In This Issue:

MPA CEO Perspective

MPA News

• Now Accepting MPA Executive Board and Practice Section Boards Nominations
• Book Your Room Now for ACE 2025!
• Register for MPF Golf Classic June 12 at Timber Trace Golf Club
• Register for 2024 MSHP Annual Meeting
• Register for the UP Division Fall Conference

CE Events

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

Professional Practice

• HPV Vaccines Prevent Cancer in Men as Well as Women, New Research Suggests
• First Case of Influenza A Detected in Michigan
• Lilly Beefs Up Plan to Expand Manufacturing for Popular Drugs Zepbound, Mounjaro

Legislative and Regulatory

• DOJ Proposes Rule to Move Marijuana to Schedule III
• New Controlled Substances Rules Now Effective
• MDHHS: MCIR Experiencing Issues With Hepatitis B, HPV9 Vaccine Histories
• McFall: Reform Insurance Company Step Therapy Practices

Upcoming Meetings and Events

MPA President-Elect Ryan Greenley and I joined other state pharmacy association presidents-elect and executives from across the country last week for the 2024 National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) Leadership Conference in Denver. It was a great opportunity to network and learn from our peers. The event also served as an orientation for Ryan as he prepares to lead MPA as president in 2025.

Speaking of orientations, Ryan and I had a conversation with NASPA CEO Krystal Weaver about having NASPA conduct a board orientation in January of each year for incoming board members of all state pharmacy associations. We also lobbied to have it available for existing board members and even for our section board members. Ryan agreed that the presentation we saw in Denver would be helpful for new as well as existing board members. More to come as I make this recommendation at my next NASPA board meeting.

The event was highlighted by a panel of seven national pharmacy association CEOs. All shared what hot-button issues were affecting their respective organizations and how each were addressing them resulted in very intriguing discussions.

Thanks to the NASPA staff for holding this terrific event! 

MPA CEO Mark Glasper, left, and President-Elect Ryan Greenley attend the NASPA Leadership Conference in Denver.

For over three decades, PrimeRx, developed by Micro Merchant Systems, has been at the forefront of providing pharmacy management solutions. Since our inception, we’ve dedicated ourselves to supporting thousands of pharmacies nationwide with innovative, technology-focused solutions, empowering pharmacists in their critical work.

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.

The Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) is successful because of the volunteer efforts of engaged pharmacy professionals. MPA is guided by the leadership of its Executive Board as well as practice section and affiliated chapter leadership.

Learn more about each Board and the election process.

Please note that the deadline for Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists Board nominations was May 15, 2024.

Submissions for the Executive Board and other practice sections are due June 1, 2024.

Book Your Room Now for ACE 2025!

There is less than a year until the 2025 Annual Convention & Exposition (ACE)! 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.

Register for 2024 MPF Golf Classic

June 12 at Timber Trace Golf Club

Time is running out to grab early bird pricing for the Michigan Pharmacy Foundation (MPF) Golf Classic!

Golfers, sponsors and volunteers come together each summer to support MPF at its annual Golf Classic! The format is an 18-hole, four-person scramble at the scenic Timber Trace Golf Club in Pinckney. Men’s, women’s and mixed-team flights are permitted. Golfer packages that include string and drink tickets will be available for purchase at registration for use on the course.

Register now and have a chance to win $25,000 during the hole-in-one contest! Early bird prices will expire on June 1.

Individuals may make up their own teams. Each team must submit a completed registration form listing the players on their team. Individuals signing up to play as a single will be placed in a foursome. Registration includes greens fees and cart, practice range use, continental breakfast, lunch, and awards ceremony.

A $25 administrative fee will be charged for cancellations received on or before June 7. After June 7, refunds will not be granted.

For questions, please contact MPF Executive Director Rick Drabek at 517-377-0227 or RDrabek@MichiganPharmacists.org.

Online registration closes at midnight June 9, 2024. Day of registration is available from 8-9:30 a.m.

“Early Bird” Registration Fees (Ends June 1):

• $85 per Pharmacy Student
• $175 per Individual Registration
• $650 per Foursome**

Registration Fees after May 19th are: 

• $95 per Pharmacy Student
• $190 per Individual Registration and
• $750 per Foursome.**

**Foursome payments must be received at the same time to secure the foursome rate.

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 your 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 years’ 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

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.

All this information and more, including pricing, can be found by clicking the registration link. 

MPA Introduces Trauma-Informed

Workforce Certificate Training Program

MPA is excited to launch a new partnership with Dr. Helen Sairany during Mental Health Awareness Month!

The 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 Continuing Education From MPA

APhA Pharmacy-based

Immunization Training

Live Webinar:

June 4, 9-11 a.m.

Self Study Must

Be Completed

Before Live Date

Pharmacy Technician Immunization Administration

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

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.

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.

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 Home Studies.

In addition, MPA offers other home study 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

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of MPA member Michael D. Tiberg on the morning of May 24 with his family by his side after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

In honor of Mike, MPA is offering its continuing education homestudy of "The Incurable Acronym: ALS – But Not Untreatable" free to members for the month of June. Mike was instrumental in the development of 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 bring more awareness around the disease.

Mike's impact on our profession and the individuals and patients he has taught and served will be felt for decades to come. He was a true pioneer in the field of pharmacy and we will forever be grateful for him as a leader, mentor and friend. Mike practiced for 15 years at Traverse City Osteopathic Hospital and became an adjunct professor of pharmacy at his alma mater, Ferris State University, where he precepted countless pharmacy students in their final year of clinical training.

After earning his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois-Chicago, he was hired by Munson Medical Center as a clinical pharmacist, practicing there for more than 25 years. Mike became a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) after obtaining his Pharm.D. and obtained a specialty certification BCPS with added qualifications in infectious diseases. He was one of the co-founders of the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP) Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. In 2011, he was named the MSHP Pharmacist of the Year and was inducted into the MPA Hall of Honor in 2012.

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.

MedZommer is a Michigan Pharmacists Association Preferred Business Partner.

HPV Vaccines Prevent Cancer

in Men as Well as Women, New Research Suggests

New research suggests the HPV vaccine is preventing cancer in men, as well as in women, but fewer boys than girls are getting the shots in the United States.

The HPV vaccine was developed to prevent cervical cancer in women and experts give it credit, along with screening, for lowering cervical cancer rates. Evidence that the shots are preventing HPV-related cancers in men has been slower to emerge, but the new research suggests vaccinated men have fewer cancers of the mouth and throat compared to those who didn’t get the shots. These cancers are more than twice as common in men than in women.

For the study, researchers compared 3.4 million people of similar ages — half vaccinated versus half unvaccinated — in a large healthcare dataset.

First Case of Influenza A Detected in Michigan

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) confirmed the first case of influenza A (H5) in Michigan in a farmworker who had regular exposure to livestock infected with influenza A (H5).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk to the public remains low; the Michigan farmworker diagnosed with influenza A (H5) had mild symptoms and has recovered.

The virus has been circulating in dairy and poultry farms across the U.S. this spring, and state and local public health officials have been closely monitoring for human cases, which can occur sporadically in individuals with close contact with ill animals.

MDHHS recommends seasonal flu vaccination for people working on poultry or dairy farms. Although it does not prevent infection with avian influenza viruses, it can reduce the risk of coinfection with both.

Lilly Beefs Up Plan to Expand Manufacturing

for Popular Drugs Zepbound, Mounjaro

Lilly will spend more than $5 billion to expand an Indiana manufacturing site and eventually make more doses of its popular weight-loss and diabetes treatments, Zepbound and Mounjaro.

The drugmaker said Friday that it was more than doubling its investment in a site near its Indianapolis headquarters. However, the location will take time to start producing.

The company broke ground for its Lebanon, Indiana, manufacturing plant last year and expects to start making products there near the end of 2026. Production will then increase through 2028.

Lilly said it would add $5.3 billion to the $3.7 billion it had already slated for the site. Company officials said in a statement that this amounts to the largest manufacturing investment in the company’s history, which dates back to the 19th century.

The site will make tirzepatide, the main ingredient behind both Mounjaro and Zepbound.

DOJ Proposes Rule to Move Marijuana to Schedule III

On May 21, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III controlled substance. Comments will be taken on the proposed rule until July 22, 2024. According to the posting’s summary:

“DOJ proposes to transfer marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III of the CSA, consistent with the view of the Department of Health and Human Services that marijuana has a currently accepted medical use as well as HHS's views about marijuana's abuse potential and level of physical or psychological dependence. The CSA requires that such actions be made through formal rulemaking on the record after opportunity for a hearing. If the transfer to Schedule III is finalized, the regulatory controls applicable to Schedule III controlled substances would apply, as appropriate, along with existing marijuana-specific requirements and any additional controls that might be implemented, including those that might be implemented to meet U.S. treaty obligations. If marijuana is transferred into Schedule III, the manufacture, distribution, dispensing and possession of marijuana would remain subject to the applicable criminal prohibitions of the CSA. Any drugs containing a substance within the CSA's definition of 'marijuana' would also remain subject to the applicable prohibitions in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. DOJ is soliciting comments on this proposal."

New Controlled Substances Rules Now Effective

The new Controlled Substance Ruleset was filed May 21 with the Michigan Secretary of State. These rules are now in full effect. Notable changes in this ruleset include:

• “Patient identifiers” for MAPS reporting now includes “A tribal government identification number obtained from a tribal government issued identification.”
• Changes related to the schedule of the following substances:
• Synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones – Schedule 1.
• Gabapentin is no longer a controlled substance.
• Clarification on automated device stocking that states “If substances are stored at a health facility without an onsite pharmacy or an automated device stocked by a pharmacy, a designated prescriber shall obtain a controlled substance license for the address where the drugs are stored. If a controlled substance is stored in an emergency kit, a controlled substance license solely for the emergency kit is not required by this rule.”
• An individual who is applying or renewing a controlled substance license must now complete training that covers:
• 1) “Utilizing MAPS," and 2) “State and federal laws regarding prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances.” This must be completed each renewal cycle.*
• Notification to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of a suspected theft or significant loss of a controlled substance is now required 45 days after the completion of the investigation, rather than 15. This is consistent with the federal requirement.
• A licensee who wants to discontinue or transfer business activities or a professional practice altogether or only with respect to controlled substances shall return the state-controlled substances license to the department. The transfer of the controlled substances is subject to approval by the DEA 21 CFR 1301.52 and written notification must be provided to the department 15 days before the controlled substances are transferred.

*NOTE: This conflicts with current Continuing Education rules and is not being enforced by LARA at this time until applicable changes are made to the Continuing Education rules.

More information will be provided by LARA in the coming days on the changes. MPA will keep membership informed.

MDHHS: MCIR Experiencing Issues

With Hepatitis B, HPV9 Vaccine Histories

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported Thursday that Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) is not accurately forecasting, displaying, or assessing hepatitis B and HPV9 vaccine histories. MDHHS said the issues are currently being worked on "with the highest priority."

MDHHS is asking those experiencing issues to refer to the Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age and the Adult Immunization Schedule by Age for any questions or concerns you may have when reviewing your patient's immunization records for vaccine recommendations and intervals.

McFall: Reform Insurance Company Step Therapy Practices

State Rep. Mike McFall recently wrote in the Detroit News about the danger of “fail first” insurance tactics and the urgent need for the Michigan Legislature to pass House Bill 5339, which would bring much needed reform.

“Michiganders deserve better, which is why I’ve introduced legislation to address this problem," McFall wrote. "House Bill 5339 brings critical and commonsense reforms to the step therapy process to ensure it is ultimately health care providers, not insurance companies, leading the medical decision-making process. When human lives are on the line and decisions need to be made, clinical factors should always outweigh cost considerations.”

June 6: MSHP Board of Directors

June 12: MPF Golf Classic

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: Pharmacy Day at the Capitol

Sept. 10: MPA Executive Board Meeting