News & Media

More than 300 emerging and established leaders in pharmacy will convene June 2-3 at the Bridging Pharmacy Education and Practice Summit being held at six regional host sites across the U.S. to achieve consensus and provide action-oriented recommendations that will help move the pharmacy profession forward. Two key questions will guide participants’ discussion at the Summit: what does pharmacy workforce optimization look like, and to get to an optimized pharmacy workforce, what is needed and what changes are required in the following areas?

AACP is pleased to announce that the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE) will once again sponsor three Social and Administrative Sciences (SAS) Section Summer Research Exchange Mentorship Program awards for summer 2022. These awards of $2,500 each will support student pharmacists as they pursue research with host mentors outside of their home institutions.

An AACP Interim meeting panel explored how academic institutions can address workplace trauma. Many leaders and employees are seeing symptoms of workplace trauma in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include fatigue, absenteeism, disengagement, sleep difficulties, feelings of guilt or shame, avoidance of certain activities and feeling a loss of control.

As I muse over the nearly 50 years since I dedicated my professional energy to pharmacy, I am at once struck by the magnitude of the change that has occurred across those years and the pace. The magnitude is indisputably enormous, yet the pace has not been what I and many others have sought. Some examples: Shortly before I entered the Auburn pharmacy program as a pre-pharmacy freshman, Act 205 of the Alabama Pharmacy Practice statute said that a pharmacist was not to put the name of the product on the prescription label.

The second Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Institute highlighted the ongoing work that pharmacy schools must do to build connections, foster authentic exchanges and be persistent in pursuing EDI goals to ensure enduring cultural change. When Dr. Michael Fulford, assistant dean for institutional effectiveness and strategic initiatives, University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, proposed opening AACP’s second Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Institute with a panel featuring student voices, it was an easy sell.

The 50 Stories from 50 States Challenge, an initiative from the ACT Pharmacy Collaborative, amplifies the vital patient care services that community pharmacies are providing nationwide. The COVID-19 pandemic magnified the value of pharmacists, especially those in community pharmacies who are highly accessible to the public.

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy today announced the recipients of its top awards, which recognize four individuals, one institution and one scholarly paper, for their outstanding contributions made to pharmacy education, research, patient outcomes, community service and publication. Recipients will be honored at AACP’s annual meeting, Pharmacy Education 2022, July 23-27, in Grapevine, Texas.

Today, 14 pharmacy organizations urged the Biden Administration to remove barriers preventing pharmacists from ordering oral antivirals and expand patient access to the “Test to Treat” initiative announced last week during the State of the Union. In a letter sent to President Biden, the groups called for the removal of a limitation placed on the emergency use authorization (EUA) of COVID-19 antivirals by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The limitation prevents pharmacists from ordering the medications

The American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, AACP’s flagship journal, has appointed two new associate editors. Anandi Law, Ph.D., is associate dean for assessment and professor of pharmacy practice and administration at Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy, in Pomona, California, where she has been since July 1999. Kyle John Wilby, Ph.D., is an associate professor for program evaluation at the College of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Wilby will join as an associate editor with an emphasis on international affairs.

Arlington, Va. — On behalf of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Board of Directors, President Stuart T. Haines has announced the selection of Lee C. Vermeulen, M.S., FCCP, FFIP, as the Association’s seventh Executive Vice President and CEO. On July 1, 2022, Vermeulen will succeed Lucinda L. Maine, Ph.D., FAPhA, FFIP, who has served as AACP’s EVP and CEO since July 2002, and who is retiring.

My favorite season of the year is definitely spring. I used to get a bit depressed if on February 2nd the news reported that the groundhog saw his shadow. As I grew wiser (and time flew faster), I realized that no matter what happened that day, the first official day of spring was truly six weeks away.

Dr. Marina Suzuki is pushing for pharmacists to take an increasing role to promote safe use of drugs among patient-athletes. As the Olympic Winter Games take place this month in Beijing, there will be plenty of competition in the 109 medal events. At the same time, there will also be scrutiny regarding anti-doping efforts.