ACE 2025 Registration is OPEN!

Registration for the 2025 Annual Convention & Exposition is now OPEN! ACE 2025 is the premier pharmacy continuing education event in Michigan, taking place April 11-13, 2025, at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.

Sign up now and save with MPA's early bird registration rate, which is available until Jan. 31. Member pharmacists who sign up by Jan. 31 can get $70 off their ACE rate! To view the full table of convention pricing, click here.

We encourage our members to make the 2025 ACE their "stay-cation" – golf, water activities and wineries are just a few things you can do in beautiful Traverse City. After you register for ACE 2025, be sure to book your room at the Grand Traverse Resort. MPA's room block is already more than half full, so act now! Click the booking link below or call 231-534-6001 to speak with a reservations agent. Attendees will receive the discounted rate if they mention the Michigan Pharmacists Association.

- EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS -

2024 MSHP Annual Meeting Recap 

By Kim Vo, PharmD, MHA, pharmacy supervisor, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital

The 2024 Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists Annual Meeting was held Oct. 25 at the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Grand Rapids. It was a day full of continuing education (CE), networking opportunities and recognition for the pharmacy profession. New this year was the addition of a Wellness Room with various activities to participate in throughout the day. Along with the methods learned from the opening wellness CE led by MPA Director of Professional Development and Education Ashley Builta – such as the “psychological sigh” and “box breathing” – attendees were given the resources to do introspection with the mindset of curiosity, not judgement. Attendees also had the option to visit with exhibitors and learn about recent advancements and novel medications on the market. 

In alignment with the 2024 MSHP theme of “Less, Not Loss,” Jeff Cain, EdD, MS, delivered an inspiring keynote session related to cognitive overload in today’s society and how an essentialism philosophy may be the key to success. As the vice chair for education in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Cain recognizes the critical crisis the pharmacy curriculum faces with competing recommendations and priorities and the imminent risk of burnout in pharmacy. 

How do we address overload, promote well-being and decrease burnout? We need to simplify! For many of us facing an issue, our first thought is typically to add steps to solve the problem. Cain urges us instead to consider what we can remove with minimal consequences. For example, the solution to a poor diet may be to remove sugar instead of adding supplements.

The Town Hall welcomed the new 2025 MSHP board, including 2025 President Stacy Brousseau, Pharm.D., who presented her presidential theme of “Empower, Engage, Enact” and her vision to inspire and drive action. Several award winners were also recognized, including the Clinical Skills Competition winners from the Ferris State University College of Pharmacy.

Amy Pasternak, Pharm.D., and Kristin Ward, Pharm.D., delivered a CE presentation on pharmacogenomic care and implementation considerations for health systems and specialty practice. Data suggests 99% of individuals have genetic variants, but only 30-60% of patients with genetic variants are getting medications based on that. During the same hour, Joe Fava, Pharm.D., Jesse Hogue, Pharm.D., and Nour Kadouh, Pharm.D., teamed up to educate participants on finding their path and navigating self-promotion. 

A pain CE was included in the afternoon session by Abbey Schwery, Pharm.D., and Isabelle Zerfas, Pharm.D., who shared their experience establishing a pharmacist-run pain management program. Concurrently, Jon Wybo, Pharm.D., and Ana Christine Belza-Mai, Pharm.D., delivered a CE on the evolution of electronic scoring systems for antimicrobial stewardship. We were reminded that technology is evolving and pharmacy is poised to exploit capabilities to drive down cost and improve quality of care.

The final general session included a panel of pharmacists: Darren Jacks, Pharm.D., MBA, BCPS; Ashley Blanchette, Pharm.D.; Amber Lanae Martirosov, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCACP; and Jessica Efta, Pharm.D., BCPS who presented on utilizing pharmacy extenders, including pharmacy students, technicians and residents. Tying up the theme of “Less, Not Loss,” we learned that pharmacy extenders can complete activities delegated and overseen by pharmacists, which allows pharmacists to broaden their scope. Using extenders is well documented in research to improve outcomes, decrease cognitive burden, and enrich job satisfaction.Thank you to everyone who contributed to another successful MSHP Annual Meeting. See you in Traverse City for MPA Annual Convention & Exposition!

- BOARD UPDATE -

Today’s Essential Priority - Gratitude

Kyle J. Schmidt, PharmD, BCCCP; Ferris State University College of Pharmacy; MSHP president

Each day we are presented with new problems, barriers, challenges, trials and difficulties. Professionally or personally, we’ve all got stuff we’re dealing with and trying to overcome. Our theme from this year was born out of this struggle – my attempt to bring back into focus what truly matters for progress and trying to illustrate that it’s OK to not do everything. It sure is easier said than done but each of you have demonstrated to MSHP, and hopefully yourself, that we can all probably let a few extra things go. In doing so, we refine our focus to the things that matter most, the essential few. Here are some highlights of what our committees were able to accomplish as a result of your engagement and focused efforts this year:

• Educational Affairs aligned efforts jointly with other committees to create a more structured webinar series occurring at regular intervals throughout the year, providing structured opportunities for continuing education outside of regularly scheduled meetings.
• Transitions of Care began important work to connect our members with other health care organizations for professional opportunities such as speaking or volunteering. This will be imperative to promote our profession externally and showcase what we have to offer, building a broader base of advocates for practice advancement.
• Ambulatory Care continues to expand the ambulatory care survival guide with excellent resources aimed at helping to promote practice advancement and advocacy.
• As recently seen at the Annual Meeting, Membership has taken a more active approach to wellness within our organization, developing strategies to weave wellness throughout our activities by directly engaging members in wellness practices.
• Organizational Affairs made significant improvements to many processes to allow for greater efficiency, as well as to promote a more sustainable method of capturing our historical organizational knowledge.
• Antimicrobial Stewardship worked on novel advocacy efforts and has brought forth many direct activities to continue to push the advancement of stewardship efforts in health-systems.
• Residency pursued activities to bring more value to early career members through the development of mentorship proposals, professional services (such as CV review and mock interviews) and the virtual poster presentation competition.
• Publications continues to publish an excellent newsletter, procuring contemporary views on issues facing our profession and expanding our knowledge. 

I would also like us to express my gratitude to MPA and its staff. Our success is closely linked to many of the tireless efforts of MPA staff to help support our initiatives and create new opportunities for us. Please take the time to thank the MPA staff for all their support.

We will undoubtedly continue to face challenges in the future, but we are all well-equipped to meet those head-on. I’m excited to follow the direction of 2025 President Stacy Brousseau and continue our organization’s mission with her theme of “Empower. Engage. Enact.” She brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and leadership that I know will lead us toward action and progress in the years to come.

It’s hard to believe that 2024 is ending, bringing a new chapter to the horizon for MSHP. I can’t express enough how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to work so closely with many of you in so many ways to drive our organization and profession forward. I’m continually amazed by our members’ genuine commitment to society, our profession and, most importantly, the patients we serve. Being a part of this organization and having the opportunity to serve alongside each of you as your president is truly an honor and something I know I will cherish for a very long time.

- MEMBER SPOTLIGHT -

Insaf Mohammad

Clinical assistant professor and ambulatory care Pharmacist specialist,

Wayne State University and Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital,

2024 MSHP Pharmacist of the Year

Member Since: 2012 (MPA); 2017 (MSHP)

Describe Your Role/Day in the Life: I am a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, with a shared clinical appointment as an ambulatory care pharmacist specialist at Corewell Health Hospital in Dearborn. As an ambulatory clinical pharmacist embedded in an internal medicine clinic, I deliver chronic disease state management via a collaborative practice agreement. My areas of expertise are diabetes and controlled substance risk mitigation. I am also a faculty member and the director of ambulatory quality and scholarship within the Internal Medicine Medical Residency Program at Corewell Health Hospital. My clinic is the Internal Medicine Medical Residency outpatient training site; therefore, it is a teaching clinic. Pharmacy and medical trainees learn and provide patient care alongside one another. I offer clinical experiences for pharmacy residents and students where we conduct face-to-face and telehealth visits with patients. There are two face-to-face visit models – shared medical appointments where visits are conducted with an internal medicine medical resident for chronic disease state management; and one-on-one visits with the pharmacy team. I have been able to demonstrate the value of these services via publications demonstrating statistically significant hemoglobin A1c reduction and improvement in opioid-related safety measures.

As a clinical assistant professor, I teach a variety of topics across didactic courses (including women’s health, controlled substance management, managed care and patient care lab) and provide experiential rotations for pharmacy trainees (including ambulatory care, general hospital, and I also coordinate a longitudinal fourth year experiential program). My areas of research focus include interprofessional chronic care management and controlled substance management. I am the faculty advisor for the Diabetes Education and Wellness Clinic, which is a clinic for underserved patients.

Why You’re an MSHP/MPA/MSPT Member: I have always been passionate about pharmacy involvement and advocacy, and have had many “organizational homes” at the local, regional and national levels which have allowed me to network and develop meaningful relationships. MPA was my first organizational home, where I was able to find roots in my local association – the Wayne County Pharmacists Association – as its president in 2016 and a board member since then. I joined MSHP in 2017 as a member of the Residency Committee and have had the opportunity to serve on the Transitions of Care and Ambulatory Care committees, recently completing a term as MSHP Ambulatory Care Committee co-chair. Each of these experiences has allowed me to stay abreast of – and be an active participant in – a variety of initiatives that make meaningful changes to our profession. I recognize the important role that we can all play to continue to grow and advocate for our profession. MPA and MSHP have consistently provided me with an arena to be part of these efforts.

Recent Accomplishments: I have always considered myself fortunate to be an ambulatory care pharmacist, pharmacy organization leader, clinical assistant professor and researcher. I was awarded the MSHP Joseph A. Oddis Leadership Award in November 2023. I was also recognized by the graduating class with the WSU EACPHS Faculty Recognition Award in May 2023. On a national level, I have been an active American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Ambulatory Care Practice and Research Network (PRN) member since 2014. I served on the Advocacy Committee as vice chair from 2019 to 2021 and as the chair from 2021 to 2022. I served as the chair of the Education Committee from 2022 to 2023. Most recently, I completed a term as chair for the ACCP Ambulatory Care PRN from 2023 to 2024, which is one of the largest PRNs. As a result of this involvement and leadership, I was presented with the ACCP Ambulatory Care PRN Advocacy Award in October 2022. In my clinical work this year, I was awarded $9,125 from Blue Cross Blue Shield to implement an interprofessional hypertension management initiative.

How MSHP/MPA/MSPT Has Helped You Achieve Any Accomplishments: As a member of MPA and MSHP over the years, I have learned how pharmacy organization involvement across the local, regional, and state levels integrate common objectives to achieve our goals year after year. These connections have kept me anchored in MPA and MSHP from my years as a student, through residency, now and into the future. I have learned my foundational leadership skills through the MPA and MSHP, which has allowed me to help lead in my clinical work and also in national organizations, such as ACCP, while continually striving to push our profession forward.

- TRANSITIONS OF CARE -

Optimizing Medication Reconciliation and Supporting Safe and Effective Transitions of Care: The Role of Student Pharmacists 

By Jingyu (Lynne) Hu, Pharm.D., Ascension pharmacy resident

Transitions of care (TOC) refers to the process where patients move between various health care providers, settings or homes as their medical needs and conditions change. These transitions are times when patients are especially susceptible to medical errors, as new teams or providers take over the responsibilities of care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has identified TOC as a key area of focus, beginning with the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program, which targets the reduction of preventable readmissions, since approximately 20% can be potentially avoided.¹ The Joint Commission also recognizes the critical role of transitions of care and advocates for increased collaboration across health care settings to improve patient safety.

Pharmacists are essential in promoting medication safety and their participation in TOC has proven effective in reducing 30-day readmission rates and lowering overall health care expenses. However, in the context of budget limitations and shrinking resources, health systems are increasingly focused on finding innovative and purposeful approaches to enhance outcomes in a cost-effective approach. 

Involving student pharmacists can help address these challenges, offering valuable support to the health system while also preparing students to be “practice-ready.” A review of TOC initiatives led by student pharmacists in both inpatient and post-discharge settings showed student contributions added value to patient care and benefited the health system, while also reinforcing students’ preparation to support TOC efforts and foster continuity of care. Additionally, a study on student pharmacists' contribution in TOC showed that a student pharmacist-led service reduced 30-day hospital readmissions by 13.3% (p=0.018) compared to the standard of care.²

Student pharmacists actively participate in delivering and managing a range of TOC services within both inpatient and post-discharge phases. Their roles in identifying medication-related issues, implementing interventions, and lowering hospital readmissions have shown positive impacts on the health care system. As effective and cost-efficient members of the health care team, student pharmacists bring targeted training and valuable skills that position them well to support these essential services.

References 

1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Hospital ReadmissionsReduction Program (HRRP). Available at: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/AcuteInpatientPPS/Readmissions-Reduction-Program. Accessed August 29, 2024.
2. Kelsh S, de Voest M, Stout M. Improving 30-day readmissions: Student pharmacists' role in transitions of care. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2021;61(4):e233-e236. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2021.03.007

- REGIONAL UPDATE -

Southeastern Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists

By Farzad Daneshvar, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCP; SMSHP president-elect

The Southeastern Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists has continued to have a strong presence this year.

On July 29, we hosted our annual continuing education breakfast and golf outing at Northville Hills. Margo Farber, Pharm.D., presented the CE session “New Drug Updates: 2024.” The program was a success and we look forward to hosting this annual event next summer as well. 

When resuming organization activities in September, Samath Dewasurendra, Pharm.D., from Hurley Medical Center presented on “Reacting to Reaction: Assessment of Beta-Lactam Allergies” at the Gazebo Banquet Center in Warren. 

In October, we hosted our annual Residency Showcase and Reverse Expo at Vista Tech Center in Livonia. Both events were well-attended and proved to be successful. 

In addition, we conducted our annual elections in October. Newly-elected officers were installed Nov. 13 during our annual Awards Banquet at Silver Gardens Event Center in Southfield. The program also included a CE on “Updates in Stroke Pharmacotherapy” by Dennis Parker, Pharm.D., from Wayne State University’s Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy.

2024 SMSHP Residency Showcase with 35 residency programs participating.

Our 2024 elected officers are as follows:

• Farzad Daneshvar, Pharm.D. – President
• Jessica Jones, Pharm.D. – Immediate Past President 
• Lama Hsaiky, Pharm.D. – President-Elect
• Jeff Hurren, Pharm.D. – Secretary 
• Alicia Thorne, Pharm.D. – Treasurer 
• Sweta Patel, Pharm.D. – Director 
• Richard Valone, Pharm.D. – Director 
• Kimberly Moon, Pharm.D. – Director 
• Jennifer Priziola, Pharm.D. – Director 

Our 2024 annual award recipients are as follows:

• Henry Ford Health: Ericka Ridgeway, Pharm.D. – Innovative Practice Award. Ridgeway helped create Advanced Pharmacy Practice Provider status for clinic-embedded pharmacists and implemented the following: Embedded Clinical Pharmacists in Primary Care Clinics Collaborate to Help Patients with Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk.
• Nisha Patel, Pharm.D. – Pharmacist of the Year Award
• Wolfegang Moorehouse, Pharm.D. – Preceptor of the Year Award
• Jodie Rob, CPhT – Technician of the Year Award
• Paige Hanke, Pharm.D. – Resident of the Year Award
• Sarah Channey – Student Research Award
• Petar Puskar, Pharm.D. – Committee Service Award
• Farzad Daneshvar, Pharm.D. – President’s Award 

The SMSHP Board will be hosting an annual leadership and strategic planning retreat for all board members and committee leaders in December. 

If you are a member who would like to get more involved, please reach out to SMSHP President Jessica Jones or let us know via our website, smshp.org

Best wishes to you all for a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season!

- RESIDENT'S CORNER -

The Utility of BLADDER Score for UTIs 

Eliana Felgner, Pharm.D., Judy Hong, Pharm.D., Christine Wu, Pharm.D., Grace (Ruixi) Zhang, Pharm.D., PGY1 residents, University of Michigan Health

Urinary tract infections are a common indication for antibiotic prescriptions in hospitals, particularly among older adults, where inappropriate prescribing rates can range from 32% to 93%.^1-2 Overuse of antibiotics contributes to antimicrobial resistance and complications such as Clostridioides difficile infections. To address this issue, the BLADDER scoring tool was developed as a clinical tool to assist health care providers in accurately diagnosing UTIs and guiding appropriate antibiotic use in hospitalized patients. UTI diagnosis is primarily driven by patient symptoms, urinalysis and urine cultures. Urine culture specificity varies greatly by population from 0 to 90% depending on if the patient has chronic indwelling catheters or are healthy individuals.³

The effectiveness of the BLADDER score was evaluated in a quasi-experimental study conducted in Ontario, Canada, from January 2021 to October 2023.⁴ The BLADDER score evaluates key urinary symptoms – such as urinary frequency, urgency, dysuria, fever and other relevant factors – to differentiate between true UTIs and other causes of urinary discomfort. The study assessed the score's accuracy, reliability, and impact on patient outcomes through education, training, and integration into hospital protocols. Primary outcomes included the number of urine cultures per 1,000 patient days, volume of urinary antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and fosfomycin) in defined daily doses and the proportion of total antibiotic defined daily doses that were prescribed for urinary infections – which included clindamycin, cloxacillin, daptomycin, fidaxomicin, macrolides, metronidazole, linezolid, moxifloxacin, penicillin, tetracyclines and vancomycin.

Across 97,178 inpatient days, 999 urine cultures were performed. The mean rate of urine culturing decreased from 12.47 to 7.92 cultures per 1,000 patient days post-intervention (IRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.67 - 1.12), while urinary antibiotic prescriptions dropped by 32%, from 40.55 to 25.96 DDDs per 1,000 patient days (IRR 0.68, 95% CI 0.59 - 0.79). Non-urinary antibiotic use remained unchanged (IRR 1, 95% ci 0.51 - 1.94). However, total antibiotic use also declined from 135.55 DDD per 1,000 patient days pre-intervention to 109.96 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days post-intervention (IRR 0.85; 95% CI,0.79–0.92). Patient outcomes, including length of stay (+0.02 days, 95% CI –7.33 - +7.38 days), acute care transfers (IRR 0.85, 95% CI 0.52 - 1.43), and overall mortality (IRR 1, 95% 0.51 - 1.94), did not change significantly. Clinicians reported increased confidence in diagnosing UTIs and determining the necessity of antibiotics when using the BLADDER score.

The BLADDER score enhances diagnostic accuracy, promotes judicious antibiotic use and standardizes care across health care settings. It serves as an educational resource, training health care professionals in urinary diagnostics and stewardship principles. Although the single-center study design may limit generalizability to other health care settings, the findings may support the establishment of clinical protocols that integrate the score into routine practice. By reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, the BLADDER score may improve patient safety and overall health care quality. 

References

1. van Buul LW, Vreeken HL, Bradley SF, et al. The Development of a Decision Tool for the Empiric Treatment of Suspected Urinary Tract Infection in Frail Older Adults: A Delphi Consensus Procedure. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2018 Sep;19(9):757-764. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2018.05.001. 
2. Hartman EAR, Groen WG, Heltveit-Olsen SR, et al. Decisions on antibiotic prescribing for suspected urinary tract infections in frail older adults: a qualitative study in four European countries. Age Ageing. 2022 Jun 1;51(6):afac134. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afac134. 
3. Chan-Tack KM, Trautner BW, Morgan DJ. The varying specificity of urine cultures in different populations. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2020 Apr;41(4):489-491. doi: 10.1017/ice.2020.16. 
4. Langford BJ, Amoah S, Hansen J, et al. BLADDER score: evaluating a tool to support urinary diagnostic and antibiotic stewardship in hospitalized adults. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2024 Aug 28:1-5. doi: 10.1017/ice.2024.93. 

CE Speaking Opportunities at Non-Pharmacy Organizations

The MSHP Publications Committee was charged in 2024 with identifying opportunities for pharmacists to present at non-pharmacy organization meetings. After surveying MSHP membership in April, the committee compiled a list of organizations. Click the button below if you're interested in presenting.

OFFICERS

PRESIDENT | Kyle Schmidt | 616-685-6675 | Mercy Health St. Mary's, Grand Rapids

PRESIDENT-ELECT | Stacy Brousseau | 269-341-7407 | Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT | Michelle Dehoorne | 313-343-6381 | Ascension, Detroit

TREASURER | Marc Guzzardo | 810-606-6095 | Ascension, Detroit

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | Edward Szandzik | 313-587-6279 | Detroit

DIRECTORS

Diana Kostoff | 313-725-7925 | Henry Ford, Detroit

Nada Farhat | nmhammou@med.umich.edu | Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor

Julie Schmidt | 269-341-7999 | Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo

Amber Lanae Martirosov | 313-916-3494 | Wayne State University, Detroit

REGIONAL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES 

CENTRAL | Tim Ekola | 734-845-3418 | VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System

NORTHERN | Miranda Maitland | mirandapmaitland@gmail.com | My Michigan Medical Center, Sault Ste. Marie

SOUTHEASTERN | Farzad Daneshvar | 248-910-2222 | AstraZeneca

WESTERN | Ben Pontefract | bpontefract@gmail.com | Ferris State University, Big Rapids

MANAGING EDITOR | Ryan Weiss | (517) 377-0232 | Michigan Pharmacists Association, Lansing

The MSHP Monitor is a publication of the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists, published as a service to its members.

Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists - An Affiliated Chapter of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and a Practice Section of the Michigan Pharmacists Association