APhA-ASP Region 8

Newsletter - Winter 2014

2014-12-30T05:43:00.003-08:00

2014-10-10T07:20:00.003-07:00

Greetings All!

Excited for the House of Delegates (HOD) session at MRM? Read below for advice from our Regional Delegate, Kaitlyn Skulkan. She briefly reviews how to prepare yourself for the HOD session at MRM:

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APhA-ASP's Mission is "... To be the collective voice of student pharmacists, to provide opportunities for professional growth, to improve patient care, and to envision and advance the future of pharmacy."

How will you discover your voice in the APhA-ASP MRM Policy Process?

As an active member, you can prepare to participate in the MRM Policy Process through the following two activities:

Plan a chapter meeting to discuss resolutions that will be proposed at MRM.It is important to discuss these resolutions beforehand so that the delegate can gather feedback from the chapter. The delegate can provide their chapter's feedback during the policy discussion and voting process.
Each member should read the background statements for each proposed resolution

At MRM, members will be able to discuss and debate each proposed resolution. By reading the background statement, the member will understand the intent of the resolution and can provide better feedback during the policy discussions at MRM.

We'll see you all there!

- Katie

Important Dates

2014-09-14T11:54:00.002-07:00

Here are some important dates that you all may want to keep track of...

Important Dates:

MRM 2014 Proposed Policies Deadline: Friday, October 3, 2014

Mandatory Webinar Meeting for VP of Policies: Wednesday, October 8, 2014 - 9:00pm - 10:30pm PST

Hotel Reservation Deadline for APhA-ASP Region 7 and 8 MRM: Friday, October 10, 2014

Registration Deadline for APhA-ASP Region 7 and 8 MRM: Friday, October 17, 2014 at 11:59 PST

UOP Student develops Smoking Cessation App!

2014-09-14T11:16:00.003-07:00

Sunny Nagra, a student pharmacist at the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at the University of Pacific, recently developed a Smoking Cessation Application (http://www.kickspy.com/projects/snagra/quit-smoking-ios-app-and-research-project) that was featured on the Pharmacy Times! Here’s a direct excerpt from the developer himself:

“…I get exposed to a lot of patients at our free health fair outreach events and in the pharmacy. This allows me to witness the tolls that smoking can take on the body and on a patient's overall health. I started the Quit Smoking Project in order to explore new ways of using technology to help lead to positive patient outcomes. My long term goal is to take what I learn from making an iOS app for smoking cessation and apply that knowledge to other disease states in the future, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

What sets this application apart from every other application is that it was developed with the driving force of research in mind. The application is developed from the ground up to be used as a research tool. It is true that there are other smoking cessations apps on the iOS App Store, but they were not designed to help push forward the collective knowledge on health care. We live in a world surrounded by technology, such as smartphones, and many different research groups are focusing on why this may be having a negative effect on our health, but the end goal should be finding ways of making this technology have positive effects on our health. The goal of this project is not just providing smoking cessation for the patient, but it is also to create momentum that will drive scientists and health care providers to create even more innovative patient oriented applications that have a positive effect on the patient's well being. If I am able to show positive results with my research, then I can provide a model for future projects to push innovation even further with personalized technology driven health care.”

We are EXTREMELY proud of your accomplishment. Congratulations Sunny!

2014 Region 7 and 8 Midyear Regional Meeting (MRM)

2014-09-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite meetings has always been the Midyear Regional Meeting. This meeting marked the beginning of my love for APhA-ASP. I met so people that I am still friends with to this day! Most importantly, at the Exposition Booths is where I found what I wanted to pursue after I graduated from pharmacy school. There is so much to do at MRM, so don’t miss out. The last day to register online is October 31 at 11:59 PST!

More info and registration link found here: http://www.pharmacist.com/node/318381

Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/610016412447317/

We will see you there!

Touro University Legislative Banquet

2014-07-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

Touro University of California hosted their first Legislative Banquet on May 1st, 2014 in collaboration with American Pharmacists Association (APhA), California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP), and Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA). The banquet consisted of a dinner followed by a roundtable event designed to foster discussion about including pharmacist as part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team

Touro University Senior Provost and CEO, Shelley Berkley commenced and introduced the event followed by a keynote address by Assistant Dean of Administration, Dr. Keith Yoshizuka. Following the introduction, the program comprised of presentations from Norlyn Asprec, a representative from the office of Assemblymember Susan Bonilla and Evan Minton, representing Assemblymember Phil Ting’s office.

Executive Officer of the California Board of Pharmacy Virginia Herold, CPhA CEO John Roth, CPhA Vice President of the Center of Advocacy Brian Warren, CPhA Policy & Advocacy Manager Megan Maddox, CSHP Outgoing President Steve Gray, CSHP Government Affairs Manager Jillian Hacker, CSHP CEO and Executive Vice President Dawn Benton, Touro University Faculty Drs. Wong, Chan, Shane and Palisoc, and Phi Lambda Sigma student member Dylan Mezzio served as roundtable speakers for the event.

Discussion topics included: the implementation of SB 493, pharmacists’ provider status, AB 1535 allowing pharmacists to furnish naloxone, SB 1039 the efficient use of pharmacy personnel, AB 2418 eliminating the mail order requirement for refills to increase medication adherence, HR 4190 a proposed amendment to Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to recognize pharmacists as providers under Medicare Part B and in the Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), the process of bill implementation through the California Board of Pharmacy and California Medical Board, the importance of grassroots lobbying, and the impacts of SB 493 on Hospital and Managed Care Pharmacy.

The Legislative Banquet concluded with a closing keynote from the chapter advisor of CPhA/APhA and SNPhA, Dr. Kajua Lor. The legislative dinner served as a forum to unify different colleges of pharmacy from Touro University and the University of Pacific as well as exemplify inter-professionalism with students from Touro University students from the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Physician’s Assistant Program, and the Masters of Public Health Program. Touro University would like to acknowledge special thanks to all the Legislative Aides in attendance - Daniel Garcia, representing Congressman Mike Thompson’s office, Danny Bernardini, representing Senator Lois Wolk’s Office, and Ron Turner, representing Assemblymember Susan Bonilla’s office. In addition, we would like to thank our sponsor, the Diablo Society of Health System Pharmacists (DSHP).

Reaching Out!

2014-07-08T14:35:00.001-07:00

Winter 2014

University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

The University of the Pacific Pharmacy Students started off the new year with a roar as we reached out to the community through the Health Fair and explored the changing dynamics of pharmacy with a variety of new workshops and speaker events. Capitalizing on the momentum of recent legislative affairs, students are learning more about the growing fields of pharmacy as an essential provider of healthcare.

Reaching Out to the Community

Collaborating with twelve other student organizations, SALUD hosted a successful health outreach event to address several health care disparities in the Hispanic community. Screening and providing over one hundred flu vaccinations, this outreach addressed other prominent health problems such as stroke and smoking. Stockton residents turned to student pharmacists to obtain more information on medication waste management, Hepatitis B, and medication therapy that was tailored to their budget. Students especially enjoyed the hands-on experience as they measured the direct impact of their contribution to the community.

Staying Connected on Campus

While students were reaching out to the community, we also made sure that they had plenty of chances to remain connected with previous and future students at this school. Distinguished alumni, such as Dean Oppenheimer, mingled with students during our annual Etiquette Dinner to teach students the ins and outs of professionalism and networking. In return, first and second years passed their knowledge onto the undergraduates during the mock interview sessions hosted for pre-pharmacy students applying for the graduate program the following year. Based on alumni and student feedback, these annual events are successful in unifying our campuses to connect students with mentors and alumni.

Complementary Approaches to Medicine

As a recent addition, the AIMRx committee started incorporating holistic health into the world of pharmacy by inviting Dr. Storch, a certified Reiki-Master, to demonstrate her methods of breath techniques, meditation, and awareness of the body. Offering this free workshop on complementary therapy, students combined these techniques with the clinical knowledge that they learn during school. Tiffany Riley, a first year student, remarked that “[this] was a great opportunity for students to learn about this Eastern form of healing. As future health care practitioners, it is important that we are well rounded in our studies and training to better serve our patients.” With the increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine, these workshops broaden the student’s scope of knowledge beyond the traditional practices of medicine.

Legislative Affairs: What’s Next?

With the recent advancement of Senate Bill 493, students requested clarification regarding these new opportunities as an integral member of the health care team. Pacific PharmAssistance brought guest speaker Dr. Del Prato from CSHP to give an overview of Covered California to over 85 students regarding its impact on pharmacists and patients in California. The primary focus was to share information on the impact and implications of the Affordable Care Act, with an emphasis on the target population and how to help them meet their medication needs as an essential health care provider.

Afterwards, we were fortunate enough to have Dr. Heidi Ecker fly in from the east coast to bring the RxIMPACT Program, where she hosted a 50 minute educational session about the power of grassroots engagement and using effective communication to inform our legislators and influence policy outcomes. By learning more about legislature and its impact on the profession of pharmacy, students left the session feeling more motivated to become an active participant in the political process.

We will continue to channel that momentum during Legislative Day and many other Health Fairs as we continue to reach out to the surrounding community. At our last town hall meeting, we received positive feedback from the students, who are excited to explore more opportunities in pharmacy, and we can’t wait to attend the Student Programming at the West Coast Pharmacy Exchange!

Preparing for the 2014 Annual Policy Process

2014-02-25T21:45:00.001-08:00

How to Prepare for 2014 Policy Making Process

Policy Postcard Challenge is due on March 1, 2014. For more information, please refer to this website: http://www.pharmacist.com/apha-asp-policy-postcard-challenge
Back the PAC deadline is March 21, 2014. For more information, refer to the following link to the Vice President of Policy Toolkit: http://www.pharmacist.com/apha-asp-policy-vice-president-toolkit and go to Section 5.
Chapter Delegate Orientation is on March 20, 2014. Please register for this webinar at this link: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/472596966
Once the proposed resolutions are released, please read the background statements. The background statements for the proposed resolutions will explain the intent of the resolution as well as define terms used in the proposed policies. After reviewing these proposed policies, it is important that you summarize the key points of the background statements and present/discuss these policies with your chapter to obtain their feedback. Feedback should be obtained before Annual.
The feedback from the Resolutions Committee regarding proposals that were passed from MRM will be provided either prior to or at Annual.

Roundtable Discussions!

2014-02-25T21:29:00.003-08:00

Nine local pharmacy residents spoke to Student Alliance members during a roundtable discussion at Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy on November 14th. Pharmacy students had the opportunity to listen to professionals from University Medical Center and the VA of Southern Nevada. Members rotated through the tables and were given the opportunity to ask questions to gain a better understanding on preparing for pharmacy residency programs. Topics of this roundtable included the matching process, APPE selection, types of residencies, standing out as a candidate, preparing for a residency and ASHP Midyear. I asked a Rebecca Kim, a second year pharmacy student. “What did you find to be the most beneficial part of this discussion?” She said, “Having PGY1 and PGY2 residents from numerous areas of practice allowed for an in depth perspective on preparing for the residency application process and how to stand out as a candidate.” Standing out as residency candidate is often not an easy task. PGY1 resident Dr. Mansy extended his unique approach, on how he sung “Who let the dogs out” when asked what song depicts his work ethics during his residency interview process, to pharmacy students that night. Faculty advisors of Student Alliance, Dr. Decerbo and Dr. Visconti, were delighted with the turnout of this event. The roundtable was a great experience particularly forsecond and third year students. We are very fortunate to have had so many pharmacy residents give their time to discuss the multitude of preparations which propelled them as successful residency candidates.

In closing, I would like to give special thanks to the participating residents. From University Medical Center Dr. Ashment (PGY1), Dr. Nesseth (PGY2), Dr. Tenney (PGY1), Dr. Hackman (PGY1) and from VA of Southern Nevada Dr. Nicolas (PGY1), Dr. Bui (PGY1), Dr. Kim (PGY1), Dr. Mansy (PGY1) and Dr. Kimura (PGY1) where those in attendance.

Pouria Khan

PharmD Candidate

Roseman University of Health Sciences – Henderson Campus

Class of 2015

APhA-ASP/ASHP Vice-President

of Community Affairs

ACCP Vice-President of Membership

A Few Words Regarding MRM 2014!

2014-02-25T21:26:00.001-08:00

Hello Region 8,

My name is Kelsea Gallegos and I am your Midyear Regional Meeting Coordinator for 2014. I am very excited to be working on this endeavor and am looking for your help! Each school has a MRM2014 Liaison and I encourage you to get to know them. I want to hear your suggestions for this year’s meeting and your liaison is a great way to get this information to me. This is an opportunity to have your voice heard!
This year we will be doing a combined meeting with Region 7, so look forward to a large and fun crowd! This is a great opportunity for networking and seeing what each individual chapter in these Regions are doing. We do not have a set location and date yet but I will let everyone know as soon as I find out. I would like to see representation from every chapter this year. As we all know, the more people that go to these meetings the more opportunities there are for networking and professional growth.
If you want to voice your suggestions or pose questions directly to me you can email me at kelsgall@salud.unm.edu or kelseagallegos@gmail.com.

I look forward to seeing all of you at Annual this year in Orlando, Florida.

Kelsea Gallegos

Region 8 MRM Coordinator

Important Dates!

2014-02-22T14:12:00.002-08:00

Here are some important dates that you all may want to keep track of...

Important Dates:

Hotel Reservation Deadline for APhA-ASP Region 7 and 8 MRM: Friday, October 10, 2014
Registration Deadline for APhA-ASP Region 7 and 8 MRM: Friday, October 17, 2014 at 11:59 PST

Health Fair at University of New Mexico

2014-02-22T13:39:00.001-08:00

Way to go, guys!!! There were so many news articles that I've read regarding this event. Here is one I found written by Michael Haederle and titled "HSC students offer Roundhouse screenings, press lawmakers on health initiatives."

Therese Graham celebrated her birthday Wednesday as she often does, by having her blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar measured by students from the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy.

Clutching a sheaf of paperwork that recorded her numbers – all very good, although her “good” cholesterol levels were a little low –Graham said she was impressed by the white-coated pharmacy students, who were manning a long table on the ground floor of the Roundhouse.

“There is a friendliness and kindness,” marveled Graham, a communications specialist for the New Mexico Council of University Presidents. “There's real teamwork and camaraderie.”

Fifty or so pharmacy students, joined by five nursing students from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, were offering the free tests and health counseling to passersby as part the Legislature's UNM Day. Graham says the annual health fair usually occurs around her birthday.

“I wait every year for this,” she said.

Nursing students Ashley Valencia, Cierra Dorado and Sybelle Cano, all in the second semester of their bachelor's nursing training, waited for visitors with stethoscopes slung around their necks. It was their second health fair in a week, Cano said.

“We have a community class,” Calencia added. “It's one of the reasons we're here, because you have to get so many hours of community interaction.”

The nursing program puts students into patient care settings early in their training, although the students also spend lots of time diagnosing problems and drawing blood from a sophisticated mannequin that bleeds, sweats, breathes and turns blue, Cano said. “We can even set up IVs and draw blood,” she said.

Next door, pharmacy students saw a steady stream of people, including legislators and legislative staffers. They used automated equipment to take glucose and cholesterol measurements, performed body mass index measurements and administered flu shots.

The experience was helping to prepare them for a career in which they are likely to play a significant role in providing basic health care and other services, such as providing tobacco cessation counseling, said Lynda Welage, dean of the College of Pharmacy.

A group of pharmacy students standing nearby were preparing to visit lawmakers' officers to press for a series of pharmacy-related initiatives that require legislative approval. One would enable school nurses to administer epinephrine and albuterol treatments to asthmatic students, said Michel Disco, assistant dean for external programs in the College of Pharmacy.

Another priority is winning state regulation of pharmacy benefit managers, the companies that determine the amount pharmacies are reimbursed by insurance companies for the drugs they dispense. Disco said she had already given the students a crash course in how legislation is drafted and enacted.

The students were also serving as ambassadors for their profession, Disco said. “They're going into the legislators' offices and talking about what pharmacists can do,” she said.

Luke Neff, a third-year pharmacy student and head of the UNM chapter of the American Pharmacist Association Academy of Student Pharmacists, said he wanted to make sure lawmakers understood that many insurance providers (including Medicaid) do not recognize pharmacists as health providers who can be reimbursed for their services.

“Nationally, we're all pushing for this,” he said. “We're respectfully asking them to support this coverage.”

Megan Thompson, an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy who oversees student professional development, added that the reimbursement issue is particularly important for small independently owned pharmacies, who are often unable to absorb gaps in insurance coverage for expensive medications.

Thompson says five members of the next graduating class plan to return to their hometowns throughout New Mexico to take over independent pharmacies. That's encouraging news at a time when a wave of older pharmacists is retiring, and many are selling their businesses to national chains because they have no one to take over for them.

Third-year pharmacy student Radhika Modi and her brother Arjun (a first-year), both plan to return to their hometown of Hobbs after they graduate. Radhika says she discovered the importance of pharmacy while on a medical trip to Honduras she took while a UNM undergraduate.

“Hobbs gave my family a lot, and it's important to give back to the community,” she says.

This year was the first time nursing students were part of the health fair, said Leeanna Vargas, a teacher in the College of Nursing. Although they were gaining additional experience in taking vital signs, the greatest benefit lay in the chance to provide health counseling to the people who sat down to have their blood pressure measured, Vargas said.

Linda Henry, a generation older than the other nursing students, said she had returned to school after her children were grown. “I'm getting to the point where I'm excited,” Henry said. “I can see the end, and I'm looking forward to being out in the field.”

Katrina Roanhorse, who grew up in To'hajiilee, N.M., but attended Albuquerque's West Mesa High School, said she has lately been interested in public health nursing. “I want to be able to go back to my community to practice,” she said.

Standing nearby, Therese Graham said she was greatly impressed by the students' competence and their contribution to better health. “Offering this is really doing a great service,” she said.

Here are some pictures of the event!

Credits to: http://hscnews.unm.edu/news/hsc-students-offer-roundhouse-screenings-press-lawmakers-on-health-initiatives

Contact Us

2014-02-17T23:13:00.002-08:00

Regional MRM Coordinator

Kelsea Gallegos | Email: kelsgall@salud.unm.edu

Regional Delegate

Kaitlyn Skulkan | Email: skulkan@pharmacy.arizona.edu

Regional Member-at-Large

Nestle Austero | Email: naustero@student.roseman.edu

The Region 8 Family!

California Northstate University

Loma Linda University

Midwestern University – Glendale

Regis University

Roseman University of Health Sciences – Henderson

The University of Arizona

The University of New Mexico

Touro University

University of California, San Diego

University of California, San Francisco

University of Colorado

University of Hawaii at Hilo

University of Southern California

University of the Pacific

Western University of Health Sciences