ACCP is pleased to announce that Debra A. Yeskey, Pharm.D., director of the Regulatory and Quality Affairs Division within the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will serve as the 2011 Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker.

Dr. Yeskey will discuss the roles of clinical pharmacists in preparing for, and providing, pharmacy services in the event of a natural disaster, epidemic, or terrorist attack. Dr. Yeskey will also review logistic approaches to initiating medical care in disaster situations and describe opportunities for professional organizations to support pharmacist involvement in disaster and emergency preparedness.

Dr. Yeskey’s experience includes serving as chief of the Office of Regulatory Affairs at the National Center for Infectious Diseases within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she was responsible for the regulatory preparedness of all the medical countermeasures within the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). She was also co-located within the Office of Research and Development Coordination. There, she was a special regulatory adviser to the assistant secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness, providing expert advice, guidance, and regulatory policy with respect to the regulatory readiness of the SNS and the status of all Investigational New Drug applications and pre–Emergency Use Authorization requests held by the CDC. Dr. Yeskey’s response background includes training as an EMT and being a member of a Disaster Medical Assistance Team. She has responded to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, has been pre-deployed for planned mass public events, and was part of the CDC’s response to the events of 9/11 and the anthrax attacks.

Don’t miss this exciting kickoff to the 2011 ACCP Annual Meeting during the Opening General Session on Sunday, October 16, 2011, beginning at 8:00 a.m.