In This Issue:

MPA CEO Perspective

MPA News

• On Rotation with MPA: Stelle Archiyan
• Book Your Room Now for ACE 2025!
• Register for 2024 MSHP Annual Meeting
• Register for the UP Division Fall Conference; Room Booking Now Available!
• Register Today for "Helping Pharmacies Provide Secure Mediation Delivery"
• Webinar Hosted by MPA Business Partner MedZoomer
• Introducing MPA's New Career Center

CE Events

• Trauma-Informed Workforce Certificate Training Program
• Upcoming Live MPA CE Offerings
• MPA Offering ALS Homestudy Free in June for Members in Honor of Michael Tiberg

Professional Practice

• Penicillin Allery De-Labeling Survey
• MPA's Eric Roath Speaks on How Rite Aid Closings Will Impact Michigan
• Past COVID Infections May Help Protect Against Certain Colds; Could It Lead to Better Vaccines?
• Lilly Issues Alert Regarding Mounjaro, Zepbound

Legislative and Regulatory

• FDA Reiterates End to DSCSA Stabilization Period on Nov. 27, Exempts Small Dispensers
• New 2024 CDC Guidelines for RSV Vaccine
• APhA Statement on Supreme Court Ruling Preserving Patient Access to Crucial Medications
• Obesity Drug Used in Mounjaro and Zepbound May Help Treat Dangerous Sleep Apnea
• Alzheimer's Drug that Can Slow Disease Gets Backing from FDA Advisers

Upcoming Meetings and Events

The Michigan Legislature is expected to recess this week for its summer break before returning in September. So, there is no better time to invite your state legislators to your practice setting for a tour.

Help educate them about what you do and the challenges you face. They will be eager to visit with you and hear your story because this is an election year. As a constituent, your vote matters and they recognize the power you hold.

It’s especially important this year for you to visit with your state legislators since we had to cancel our Pharmacy Day at the Capital due to the uncertainly of when the Legislature will be in session this fall. Inviting them to your pharmacy setting may be your only opportunity to meet one-on-one with them and discuss pharmacy legislation.

And don’t forget your members of Congress as well. They will be home this summer campaigning in their districts. This presents a primetime opportunity for you to have an impact on national pharmacy legislation.

Concerned about what to say? Don’t be. Contact MPA Director of Government Affairs Eric Roath at eroath@michiganpharmacists.org, who will provide you with excellent talking points. Depending on when or where, Eric and/or I just might join you for the visit!

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Our diverse team, boasting extensive experience that includes former pharmacy consultants, owners and technicians, is committed to addressing the daily challenges pharmacists face with cutting-edge technology.

Enhance your pharmacy’s efficiency, generate more revenue and reduce operating expenses. Discover how our pharmacy management solutions have improved efficiency, patient care and driven success across various pharmacy settings.

Find out what PrimeRx can do for your pharmacy. Schedule a DEMO today at www.primerx.io/schedule-a-demo.

PrimeRx is a Michigan Pharmacists Association Emerald Annual Sponsor.

On Rotation with MPA: Stelle Archiyan

MPA welcomes Stelle Archiyan, a P4 student at the University of Michigan, on an APPE rotation.

Archiyan is originally from Grand Rapids and earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry at Grand Valley State University in 2020. She worked at a local Walgreens pharmacy and subsequently at Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital’s inpatient pharmacy before beginning pharmacy school in 2021.

Archiyan developed a steadfast interest in service and advocacy after working during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it had unmasked many deep-rooted systemic issues. Archiyan said she wants to do something that would "make an impact on a larger scale, perhaps even on the statewide level" after graduation.

She is looking forward to getting a glimpse at MPA's behind-the-scenes work and learning how she can get involved to usher in a positive impact for our dedicated and persevering pharmacists.

Book Your Room Now for ACE 2025!

MPA's Annual Convention & Exhibition (ACE) will take over the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa just outside of Traverse City from April 11-13, 2025! Information on registration, exhibitors and sponsorships will become available later this year, but it's not too early to block off your calendars as pharmacy's biggest continuing education event in Michigan takes its show on the road.

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. Get started now and book your room by clicking the button below! Attendees can also call 231-534-6001 and speak with a reservations agent to book their accommodations. They will receive the discounted rate if they mention the Michigan Pharmacists Association.

MSHP Annual Meeting Oct. 25 in Grand Rapids

Join the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP) for its 2024 Annual Meeting Oct. 25 at the Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel! With registration opening at 7:30 a.m. and a wellness CE promptly at 8:30 a.m., MSHP Annual is the place to be for our health system industry members. In addition to the wellness focus, complete with a conference wellness room, CE will address this year’s theme, “Less Not Loss” with a focus on optimization within pharmacy practice.

In addition, expect required CE like pain and law, as well as important endeavors such as pharmacogenomics, artificial intelligence within electronic scoring systems and the utilization of pharmacy extenders – all planned and facilitated by industry leaders. MPA has set aside additional networking time for attendees and looks forward to creating an atmosphere of learning, engagement and wellness.

Click the buttons below to get started.

Register Now for the UP Division Fall Conference

Oct. 5-6 in Marquette; Room Booking Now Available!

MPA and its Upper Peninsula Division return to beautiful Marquette Oct. 5-6 for the UP Division Fall Conference. Registration is open now and available by clicking the button below. A detailed agenda will be coming, but topics will include ethics and jurisprudence, cardiovascular health, addiction and the brain, and natural approaches to inflammation.

Room booking is available now! Staybridge Suites has reserved a block of 10 king suite rooms for the Fall Conference. The Superior Stay is not blocking off rooms, but is offering the discount code CNMU for patrons to submit on a first-come, first-served basis. Click the buttons below to start reserving your room.

Register Today for "Helping Pharmacies Provide Secure Medication Delivery for Their Customers"

Webinar Hosted by MPA Business Partner MedZoomer

MedZoomer, a Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) Preferred Business Partner, is the nation’s fastest growing same-day prescription delivery service. They can deliver to your patients, facilities, group homes, and more. MedZoomer offers a wide range of deliveries: contactless, controlled, temp-regulated, and over-the-counter drugs, all within a 25 or 50-mile radius of the pickup location. Their proprietary delivery algorithm allows us to optimize your operations for cost and time and is even used by 1-800-Flowers and FedEx.

Join MedZoomer and MPA on Tuesday, July 16 at 12 p.m. to learn more about how they can grow your same-day prescription delivery program or launch a delivery service program for your pharmacy.

Introducing MPA's New Career Center

Today, Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) along with business partner Aliro launched the new MPA Career Center. You should have received an email yesterday from Aliro regarding the new platform and talent marketplace.

The MPA Career Center will assist you in searching for new career opportunities. If you are not looking for a new job, refer a friend or colleague to one or more of the posted positions. If they are hired, you may receive a cash bonus for making the referral.

Be sure to check it out today!

Trauma-Informed Workforce Certificate Training Program

Dr. Helen Sairany's Trauma-Informed Workforce Certificate Training Program is a catalyst for personal transformation, enabling you to forge deeper connections with yourself, your work and your team. Embark on this trauma-informed journey to sustain your practice.

Participants will:

• Bid goodbye to burnout and toxic patterns.
• Explore the potential of your workplace. 
• Be mentored by an expert facilitator. 
• Gain mastery in conscious decision-making. 

Held four times each year, the first live session offerings are quickly approaching in July and August.

Participants can take the training in its entirety or a la carte. Detailed information can be found at the links below. Please feel free to email or call the MPA Education and Events team with any questions or needs you may have!

Trauma-Informed Workforce: Full Certificate Training Programs

(Home study with live courses)

Trauma-Informed Workforce:

All Home Study Offerings

More Upcoming Live Continuing Education From MPA

Pharmacy Technician

Immunization Administration

Live Webinar: July 7, 10-11:30 a.m.

Mixed Format – Self Study Must Be Completed

Before Live Date

Michigan Pharmacy

Law Update, Q3

Live Webinar:

July 10, 9-10 a.m.

Pharmacy Technician Immunization Administration

Live Webinar: July 27, 10-11:30 a.m.

Mixed Format –

Self Study Must Be Completed

Before Live Date

Point of Care Test

and Treat, Q3

Live Webinar:

Aug. 14, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Mixed Format –Self Study Must Be Completed Before Live Date

IBT Home Studies

Couldn't make it to a live implicit bias training (IBT) session? Not to worry, our IBT home studies could be right for you! MPA currently offers two IBT home studies. Both meet all current Michigan licensing requirements. Click the buttons below to get started!

Looking for Something Else? Try MPA's On-Demand CE

In addition, MPA offers other on-demand pharmacy CE on a variety of topics that can be accessed 24/7/365 on its website. Click the button below to view our catalog of programs.

MPA Offering ALS Homestudy Free for Members

in June in Honor of Michael Tiberg

MPA is offering its continuing education homestudy of "The Incurable Acronym: ALS – But Not Untreatable" free to members for the month of June in memory of the late Michael D. Tiberg, who lost his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in May.

Mike was instrumental in developing this continuing education program, which was presented live at MPA headquarters in April. He also authored an article in the January Michigan Pharmacist Journal chronicling his battle with ALS and the development of the session. Click here to read more about Mike’s journey with ALS (beginning on page 26) and the pharmacy continuing education he developed to raise awareness of the disease.

MedZoomer is the nation’s fastest growing same-day prescription delivery service. We can deliver to your patients, facilities, group homes and more.

We offer a wide range of deliveries: contactless, controlled, temp-regulated and over-the-counter drugs, all within a 25 or 50-mile radius of the pickup location.

MedZoomer is a Michigan Pharmacists Association Preferred Business Partner.

Penicillin Allergy De-Labeling Survey

The Penicillin Allergy De-Labeling Survey aims to explore the practices and knowledge of Michigan outpatient pharmacists regarding the de-labeling of penicillin allergies. The information being sought includes area of practice; year of graduation; zip code of practice site; familiarity with relevant terms/tools; procedures at participant's current practice sites; barriers to current practice; social determinants of health of patients that may act as determinants of pharmacist intervention; a short case study; and continuing education preferences of participants.

MPA's Eric Roath Speaks on How Rite Aid Closings

Will Impact Michigan

Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) Director of Government Affairs Eric Roath spoke with several media outlets last week after it was revealed Rite Aid will shutter at least a dozen more Michigan locations as it works its way through bankruptcy proceedings.

According to court fillings, Rite Aid will close two stores in Burton along with locations in Livonia, Flint, Ludington, Lansing, Wyandotte, Spring Lake, Bay City, Marlette, Grosse Pointe Farms, Milford and Allen Park. Speaking with Bridge Magazine, Roath said pharmacies have struggled in recent years against falling reimbursements and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that take an increasing cut of revenues.

“The financial pressures have to stop,” Roath said. “This is unsustainable.”

Until now, that squeeze has been most acutely felt among small, independent pharmacists that ultimately have been forced to close, especially in rural stretches. But Rite Aids that have shuttered over the past year have cut options in urban areas, too, he said.

“Any time we lose a pharmacy, it makes it more difficult for our patients to get medication,” Roath told Bridge.

Roath told WZZM-13 that PBMs are escalating their profit margins by under-reimbursing pharmacies. The result is often the pharmacy's closure.

"The pharmacy bought a medication for $1 for a bottle, they may pay them 50 cents on that," Roath said. "That's why you're seeing more and more pharmacies go out of business, just because pharmacies are actually losing money when they're doing what they're supposed to do, and that's dispensing medications."

Roath said government regulation will help cut PBMs' market influence at the source. The Pharmacy Benefit Manager Licensure and Regulation Act went into effect in Michigan this year, but Roath said the rollout has been very slow and it's hardly enforced. Pharmacies who submit a complaint rarely see an outcome, Roath said. 

"We have pharmacies every day submitting complaints to abuses that are blatantly prohibited in the laws that we have in the state of Michigan," Roath said. "Right now it's just not being enforced."

Past COVID Infections May Help Protect Against Certain Colds; Could It Lead to Better Vaccines?

If you’ve been sick with COVID-19, you may have some protection against certain versions of the common cold.

A new study suggests previous COVID-19 infections lower the risk of getting colds caused by milder coronavirus cousins, which could provide a key to broader COVID-19 vaccines.

“We think there’s going to be a future outbreak of a coronavirus,” said Dr. Manish Sagar, senior author of the study published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. “Vaccines potentially could be improved if we could replicate some of the immune responses that are provided by natural infection.”

The study looked at COVID-19 PCR tests from more than 4,900 people who sought medical care between November 2020 and October 2021. After controlling for things like age, gender and preexisting conditions, Sagar said he and his colleagues found people previously infected with COVID-19 had about a 50% lower chance of having a symptomatic coronavirus-caused common cold compared with people who were, at the time, fully vaccinated and hadn’t yet gotten COVID-19.

Lilly Issues Alert Regarding Mounjaro, Zepbound Products

Eli Lilly has issued a new alert about unsafe practices in the marketplace regarding its Mounjaro and Zepbound products.

Partnership for Safe Medicines Executive Director Shabbir Imber Safdar recently appeared on "Good Morning America" to discuss Lilly's open letter. The letter cited issues including:

• Sale from illegal online pharmacies that distribute fake or unsafe versions;
• Unlawful sale on social media (Lilly never sells these products on social media);
• Sales of tirzepatide labeled “not for human consumption” or “research purposes only;”
• Sales of counterfeit lookalike versions of Lilly’s products through social media or at med-spas; and
• Compounded versions of Lilly’s products that may not be sterile and therefore pose a danger to patients.

The alert includes the below images of legitimate Lilly products and tips for identifying legitimate products.

Mounjaro

1. Purple injection button
2. Mounjaro federally registered trademarks
3. Tri-lobular-shaped base cap in a distinctive shade of gray (trademarked)
4. Script Lilly logo in black ink

Zepbound

1. Purple injection button
2. Zepbound federally-registered trademarks
3. Tri-lobular-shaped base cap in a distinctive shade of gray (trademarked)
4. Script Lilly logo in red ink

FDA Reiterates End to DSCSA Stabilization Period

on Nov. 27; Exempts Small Dispensers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will end the stabilization period for the final phase of the Drug Supply Chains Security Act (DSCSA) implementation by Nov. 27, 2024. Trading partners – including manufacturers, wholesale distributors, dispensers (pharmacies) and repackagers ­– are required to switch from paper to electronic documentation of drug distribution and ownership. To be in compliance, the following requirements will become effective:

• All required transaction information and statements, verification of the product identifier, and addressing saleable returns can be exchanged between trading partners via a secure, interoperable, electronic system
• Inclusion of a package identifier (PI) to identify the prescription pharmaceutical product
• Secure, interoperable, electronic systems allow for the prompt production of transaction information for each transaction going back to the manufacturer
• The FDA offers a free 45-minute continuing education course for pharmacists to help explain DSCSA requirements.

Small Dispensers Gain Exemption until Nov. 27, 2026



The FDA classifies a “small dispenser” as “a company that owns the dispenser has 25 or fewer full-time employees licensed as pharmacists or pharmacy technicians as of Nov. 27, 2024.” The FDA has granted the following exemptions to entities in this category:

• Exempt from section 582(d)(4)(A)(ii)(II). Small dispensers do not have to verify the product identifier of the statutorily designated proportion of suspect or illegitimate product in the dispenser’s possession or control until Nov. 27, 2026. Still obligated to meet all other verification requirements of section 582(d)(4).
• Exempt from section 582(g)(1)(A). Small dispensers may rely on current methods for providing, capturing and maintaining transaction information and transaction statements for transactions of product with each other during the exemption period.
• Exempt from section 582(g)(1)(B). Small dispensers and their trade partners may continue to exchange transaction information with each other that does not include the product identifier at the package level for each package included in the transaction.
• Exempt from section 582(g)(1)(C), which requires systems and processes for verification of the product at the package level. Small dispensers are exempt from keeping track of this data at the package level.

Small dispensers are exempt from having systems and processes in place to keep track of and verify the product at the package level. They are also exempt from keeping all transactional information in a secure, interoperable, electronic system. By Nov. 27, 2026, small dispensers will need to have these systems and processes in place to be able to track the product at the package level, including the specific product identifier and be able to verify the specific product as well. They will also need to be able to keep everything in an electronic format that is secure.

If you have questions regarding DSCSA compliance, please contact MPA Director of Government Affairs Eric Roath at eroath@michiganpharmacists.org. 

New 2024 CDC Guidelines for RSV Vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its 2024 adult immunization schedule to include a significant recommendation: administration of the RSV vaccine to pregnant people. This recommendation aims to provide passive immunity to newborns by transferring protective maternal antibodies, thereby reducing the risk of RSV in infants. 

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has compiled a comprehensive resource that explores current maternal vaccination practices within pharmacy settings, provides insights into pharmacists' perspectives on RSV and the maternal RSV vaccine, and identifies opportunities to enhance pharmacists' role in preventing RSV in infants. 

Including input from representatives from leading organizations such as the National Hispanic Pharmacists Association, Giant Pharmacy, Walmart, CVS Health and Walgreens, this resource aims to empower health care professionals to provide the best possible care. 

APhA Statement on Supreme Court Ruling

Preserving Patient Access to Crucial Medications

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has released the following statement on the Supreme Court's ruling in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine:

The APhA is pleased that the result of today’s Supreme Court decision in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, that the plaintiffs lacked standing, will preserve patients’ access to FDA-approved medications. 

While the court’s decision did not address FDA’s regulatory and legal responsibility set forth by Congress, future court decisions should not stand in the way of a pharmacist providing FDA-regulated medications and evidence-based patient care services while carrying out their obligations to their patients. 

APhA and our nation’s pharmacists stand behind the FDA review and approval process that relies on evidence-based expert review to establish the safety and efficacy of marketed drugs. The FDA gold standard for approval has been in place for nearly 120 years and is the basis for pharmacists’ trust and confidence in the medicines they recommend and dispense to patients. 

Patients’ access to certain medications is challenged in parts of the country where state laws prohibit the use of medications that have reproductive health uses but are also FDA-approved for treatment of chronic diseases; for example, methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis or misoprostol for ulcer prevention. The current lack of clarity between conflicting laws and regulations creates confusion, and it is compromising patient care. APhA applauds the Supreme Court for supporting FDA-approval processes and authority. 

Without access to medications that have already been proven to be safe and effective, our patients’ health is compromised. As pharmacists, we view patient well-being as paramount and are grateful that this decision preserves the sanctity of the FDA’s evidence-based review and approval process. APhA continues to call on policymakers to ensure through guidance, law, or regulation that vital FDA-approved medications and access to patient care is preserved and protected and that pharmacists should be free to continue to practice pharmacy without fear of professional sanction or liability. 

Obesity Drug Used in Mounjaro and Zepbound

May Help Treat Dangerous Sleep Apnea

A popular obesity drug may help treat a dangerous disorder in which people struggle to breathe while they sleep, a new study finds.

Tirzepatide, the medication in the weight-loss drug Zepbound and also the diabetes treatment Mounjaro, appeared to reduce the severity of sleep apnea along with reducing weight and improving blood pressure and other health measures in patients with obesity who took the drug for a year.

Eli Lilly and Co., the drug’s maker who paid for the research, has asked the Food and Drug Administration to expand use of the drug to treat moderate to severe sleep apnea, in which people stop and start breathing during sleep, a spokesperson said. A decision is expected by the end of the year.

An outside expert cautioned in an editorial that more research will be needed to tell if the drug can be used as “a sole treatment” for obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when tissue in the throat relaxes and collapses during sleep, fully or partially blocking the airway. It affects an estimated 20 million Americans and can cause short-term issues such as snoring, brain fog and daytime sleepiness but also severe long-term issues such as heart disease, dementia and early death.

Alzheimer’s Drug that Can Slow Disease

Gets Backing from FDA Advisers

A closely-watched Alzheimer’s drug from Eli Lilly won the backing of federal health advisers June 10, setting the stage for the treatment’s expected approval for people with mild dementia caused by the brain-robbing disease.

Food and Drug Administration advisers voted unanimously that the drug’s ability to slow the disease outweighs its risks, including side effects like brain swelling and bleeding that will have to be monitored.

“I thought the evidence was very strong in the trial showing the effectiveness of the drug,” said panel member Dean Follmann, a National Institutes of Health statistician.

The FDA will make the final decision on approval later this year. If the agency agrees with the panel’s recommendation, the drug, donanemab, would only be the second Alzheimer’s drug cleared in the U.S. that’s been shown to convincingly slow cognitive decline and memory problems due to Alzheimer’s. The FDA approved a similar infused drug, Leqembi, from Japanese drugmaker Eisai last year.

July 8: MPA Executive Board Meeting

Aug. 9: MSPT Board of Directors

Aug. 29: CSPM Board of Directors

Sept. 5: MSHP Board of Directors Meeting & Retreat

Sept. 10: MPA Executive Board Meeting

MPA Events Calendar