Michigan Legislature has finished its work on the $60 billion state budget, and members will soon be returning to their districts for the summer. There are a total of four summer session days scheduled – which are historically cancelled – between now and Sept. 21 when the Legislature returns to work in the fall. Below is legislation MPA is tracking that is currently moving through the legislative process.
HB 4089: Rep. Sue Allor (R-Alpena) has introduced legislation that would classify etizolam as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. This bill is in Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.
SB 155: Sen. Kevin Daley (R- Lapeer) has introduced legislation that would allow a pharmacist to dispense an emergency refill of insulin to a patient who had a qualified prescription for insulin in their name but currently doesn’t have a refill left on their prescription. Up to three 30-day supplies could be dispensed in a calendar year. The patient must have received insulin from the pharmacy before, and the pharmacist must use their best judgment in dispensing the insulin to the patient. This bill passed the House of Representatives and has been sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her signature.
SB 156: Daley has also introduced legislation that would require insurers to cover an emergency refill of insulin dispensed by a pharmacist. This bill is tie-barred to SB 155 and has been sent to the governor's desk for a signature.
SB 166: Sen. Curt VanderWall (R-Frankfort) has introduced legislation that would allow Michigan pharmacists to fill non-controlled prescriptions from Canadian or out-of-state midlevel providers, as long as the midlevel provider has the authority to prescribe in their state or province. This bill is in the House Health Policy Committee.
HB 4348: Rep. Julie Calley (R-Portland) has introduced legislation that would require pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to be licensed with the state to operate in Michigan. It would also prohibit PBMs from reimbursing for less than the cost of the medication, end unfair networks and require consumer parity (refill amounts and duration of fills) between PBM-owned pharmacies and pharmacies not affiliated with the PBM. It would also change the way audits are conducted in Michigan and prohibit clawbacks and gag clauses in PBM contracts. This bill had a hearing last week in the Senate Health Policy Committee. A vote is expected at a future meeting. A video of the hearing can be viewed here.
HB 4351: Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) has introduced legislation that would require a PBM to offer a contract to a 340B entity that is the same as a non-340B entity. This bill is in the Senate Health Policy Committee.
HB 4352: Allor has introduced legislation that would prohibit a pharmacist from entering a contract with a PBM if the contract includes a gag clause. This bill is in the Senate Health Policy Committee.
SB 247: VanderWall has introduced legislation that would require insurers to address prior authorizations (PAs) deemed “urgent” within 72 hours and non-urgent PAs within seven business days. Additionally, insurers would be required to post information on prior authorization requirements on the website and provide statistics on approval and denial rates. For denials, the health professional would have to be notified of the reason for the denial and be provided with a remedy for steps moving forward on future requests. This bill is in House Health Policy Committee.
HB 4659: Rep. Joseph Bellino (R-Monroe) has introduced legislation that would amend the new e-prescribing law and add to the list of exemptions: one, a prescription dispensed by a dispensing prescriber, and two, a prescription that is for a dialysis-related drug administered as part of home-based treatment. This bill is on the House Floor.
|
|
 |
The Michigan Society of Pharmacy Technicians will hold it’s Annual Five-Live Continuing Education Event virtually on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The following topics will be offered, many of which meet educational requirements for pharmacy technicians: patient safety, pain alternatives to opioid prescribing, compassion fatigue, cultural sensitivity and pharmacy law update. Watch MPA’s website for registration to open in July.
|
|
|
|
Ethics & Jurisprudence
New continuing education requirements (R 338.3041) for Michigan pharmacists mandate that one hour of Ethics and Jurisprudence is required for licensure for anyone who is renewing their license this year. The new Pharmacy General rules that went into effect in December 2020 state “(i) An applicant for license renewal shall complete at least 1 hour of the 30 required hours of continuing education in pharmacy ethics and jurisprudence." This applies to renewals after Dec. 30, 2020.
To meet this requirement, Michigan Pharmacists Association offered a Pharmacy Law and Ethics Update at the MPA Annual Convention & Exposition in February. This program is now being offered as a recording for one hour of home study credit. Delivered by Kim Sveska, MS, JD, Principal and Lawyer with Foley, Baron, Metzger, Juip, PLLC in Livonia, Mich., this program will discuss changes to Michigan Administrative Rules effecting pharmacists, technicians and pharmacies, discuss way to resolve potential ethical conflicts and discuss the likelihood of a pharmacist or technician being named as a defendant in a malpractice lawsuit given new case law. This recording is available for purchase at www.MichiganPharmacists.org/education/lawethics.
|
|
|
|
Event Recap:
Live Your Best Life
The Michigan Society of Community Pharmacists (MSCP) and Michigan Society of Pharmacy Technicians (MSPT) held a joint day-long virtual event on May 15. Topics focused on helping pharmacy professionals live their best life. Such topics included:
- “Behavioral Health – Breaking Down Barriers: Helping Patients Live Their Best Lives,” presented by Taylor Pettit-Rademacker, LMSW, CAADC, workforce development trainer at Cherry Health in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Lori Heetderks, CPhT, 340B program coordinator and pharmacy technician at Cherry Health in Grand Rapids, Mich.
- “Foundations of Health: Optimize Health Using Supplements and Diet,” presented by Brandi Grimmer, CPhT, nutritional consultant at Keystone Pharmacy in Wyoming, Mich.
- “Understanding the Human/Animal Bond,” presented by Dr. Jill Sackman, DVM, Ph.D., owner and CEO at Animal Behavior Consultants of Michigan, PLC in Oxford, Mich., and Ginny Mikita, JD, attorney at Mikita Kruse Law Center and animal chaplain at Animal Blessings in Rockford, Mich.
- “A Healthy ‘Great Place to Work’ Culture Begins with Trust,” presented by Pinky McPherson, MEd, owner and lead facilitator of PMc Consulting LLC in Grand Rapids, Mich.
|
|
Local Association Spotlight |
|
Local Association Spotlight:
- Kent County Pharmacists Association Annexes Mecosta, Ionia and Montcalm counties -
By Lisa Diephouse, Pharm.D., pharmacy manager, Buntes Pharmacy, Zeeland; immediate past president, MSCP; and Michelle Sahr, Pharm.D., assistant professor, Ferris State University; president, MSCP
|
|
The Kent County Pharmacist Association (KCPA) covers Kent, Mecosta, Ionia and Montcalm counties.
What activities does your local organize and conduct?
KCPA conducts monthly board meetings that are open to all general members. We also organize continuing education (CE) events, educational dinners, PAC events, social events and dinners, and student outreach events.
What is an example of an innovative event or initiative that your local has recently been engaged in and how did it have a positive impact?
Recently, KCPA annexed Mecosta, Ionia and Montcalm Counties. Through this process, we hope to serve members in these counties that may have not been a part of a local chapter. We also want to support our pharmacy students in Big Rapids. We look forward to collaborating with pharmacists, technicians and students in Mecosta, Ionia and Montcalm counties! If anyone has any suggestions on a new name for our local chapter, please email us at KCPApharmacists@gmail.com. Your idea could be picked!
How would someone get involved in your local if they were interested? How could they express interest in serving on your Board of Directors?
Like us on Facebook or Instagram. We post our events on our Facebook page. You could also email us at KCPApharmacists@gmail.com and ask for more information. If anyone is interested in serving on our board, simply start attending our meetings as board positions open up every year. Elections are usually held in May and positions start in September.
What is one thing that you would like student pharmacists and pharmacy professionals who are not involved in their local to know?
KCPA is a great way to get to know other pharmacists in your area and work together on activities that the members want to pursue.
|
|
- Alzheimer's Association Michigan Chapter Offers Support to Patients, Family and Caregivers -
By Kristin Copenhaver, guest writer, Alzheimer's Association Michigan Chapter
|
|
Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the only top-ten leading cause without a treatment, prevention or cure. As one of the most expensive diseases in the nation, it is a growing burden, with more Americans living with the disease, more family and friends serving as caregivers, and rising unsustainable costs.
Based on the Alzheimer’s Association 2021 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, 190,000 Michigan residents have Alzheimer’s dementia and 463,000 caregivers provided a total of 491 million hours of unpaid care, valued at a total of $8.5 billion. These numbers are expected to only increase in the coming years.
Future research is critical in turning the tide to make sure that future generations do not have to endure this devastating disease.
The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to addressing this health crisis and is the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research. The Association works across borders to power translational clinical trial research through groundbreaking programs like Part The Cloud. Today, the Alzheimer’s Association has more than $235 million in grants, making possible more than 650 research projects in 39 different countries, spanning six continents.
|
|
A key part of these – and any – research projects' success is participation. Alzheimer's Association TrialMatch is a free matching tool for research studies and treatment trials for Alzheimer's and other dementias. It connects individuals with Alzheimer's, caregivers and healthy volunteers to clinical trials that may advance Alzheimer's research.
In addition to accelerating research, the Alzheimer’s Association is committed to driving risk reduction and early detection, while maximizing quality care and support. And, while we wait for breakthroughs in pharmacological treatments, there are other supports and services provided by the Association that can help families navigate through the disease right now.
The Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter is the premier source of information and support for Michigan residents living with dementia and their families and caregivers. Through our statewide network of offices, the Alzheimer’s Association offers a broad range of free education programs, support groups, social engagement programs and other services to Michiganders, currently in virtual and dial-in format due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to the free care and support provided, the Association also receives funding for specific programs to help caregivers in specific regions of the state, including funding this year for Medic Alert with Wandering Support program for anyone who lives in Michigan.
Employee lunch and learn programs are also available for companies and organizations who want to provide information and support to all employees about dementia, including how to reduce your risk and how to connect customers to appropriate resources.
For more information about programs and services, research and participating in clinical trials, visit alz.org/gmc/virtual, send an email to helplinegmc@alz.org or call our 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
