Adult Medicine

The Adult Medicine PRN has more than 700 members and represents a diverse group of clinical pharmacists dedicated to advancing clinical practice, teaching, and research. Recent accomplishments of the PRN include conducting a budget survey to solicit input from the membership regarding the use of discretionary funds and a diversity survey to assess the demographics (training/education and practice experience) of our membership. The results of both surveys will be presented at the Annual Meeting in Kentucky.

The Adult Medicine PRN, in collaboration with the Ambulatory Care PRN and the Primary Care Special Interest Group of the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy, has been selected to present a “Transitional Care Across Inpatient and Outpatient Settings” symposium at the International Congress on Clinical Pharmacy in 2009. In addition, the PRN has formed a committee that has begun development of a PRN history paper and poster to be presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting.

The Awards Committee is currently soliciting applicants for the New Investigator Development Award. This $1000 award will provide an opportunity for a new investigator to present and promote his or her research to the ACCP Adult Medicine PRN.

Some notable member accomplishments:

Beth Resman-Targoff, Pharm.D., FCCP, was elected Rho Chi Honor Society Region VI Councilor, 2008–2010. She also had the following publication: Rowley A, Resman-Targoff BH, Marra CA, Pucino F. The evolution of clinical pharmacy in the practice of rheumatology. Ann Pharmacother 2007;41:1705–7.

Mark Decerbo, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCNSP, was promoted to Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Southern Nevada, College of Pharmacy.

Darcie Keller, Pharm.D., BCPS, had the following publication: Keller DL, Wright J, Pace H. Impact of health literacy in ambulatory care patients: a systematic review. Ann Pharmacother 2008;42:1272–81.

William Dager, Pharm.D., has been selected by ACCP’s Awards Committee to receive the association’s prestigious 2008 Clinical Practice Award. This award is given to a College member who has made substantial and outstanding contributions to clinical pharmacy practice, showing exceptional leadership in the development of innovative clinical pharmacy services and sustained excellence in providing these services.

Ambulatory Care

Ambulatory Care remains one of the largest PRNs, and its members are very involved in the profession, ACCP at large, and various PRN committees.

The Advocacy Committee continues to fulfill its many charges related to the dissemination of information regarding advocacy issues important to ACCP’s membership. This committee works with ACCP Government and Professional Affairs staff to update the PRN membership regarding Medicare Part D and MTMS. Using the PRN listserve, newsletter, and business meetings, the committee encourages the PRN members to participate in the ACCP Advocates Program and to take an active role in legislative efforts by providing information and direction on how to engage in these activities.

The Budget and Finance Committee is currently building an incentive program to reach out to current ambulatory care residents to increase PRN membership and share the great things that ACCP and the PRN are doing. The PRN will be donating $3000 to the Frontiers Fund for 2008 and $400 to support student travel to the 2008 Annual Meeting. The PRN is also very happy to report that its budget remains in very good fiscal shape.

The Communication Committee is pleased to report that the second edition of the “Ambulatory Care New Practitioner Survival Guide/Resource Guide” is now available on the ACCP Web site. For members of the PRN, access to an electronic version is FREE (and available on the ACCP Web site within the PRN documents). The survival guide is available for purchase ($29.95) through the online ACCP Bookstore for all ACCP members who are not Ambulatory Care PRN members. In addition, the Ambulatory Care PRN will present a PRN poster at the 2008 Annual Meeting. Finally, the fall newsletter, including articles on MTM by LeeAnn Causey and June Johnson’s sabbatical, will be available in October.

The Education Committee, along with the Cardiology PRN, has planned a joint premeeting symposium titled “Current Topics in Ambulatory Cardiology” for the fall ACCP Annual Meeting in Louisville. The PRN focus session is a joint program with the Pharmacokinetics/ Pharmacodynamics PRN titled “The Science and Practice of Pharmacogenetic Guided Warfarin Dosing.” Finally, there will be a presentation for a collaborative program (Adult Medicine PRN, Ambulatory Care PRN, and Primary Care SIG) at the ACCP-ESCP International Congress on Clinical Pharmacy meeting next spring in Orlando, titled “Establishing Transitional Processes of Care Across Inpatient and Outpatient Settings.”

The Networking Committee is developing opportunities for PRN members to meet and interact at the Annual Meeting and the ACCP-ESCP International Congress on Clinical Pharmacy. The committee has also been directly involved in recruiting speakers for the Networking Forum to highlight innovative practice models, recognize PRN achievements, and update members about ACCP issues that affect the PRN at large. In addition to identifying and nominating five deserving PRN members for ACCP fellowship status (Nicole Culhane, Eric Jackson, Michael Ernst, Karen Gunning, and Eric MacLaughlin), the 2008 New Clinical Practitioner Award winner (Andrea Wessell, Pharm.D., BCPS, CDE: Medical University of South Carolina) and the 2008 New Educator Award winner (Maria Pruchnicki, Pharm.D., BCPS: The Ohio State University) will be recognized.

The Nominations Committee has selected applicants for the PRN officer positions of Chair-Elect (Nicole Culhane) and Treasurer (Edith Nutescu). In addition, they have reviewed applications and selected a recipient for the PRN Achievement Award. This award, consisting of an engraved plaque and complimentary meeting registration, will be presented at the fall business meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Research and Scholarship Committee announced a request for applications for the Ambulatory Care PRN grant, and electronic submissions are due September 30, 2008. The instructions, eligibility criteria, and application form are available on the PRN Web site. The committee is currently working to identify a scholarly endeavor for the PRN to undertake.

Cardiology

The Cardiology PRN would like to congratulate our newly elected PRN officers: Barbara Wiggins (Chair-Elect) and Orly Vardeny (Secretary/Treasurer). Robert Page will now be our Chair, and Toby Trujillo is our past chair. Ann Wittkowsky remains our Board Liaison. We are also proud to state that two of the newly elected fellows are also PRN members: Larisa Cavallari and William Dager. Congratulations to all!

Additional congratulations for notable member achievements include:

• William Dager has been selected to receive the 2008 ACCP Clinical Practice Award.
• Jim Tisdale, Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP, FAHA, was chosen ACCP President-Elect in annual elections held this past spring.
• Robert B. Parker, Pharm.D., FCCP, was elected as a Regent on the ACCP Board of Regents in the annual elections held this past spring.
• Robert J. DiDomenico, Pharm.D., was one of the recipients of the 2008 ACCP Research Institute Investigator Development Awards. The title of his proposal is “Use of a Simplified Nomogram and Pharmacogenetics to Individualize Digoxin Dosing in Heart Failure Patients vs. Standard Care.”
• Michael A. Crouch, Pharm.D., BCPS (AQ Cardiology), was appointed Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice at South University School of Pharmacy in Savannah, Georgia.
• Jeremy Flynn, Pharm.D., BCPS, is the recipient of the College’s 2009 New Clinical Practitioner Award.
• Sarah A. Spinler, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS (AQ Cardiology), has been appointed for a 2-year term to the Steering Committee for American Heart Association Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Interdisciplinary Working Group.
• Ann Wittkowsky, Pharm.D., FCCP, for her hard work and efforts in the development and publication of the recently released 8th edition of the ACCP Guidelines on Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy.

Frontiers Fund and Student Travel Support

The Cardiology PRN continues to support ACCP through annual giving to the Frontiers Fund ($2000). In addition, the PRN renewed its commitment to supporting student travel at both the Spring and Fall Meetings in 2008 by donating $500 to the ACCP Student Travel Fund.

Central Nervous System

The CNS PRN membership would like to acknowledge Jack J. Chen, Pharm.D., BCPS, CGP, Associate Professor from Loma Linda University – Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, for being named ACCP Fellow 2008. Also, Susan C. Fagan, Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP, Professor and Associate Head of the Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy at the College of Pharmacy and Assistant Dean of the College’s Clinical Pharmacy Program at the Medical College of Georgia, has been appointed the third Albert W. Jowdy Professor of Pharmacy Care. Kelly C. Lee, Pharm.D., BCPP, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, UC San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy, was awarded an Investigator Development Research Award for Genetic Predictors of Valproic Acid Response in Patients with Bipolar Disorder.

The CNS PRN would also like to welcome new members to our PRN, including Jeffrey McCarthy, Pharm.D., BCPP; Raymond Lorenz, Pharm.D.; Anita Ciarleglio, Ph.D., RPh; and Mark Litzinger, BSc, BSPharm, RPh!

Finally, thank you to Tawny L. Bettinger, Pharm.D., BCPP, our PRN Chair, for her tireless efforts! Kimberly Tallian, Pharm.D., BCPP, FASHP, will be our new PRN Chair, and Kelly Lee, Pharm.D., BCPP, will be our new Chair-Elect.

Critical Care

The Critical Care PRN would like to congratulate many notable recent accomplishments of its members including William Dager, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS, for winning the 2008 ACCP Clinical Practice Award given to a College member who has made substantial and outstanding contributions to clinical pharmacy practice. We all gain great insight with Bill’s many contributions to listserves, publications, and presentations. Another prestigious and highly visible member, Judi Jacobi, Pharm.D., FCCP, FCCM, BCPS, a 2006 winner of the Clinical Practice Award, will move into the President-Elect role of the Society of Critical Care Medicine at the 2009 SCCM Congress in Nashville. Jeremy Flynn, Pharm.D., was recently selected to receive the 2009 New Clinical Practitioner Award at the Spring Meeting in Orlando.

Incoming Critical Care PRN elected officials include Steve Pass, Pharm.D., to Chair-Elect and Kamila Dell, Pharm.D., to Secretary/Treasurer. Special thanks to Chris Wood and Stephanie Mallow-Corbet for their service during the past 2 years for the Chair-Elect/Chair and Secretary/Treasurer roles, respectively.

Other members of the Critical Care PRN awarded a Fellow of College of Clinical Pharmacy (FCCP) in 2008 include Bill Dager, Pharm.D.; Krystal Haase, Pharm.D.; Jill Rebuck, Pharm.D., FCCM; and Geoffrey Wall, Pharm.D., BCPS. Nominations for awards can be made via the ACCP Web site under Nominations. The Critical Care PRN Travel Award winner is Erica Horinek from the University of Colorado, who won $1000 for the 2008 Annual Meeting. Michelle Allen, Pharm.D., was promoted to Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.

Of interest, our Critical Care PRN membership comprises many overachievers of many job titles and in many job settings. To highlight, Tate Trujillo, Pharm.D., FCCM, BCPS, and Chris Scott, Pharm.D., BCPS, have been promoted to Directors of Pharmacy in Indianapolis, at Methodist and Wishard Hospitals, respectively. Apparently, they are on the career path of Curt Haas, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS, the director at Strong Health, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY. Undoubtedly, there are other executives in the group, but the emphasis on Critical Care in health care leadership is on the move!

Education and Training

The Education and Training PRN is pleased to note the following accomplishments of its members.

Publications: Please commend your fellow PRN members on these recent contributions to the medical literature:

Brahm NC, Kissack JC. Psychiatric advance directives and board certified psychiatric pharmacists: an opportunity for patient empowerment. JCPNP July 7, 2008:1–16.

Kissack JC, Bishop J, Roper A. Ethylglucuronide (EtG): a review of studies and discussion of its clinical significance. Pharmacotherapy 2008;28:769–81.

Fagan AL, Kissack JC, Augustin BG. Adverse events medication treatment costs in a chronically, severely mentally ill forensics population. Clin Schizophr Relat Psychoses 2008;2:158–62.

Moeller KE, Lee KC, Kissack JC. Urine drug screens: practical guide for clinicians. Mayo Clin Proc 2008;83:66–76.

Promotions: Incoming Chair, Anna Wodlinger Jackson, Pharm.D., BCPS, was promoted to Clinical Associate Professor at Temple University School of Pharmacy.

Endocrine and Metabolism

Congratulations to our new PRN officers: President, Brian Irons, Pharm.D., BCPS; President-Elect, Krystal Edwards, Pharm.D., BCPS; and Secretary/Treasurer, Rosalyn S. Padiyara, Pharm.D.

All PRN committees have been busy delivering results for the PRN:

• Communications Committee developed a new listserve policy and procedures.
• Communications Committee developed and administered a PRN survey.
• Education Committee developed top-notch programming for the 2008 Annual Meeting.
• Networking Committee is developing an exciting and educational networking session for our Annual Meeting Networking Session.

Please congratulate your fellow PRN members on their recent achievements:

• Founding Endocrine and Metabolism PRN member, Shane Greene, was promoted to Associate Professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy.
• Thomas Painter received his CDE in October 2007. He was part of the writing team for the AADE Position Statement: Management of Children with Diabetes in the School Setting. In: The Diabetes Educator May/June 2008;34:439–43.
• Daniel Riche published a letter in the September 4, 2008, edition of JAMA titled “Lipodystrophy: A Disease of Disease (?)

Geriatrics

Judith Beizer Is New ASCP President
The ACCP Geriatric PRN is proud to recognize Judy Beizer, Pharm.D., CGP, FASCP, who will be installed as President of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists at the ASCP Annual Meeting in New Orleans in November. Dr. Beizer is a Clinical Professor at St. John’s University School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions. Our sincere congratulations to Dr. Beizer!

Delafuente Appointed to Council on Aging
The Virginia House of Delegates has appointed Jeffrey C. Delafuente to a 4-year term on the Commonwealth Council on Aging. The Council serves in an advisory capacity to Virginia’s governor, cabinet, and legislature to promote an efficient, coordinated approach to meet the needs of older Virginians. Dr. Delafuente is Professor and Associate Dean for Professional Education at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy.

Immunology/Transplantation

In 2007, the federal government declared that solid organ transplantation centers participating in the Medicare program must have a multidisciplinary care team. Nevertheless, the agency refused to require the inclusion of specific professionals, including pharmacists. Instead, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) named six areas of expertise that the team must encompass: pharmacology, medicine, nursing, nutrition, social services, and transplant coordination. Thus, the transplant center was left to identify the key members of the team responsible for each specified area of expertise. CMS further explained that it had based its decision on the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network’s (OPTN) already described personnel requirements. However, OPTN policy regarding pharmacists is vague at best. It states that transplant programs should identify one or more pharmacists who will be responsible for providing pharmaceutical care to solid organ transplant recipients. Currently, not every transplant program has a policy describing the clinical transplant pharmacist’s role or even that of a transplant pharmacist.

This is the first year that CMS has surveyed transplant centers across the country. CMS has stated that noncompliance with Medicare conditions of participation can lead to termination of the Medicare agreement with a transplant center. During the surveys, CMS met/observed transplant pharmacists at each site and asked about their level of participation on the multidisciplinary organ team(s). However, the transplant community is still waiting for CMS to make further recommendations on the role of the transplant pharmacist on the multidisciplinary team.

Pharmaceutical Industry

The Pharmaceutical Industry PRN will be presenting a focus session titled “Meeting Unmet Therapeutic Needs: Development of Novel Therapies and Programs by Industry” at the upcoming ACCP Annual Meeting in Louisville.

Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Time: 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Location: Convention Center, Room 112

Topics to be covered include:

We also invite you to join our Pharmaceutical Industry PRN Business Meeting. This will be a networking event, followed by a discussion of 2009–2010 strategic planning and updates. Beverages and appetizers will be served.

Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Social Networking)
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Pharmaceutical Industry PRN updates and 2009–2010 strategic planning)
Location: Louisville Marriott Downtown Hotel
Rooms: Thoroughbred and Filly

Please use this opportunity to meet the speakers from the symposium and network with other clinical pharmacists in various roles within industry.

Pharmacy professionals within industry who will attend:

• Medical Science Liaisons
• Medical Communications/Drug Information
• Regulatory Affairs
• Clinical Research
• Marketing
• Business Development

Congratulations to Julie Oki Maurey, Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP, Director, CV Regional Medical, and Research Specialist from Pfizer, our new Chair-Elect!

Other current projects of our Pharmaceutical Industry PRN:

• Plan the StuNet/ACCP premeeting symposium for students
• Conduct a survey of pharmacy schools regarding inclusion of industry discussion in their curricula
• Develop “Primer to Industry” slide deck

Women’s Health

The Women’s Health PRN congratulates Mary H. Ensom, who was one of only five campus-wide faculty members to receive the University of British Columbia Killam Research Prize in Science. She was also elected to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), which is “considered one of the highest honours for members of the Canadian health sciences community” (http://www.cahs-acss.ca/). Please also note the four new articles published by member Julie Kissack, Pharm.D., BCPP. Article details are provided in the Education and Training PRN brief above.