Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists

Latest News

  • 08/03/2020 1:29 PM | Steve Glass (Administrator)

    Governor Northam appoints two to the Board of Pharmacy

    • Dr. Sarah Melton of Bristol, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Gatton College of Pharmacy
    • R. Dale St. Clair, Jr. of Goochland, Vice President, East Region Remedi SeniorCare
    Congratulations VSHP member Dale St. Clair on your appointment.
  • 07/29/2020 4:34 PM | Steve Glass (Administrator)

    VSHP CALL FOR COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS FOR 2020-2021

    The mission of the Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists is to inspire innovative pharmacy practice by promoting education, advocacy and collaboration to help people achieve optimal health outcomes. We work towards fulfilling our mission every year through education of our members via region meetings, statewide meetings, newsletters, and our website; fostering professional standards; educating the public about the role of health system pharmacists; monitoring legislative issues that affect pharmacy; and by promoting health system pharmacy as a career path for future pharmacists. The majority of our Society's work is done by member volunteers working through our committees. You can play a vital role by serving on one of our committees.

    What will you get out of it?  You will meet and get to know many of the current and future pharmacy leaders in Virginia.  You will have the professional satisfaction of helping shape and advance health system pharmacy in Virginia.  You will make new friends.  You will build your resume.

    If you are interested in serving on a committee for VSHP, please fill out the form below.  Committee involvement typically takes less than 1 hour per month and is facilitated through conference calls.

    The Committee Chair will contact you regarding upcoming meetings or other opportunities to participate.  

    COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS AND CHARGES: 

    COMMUNICATIONS: The Communications Committee is responsible for the direction, development, and quality control of all VSHP publications, including the VSHP web site. 

    EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS: The Educational Affairs Committee is responsible for planning, coordinating, and evaluating educational content of the 2 statewide VSHP meetings. 

    GRANTS: The Grants Committee will review requests from individuals and groups in need of grant funding for specific programs or program elements which match the mission of VSHP.

    LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: The Legislative Affairs Committee is responsible for informing the VSHP membership and Board of Directors of important legislation and regulations and how they will impact pharmacy practice in organized health care settings in Virginia. 

    MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT:  The Membership Engagement Committee reviews and suggests ways for the membership of VSHP to become more engaged in VSHP.

    ORGANIZATIONAL AFFAIRS: The Organizational Affairs Committee reviews and analyzes the VSHP organization and make recommendations to increase its effectiveness.   

    PAC:  The Political Action Committee works to raise monies for the VSHP PAC and determines the best uses for the funds raised.

    STUDENT and RESIDENTS COMMITTEE: The Student and Residents Committee provides input to VSHP on how to get students interested in health-system pharmacy practice and how to get them interested and involved in VSHP. 

    Make a committment to get involved in VSHP.

    To join a committee:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VSHP2020-committeesignup

    Please respond by 8/21/2020
  • 07/29/2020 8:52 AM | Steve Glass (Administrator)

    Interested in presenting a Poster at the 2020 VSHP Fall Virtual Seminar in November 2020 

    • The deadline for all abstract submission is Friday, October 16, 2020.
    • IMPORTANT: The Primary Author must be the person submitting the abstract. Primary Authors can only submit ONE abstract, however, a primary author can be an additional author on other abstracts. Submitting an abstract on behalf of someone else is prohibited.
    • Poster session will be presented virtually with more details to follow.

    Questions and poster submissions should be emailed to contact@vshp.org

  • 07/28/2020 7:44 PM | Steve Glass (Administrator)

    VSHP Call for Nominations for Annual Awards

    Each year, VSHP recognizes pharmacy practitioners that have demonstrated outstanding service to the pharmacy profession within Virginia. 

    VSHP Annual Awards include:

    VSHP Technician of the Year

    VSHP New Practitioner of the Year 

    VSHP Pharmacist of the Year 

    Clinical Pharmacy Practice Achievement Award 

    R.D. Anderson Distinguished Leadership Award

     

    To nominate: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VSHP-awards-2020

    Additional details on award criteria and nomination process can be found at Annual Awards.  The deadline for award nomination is Friday, October 9, 2020.  Awards will be presented during the VSHP Virtual Fall Seminar, November 2020.  

  • 07/16/2020 3:53 PM | Steve Glass (Administrator)

    2020 Fall Seminar Presentation Proposal Form

    Submission for 2020 Virtual Fall Seminar

    VSHP is accepting speaker proposals that will provide quality continuing education to our members. Please submit your completed proposal form to contact@vshp.org by Friday, August 7.

    Presenters will need to schedule a time to record their session as well as be available during their session time for live Q&A.  Also presenters will need to be flexible as we work through a fully virtual meeting.

    Additionally, the Education Committee is interested in specific request for proposals that are focused on pharmacy technicians.

    Please review the proposed submission form for more information.

  • 07/08/2020 3:02 PM | Steve Glass (Administrator)

    VSHP Members,

    This year, $10,000 has been set aside by VSHP for its grants program. This program allows VSHP members to apply for a grant in order to fund a project which will improve health - system pharmacy services and patient care in Virginia.

    Examples of previous VSHP grants include funding for a pharmacy technician enrichment series, patient education materials for refugee patients and for pill boxes to be used in the community.

    There are several conditions for a successful grant application:

       The application must be filed by a current member of VSHP via this link, by August 30, 2020

       All grants will be reviewed by the VSHP Grants team

       All grant funds must be used within 12 months of the grant's approval date

       Any unused funds must be returned to VSHP

       Updates to VSHP must be provided every 6 months and a followup report to VSHP must be written within one year of disbursement of funds, or when the project has been completed (whichever occurs first)

    Please email Cat Floroff at cfloroff@gmail.com once you have completed the online application to confirm receipt or with questions as they arise!

  • 06/24/2020 10:00 AM | Steve Glass (Administrator)

    To:          Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists (VSHP)

    From:    Mark Hickman, Commonwealth Strategy Group

    Re:         Board of Pharmacy Meeting

    The Virginia Board of Pharmacy (the Board of BOP) convened a virtual meeting on June 16, 2020 (virtual meetings of government bodies during the COVID-19 public health emergency have been allowed by the Governor and General Assembly). All Board members were present.

    Licensees can obtain CE credit for participating in the Board meeting; review the agenda packet and email Board staff for more information. The agenda packet can be found here.

    Public Hearings and Adoption of Minutes

    Delivery of Dispensed Prescriptions; Labeling (pp. 10-22). A public hearing was held specifically on this matter, which was extended from previous public comment periods and Board meetings. CVS testified in support. VPhA testified in opposition. VSHP testified with the following statement: “VSHP would like the Board to consider and provide context to the various situations of alternate delivery sites and potential impact to patient safety and pharmacist-patient relationships in its decision-making on this matter.”

    The full Board meeting was then called to order, and the agenda and minutes from the previous Board meeting were approved, as amended.

    Covetrus Maine testified to reiterate their comments from the previous Board meeting in regard to Credentials for Nonresident Pharmacies Dispensing Only for Animals (see below).

    VPhA made public comment including asking that the petition to Allow Remote Order Processing by Pharmacy Technicians Outside of a Pharmacy be referred to the pharmacy technician expansion of duties work group created by HB 1304 and SB 830. VSHP concurs with that position and also testified to support the regulatory amendment that would allow for live or real-time CE credit applied for a pharmacist providing services without compensation to low income individuals receiving health services through a local health department or a free clinic, and to support the consideration to extend the timeframe for change of PIC from 14 to 30 days within the context of pharmacy acquisition.

    Board members had several questions for Natalie Nguyen, VSHP Legislative Chair, regarding the PIC transition issue. Nguyen provided answers about the application to health system pharmacies and the relevant situations and dynamics at hospitals.

    Walgreens commented on the two-year PIC requirement and change timeframe, stating that there are many factors taken into consideration when the company names a PIC (such as previous experience with the company). The two-year requirement is already a concern, and the process is an additional concern. Some locations need a PIC quickly.

    MedMen Enterprise spoke in favor of PharmaCann’s pharmaceutical processor corrective action plan. MedMen is now the owner of PharmaCann, which had obtained the provisional permit to operate in HSA III (Southwest Virginia).

    DHP Director’s Report

    Department of Health Professions (DHP) Director David Brown spoke about the recent developments on police reform and racial inequality, COVID-19 updates, and the executive actions taken to provide flexibility to the healthcare workforce to combat the pandemic in Virginia. The duration of pharmacy related waivers during the emergency declaration is under discussion by staff, who are considering recommending their effect through the end of this calendar year, but need to discuss with the Board Chairman.

    Legislative/Regulatory/Guidance

    Update on Regulatory/Policy Actions Resulting from 2020 General Assembly and the Report of Regulatory Actions (pp. 23-26). Elaine Yeatts, DHP Senior Policy Analyst, noted that the pharmacist scope protocols are to be adopted at the September Board meeting, and that the brown/white bagging proposed final regulations are now at the office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources for review. Recall that the Board accepted VSHP’s comments requesting an exemption of the proposed regulations on brown/white bagging for patients receiving hemophilia treatment.

    Adopt Exempt Regulations for Pharmaceutical Processors (pp. 27-69). These proposed actions are exempted from the regular rulemaking process in order to expedite conforming regulations to current law, primarily to update the definition of CBD/THC-A oil to cannabis oil as passed in legislation this year – Adopted.

    Consider Petition for Rulemaking to Amend 18VAC110-20-276 to Allow Remote Order Processing by Pharmacy Technicians Outside of a Pharmacy (pp. 70-80). A letter from NACDS seeking additional modifications, beyond the submitted petition, to pharmacy technician duties was displayed on the screen for the Board to read and will be made available to the public electronically. The practice requested in the petition is happening now under emergency COVID-19 waivers. The pharmacy technician expansion of duties work group will not meet until 2021. The Board voted to deny the petition and refer the matter to the Regulation Committee.

    Consider Adoption of Fast-track Regulation to Allow Volunteer CE to Satisfy Live CE Requirement (pp. 81-83). Staff recommended adding new language to allow for a maximum of 2 hours of delivery of volunteer pharmacy services in accordance with current regulations, for a total of 6 hours of volunteer CE – Adopted.

    Adoption of Emergency Regulations for Limited-Use License and Permit for Non-Profit Facilities (pp. 84-89) – The Board discussed the definition of “non-profit” and the potential use of a limited-use license and permit by different kinds of non-profits. The Board voted to defer adoption and request that counsel and staff conduct additional research for presentation at the next Board meeting.

    Adopt Guidance Document 110-49 Credentials for Nonresident Pharmacies Dispensing Only for Animals (pp. 90-92) – Approved.

    Adopt Guidance Document 110-48 Verification Sources for a Pharmaceutical Processor (pp. 93-96). In addition to the proposed document, the Board voted to change the definition of CBD/THC-A oil to conform to the new definition of “cannabis oil” (referenced above) to be consistent with other document references – Approved.

    Adopt draft Guidance Document for use of telemedicine by registered practitioners of cannabis oil (this proposed document was not included in the board agenda packet and will be made available to the public electronically). The document complies with federal telemedicine guidelines as mandated by state law, requiring secure two-way audio-visual interaction – Approved.

    Amend Guidance Documents 110-4, 110-8, 110-9, 110-16, 110-20, 110-22, 110-27, 110-35 (pp. 97-151). These updates are a result of periodic review and contain technical and “clean-up” updates and references – Approved in a block except for 110-4 (see below).

    Guidance Document 110-4 was discussed separately as staff provided an updated version regarding CE, which will be made available electronically – Approved as amended.

    Repeal Guidance Documents 110-14, 110-19, 110-32, and 110-40 (pp. 152-158). References in these Guidance Documents are now in law or regulation, which make the documents no longer necessary – Approved.

    Request to Amend Guidance Document 110-39 Guidance for Continuous Hours Worked by Pharmacists and Breaks (pp. 159-160). The Board has received complaints of confusion and conflicts when a pharmacist is on break but the pharmacy is still open to patients, so the pharmacist often does not have an uninterrupted break. The Board discussed patient access vs. pharmacist wellness and patient safety. The Board voted to refer the matter to the Regulation Committee.

    Request for Guidance for Granting Exception to Minimum Two Years’ Experience for PIC Eligibility (pp. 161-163). The Board discussed that various factors are taken into consideration when authority is delegated to the Executive Director (ED) and Board Chairman to ensure safety and operational continuity. A motion was made to accept the proposed guidance for due process and delegate authority to the ED and Chairman to grant exceptions, consistent with Board bylaws (staff to develop final language) – Adopted.

    Request to Amend Regulation to Extend Change of PIC Timeframe from 14 to 30 Days (pp. 164-166). The Board had discussion around the need for PIC to PIC transition, PIC training, periodic inventory timeline, and needs in various contexts and settings. A few members proposed 21 instead of 30 days. The Board voted to refer the matter to the Regulation Committee.

    Consideration for Requiring CE on a Specific Topic in 2021 (pp. 167-168). The Board discussed various possible topics but decided to defer to next year.

    Verbal Update on Action Item from December 2019 Board Meeting regarding Virginia Immunization Information System. Staff reached out to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and wrote an article that was included in the March licensee newsletter. Any future COVID-19 vaccination will be required to be reported. Registration in the information system is encouraged now.

    Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman. The Board elected Kris Ratliff as Chairman and Cheryl Nelson as Vice Chairman.

    Chairman’s Report. Chairman Warriner expressed her thanks and farewell as she completes her final term on the Board.

    Report on Board of Health Professions. The BHP meeting was canceled so no report.

    Reports on Licensure Program (pp. 170) and Inspection Program (pp. 171-181). Refer to the reports provided in the agenda packet.

    Report on Pharmaceutical Processors (p. 182). Columbia Care in Portsmouth and Green Leaf Medical in Richmond have been awarded final permits. Dharma in Bristol has underdone inspection. 2500 patients have registered.

    Report on Disciplinary Program (pp. 183-209). Disciplinary proceedings were suspended in March, April and May due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. A large backlog of cases is expected when proceedings resume.

    Executive Director’s Report (p. 210). Caroline Juran stated that if the Governor does not make timely Board appointments, Warriner and Thornbury, who are completing their 8-year terms, may need to continue to serve until replacements are appointed. Juran said she has been invited to give a presentation on July 7, 2020 to a legislative committee on drug pricing.

    Review of the inspection report for PharmaCann’s pharmaceutical processor location, PharmaCann’s submitted corrective action plan, and PharmaCann’s application for a pharmaceutical processor permit (p. 169). The Board went into closed session to discuss this matter. When it came out of close session, the Board reported that PharmaCann has 90 days to correct their inspection, and that the Board will be issuing an RFA for the license.

    ADA examination accommodation requests – After going into closed session, the Board reported that all requests were approved.

    The next Board meeting is scheduled for September 9, 2020 at 9:00AM. The next Regulation Committee meeting is scheduled for November 12, 2020 at 9:00AM.

  • 06/22/2020 9:19 AM | Steve Glass (Administrator)

     

    Greetings, VSHP members!

    As my year as VSHP President comes to a close, I would like to thank you all for allowing me to represent our organization. VSHP advocated with a strong voice at the state and national level for a number of important issues this year, including expanding pharmacist and pharmacy technician scope of practice, enhancing pharmacy technician training, as well as taking a patient-centric stance on drug importation and disposal. I have been proud to sign as the representative of our membership to support these issues and I am proud of the progress we’re making and the results we’ve achieved.

    The past few months have presented a multitude of unexpected challenges for health system pharmacy. VSHP remains committed to supporting our members – from providing resources for managing COVID-19 responses, to hosting a residency platform presentation program, as well as developing a number of virtual continuing education webinars, VSHP is encouraging our members to continue learning and collaborating in a time of social distancing. Given the dynamic situation regarding group gatherings, VSHP is also developing strategies and contingency plans to ensure we will continue providing value to our membership, but we’re definitely looking forward to when we can all come together again in person to collaborate and network with our colleagues.

    I’d like to close by thanking all the outgoing VSHP Board members for their service, and welcoming the incoming Board members to their roles. Additionally, I’d like to recognize and thank all the committee chairs and our executive director Steve Glass for their efforts over the past year, and in particular send a big thank you to Cindy Williams for her leadership and support of all things VSHP as she finishes her three years on the Executive Board. A volunteer organization like ours gains its strength from its volunteers, and VSHP is privileged to have so many members willing to sacrifice their time to support the mission of educating, advocating, and collaborating across the Commonwealth. If you would like to expand your involvement with VSHP, please consider joining a committee, becoming a mentor, submitting an education session proposal, applying for a grant, donating to the PAC, or running for the Board of Directors next year – participation in VSHP has been the most enriching time I’ve spent in my professional life, and I believe it will be for you as well!

     

    Cheers,

    Scott Anderson

    VSHP Immediate Past-President

  • 06/15/2020 3:25 PM | Steve Glass (Administrator)

    FREE CE for VSHP Members! 

    Webinar-Wednesday, July 1, 2020 – 12:00pm- 1:00 pm

    One hour of live CE.  This is an encore presentation from the Spring Seminar

    Title:  Trauma Drama: Traversing Tranexamic Acid Use in the Trauma Population

     

    Presenter:

    Donna Shuler Truoccolo, PharmD, BCPS, NHDP-BC

     

    Learning Objectives-Pharmacists:

    ·         Describe how the mechanism of action of tranexamic acid relates to the needs of the general trauma population

    ·         Interpret the key clinical trials available describing the use of tranexamic acid in trauma patients

    ·         Examine literature supporting the use of alternate routes of tranexamic acid in trauma patients

    ·         Evaluate a patient case in order to design an appropriate treatment plan using tranexamic acid in a bleeding trauma patient

    Learning Objectives-Pharmacy Technicians

    ·         Describe how the mechanism of action of tranexamic acid relates to the needs of the general trauma population

    ·         List the key clinical trials available describing the use of tranexamic acid in trauma patients

    Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Participants of the session who complete the evaluation and provide accurate NABP e-Profile information will have their credit for 1.0 contact hours (0.10 CEU) submitted to CPE Monitor as early as 1 days after the event and no later than 60 days after the event.  The participant is accountable for verifying the accurate posting of CE credit to their CPE Monitor account within 60 days. 

    UAN # 0108-0000-20-041-L01-P; 0108-0000-20-041-L01-T

    This is a member service of VSHP.  There is no charge for members to attend.  Dues must be current to receive CE credit.

    Non-members will be charged $20.

    Members:
    To register:  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zJGRBzsXRPSslS8k9M2Eag

     

    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

  • 06/15/2020 2:37 PM | Steve Glass (Administrator)

    3rd Annual VSHP Residency Forum. 

    This year's forum will be held virtually on Friday, July 24, 2020 from 1p-4p.

    The forum is open to active VSHP members at no cost.  Last year, over 50% of the residents in Virginia attended the forum.  Residency Program Directors are also invited to attend. 

    Tentative Agenda:

    o   Welcome and VSHP Discussion- Matt Jenkins, Current VSHP President

    o   Keynote- Janet Silvester

    o   Financial Planning- Jonathan Lafrenaye

    o   IRB Overview- Kathy Koehl

    o   Time Management

    Please share the attached information with your incoming residents and other members of your team.  We hope to see you there.

    To register for the Residency Forum

    To join VSHP

Contacts

contact@vshp.org

tel:  850-906-0779

fax:  678-401-0259

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