In This Issue:

MPA CEO Perspective

Professional Practice

• Pfizer Hosting Free Webinar on Updated RSV Vaccine Recommendations
• Drugstores Tinker with New Looks as Their Usual Way of Doing Business Faces Challenges
• CDC, WHO Mull Stronger Mpox Warnings
• Lilly Says Tirzepatide Cuts Heart Failure Risks

MPA News

• Longtime MPA Member Hank Fuhs Dies at 83
• Join an MPA Committee and Get Involved
• Book Your Room Now for ACE 2025!
• Register for the 2024 MSHP Annual Meeting
• Register for the UP Division Fall Conference; Room Booking Now Available!
• Introducing MPA's New Career Center

CE Events

• Trauma-Informed Workforce Certificate Training Program
• Register for 4th Annual OASIS
• Upcoming Live MPA CE Offerings

Upcoming Meetings and Events

We lost an icon in MPA government affairs this past week. Henry “Hank” Fuhs passed away, but his memory lives on as posts on the MPA Facebook page will testify.

I don’t have nearly the stories to tell about Hank, but they’ll probably sound familiar to many of his friends and colleagues. My interactions with Hank started right after I joined MPA at the end of 2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. While MPA headquarters was closed except for staff who needed to be onsite, it didn’t stop Hank from stopping by “just for a minute” to see me. Of course, Hank always maximized that minute into an hour which was part of his charming character.

Another vivid memory I have of Hank happened just a few months into my tenure at MPA when we held our first virtual ACE, again, at the height of the pandemic. Staff arrived very early on the frigid Friday morning in February 2021 to kick off ACE from MPA headquarters. This was an entirely different sort of ACE for staff, and we were all a bit stressed, hoping technology would not fail us. It was 8 a.m. and our programming was beginning when there was a knock at the front door. Yep, it was Hank. He hadn’t missed an ACE and he wasn’t about to start. That was Hank.

I heard plenty of other stories about Hank when I attended his visitation in Grand Rapids. They were all quintessential Hank, and every story was a testament to his personality and character. He will be missed!

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Pfizer Hosting Free Webinar on

Updated RSV Vaccine Recommendations

Pfizer’s Vaccines U.S. Medical Affairs Team is hosting a 15-minute educational webinar entitled "Updated RSV Vaccine Recommendations for Older Adults & Implementation Considerations." These live sessions are being held twice daily Monday through Friday until Aug. 23. Additional live sessions may be added, so check the website for the latest schedule. On-demand content with this information will also be available soon.

Click on the following link for the schedule of upcoming webinars: ReadyforRSV.com

Session Topics Include:

• New routine recommendations for adults 75 and older and risk-based recommendation for adults aged 60-74
• Clinical Considerations for RSV Vaccines in Older Adults
• Pfizer RSV Vaccine Presentation Options – ‘Vial and Prefilled Syringe” and new ‘Act-O-Vial’
• Question and answer session

Intended Audience: U.S. healthcare professionals including but not limited to pharmacists, physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Continuing medical education is NOT associated with this event.

For more information, please review Full Prescribing Information.

Drugstores Tinker With New Looks as Their Usual Way of Doing Business Faces Challenges

America’s drugstores are testing smaller locations and more ways to offer care as price-sensitive shoppers look elsewhere.

Customers may see Walgreens stores that are one-fourth the size of a regular location or CVS drugstores with entire primary clinics stuffed inside. If these experiments succeed, the new stores might improve access to care and create a more lasting connection with customers, analysts say.

“Everyone looks at health care and says, ‘Oh yeah, it’s a market that’s ripe for disruption,’” said Neil Saunders, managing director of consulting and data analysis firm GlobalData. “But it isn’t easy to disrupt.”

Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth said recently that his company could close a “significant portion” of underperforming stores in the next few years. CVS Health is going through a round of closings. Rite Aid has filed for bankruptcy. Thousands of independent drugstores have closed over the past five years.

The closures can leave gaps: An Associated Press analysis published in June found that urban neighborhoods that are majority Black and Latino have fewer pharmacies per capita than white-majority neighborhoods.

There are still more than 30,000 drugstores scattered around the country, but even Walgreens executives admit that the market is overbuilt. The stores have struggled with increased competition from Amazon and lower-price options like Walmart or Dollar Tree. They’re also dealing with theft, growing costs and thinner prescription reimbursement.

Some are responding with new looks. Walgreens is testing a store in Chicago that has digital kiosks where customers place orders. A separate desk offers pickup of items ordered at the kiosks or online.

The company also has opened about 100 mini drugstores focused on health and wellness and featuring store-brand merchandise. Walgreens started testing these stores in 2019 and plans to add more this year.

CDC, WHO Mull Stronger Mpox Warnings

Now that a deadlier form of mpox has spread beyond the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is poised to warn doctors in the United States about potential cases.

“CDC, in the coming days, will issue an updated health notification to clinicians about the developing mpox situation,” the agency said in a statement to NBC News. Mpox, known as monkeypox, is a virus that causes fevers, headaches and muscle aches, as well as painful boils on the skin. It’s spread from person to person through close, skin-to-skin contact. In rare cases, it can be deadly.

The World Health Organization is examining whether the latest outbreak should be declared a global public health emergency.

Congo, located in central Africa, has experienced the worst of an ongoing outbreak of mpox. More than 12,000 people there have been diagnosed, and at least 470 people have died.

But now neighboring countries, including Kenya and the Central African Republic, have reported cases linked to the strain circulating in Congo.

It’s different from the kind of mpox that spiked in 2022, which mainly affected men who have sex with men. Those cases have decreased significantly in the U.S.

The current strain, called clade 1b, is worrisome because of its virulence. Nearly 4% of clade 1b mpox cases are deadly, compared to less than 1% of the 2022 subtype, called clade 2b.

Lilly Says Tirzepatide Cuts Heart Failure Risk

Eli Lilly’s drug tirzepatide, sold under the names Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss, improved symptoms in heart failure patients with obesity, the company said Thursday.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence that the GLP-1 drugs, which also include Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, have benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss. 

In Lilly’s latest trial, patients who got tirzepatide were 38% less likely to be hospitalized, need to increase their heart failure medication or die because of heart complications, compared to people who got a placebo. Patients who got the drug also reported less shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling of the lower legs. The trial lasted 52 weeks.

Lilly released its findings in a news release; the results have not been published in a medical journal or reviewed by outside scientists. 

Longtime MPA Member Hank Fuhs Dies

MPA is saddened to report the passing of longtime member Hanks Fuhs at the age of 83 following a battle with vasuclar dementia.

Fuhs graduated from the Ferris Institute (now Ferris State University) with a bachelor's degree in pharmacology. He spent his career working as a self-employed pharmacist taking care of the people in his community. Wanting to serve his country, in 1964 Hank enlisted in the Air National Guard and spent thirty years serving our country. He retired from his service as a Lieutenant Colonel.

He served for many years as the chair of Michigan Pharmacy PAC. He was a fixture at MPA meetings and conferences for decades, always pushing pharmacists to be more politically engaged. MPA's Hank Fuhs Good Government Award was established in his honor to recognize pharmacy professionals who made significant contributions to public service and political action.

Memorial donations in memory of Hank may be directed to Special Olympics or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Join an MPA Committee and Get Involved!

In a recent edition of the PRN newsletter, MPA CEO Mark Glasper discussed the outcome of MPA's recent strategic planning event. Our three goals of Members First, Team Unity and Moving Forward will be extended into 2025, with updates made to the objectives under each goal to align with actionable steps that can be taken in 2025.

As a member-based organization, it is imperative that the association's activities to achieve these goals are guided by the members it serves. One of its most valuable resources in obtaining this guidance is through its member-based committees.

As president-elect, it is my responsibility to help form these committees and ensure each committee properly represents our members and is made up of committed individuals looking to advance our organization. MPA is here to represent you and to do that, we need your influence and involvement. Being a part of these committees is one of the more effective ways for you to do this. 

To ensure that your passions and expertise are most appropriately placed to positively influence the MPA, please take a moment to complete this brief survey.

Thank you for being an active and influential member of our profession and in the MPA!

Ryan Greenley, PharmD. 

Michigan Pharmacists Association 

President-elect 

Save the date!

MSHP Committee Day, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025

MPA Committee Day, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025

Apply Today for the 2024 MPF

Health Professional Leadership Academy

The Michigan Pharmacy Foundation (MPF) is now accepting applications for the 2024 Health Professional Leadership Academy (HPLA), a five-month program aimed at developing pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, as well as other health disciplines who are equipped and motivated to lead others and their professions in the years ahead.

The HPLA program aims to strengthen professional and leadership skills; provide information and resources for practitioners to be more effective in their roles; help them build meaningful relationships; and provide them with opportunities to be active in and lead their profession.

The 2024 MPF Leadership Academy includes six virtual two-hour sessions, one eight-hour in-person session, and a personal leadership project. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will earn 30 continuing education credits.

Pharmacy professionals and other healthcare providers from all practice settings are welcome to apply. The cost to attend the 2024 class has been underwritten by MPF for MPA members; the cost is $395 for non-MPA members, which can be paid in four installments.

The application deadline is 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9. Applicants accepted to participate in the program will be notified by Sept. 21, 2023. HPLA’s first session will kick off Sept. 26, 2024.

For more information, please email MPF Executive Director Rick Drabek at rdrabek@MichiganPharmacists.org, or (517) 377-0227.

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.

Introducing MPA's New Career Center

Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) along with business partner Aliro recently launched the new MPA Career Center.

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.

You may have received email and text communications promoting this new opportunity over the past few weeks.

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, live session offerings are still available in 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

Register for 4th Annual OASIS

The 2024 Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship Innovations Symposium (OASIS), sponsored by the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP) and the Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, is a 3.5-hour educational meeting, held on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, with both in-person and virtual options for attendees.

Cost

• Pharmacists, nurses and providers: $25
• Pharmacy technicians and students: $15

Agenda

• 11:15 a.m. – Registration desk opens. Networking with speakers, attendees, and exhibitors
• Noon – Management and Interventions to Improve Prescribing for Common Outpatient Infections
• 1 p.m. – Tracking Outpatient Antibiotic Use and Benchmarking- Statewide Examples with DHHS and CHAR
• 2 p.m. – Break: Networking with speakers, attendees, and exhibitors
• 2:30 p.m. – Best Practices in Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship – Panel Discussion
• 4 p.m. – Close

More Upcoming Live Continuing Education From MPA

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

Pharmacy-based Immunization Training

Live Webinar: Sept. 11, 9 a.m.- noon

Mixed Format – Self Study Must Be Completed Before Live Date

MPA 2024 Law and Policy Symposium

Sept. 25, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

In-Person and Virtual Options Available

MPA Upper Peninsula

Division Fall Conference

Oct. 5-6



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.

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.

Part-Time Job Opening for Pharmacists

Surgical Pharmacy Solutions, Inc.

This job opening is ideal for pharmacists wishing to work part-time consulting with ambulatory surgery centers to help them meet pharmacy standards and regulations. Join one of Michigan's largest ambulatory surgery center consultant groups.

You will have a perfect job with no politics, bureaucracy or insurance issues to deal with – and make your own hours.

Call 586-260-7246 to explore further.

Aug. 9: MSPT Board of Directors

Aug. 22: MPF Board of Trustees

Aug. 29: CSPM Board of Directors

Sept. 5: MSHP Board of Directors Meeting & Retreat

Sept. 10: MPA Executive Board Meeting

Sept. 24: MSCP Board Meeting

Sept. 26: MSHP Board of Directors

Oct. 5-6: UP Division Fall Conference

MPA Events Calendar