Official Newsjournal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

ICHP KeePosted

November 2021

Volume 47 Issue 4

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Pharmacy Tech Topics

KeePosted Info

Features

Family Night at the Ballpark

2015 Annual Meeting Registration Now Open!

Call for 2016 Nominations

Public Service Reminder

Columns

President's Message

Directly Speaking

Government Affairs

New Practitioners Network

ICHPeople

Leadership Profile

College Connections

More

Welcome New Members!

Officers and Board of Directors

ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund (PAC) Contributors

Upcoming Events

KeePosted Info



Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists
4055 North Perryville Road
Loves Park, IL 61111-8653
Phone: (815) 227-9292
Fax: (815) 227-9294
www.ichpnet.org

KeePosted
Official Newsjournal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

EDITOR
Jacob Gettig

ASSISTANT EDITOR
Jennifer Phillips

MANAGING EDITOR
Scott Meyers

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR
Trish Wegner

DESIGN EDITOR
Amanda Wolff

INTERIM DESIGN EDITOR
Brittany Reuber

ICHP Staff
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Scott Meyers

VICE PRESIDENT - PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Trish Wegner

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Maggie Allen

INFORMATION SPECIALIST
Heidi Sunday

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND
PHARMACY TECH TOPICS™ SPECIALIST

Jo Ann Haley

ACCOUNTANT
Jan Mark

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Amanda Wolff

INTERIM COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Brittany Reuber

LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANT
Jim Owen

ICHP Mission Statement
Advancing Excellence in the Practice of Pharmacy

ICHP Vision Statement
ICHP dedicates itself to achieving a vision of pharmacy practice where:
  • Pharmacists are universally recognized as health care professionals and essential providers of health care services.
  • Patients are aware of the training, skills, and abilities of a pharmacist and the fundamental role that pharmacists play in optimizing medication therapy.
  • Formally educated, appropriately trained, and PTCB certified pharmacy technicians manage the medication distribution process with appropriate pharmacist oversight.
  • Pharmacists improve patient care and medication safety through the development of effective public policies by interacting and collaborating with patients, other health care professionals and their respective professional societies, government agencies, employers and other concerned parties.
  • Evidence-based practices are used to achieve safe and effective medication therapies.
  • There are an adequate number of qualified pharmacy leaders within the pharmacy profession.
  • Pharmacists take primary responsibility for educating pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacist peers, other health professionals, and patients about appropriate medication use.

KeePosted Vision
As an integral publication of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists, the KeePosted newsjournal will reflect its mission and goals. In conjunction with those goals, KeePosted will provide timely information that meets the changing professional and personal needs of Illinois pharmacists and technicians, and maintain high publication standards.

KeePosted is an official publication of, and is copyrighted by, the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP). KeePosted is published 10 times a year. ICHP members received KeePosted as a member benefit. All articles published herein represent the opinions of the authors and do not reflect the policy of the ICHP or the authors’ institutions unless specified. Advertising inquiries can be directed to ICHP office at the address listed above. Image disclaimer: The image used in the Pharmacy Tech Topics™ advertisement is the property of © 2015 Thinkstock, a division of Getty Images.

Copyright © 2015, Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists. All rights reserved.

Features

Family Night at the Ballpark


ICHP's Central Region is sponsoring a family night at the ballpark.

Springfield Sliders vs. West Virginia Miners
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Game Time 6:35 PM

Family Night at the Springfield Slider’s Game VIP Suite seating with catered meal and two drinks (soda or beer). Tickets are $21.50 for adults. Children 3 and under are free and we may have special pricing for children under 7 years of age. Registration deadline is July 2nd.

Robin Roberts Stadium at Lanphier Park
1415 North Grand Avenue
Springfield, IL 62702

Enjoy a summer game, camaraderie and great ball park food! All ICHP Central Region members are welcome. Since it is family night, you may purchase more than one ticket per person. You will need to register by calling the ICHP office at (815) 227-9292 to reserve tickets. Please state how many tickets and the ages of any children attending. The price of a ticket includes the game seating, meal and two drinks. Your credit card will be charged once all tickets are sold. Meeting new people and making friends will be priceless!

Tickets will be mailed to you once your order is processed. We look forward to cheering with you soon! Come enjoy this networking opportunity, and remember to bring your business cards. This is a great opportunity also for new residents in the area to get to know each other.

2015 Annual Meeting Registration Now Open!



Have you ever dreamed of being a character in a play or movie? To be an integral part of creating a special and engaging environment for the audience? To feel like you are part of something special? Would you like to be a star? Well, you are already doing that – in a way. Each of us has a special role to play in taking care of our patients and collaborating with others in the healthcare team. You play a crucial part each day in establishing a safe and collegial atmosphere for patients and co-workers.

The presidential theme for ICHP this year is collaboration - working together to create positive outcomes. This theme is showcased in our Annual Meeting programming through playing our part in providing excellent patient care. Center stage is our primary keynote presentation by the team of Brian Cross, Pharm.D. and Reid Blackwelder, MD. They will tell the story of how this pharmacist-physician collaboration plays out at East Tennessee State University Family Medicine Clinics. A health care team - comprised of a nurse, physician, family medicine resident and medical students, pharmacist, pharmacy resident and pharmacy students - works collaboratively to establish better patient outcomes and create an “area of mutual respect”. Come learn from their model of team-based care, with improved reimbursement system and patient outcomes on Friday, September 11th. Other main scenes are the keynotes for Thursday and Saturday of the meeting bringing to light the issues of provider status, pharmacist and technician workforce issues, and USP 800. Don’t miss out on other acts – go through our meeting highlights to find out more.  

There will be plenty of intermissions to network with the rest of the “audience”. Join us for the NPN Mixer Friday night after the educational sessions to meet new practitioners in Illinois. Students can enjoy some fun at the Party at the Pit also on Friday night at the Hilton Garden Inn. Everyone can participate and have a role in advancing services and initiatives within ICHP at the Town Hall during lunch on Friday. Contribute to the ICHP Political Action Committee by participating in the ring toss. See who does and does not have good hand-eye coordination. Lots of collaboration can take place in the exhibit hall Thursday and Friday, and at the Residency Showcase on Saturday.

Go ahead, be a star! Join the rest of the stars at the 2015 ICHP Annual Meeting. 
Play your part in providing excellent patient care and register here: http://ichpnet.org/annual.php

Call for 2016 Nominations

Every year, ICHP elects new members to its Board of Directors. As existing officers complete their terms, they often move up to higher offices or move on for a variety of reasons, not the least being that they’ve completed the highest offices of President-elect, President and Immediate Past President.  So every year the ICHP Committee on Nominations searches for new leaders to step up to carry on the business of the Council and who are dedicated to “Advancing Excellence in Pharmacy!” That’s ICHP’s recently revised mission by the way. 

This year is no exception. With Mike Fotis completing his term as Immediate Past President, Travis Hunerdosse and Brandi Strader completing their final terms as Director of Educational Affairs and Chair of the New Practitioners Network, respectively, there are at least three offices for which ICHP will need at least two candidates to run each. In addition, Board members Charlene Hope, Mike Weaver, Carrie Vogler, and Ana Fernandez can run for another term for their respective offices and may or may not have yet committed. And even if they do decide to run again, the Committee on Nominations will be seeking a second candidate to fill the ballot completely.

Below is a list of the offices open for election in the fall of 2015. All the elected candidates will take office at the 2016 Annual Meeting with the exception of the President-elect, who assumes office immediately. So each new leader will have almost a year to train for their new jobs and be coached by our current Board members. You don’t have to run that office unprepared!

President-elect
Secretary-elect
Chair of the House
Director-elect of Division of Educational Affairs
Director-elect of the Division of Marketing Affairs
Technician Representative-elect
NPN Chair-elect

If you are interested in running for an office or you would like to know more about an office before committing to run, you may contact Committee on Nominations Chair, Mike Fotis at michael.fotis@northwestern.edu or Scott Meyers at scottm@ichpnet.org. We hope you are ready to run for the lead of ICHP and pharmacy!

Public Service Reminder
Appealing Health Carrier Decisions

Helping Your Patients/Clients Appeal a Denied Service or Treatment


The Illinois Department of Insurance is reminding consumers, health care providers, and patient advocates about consumers’ rights for an independent external review when their health insurance carrier denies a claim or request based upon medical necessity (including health care setting, level of care or effectiveness), experimental/investigational, a pre-existing condition, or rescission of the policy.  

This law applies to pre-service, concurrent stay and post service adverse determinations. If the situation is urgent (the time frame for a standard appeal or review could seriously jeopardize the life or health of the covered person), then an expedited internal appeal and/or expedited independent external review may be requested. For all other requests, the internal appeals process through insurance carrier must be exhausted prior to requesting an external independent review.  

Requests for independent external reviews are filed with the Department of Insurance by fax, on-line or by U.S. mail.  An independent review organization (“IRO”) registered with the Department is randomly assigned to the review, which must be conducted by a clinical reviewer who is a physician or other appropriate health care provider with: (1) expertise in the treatment of the covered person’s medical condition that is the subject of the review, (2) knowledge about the recommended health care service or treatment through recent or current actual clinical experience treating patients with the same or similar condition of the patient, (3) holds a non-restricted license in the United States, and for physicians, a current certification by a recognized American medical specialty board in the area or areas appropriate to the subject of the external review; and (4) has no history of disciplinary actions. For standard reviews, the consumer and/or their authorized representative are notified by the Department of the IRO assigned to the review and are invited to submit any documentation applicable to the request. The carrier is required to send all medical records related to the request to the assigned IRO. Standard reviews are generally finalized within 4-6 weeks and the decision is final, but may be appealed through the court system. 

Fully insured Illinois policies are subject to the Illinois law and it generally applies to most major medical polices, including those purchased under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the Department’s Office of Consumer Health Insurance assists consumers by trying to ascertain the type of plan involved, applicable appeal procedures and appropriate avenues for the appeal.

For more information regarding independent external reviews in Illinois, contact the Office of Consumer Health Insurance at (877) 850-4740 or visit the Department’s website at http://insurance.illinois.gov/ExternalReview/default.asp. 


Columns

President's Message
Lifelong Learning

by Linda Fred, ICHP President

I want to start by congratulating our three new Illinois ASHP Fellows.  Noelle Chapman, Ann Jankiewicz, and Christina Quillan were all recognized as new fellows at the June meeting. All three have been active ICHP members – two of them past presidents of the organization – and are a credit to ICHP and the Profession. We’re proud of you!

 

That launches me into this month’s ramble (my personal name for the “President’s Message”): the importance of lifelong learning.

 

At a very basic level, we are all required to commit to a minimum amount of continuing education to maintain our licensure with the state and certification with PTCB. But that is just really the beginning of the story.

 

When the ASHP fellowship announcement was made, I looked up the FASHP Application Guidelines. Included among the requirements are:

  • Demonstration of sustained commitment or contributions to excellence in health-system pharmacy.
  • Contribution to the total body of knowledge in hospital and health-system pharmacy.
  • Involvement in and commitment to educating practitioners and others.

 

Fellowship requirements for the American College of Healthcare Executives include a strong focus on continuing education:

  • Masters or other advanced degree.
  • 36 hours of Healthcare Management Continuing Education.
  • Board of Governors Examination.

 

BPS or ASPEN certifications require a large investment of time to meet educational and examination requirements. Specialty certifications for technicians are also available and require an additional time commitment.

 

So – here is the question. Is completing all that additional learning for an advanced degree, or a fellowship, or a specialty designation simply a means to an end – or is the additional learning itself the “end” for which we should be striving? Probably, the answer is both.

 

I think we are sometimes so focused on the achievement of the credentials that we lose sight of the fact that the learning is, in fact, its own reward – and a means to many other ends beyond the credentials. Each of us in making a decision to enter a healthcare profession agreed to maintain that high standard of excellence that is a primary component of the FASHP requirements. We are all charged with managing the well-being of our patients and we must take that obligation seriously. Our patients’ lives depend on it.


Sometimes our jobs “encourage” us to learn new things. When I was given responsibility for our anticoagulation service a few years ago, I completed an anticoagulation certification course. Now that I have our Home Infusion service, I’m working on a home infusion certification.

 

I think the lesson (no pun intended) is that in order to stay current in our profession, to stay viable and valuable as an employee, and to achieve the excellence that our patients deserve and demand – we have to keep our minds sharp and commit some regular time to learning.

 

For me, professional organizations have always played a major role. The information pushed out to us via professional journals and meetings as well as the informal networking that is enabled by the organizations provide a major source of news. I was unable to attend the ASHP Annual Meeting a few weeks ago, but I understand that there was some excellent educational content. Our ICHP Annual Meeting in September is open for registration and promises to be another excellent opportunity for learning. There are a myriad of ways to achieve the goal of keeping up with what’s going on in our professional world.

 

While our professional organizations are a great resource for updates, you might consider branching out into other types of continued learning. Take a cooking class or learn a second language. Any type of learning is beneficial to keep your mind sharp and help you look at the world around you in new ways. A lot of colleges and universities offer more opportunities to the general (non-degree-seeking) adult learner during the summer. So it’s a great time to pick up a new hobby or learn a new skill, and a great way to meet and network with people outside the profession and learn what they think about the profession of pharmacy…and maybe educate them a little bit about what we do.


Embracing the concept of lifelong learning is a necessity for all healthcare professionals - and it can definitely enrich your personal life as well as your professional life..

 


Directly Speaking
Hey Linda, I think we all need to share your message!

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

In case you’re wondering, Linda Fred, ICHP President, has drafted “Collaborate” as the theme of her presidential year. And several of her President’s Messages have focused specifically on that. It’s a great goal any of us working in health care should aspire to and work toward with our pharmacy colleagues, other health professionals, our patients and their families and caregivers and the hospital administration!

But it seems that we all need to push Linda’s message further out into our own communities and society in general. We don’t seem to see a lot of collaboration down in Springfield these days, in fact, we probably haven’t seen much for a couple of decades. Washington and Congress are right there too!  It seems like being a member of a political party prohibits one from even considering collaborating with someone from a different party.

What about in our local communities? In Rockford recently there was a neighborhood meeting to inform residents about a proposed low-income housing project and the presenters were barely able to make their presentation as angry home owners shouted them down and yelled insults and threats. We’ve seen this throughout the State when wind mills farms or new prisons are proposed. The NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) mentality has gotten ugly and even often combative.

As health care providers, we strive to save lives and improve the quality of life for our patients and those who care for them. Sometimes though we even see a lack of collaboration between community and hospital based pharmacists when one tries to accomplish just that. I have heard of cases going both ways, when one pharmacy calls another pharmacy for information and are told, “I can’t share that, it’s a HIPAA violation!” They couldn’t be more wrong. That situation demonstrates a lack of understanding of the law, but more importantly it demonstrates an unwillingness to collaborate on behalf of the patient.

The same can be said when a physician refuses to respond to an inquiry by a pharmacist as to the reason for ordering a specific medication, dose or frequency. Does the doctor have information the pharmacist doesn’t, or is the doctor merely stubborn, not wishing to collaborate in the patient’s best interest?

Let me ask you this – have you ever withheld important information from another health care professional? Maybe it was because it was your initial idea and you felt that you wouldn’t receive the proper credit. I hope it wasn’t because you wanted to see the other professional fail, even at the expense of the patient. Yes, years ago, I saw that happen!  Maybe you said that information wasn’t available because you weren’t sure and felt that looking up the information might make you appear as less of an expert in the other person’s eyes? Yes, pride often gets in the way of collaboration!

Collaboration should always be a tool in Pharmacy’s toolbox. Knowledge and skills are worthless if you are not collaborative with other health care team members. Collaboration requires humility and a willingness to put the patient first, the team second and yourself last!  It’s not an easy tool to use effectively. Honesty and integrity are other attributes that really make collaboration click. Without these traits, you won’t find collaboration at any level.  

Maybe that’s why the folks in Springfield and Washington can’t get the collaboration tool to work. The humility and the integrity it takes to operate it are so sorely lacking. Let’s all make sure that those traits are in generous supply within health care and that we always focus on the patient first!

Government Affairs
Track and Trace is here and more!

by Jim Owen and Scott Meyers

Hopefully you’re department is fully aware and ready to implement the latest installment of the Drug Supply Chain and Security Act. If you are not aware of what the DSCSA is, then you may be in trouble shortly. If you’re not sure you are in compliance, that’s a problem, too. The good news is that on June 30th the FDA delayed enforcement of these rules until November 1st giving you a little more time to read and become prepared. So never fear, we (actually ASHP) have put together some resources for you on the ICHP website. ASHP created a resource tool and presented a webinar back in March on this very issue and we have placed the tool and the slides on our website for your assistance. We would have referred you to ASHP’s website, but we couldn’t find where they are located. So we asked ASHP’s Government Affairs Division for a copy of each and told them we were going to make it easy for you while giving them all the credit! Hope that keeps us out of trouble! To find these important documents: go to www.ichpnet.org and then click on Public Policy and look for the Track and Trace link there. Make sure your ship is shipshape before the track and trace shore patrol come for a visit!

On to regulatory issues. First, Congratulations to Desi Kotis, Director of Pharmacy at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for being appointed to the Illinois Board of Pharmacy! Desi becomes the first currently practicing “Hospital Pharmacist” on the Board since Mike Weaver served back in the 1990s. Desi replaces Dr. Miriam Mobley-Smith, Dean at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy, who served one term and did an outstanding job leading hospital pharmacy related discussions for the Board. Desi, like Miriam will be the only woman currently serving on the Board. Good luck Desi – we look forward to working with you!

ICHP will also be working with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation staff to redraft new Pharmaceutical Compounding Standards for the Illinois Pharmacy Practice Act Rules. If you recall in last month’s Government Affairs Report, we reported that those proposed rules were removed from the approved Rule changes in April because of some limited controversy. The Department intends to obtain a stronger consensus quickly and resubmit that section for JCAR approval. ICHP intends to provide the Department with new Tech-Check-Tech rules and has sent a draft to IPhA for review and concurrence. IPhA objected to the previous draft the Department accepted from ICHP in 2013. We will keep you posted on this effort.

Finally, the initial Spring Session of the Illinois General Assembly is done and as most of you know, unfortunately all the work isn’t. However, several bills made it out of the General Assembly and currently wait for the Governor’s signature. Here’s what made it so far.

HB1 – The Heroin Crisis Act revised a multitude of Acts in an effort to curb prescription drug and heroin abuse in the State. ICHP and its pharmacy allies, IRMA and IPhA, were successful in removing a particularly troublesome section that would have required every Illinois pharmacy to establish a medication take-back program that included controlled substances. In its place is a call for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to work with county and municipal agencies including law enforcement to expand its existing take-back program statewide. Another troublesome section of the bill that would limit the number of days supply of any CII controlled substance to 10-days was removed as a result of the efforts of a healthcare wide coalition that included pharmacy, medicine, nursing, hospitals and many more. The final draft of the bill was acceptable to all of healthcare.

SB455 – Senator Tony Munoz finally passed a Biosimilar bill that requires pharmacy reporting of all biologic products to the prescriber within 5 days of dispensing. The language does allow for passive reporting through a common electronic health record or pharmacy benefit manager system, but if that is not available to the pharmacy, staff must report to the prescriber manually using phone, email or fax. The product name and manufacturer must be supplied. There is hope that the Governor will veto the bill, but it passed out of both chambers with more than enough votes to override the veto.

HB3219 – The medicine locking package bill passed during the overtime session on June 16th. The good news is that efforts of ICHP, IRMA and IPhA made the requirement to use the locking device on CII controlled substances voluntary through a one-year pilot project. The most important (at least to us) components of this bill now require certified pharmacy technicians to obtain 20 hours of continuing pharmacy education including one-hour of law and one-hour of patient safety every two years for registration renewal! This standard is identical to the recertification requirements for PTCB certified pharmacy technicians. This section goes into effect on January 1, 2017. Additionally, the bill revises the Pharmacy Practice Act with regard to pharmacy investigators.  All new investigators must be Illinois pharmacists with licenses in good standing.  All current investigators will retain their jobs regardless of this new requirement.

We are still watching closely what comes from the budget discussions this summer as the General Assembly works overtime. License fees could increase, funding for Medicaid will most assuredly decrease and who knows what else could appear if budget talks ever get serious. In addition, we are watching SB1747, a bill that appeared in the House as a shell and then experienced multiple attempts to amend it, with one of the new sections requiring fingerprinting of all new pharmacist and pharmacy technician licensees and registrants. We still have not identified from whom this language came, but we have found out that physicians and nurses have had this requirement for years. So fighting it is going to be a tough position to take. We will keep you informed on any progress this bill makes.

2015 is already shaping up to be a blockbuster legislative and regulatory year for pharmacy in Illinois. We hope these reports are helpful and that we’ve stirred a stronger interest in becoming more proactive in Illinois and national advocacy efforts. Please check your email for future issues of KeePosted and its Government Affairs Reports. And monitor your email for any calls to action should the need arise. Let’s hope for a quiet summer.

New Practitioners Network
Riding the Literature Tsunami: Strategies for Staying Current in Practice

by Shubha Bhat, PharmD

There has been an explosion of published scientific literature over the past 50 years. The origins of this change can be partly traced back to 1962, when the Kefauver-Harris Drug Amendment was enacted. This law required drug manufacturers to prove the efficacy of their products to the Food and Drug Administration for the first time. As a result, randomized clinical trials became the norm and the amendment encouraged a shift in culture towards applying scientifically obtained evidence in clinical practice.1-3 Currently, PubMed contains more than 24 million citations for biomedical literature.4 Moreover, there are no signs that the influx of scientific submissions is slowing down. The New England Journal of Medicine reports receiving more than 5000 article submissions each year, with an average of 18 submissions each business day.5 One study found that 7,287 articles were published in medical journals associated with primary care within a one month period.6

Given the large quantity of information available at healthcare professionals’ fingertips, as well the increased ease of information dissemination (i.e., via internet, social media, journals, etc.), healthcare professionals must develop the essential skill of keeping up with the literature. This is especially crucial given the profound effect that medical literature has on clinical decision making, therapeutic recommendations, and overall patient care.7-9 However, staying current with the literature has the potential to be a time consuming process; Alper and colleagues estimated that practitioners would need over 600 hours per month to keep up with updated literature.6 New practitioners may struggle with this task due to the fact that they are juggling multiple responsibilities, adjusting to new methods of time management, and transitioning to a full-time career while building their place in practice. By implementing some of the strategies discussed below, new practitioners may find it easier to stay current in practice. 


A. Focus your efforts on literature relevant to practice

1. Set realistic expectations. While new practitioners may feel pressured or tempted to stay on top of every therapeutic advance made in every single disease state, it is simply not feasible. It may also not be in the new practitioners’ best interests to read every single article in a journal. New practitioners should identify and/or prioritize the therapeutic areas that they are most involved in on a daily basis.


B. Formulate a method to efficiently search for literature

2. Identify key journals pertinent to your area of practice. Register to receive monthly email alerts of current issues and tables of contents. Skimming the titles can provide a glimpse of current controversies and help highlight certain articles to further investigate. 

3. Utilize RSS (Really Simple Syndication). To minimize the time spent visiting individual websites or joining each site’s email newsletter, consider using RSS.  An RSS feed is a website that contains programming language of contents that users subscribe to, which is translated into user-friendly language through the use of an RSS reader (i.e., Outlook, myYahoo, Pluck). To utilize RSS feed, install an RSS reader and subscribe to various journals such as Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), and American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (AJHP). Additionally, pharmacy organizations, such as ASHP, may offer supplementary feeds such as health-system pharmacy news and current drug shortages to help users stay on top of happenings in various areas of pharmacy.10 With RSS, users are able to keep track of updates from their favorite websites all on one medium without having to visit multiple websites or shift through tons of individual emails. 

4. Create search or citation alerts on Web of Science or SciFinder. A search can be run automatically on a weekly or monthly basis with results emailed or sent to an RSS Feeder.  It can be customized to individual preferences such as receiving an alert when a specific article or author is cited.11

5. Utilize bibliographic tools such as Mendeley or Endnote. With these programs, one can store and organize notable articles. In many cases, the citation can be exported directly from search engines such as PubMed. Consider sharing the library with colleagues so that other members may contribute to the library, minimizing time spent searching for pertinent literature.

6. Subscribe to a pharmacy newsletter. One example is the ASHP Daily Briefing, which compiles updates in medication use, regulatory affairs, health coverage access, health business, and research. Links are provided if additional information is desired. For medical news, consider websites such as MedScape, but be sure to subscribe to clinical areas that are of interest. These resources provide timely clinical and regulatory information.


C. Devote protected time and preview articles

7. Carve out protected time. Keeping up with medical advances in literature requires extensive time. Consider carving out a block of time every week dedicated to emerging practice activities, such as reading articles or attending continuing education sessions. 

8. Develop a systematic way to preview articles. Every individual reads and analyzes articles at a different pace. To make the most value of the minutes or hours committed to fully reading an article, consider previewing the article first to determine if is worth checking out. Techniques to consider include reading the abstract, looking carefully over the methodology summary, analyzing the tables in the article, and potentially skimming the authors’ conclusion for insights into the scope of the article. With these methods, one may be able to determine if the article contains clinical significance and is worth further delving into.


D. Make it count

9. Identify opportunities for journal clubs. Attend journal club presentations by students or residents, if possible. Consider utilizing the POEM approach (Patient-Oriented Evidence that Matters) for such sessions. With this method, trainees first describe the case or problem that inspired them to present the paper. Next they state the study design and explain the study using PICO format (Population, Intervention, Comparison/Control, and Outcome). The study outcomes should then be related back to the case or problem originally presented. The POEM approach encourages individuals to think about the implications of the study results on clinical practice and generates meaningful discussion among attendees.12,13 Even if you do not have trainees in your practice setting, consider establishing an informational journal club with other motivated colleagues (held during a lunch or coffee break) or an inter-professional journal club. 

10. Identify opportunities that meet career goals and devise strategies that include literature review in order to make the most effective use of time. For example, if job expectations include scholarly activities, consider writing a review article. If teaching is a requirement, offer to provide lectures in emerging areas. If precepting is a responsibility, consider hosting a session on clinical pearls of new guidelines or therapies. Through this mechanism, one can be held accountable, will be able to meet job expectations, and hopefully learn some new data along the way.  


E. Identify other strategies that do not directly involve reading the literature

11. Attend conferences such as the ICHP Annual and Spring Meetings. Many conferences will have presentations dedicated to clinical controversies that review existing evidence as well as practice implications. References are usually provided so practitioners can save time searching for new literature and more time on reading the articles or guidelines.

12. Register for continuing education sessions – whether online or live. Many continuing education sessions focus on advances in therapies or updates in guidelines and come with the additional benefit of helping one accrue the hours needed to maintain licensure. Continuing educations are often put forth by residents, pharmacy departments, or local, state, and national organizations. 

Given the pace of scientific advancement and the accessibility of new information, new practitioners are inundated with an avalanche of literature and there is no sign of this slowing down. The key to staying on top of the literature involves efficiently sorting through a large quantity of publications to detect the smaller number of articles that are directly relevant to the practitioner’s area of practice. Additionally, new practitioners should identify and pursue other opportunities that will help him or her stay aware of current trends in the profession.


References:

1. Bastian H, Glasziou P, Chalmers I. Seventy-five trials and eleven systematic reviews a day: how will we ever keep up? PLoS Med. 2010;7:1-6.  

2. McKenzie BE. Guidelines and requirements for the evaluation of contraceptive steroids. Toxicol Pathol. 1989;17(2):377-84.

3. Perucca E. What clinical trial designs have been used to test antiepileptic drugs and do we need to change them? Eplieptic Disord. 2012;14(2):124-31.

4. U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed. Available at: www.ncbi.nhm.nih.gov/pubmed. Accessed 2014 Nov 26.

5. New England Journal Medicine. Frequently asked questions. Available at: www.nejm.org. Accessed 2014 Nov 26.

6. Alper BS, Hand JA, Elliott SG, et al. How much effort is needed to keep up with the literature relevant for primary care? J Med Libr Assoc. 2004;92(4):429-37.

7. Michaud G, McGowan JL, van der Jagt R, et al. Are therapeutic decisions supported by evidence from health care research? Arch Intern Med. 1998;158(15):1665-8.

8. Ellist J, Mulligan I, Rowe J, Sackett DL. Inpatient general medicine is evidence based. Lancet. 1995;346:407-10.

9. Nordin-Johansson A, Asplund K. Randomized controlled trials and consensus as a basis for interventions in internal medicine. J Intern Med. 2000;247:94-104.

10. American Society of Health System Pharmacists. RSS Feeds. Available at: http://www.ashp.org. Accessed 2014 Nov 26.

11. Marian Koshland Bioscience and Natural Resource Library. ISI web of knowledge: creating alerts. Available at: http://lib.berkely.edu. Accessed 2014 Nov 26.

12. Slawson DC, Shaughnessy AF. Becoming an information master: using POEMs to change practice with confidence. J Fam Pract. 2000;49(1):63-7.

13. Schwartz MD, Dowell D, Aperi J, Kalet A. Improving journal club presentations, or, I can present that paper in under 10 minutes. ACP J Club. 2007;147(1):A8-9. Editorial.


ICHPeople
Diana Issacs Welcomes New Baby Girl!

ICHP member Diana Isaacs and her husband Jeremy gave birth to Kayla Devorah Isaacs on 6/15/15. She weighed 7lbs 9oz and 21in long. Kayla's big sisters, Rachel and Adina are excited to welcome her to the family!


Leadership Profile

by Elizabeth Greenhalgh, PharmD, BCPS

Where did you go to pharmacy school? 
University of Illinois at Chicago

Trace your professional history since graduation. Where have you trained/worked? Any special accomplishments?
I graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Pharmacy in 2007 and then completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency (PGY-1) at UIC followed by a PGY2 Specialty Residency in Cardiology at UIC. After residency, I took a position as the Heart Transplant and Advanced Heart Failure Clinical Specialist at Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC). In this role, I rounded with the heart transplant/advanced heart failure service which cared for patients pre- and post-heart transplant as well as patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).  In 2011, I moved into the position of Clinical Coordinator at LUMC.  In this position, I was responsible for overseeing clinical services and for managing the clinical specialist group. In 2012, I moved into the Manager of Clinical Services position in which I still oversee clinical services, but now also manage all clinical pharmacists at LUMC and work to align our practices with those at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, which is a part of the Loyola University Health System. In my current role, I am very active with the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, cost-savings initiatives, clinical services, such as warfarin and vancomycin dosing services, and managing drug shortages.  

Describe your current area of practice and practice setting.
I have been in my current role for about 18 months. We have a large group of clinical pharmacists, about 25 in all, with whom I have the pleasure of working to implement new services and to provide quality improvement.  I am the Residency Program Director for our PGY-1 residency, and as such am responsible for overseeing the education of our four PGY-1 residents. I sit on several multidisciplinary committees including our P&T Committee, our Medication Safety Committee, among others, and I chair our Pharmacy Clinical Practice Committee and our Residency Advisory Committee.

What initially motivated you to get involved, and what benefits do you see in being active in a professional association such as ICHP?
I have wanted to get more involved in professional associations for quite some time. Our residency program has participated in the ICHP Residency Showcase for the past two years, and I also participated in a residency roundtable discussion at last year’s Annual Meeting. I am hoping to become more involved in both ICHP and ASHP through the Champions program and the Council on Therapeutics, respectively. I think one of the best benefits of being active in an organization is the networking opportunity, especially for young practitioners. You can get a lot of great ideas just by talking with pharmacists from other institutions, and you’ll often find that others are facing the same struggles you are and having the same successes. In addition, the educational opportunities are important to ensuring that we as a profession are living up to our potential.

What advice would you give to a new practitioner eager to become more involved within ICHP? To the new grad? To the student? 
I think one of the best ways is to reach out to members who are already involved and ask them for suggestions. There are countless opportunities to get involved in committees and subcommittees, but you have to put yourself out there and volunteer. You also have to be persistent sometimes. Just because you don’t make it onto the committee you hoped for on the first try, doesn’t mean you should stop looking for opportunities to get involved.

Is there an individual you admire or look up to, or a mentor that has influenced your career?
I have been fortunate to work with numerous excellent clinicians and leaders in the profession while I was a resident and since I have been practicing myself. I would have to say that Robert DiDomenico, Cardiology Clinical Pharmacist and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy has been a fantastic mentor and role model for me. Rob is a phenomenal clinical pharmacist and educator, but he’s also a great leader. Over the past few years as my career has developed and advanced, I have contacted Rob numerous times seeking advice or simply to bounce ideas off him. Despite his busy schedule and responsibilities, he always makes time for his former trainees and provides sage and insightful advice.

As a newer practitioner, what is your vision for pharmacy in the future? Or what would you like to able to see accomplished within pharmacy?
One of the biggest issues facing the profession right now is that of provider status. Given the changing landscape of healthcare, pharmacists are in a unique position to serve as practice extenders in a variety of areas. I also feel very strongly that the expansion of pharmacy residency programs is critical to the future of the profession. Residents bring so much to the institution in which they are trained in the form of research, quality improvement, and education. Their very presence encourages clinicians to practice at a high level. In addition, there are numerous opportunities for technicians to elevate their level of practice through initiatives such as medication reconciliation and “tech-check-tech.”  

What three adjectives would people use to best describe you?
Passionate
Determined
Approachable

Do you have any special interests or hobbies outside of pharmacy and work? 
I love to travel and to spend time with my husband, son, and daughter, who are the most entertaining people I know.  

Do you have a favorite restaurant/food?
I’m a carboholic. I’m good with anything that involves pasta and/or bread. I do also like a nice steak though. 

Where is your favorite place to vacation?
Honestly, I love Disney World. We usually go there once a year with the kids, and they have such a great time. I would have to say that my favorite vacation so far was last year when we went to Alaska; seeing humpback whales bubble net feeding was absolutely amazing. That said, I also love a good beach or cruise vacation.

What is the most interesting/unique fact about yourself that few people know?
I’m not sure if this is really all that interesting, but I’m an only child and I grew up in a very small town in southern Illinois. When I was growing up, I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I have an intense fear of snakes (and a dislike of anything with scales instead of fur), so I decided dealing with humans might be a better path.

College Connections
One Year, Two Missions, Three Lessons

by Traiana M Mangum, PharmD Candidate 2016, Chicago State University College of Pharmacy

In February, I returned from my second successful international medical mission trip with a Southside Chicago-based non-profit organization called International American Medical Mission (IAMM). With an interprofessional team of physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, nurses, a nutritionist, a pharmacist, and evangelists, we served over 1,500 people in three countries (Jamaica, Santo Domingo, and Haiti) during the last year.  

Each mission lasts for one week; about five clinic days and two travel days. Generally, the team sets out at 6 am to travel to the site, set up a makeshift clinic, and see between 100-150 patients daily. Each mission site is different. In Jamaica, the mission site was a local church in a neighboring parish of Kingston. While in Santo Domingo and Haiti, the mission site changed daily and was anything from a tent to volunteer’s home. It was amazing to see this group transform any place into a fully operating clinic.

While traveling with this team, I have learned some invaluable lessons. The following are a reflection of the lessons learned during these experiences: 

1. There aren’t any beaches in Kingston.  
One of the many things I was excited about when traveling to my first mission was the idea of exploring a different country and relaxing on the beautiful, sandy beaches of Jamaica. In my mind, spending nearly $1000 to cover the cost of the trip translated to a vacation. The first thing I asked my pharmacy director was, “Where is the beach”? She said, “They don’t have beaches in Kingston. The closest beach is about 30 minutes away.”  I was a bit confused; I had not done my research on the city of Kingston.  Kingston is known as the “hustle and bustle” or urban-business capital of Jamaica. It is very easy to get more excited about the travel than the purpose of the mission. The lesson here is to do your research on the demographic that you are serving and health-system you are entering. Know about the area that surrounds them, their government, and the country’s history and the challenges they face. It helps tremendously. Without an understanding of the people, you cannot connect. I will always remember that there are no beaches in Kingston.

2. Pharmacists are a valued member of the healthcare team. We are a necessity
Our pharmacy team consisted of one pharmacist, who was the pharmacy director, and me, a student pharmacist. Organizing the pharmacy aspect of a medical mission that serves such a large amount of people can be a daunting task for two. In the months prior to the mission, the pharmacy team was responsible for preparing the formulary and pharmacy supplies. With a lack of funding and different medication regulations required by the country’s Ministry of Health, the formulary can be a challenge within itself. A formulary is developed for each mission site’s unique medication needs. The pharmacy director uses a combination of the most commonly treated illnesses, quantity of medications leftover from the previous year, and current health issues within the country to create the formulary.

During the mission, the pharmacy team is also faced with several challenges. The normal flow of the clinic involves registering the patient, followed by nurse triage, followed by an examination  by the provider. The provider’s notes and prescriptions are sent to the pharmacy for filling, and the pharmacy team proceeds to dispense and counsel on the medication. The pharmacist and I must also be available to answer the provider’s questions and resolve any issues with drug shortage/substitution. In addition, the pharmacy team is held accountable for all unused medications at the close of clinic. This requires a count of all medications, proper disposal, and storage of leftover supplies. Consequently, we must be assisted by non-pharmacy and/or non-healthcare professionals in all areas.  

Up until about three years ago, the IAMM team had operated without a pharmacist. Medication management was left to other healthcare professionals. Prior to my arrival one year ago, the pharmacist worked without any other pharmacy professionals. Imagine that!  According to the mission director, the addition of pharmacy to the team has made a tremendous difference. Clinic flow is more efficient, medication dispensing is safer, and medication expenses have decreased. Yet, there is still room for growth.

It is a common misconception that pharmacists are not needed on medical missions because many foreign countries loosely regulate medications. Not only is IAMM in need of pharmacy professionals, but there are still several non-profit organizations without pharmacy professionals. There are great opportunities out there for pharmacists and pharmacy students to take the lead and create a niche within international medical mission groups. This is one of the many ways pharmacy professionals can make a global health impact. 

3. International medical missions are a calling
Serving on an international medical mission can be extremely hard, both physically and mentally. In the absence of electricity and clean water sources, it is even harder. Only a passion to serve the underserved will carry you through the toughest of conditions. Find a mission team that shares your passion and values, and serve.  If you recognize the same passion amongst your peers, invite them along.

I was taught that the opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity. As I look back on my international mission experience, I can honestly say that is has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. A simple volunteer experience at a local church turned into the opportunity of a lifetime. If you have ever considered serving on an international medical mission, I would strongly encourage it. Furthermore, if you have any questions or advice on how to get involved, feel free to email me at tmangum@csu.edu. More information about IAMM can be found at www.iammonline.net.

More

Welcome New Members!



New Member
Joelitta Ansong

 Recruiter
Jordan Faison
Ngozi Anumba
David Benner
Jacqueline Brown
William Budris Noelle Chapman
Holly CaSarrubias
Vita Davis
Amanda Dugal
Muriel Forbes
Chastity Franklin
Juli Halvorsen
Deanna Horner Jennifer Splawski
Nwaka Ifudu Matt Hoch
Milena Kalcina
Yasmyn Knight
Nicholas Kouri
Eun Lee
Missy Maiorano
Mollie McMullen
Dipale Patel
Edward Principe Jordan Faison
Hannah Randall
Sarah Reposh
Adelia Ruiz
Kayla Schell
Sunny Shajan Kimberly Spencer
Dennis Shields
Susan Singer
Michelle Smith
Kaelyn Smith
Jessica Trzinski

Officers and Board of Directors

LINDA FRED 
President
217-383-3253 
linda.fred@carle.com

MIKE FOTIS 
Immediate Past President 
michael.fotis@northwestern.edu 

JENNIFER PHILLIPS 
President-Elect 
630-515-7167 
jphillips@midwestern.edu 

GINGER ERTEL 
Treasurer 
660-342-5022 
gertel@msn.com 

CHARLENE HOPE
Secretary
708-783-5933

TRAVIS HUNERDOSSE 
Director, Educational Affairs 
thunerdo@nmh.org

CARRIE VOGLER
Director, Marketing Affairs
217-545-5394

DESI KOTIS 
Director, Professional Affairs
312-926-6961 
dkotis@nmh.org

KATHY KOMPERDA 
Director, Organizational Affairs 
630-515-6168 
kkompe@midwestern.edu

KATHRYN SCHULTZ
Director, Government Affairs
312-926-6961

MIKE WEAVER 
Chairman, House of Delegates 
815-599-6113 
mweaver@fhn.org

ANA FERNANDEZ
Technician Representative
312-926-6980

DAVID TJHIO
 
Chairman, Committee on Technology 
816-885-4649 
david.tjhio@cerner.com

BRANDI STRADER
Chairman, New Practitioners Network
217-544-6464

JACOB GETTIG 
Editor & Chairman, KeePosted Committee 
630-515-7324 fax: 630-515-6958 
jgetti@midwestern.edu 

JENNIFER PHILLIPS 
Assistant Editor, KeePosted 
630-515-7167 
jphillips@midwestern.edu 

SCOTT MEYERS 
Executive Vice President, ICHP Office 
815-227-9292 
scottm@ichpnet.org 

Regional Directors

NOELLE CHAPMAN 
Regional Director North
312-926-2547
nchapman@nmh.org 

JENNIFER ARNOLDI 
Regional Director Central 
jennifer.arnoldi@st-johns.org 

LYNN FROMM 
Co-Regional Director South
618-391-5539

TARA VICKERY GORDEN 
Co-Regional Director South
618-643-2361 x2330
tvgordon@hmhospital.org

Student Chapter Presidents

KEVIN CHANG 
President, Student Chapter
University of IL C.O.P. 
kchang29@uic.edu 

JULIA SAPOZHNIKOV 
Student Chapter Liaison
University of IL C.O.P. 
sapozhn1@uic.edu

NEHA KAPUR 
President, Rockford Student Chapter 
University of IL C.O.P. 
kapur4@uic.edu

CAROLYN TOY 
President, Student Chapter
Midwestern University C.O.P. 
ctoy59@midwestern.edu

MARIA LAURA ITUAH
 
President, Student Chapter 
Chicago State University C.O.P. 
mituah@csu.edu

KIMBERLEE KABBES 
President, Student Chapter 
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville S.O.P
kikabbe@siue.edu

COURTNEY MAKOWSKI 

President, Student Chapter 
Roosevelt University C.O.P. 
cmakowski@mail.roosevelt.edu

AMANDA OUTINEN 
President, Student Chapter 
Rosalind Franklin University C.O.P. 
Amanda.outinen@my.rfums.org


ICHP Affiliates 


GARY PEKSA
 
President, Northern IL Society (NISHP)

JULIA SCHIMMELPFENNIG 
President, Metro East Society (MESHP) 
jschimmelpfen@sebh.org 

MEGAN METZKE 
President, Sangamiss Society 
memiller8@yahoo.com

ED RAINVILLE
 
President, West Central Society (WSHP) 
309-655-7331x 
ed.c.rainville@osfhealthcare.org

Vacant Roles at Affiliates — 
President, Rock Valley Society; Southern IL Society; Sugar Creek Society

ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund (PAC) Contributors

Names below reflect donations between July 1, 2014 and July 1, 2015. Giving categories reflect each person's cumulative donations since inception.

ADVOCACY ALLIANCE - $2500-$10000
Kevin Colgan
Edward Donnelly
Dave Hicks
Frank Kokaisl
Scott Meyers
Michael Novario

LINCOLN LEAGUE - $1000-$2499
Scott Bergman
Andrew Donnelly
Ginger Ertel
Linda Fred
James Owen Consulting Inc.
Ann Jankiewicz
Jan Keresztes
Kathy Komperda
Despina Kotis
William McEvoy
Michael Rajski
Edward Rickert
Christina Rivers
Michael Short
Carrie Sincak
Miriam Mobley-Smith
Avery Spunt
Michael Weaver
Patricia Wegner
Thomas Westerkamp

CAPITOL CLUB - $500-$999
Sheila Allen
Margaret Allen
Rauf Dalal 
Drury Lane Theater
Leonard Kosiba
George MacKinnon
Janette Mark
Jennifer Phillips
Edward Rainville
JoAnn Stubbings
Jill Warszalek

GENERAL ASSEMBLY GUILD - $250-$499
Tom Allen
Peggy Bickham
Jaime Borkowski
Sandra Durley
Nancy Fjortoft
Michael Fotis
Travis Hunerdosse
Zahra Khudeira
Ann Kuchta
Mary Lee
Gloria Meredith
Justin Schneider 
Kathryn Schultz
Kristi Stice
Heidi Sunday
Alan Weinstein

SPRINGFIELD SOCIETY - $100-$249
Jen Arnoldi
Jerry Bauman
Jill Borchert
Donna Clay
Mark Deaton
Gireesh Gupchup
Joann Haley
Joan Hardman
Glenna Hargreaves
Charlene Hope
Robert Hoy
Diana Isaacs
Kim Janicek
Stan Kent
Kati Kwasiborski
Kristopher Leja
George Lyons
Ronald Miller
New Practitioners Network
Karen Nordstrom
Peggy Reed
Katie Ronald
Brandi Strader
Jennifer Tryon
Tara Vickery-Gorden
Carrie Vogler
Marie Williams
William Wuller
Cindy Wuller

GRASSROOTS GANG - $50-$99
Brett Barker
Jeanne Durley
Mary Eilers
Lara Ellinger
Clara Gary
Kim Lim
Mark Luer
Bella Maningat
Milena McLaughlin
Megan Metzke
Mark Ruscin
Stacy Schmittling
Lucas Stoller
Dave Willman
Janeen Winneke
Amanda Wolff

CONTRIBUTOR - $1-$49
Renee Advincula
Yinka Alaka
Anchalee Ardharn
Lisa Ball
Roger Ball
Marci Batsakis
Greg Biedron
Amy Boblitt
Gunchoo Chadha
Kathy Cimakasky
Mardhia Dayisi
Andreea Ducu
Veronica Flores
Deb Fox
Janice Frueh
Crystin Gloude
Linda Grider
Alisa Groesch
Rebekah Hanson
Margaret Heger
Ina Henderson
Carol Heunisch
Brian Hoff
Julie Kasap
Dijana Keljalic
Nehrin Khamo
Josephine Kochou
Huda-Marie Kuttab
Chris Little
Kristopher Lozanovski
Laura Mazzone
Robert Miller
Katherine Miller
Kit Moy
Syed Munawer
Whitney Palecek
Hina Patel
Julio Rebolledo
Abby Reeder
Cheryl Scantlen
Elba Sertuche
Hannah Sheley
Chris Shoemaker
Carrie Silverman
Theophilus Simon
Jennifer Splawski
Gloria Sporleder
David Tjhio
Michael Wilcox
Christina Yates
Thomas Yu

Upcoming Events

Visit the ICHP Calendar for the most up-to-date events!Visit the ICHP Calendar for the most up-to-date events!

Wednesday, July 1
Submission Deadline! 2015 Best Practice Award Entries

July Champion Webinar
Champion Webinar on Enoxaprin Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Pediatric Patients

Tuesday, July 14 at 3 pm & Thursday, July 23 at 12 pm
Champion Webinar on Enoxaparin Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Pediatric Patients (Pharmacist-specific)

Thursday, July 16
SSHP Night at the Ballpark
Springfield Sliders vs. West Virginia Miners
Springfield Sliders Baseball Club | Springfield, IL

Saturday, July 18th 7:45am-3pm
Habitat for Humanity Women Build
119th & S Union Ave in the West Pullman neighborhood in Chicago

Tuesday, July 28th 6pm-8:30pm
CPRN Meeting
Francesca's on Taylor | 1400 W. Taylor St. | Chicago, IL

Thursday, July 30 6pm-7:30pm
CPE Program Metro East
Millenium Room | Southern Illinois Heart Institute | St. Elizabeth's Hospital | 340 W. Lincoln St. | Chicago, IL 

Thursday, September 10 - Saturday, September 12
ICHP 2015 Annual Meeting
Pharmacist & Technician-specific CPE programming
Drury Lane Conference Center | Oakbrook Terrace, IL

KeePosted Standard Ads - 2015 July

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