In This Issue:

MPA CEO Perspective

MPA News

• MPA Journal Published
• Jalloul Wins PaceSetter Award from Ferris State
• Register for ACE 2024
• MPF Accepting Applications for Scholarships
• Apply for MPF Grants
• It's Time to Renew Your Membership
• Vote in MPA Elections

CE Events

• Register Now: MSHP Annual Meeting
• Upcoming MPA CE Offerings
• Try MPA's Home Studies
• MDHHS Fall 2023 Immunization Conferences – Register Today

National Association News

• NCPA Installs Wolsoncroft as President

Legislative and Regulatory News

• CVS Pulls Some Cough and Cold Treatments with Ingredient Deemed Ineffective

Professional Practice

• Amazon to Start Testing Drones that Will Drop Prescriptions at Your Doorstep
• Educational Webinars: Pfizer RSV Vaccine

Appreciated attending the National Community Pharmacy Association Annual Convention & Exposition in Orlando Oct. 14-17. The event always has great, thought-provoking speakers, a vast expo and plenty of networking opportunities. I teamed up with MPA Director of Marketing and Communications Bryan Freeman to walk the expo aisles and prospect exhibitors for our own Annual Convention & Exposition Feb. 23-25, 2024, in Detroit. Visiting the expo also gives us the opportunity to meet up with current ACE exhibitors and sponsors and thank them for their continued support.

I also got the opportunity to attend the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations Fall Meeting, held in conjunction with the NCPA event. Nearly 30 of the state execs attended the meeting where we share best practices and stay current on issues affecting our respective associations and states. We also received an update on state pharmacy legislation by NCPA staff and MPA led the way with its passage of SB 219, our signature immunization and point-of-care testing bill. 

Closing out the event also means attending the NCPA House of Delegates, where MPA sends delegates to represent Michigan. I want to thank, John Gross, Joshua Gross, Tim Kirk and MPA Director of Professional Affairs Farah Jalloul for serving as delegates. Also, big thanks go to NCPA CEO Doug Hoey and his team for another great event!

ABOVE: MPA CEO Mark Glasper, left, and Director of Marketing and Communications Bryan Freeman, right, meet up with Kellie Snead and Shams Shibley of AAPA at the NCPA Convention. AT RIGHT: Glasper, Joshua Gross, John Gross, Tim Kirk and MPA Director of Professional Affairs Farah Jalloul participate in the NCPA House of Delegates.

MPA Journal Published

The October/November/December edition of the Michigan Pharmacist Journal is now available online! Click the cover image to the right to read about the following topics:

• MPA's 140th President: Get to know incoming MPA President Sarah Hill and her goals for the Association.
• Happy Birthday MPA: MPA turns 140 years old in November and plans to celebrate throughout the year.
• PDAC 2023: A recap of a successful day of advocacy at the Capitol.
• ACE 2024: A sneak peak at upcoming activities planned at the Annual Convention & Exposition.
• President-Elect Candidates: Ryan Greenley and Jamie Tharp make outline their vision for MPA.
• MSPT Priorities: MSPT President Erith Welch shares what the practice section has in the works.

NOTE: The Michigan Pharmacist is available in digital format only. Printed copies may be requested, though MPA prints a limited number of these and will issue them on a first-come, first-serve basis. Contact MPA@MichiganPharmacists.org for more information.

Jalloul wins Pacesetter Award from Ferris State

Congratulations to MPA Director of Professional Development Farah Jalloul for being named a 2023 recipient of Ferris State's Pacestetter Award!

The Pacesetter award was established by the FSU Alumni Association to recognize recent graduates who are "setting the pace in their communities, their professions and our society as a whole."

"Being a Pacesetter awardee is one of the highest honors I have yet to receive," Jalloul said. "The award recognizes leaders in their profession and is just really a humbling award."

Farah Jalloul, right, is pictured with her Pacesetter Award alongside Ferris State pharmacy professor Susan Devuyst-Miller.

ACE 2024 Registration Is Open!

It's time to start planning for ACE 2024! Registration opened Oct. 10, so reserve your spot now.

The signature event of MPA, the Annual Convention & Exposition (ACE), will take place Feb. 23-25, 2024, at the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit. This will be MPA's last ACE in the Motor City for a while as we hit the road for Traverse City in 2025 and Lansing in 2026, 2027 and 2028, so don't miss out!

ACE is the premier continuing education event for pharmacists, pharmacy students and pharmacy technicians in Michigan. There will be something for everyone at ACE.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

MPF Accepting Applications for Scholarship Program

Deadline to Apply for Scholarships: Nov. 6

One way the Michigan Pharmacy Foundation (MPF) accomplishes its mission to “Foster the Future of Pharmacy” is to award future pharmacists scholarships to help defray some of their pharmacy education expenses. Each year, MPF awards a $2,500 scholarship to a current P2, P3, or P4 student pharmacist at each of the three state colleges of pharmacy. When funding allows, the Foundation Board of Trustees may award additional scholarships to student pharmacists who exhibit exceptional academic, leadership and professional achievements.

In addition, MPF awards the Larry Wagenknecht Leadership Scholarship in honor of his 37 years of dedication to the practice of pharmacy, including serving as MPA's CEO from 1994-2021. This $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated exceptional leadership abilities. 

MPF encourages pharmacy professionals to reach out to student pharmacists and encourage them to apply. Student MPA members can apply at: MichiganPharmacists.org/foundation/scholarships.

Scholarship recipients will be selected Dec. 15, 2023, and notified by Jan. 8, 2024. MPF looks forward to announcing the scholarship winners Feb. 24, 2024, at the MPA Annual Convention and Exposition (ACE) at the Detroit Renaissance Center.

Questions and applications may be submitted to MPF Executive Director Rick Drabek by email or phone at (517) 377-0227, or mailed to: Michigan Pharmacy Foundation, Attn: Rick Drabek, 408 Kalamazoo Plaza, Lansing, MI 48933.

Apply for MPF Grants

The Michigan Pharmacy Foundation (MPF) provides grant funding for projects that support its mission to advance pharmacy leadership, education and research, and to promote pharmacy practice to the highest level of patient care. For more than 20 years, the Foundation has awarded more than $275,000 in grant funding for projects that advance the profession.

MPF typically allocates $10,000 to $15,000 annually toward investing in the advancement of the profession. The amount varies based on the success of the Foundation's fundraisers and return on investments from past contributions.

Grant applications are due by Nov. 10, 2023. Grant determinations will be made by Jan. 15., 2024.

It's Time to Renew Your Membership

There are many benefits to renewing your membership with MPA, including:

• Direct access to experts that can answer law and practice questions
• Networking opportunities with pharmacy professionals, such as complimentary membership in our local county associations and practice sections
• Free and discounted CE opportunities such the MPA Annual Convention & Exposition – the state’s largest pharmacy conference
• Being part of the collective voice advocating for the future of the profession
• MPA Career Connect, a free service for you and other pharmacy professionals looking for job opportunities
• Competitive home, auto and business insurance through MPA’s affiliated PSI Insurance Agency

MPA exists for and is effective because of its members. RENEW today to ensure that your benefits are secured and that MPA has the resources to move the mountains ahead for you, for the profession and for patients.

Vote in MPA Elections

MPA has opened voting for its 2023 elections. MPA members have until Tuesday, Oct. 31 to vote.

Check for your ballot in your email inbox and vote today!

Register for MSHP Annual Meeting Oct. 27

Registration is open for the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP) Annual Meeting, which will be held Friday, Oct. 27, at the Crowne Plaza Lansing West, 925 S. Creyts Road in Lansing.

Held each fall, the MSHP Annual Meeting offers up to six hours of live continuing education credit. Programming is geared toward health-system pharmacists, residents, pharmacy technicians and student pharmacists. The MSHP Annual Meeting focuses on clinical, leadership management and residency topics as well as other general areas of pharmacy practice.

In addition to continuing education programs, the event offers the annual MSHP Town Hall Meeting to install new MSHP Board of Directors members into office officially, recognize volunteers and award recipients, a clinical skills competition for students and an exhibit hall to provide attendees with a chance to exchange ideas and learn about new products and services.

More Upcoming MPA CE Offerings

Pharmacy Technician Immunization Administration

Live Session and Self Study

(Next Live Webinar:

Dec. 2, 10-11:30 a.m.)

NASPA Pharmacy-Based Point-of-Care Test and Treat National Certificate Program

Nov. 9, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Working Through the Impossible: Application of Ambulatory Care Dashboards

Nov. 14, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Michigan Pharmacy Law and Ethics Update, Quarter 4

Dec. 4, Noon-1 p.m.

APhA Pharmacy-Based

Immunization Training

Dec. 6, 9-11 a.m.

Implicit Bias 2.0:

Education, Practice and Teams

Dec. 11, 4-6 p.m.

IBT Home Study

Can't make it to one of our upcoming implicit bias training (IBT) sessions? Not to worry, our IBT home study could be right for you! This course is based on MPA's original IBT offering and meets all current Michigan licensing requirements. Click the button below to get started!

Looking for Something Else? Try MPA's Home Studies.

In addition to our other programs, MPA offers home study pharmacy CE that can be accessed 24/7/365 on our website. Click the button below to view our catalog of programs.

MDHHS Fall 2023 Immunization Conferences

A message from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS):

Find out what is new in immunizations!

These conferences have been offered annually for more than 20 years and they have consistently received high ratings from attendees. Their primary goal is to update healthcare providers on immunization issues that affect people of all ages – from the very young to the very old. The conferences will provide participants with a variety of practice-management tools, techniques and information that will help assure that all their patients are fully immunized.

The conferences are appropriate for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, public health staff, pharmacists, physicians, physician assistants, medical and nursing students, and anyone interested in learning more about current immunization practice in Michigan.

For a list of conference dates, locations and how to register, please click the button below.

NCPA Installs Wolsoncroft as President

Lea Wolsoncroft, RPh, of Birmingham, Alabama, was installed as the 2023-2024 president of the National Community Pharmacists Association by its House of Delegates at the organization’s 2023 Annual Convention in Orlando.

Wolsoncroft, who has been an NCPA member since 1991, is a graduate of Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy, where she served as treasurer and chapter president of the NCPA student chapter. She and her husband, Tom, opened their first pharmacy, KidsMeds, in 2002. She has always pursued nontraditional tracks and focused on educating physicians and the community about pharmacy practice and the unique role the profession plays in community wellness. The newest adventure is Remedies Pharmacy, which opened in 2018. The Wolsconcrofts have two children, Carly and Chace.

“In the ever-evolving landscape of health care, it’s easy for our patients to get lost in the maze of big corporations and chain stores, but I firmly believe that the heart and soul of our profession can be found right here in the independent pharmacies that dot our neighborhoods,” Wolsoncroft said in her remarks to the House of Delegates. “We are trusted health care providers, friends, and pillars of support for our patients. We know them by name, and we understand their health care needs. We are committed to their care, and for me, this is the foundation of our hope for our profession.”

CVS Pulls Some Cough and Cold Treatments

with Ingredient Deemed Ineffective

CVS Health is pulling from its shelves some cough-and-cold treatments that contain an ingredient that has been deemed ineffective by doctors and researchers.

The drug store chain said it will remove a small number of oral decongestants that contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient. CVS also said it will still sell “many other oral cough and cold products to meet consumer needs.”

A company spokeswoman declined to elaborate on how many products will be removed when contacted by The Associated Press Friday morning.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisers voted unanimously last month against the effectiveness of phenylephrine, which is found in popular versions of Sudafed, Dayquil and other medications stocked on store shelves.

Amazon to Start Testing Drones

that Will Drop Prescriptions at Your Doorstep

Amazon will soon make prescription drugs fall from the sky when the e-commerce giant becomes the latest company to test drone deliveries for medications.

The company said Wednesday that customers in College Station, Texas, can now get prescriptions delivered by a drone within an hour of placing their order.

The drone, programed to fly from a delivery center with a secure pharmacy, will travel to the customer’s address, descend to a height of 13 feet and drop a padded package. Amazon says customers will be able to choose from more than 500 medications, a list that includes common treatments for conditions like the flu or pneumonia, but not controlled substances.

The company’s Prime Air division began testing drone deliveries of common household items last December in College Station and Lockeford, California. Amazon spokesperson Jessica Bardoulas said the company has made thousands of deliveries since launching the service, and is expanding it to include prescriptions based in part on customer requests.

Educational Webinars: Pfizer RSV Vaccine

Pfizer’s Vaccines US Medical Affairs team is providing brief educational webinars entitled Pfizer RSV Vaccine – A New Maternal Indication. These live sessions are conducted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Additional live sessions may be added, so check the website for the latest schedule. On demand content will be available soon.

Session topics include RSV burden of disease in infants; mechanism of maternal immunization; ACIP recommendations and clinical considerations; clinical trial data: safety and efficacy; and a question and answer session.

Click on the following link for the live schedule and other educational resources:

RSV Vaccine Educational Webinars led by Pfizer Vaccines US Medical Affairs

NOTE: Continuing education credit is not available with these seminars.