My presidential theme for this year, Fulfilling the Promise: Excellence with Compassion, encompasses several of the core values of the College (i.e., passion for extending the frontiers of clinical pharmacy and dedication to excellence in patient care). The theme is also embodied in the first critical issue of the College’s strategic plan, which is to establish clinical pharmacy as an essential component of health care in all practice settings.¹ To fulfill the promise, the College’s mission to promote innovative science and develop successful models of practice must be achieved. To actualize the mission, address critical issue no. 1 of the strategic plan, and become an essential member of the health care team, the College has embarked on several initiatives, including becoming one of the founding members of the Leadership in Medication Therapy Management coalition (see the Washington Report, page 3 of the June ACCP Report, at http://accp.com/docs/report/0608.pdf). Advocating for change in the health care system to include pharmacists as providers is an important step in the process of transforming health care delivery. However, recognition of the value of pharmacists at the technical or functional level of cognition may not be enough to stimulate the type and degree of changes in practice that will ultimately be needed. As in many situations, it is only when one engages another at an emotional level that the contribution is truly valued, whether the contribution is a product or service.

Given the foregoing, it is reasonable to ask if the mission of ACCP is relevant today and for the future. I think the answer to this question is an emphatic yes. The key, from my perspective, is that the College must reach out and connect with other health care professionals and society rather than shout to them from the other side of the chasm. In its infancy, ACCP was regarded as a collection of “mavericks” who were dreaming dangerously, albeit in a precise, calculating way. Perhaps we are at such a time again (i.e., when we must first boldly envision the future needs of society, and then consider the profession). After all, who is it that we really serve?

As an organization, we must ensure our relevance to those in need, our true constituency. We must avoid the temptation of becoming preoccupied with ourselves, filling our meetings with outstanding “performances” and writing to each other in our journals. The challenge, which is encompassed in the College’s mission, is to motivate and enable ACCP members to become effective change agents who develop successful models of practice that enhance access to high quality patient care while maximizing the return on the investment in both cognitive and product-oriented pharmacy services. Our members build bridges across the gulf that currently separates most of the pharmacy community from other members of the health care team and the patients who need us.

Many, if not all, members of the College believe not only that clinical pharmacists have the potential to change people’s lives for the better but that there is credible evidence to support this assertion. Although some would argue that additional and better controlled evidence is needed, I believe the real issue is that we have not moved beyond the “model building” stage into the “franchise” phase. It is only when we reach that phase, in which transformed clinical pharmacy practices are available for people to “experience” anywhere in the country, that our contribution to the health of our community will be valued by society. Unfortunately, whereas society waits to see “IT” (i.e., a transformation of pharmacy practice in local neighborhood pharmacies from a product-orientation to a patient-focused care orientation), the College and the profession are consumed with talking about “IT” among ourselves. We must move beyond mere possibilities and reach the point where enough people EXPERIENCE “IT” and thereby value “IT” that patient focused-care becomes a reality for all.

Therefore, the challenge before each member of this “member-driven” organization is to become an irresistible influencer and bridge-building advocate for patient-focused care.² This “IT” we are championing must become our defining point so that the mention of “IT” evokes an emotionally engaged response. “IT” must spark the imagination within each of us to envision how much better those in our community and around the world would be if patient-focused care were a standard component of health care. The thought of “IT” must inspire sacrifice, be built on faith that “IT” cannot fail, and encourage everyone to persevere until the gulfs that separate us from our team members and patients have been bridged.

This task is not for an internally focused organization or a profession that seeks self-preservation and winning turf wars. It is likely that if this status quo is maintained into the future, we will never see the promise of excellence with compassion that can result from “IT.” The characteristics of those who will provide “IT” are articulated in the College’s core values and the expectations of what the practitioners of “IT” will do are clearly defined in the ACCP and JCPP visions for future pharmacy practice.^1,3

During this decade, we have made progress. We have a profession-wide endorsed consensus document (the JCPP 2015 Vision of Pharmacy Practice³) that describes what our contribution to the transformation of health care will require of us. The map/plan of how to reach “IT” has been prepared. So, what are our next steps? I believe that we must, and can, collectively strive to build bridges within our communities and across the gulfs to ensure that the “Promise of IT”—excellence in patient care, research and education—is available throughout the United States. However, the vision does not stop (and dare I say must not stop) at our borders. As healing professionals, we should, out of compassion for humankind, seek to ensure that the promise of “IT” is available to all people, regardless of economic status, race, or residence in the world. Only then can we anticipate hearing those comforting words as our lives draw to a close, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”(Matthew 25:23).

References:

1. ACCP. The Strategic Plan of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Available at http://accp.com/docs/about/ACCP_Strategic_Plan.pdf. Accessed September 8, 2008.
2. Lewis RP. The Church of Irresistible Influence. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001.
3. JCPP. JCPP Vision of Pharmacy Practice in 2015. Available at http://accp.com/docs/positions/misc/JCPPVisionStatement.pdf. Accessed September 8, 2008.