Official Newsjournal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

ICHP KeePosted

November 2021

Volume 47 Issue 4

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
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

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

ACCOUNTANTS
Jan Mark and Trisha Blassage

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Amanda Wolff

LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANT

Jim Owen

ICHP Mission Statement
Advancing Excellence in 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 © 2016 Thinkstock, a division of Getty Images.

Features

Call for Entries: 2016 Best Practice Award

The objective of the Best Practice Award program is to encourage the development of innovative or creative pharmacy practice programs or innovative approaches to existing pharmacy practice challenges in health systems within the state of Illinois.

Applicants will be judged on their descriptions of programs and practices employed in their health system based on the following criteria:

Innovativeness / originality
Contribution to improving patient care
Contribution to institution and pharmacy practice
Scope of project
Quality of submission

If you have any questions related to the program please contact Trish Wegner at trishw@ichpnet.org.

Previous Winners

2015
Kuntal Patel, Pharm.D., Pavel Prusakov, and Heather Vaule
“Osteopenia of Prematurity (aka Better Bones for Babies)”

2014
Arti Phatak, Pharm.D.; Brooke Ward, Pharm.D., BCPS; Rachael Prusi, Pharm.D.; Elizabeth Vetter, Pharm.D.; Michael Postelnick, BS Pharm, BCPS (AQ Infectious Diseases); and Noelle Chapman, Pharm.D., BCPS

“Impact of Pharmacist Involvement in the Transitional Care of High-Risk Patients through Medication Reconciliation, Medication Education, and Post-Discharge Callbacks”

2013
Nicole Rabs, Pharm.D., Sarah M. Wieczorkiewicz, Pharm.D., BCPS, Michael Costello, PhD, and Ina Zamfirova, BA

“Development of a Urinary-Specific Antibiogram for Gram Negative Isolates: Impact of Patient Risk Factors on Susceptibility”

2012
Kathryn Schiavo, Pharm.D.; George Carro RPh, MS, BCO; Abigail Harper, PharmD, BCOP; Betty Fang, PharmD; Palak Nanavati, PharmD
“Outpatient Oncology Treatment Center Approach to Enhancing Continuity of Care Related to Dispensing Oral Chemotherapeutic Agents”

Online entry form: http://ichpnet.org/pharmacy_practice/professional_practice/
best_practices/application_form/
Submission deadline: July 1, 2016

Eligibility
Applicants must be a member of ICHP practicing in a health system setting. More than one program can be submitted by a health system for consideration. Past submissions may be re-submitted if not previously given the award. Any new data should be included.

Instructions for preparing manuscript
Each entry for the Best Practice Award must include a manuscript prepared as a Word document, double-spaced using Times New Roman 12-pitch type. A header with the paper title and page number should appear on each page. The manuscript should not exceed 2000 words in length (not counting references), plus no more than a total of 6 supplemental graphics (tables, graphs, pictures, etc.) that are relevant to the program. Each picture, graph, figure, and table should be mentioned in the text and prepared as a separate document clearly labeled.

The manuscript should be organized as a descriptive report using the following headings:

Introduction, Purpose, and Goals of the program
Description of the program
Experience with and outcomes of the program
Discussion of innovative aspects of programs and achievement of goals
Conclusion

Format
Submissions will only be accepted via online submission form. The manuscript will be forwarded to a pre-defined set of reviewers. Please do not include the names of the authors or affiliations in the manuscript to preserve anonymity.

All applicants will be notified of their status within three weeks of the submission deadline. Should your program be chosen as the winner:

The program will be featured at the ICHP Annual Meeting. You will need to prepare a poster to present your program and/or give a verbal presentation. Guidelines will be sent to the winner.
You will be asked to electronically submit your manuscript to the ICHP KeePosted for publishing. This program will be accredited for CPE and will require that you complete material for ACPE accreditation.
You will receive a complimentary registration to the ICHP Annual Meeting, recognition at the meeting and a monetary award distributed to your institution.

Non-winning submissions may also be considered for publication in the ICHP KeePosted, but your permission will be obtained beforehand.

Thank you to PharMEDium for providing a grant for the 2016 Best Practice Award!

It’s Back!
The ICHP Pharmacy Action “Auction With A Twist”

by Scott A. Meyers, ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund Treasurer

Last year’s “Toss for Treasure” fundraiser for the Illinois Pharmacy Action Fund at the ICHP Annual Meeting was a great success, but back by popular demand this year is the beloved “Auction With A Twist”! Truly the most successful of the ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund fundraising events, raising nearly $18,000 total the previous four times it was held!

To refresh your memories, or in case you’re new to ICHP this year, the “Auction With A Twist” is technically a Chinese auction featuring outstanding prizes donated by ICHP members, pharmacy departments, colleges of pharmacy and other friends of ICHP. A Chinese auction is a combination of a raffle and an auction. The difference between a raffle and a Chinese auction is that in a raffle with multiple prizes, there is one “hat” from which names are drawn for all prizes. That means you may win something you don’t want or need, but in a Chinese auction each prize has its own “hat” (or in our case a mason jar). This allows participants purchase their tickets and choose which prize or prizes to focus on, as opposed to having a first, second, or third prize, etc.

Each of the previous “Auctions With A Twist” featured more than 40 different prizes that included a flat screen TV; iPads; Microsoft Surface; iPod Touches; Apple TV; Kindles; Nooks; tickets to the White Sox, Cubs and Bulls; lawn chairs; text books; college logo gear; a weekend getaway; ICHP logo gear; handmade jewelry; golf clubs; a special round of golf; one-of-a-kind paintings; framed photographs; a variety of gift baskets and cards; and even a backyard cookout. The online “Pre-Auction” provides ICHP members who can’t get to the ICHP Annual Meeting with the same chances to win these great prizes. So everyone has a chance to win! We would love to have you there on that Saturday of the Annual Meeting, so you can take possession of your prizes and immediately begin to enjoy them, but previous year’s online winners can verify that you can win and you will receive your prizes!

A great way to participate in this year’s Auction, is to team up with your ICHP colleagues to donate even bigger prizes by pooling contributions. A donation of $25 from you and 15 co-workers could purchase all kinds of great prizes: TVs, an iPad, Surface or the tablet of your choice. $50 donations from you and 9 of your colleagues could purchase a really large flat screen TV if you’re a savvy shopper! Providing a contribution from your pharmacy department will earn recognition and appreciation from all of your pharmacy colleagues, create some good-natured competition with other pharmacy departments around the state, and will still provide each contributor with the individual recognition as an ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund donor. Individual contributors are certainly welcomed, too. Whether the prize is a gift you’d like to win yourself or if you have a special talent, hobby or skill and want to share with your pharmacy colleagues, auction it off to help the ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund and the pharmacy profession. Gift baskets of all types, gift cards, spa visits, theater tickets, music CDs, movie DVDs, designer purses, sports memorabilia, and much more are reasonable individual gifts that will draw lots of attention and even more tickets from prospective prize winners. Your imagination is the only limit on what prizes will raise the most excitement at this year’s “Auction With A Twist”!

With the ICHP Annual Meeting held on September 15-17, the prizes should be received by ICHP no later than August 22nd so that we can photograph each prize and place it and a description on the ICHP website for “Pre-Auction” bidding that takes place two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting. Once you've decided what prize you're donating, please email us at members@ichpnet.org so we can list your prize on the website. If you plan to provide a special prize and have logistical concerns, please contact the ICHP office (815-227-9292) for guidance. If you have a unique prize but aren’t sure it will draw the bids worthy of its value, give us a call, too. We’ll be happy to tell you what was hot and what was not in in the past!

Tickets for the “Auction With A Twist” may be purchased online beginning on August 29th and ending on September 12th, or they may be purchased in person at the Annual Meeting all day Thursday and Friday, September 15th and 16th and until 11:00 AM on Saturday, September 17th. Tickets purchased online will be placed in the mason jars of your choice before the Annual Meeting, and the jars will be thoroughly shaken each day of the Annual Meeting and just before the drawing is made. Prize winners will be announced at the Saturday Awards Luncheon, but you need not be present to win.

Help us make this year’s “Auction With A Twist” an even greater success than in the past and hopefully win a prize or two of your own. It’s a fun way to get into the act of advocacy for the profession!

Nominate the Best!
ICHP Awards Process Opens

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

It’s that time of year. ICHP is looking for Illinois Pharmacy’s best and brightest! The nominations process for the 2016 ICHP Pharmacist of the Year and Amy Lodolce Mentorship Award recipients is open, and it’s your chance to recommend someone you know. The process is different for both awards, so let’s start with ICHP’s highest honor, the Pharmacist of the Year.

Pharmacist of the Year Award

A Pharmacist of the Year nominee should meet the following criteria:

The nominee is a person of high moral character, good citizenship and high professional ideals;
The nominee has made significant contributions affecting the practice of health-system pharmacy throughout the State; and
These contributions should be in the form of sustained exemplary service in health-system pharmacy or a single outstanding achievement, or a combination of accomplishments benefiting health-system pharmacy, through it, humanity and the public health. These accomplishments, achievements, or outstanding performances may be in the following areas:

Health-system pharmacy practice
Health-system pharmacy education
Health-system pharmacy administration
Pharmaceutical research or development related to health-system pharmacy
Pharmacy organizational activity with a definite relationship to health-system pharmacy
Scientific or professional pharmacy writing, e.g., noteworthy articles on pharmaceutical subjects with applicability to health-system pharmacy
Pharmaceutical journalism related to health-system pharmacy
Public and/or inter-professional relations activities benefiting health-system pharmacy
Pharmacy law or legislation, professional regulations, standards of professional conduct or pharmacy law enforcement as related to health-system pharmacy.

Nominations may be received from Selection Committee members (past recipients of the award), past Presidents of the Council, affiliated chapters of the Council or any six active members of the Council submitting and signing a recommendation. Nominators are encouraged to write a complete nomination letter and submit it to the ICHP office at scottm@ichpnet.org. Nominations should include the name of the nominee and details describing how they meet the above criteria. This year’s Selection Committee Chair is last year’s recipient, Mike Rajski. All nominations will be forwarded to the Selection Committee for review.

Amy Lodolce Mentorship Award

Amy Lodolce was a University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy faculty member who touched the lives of pharmacy students, residents, and colleagues through her passion for teaching and the profession of pharmacy. Throughout her time at the college, Amy oversaw the training of four PGY2 drug information pharmacy residents, all of whom are currently drug information faculty at various institutions. She worked directly with numerous PGY1 residents and APPE students during their drug information rotations. She also served as a formal mentor to her student advisees and was the advisor of the Phi Delta Chi pharmacy fraternity for many years. As the Assistant Director of the Drug Information Group, Amy served as an informal mentor to other faculty and was quick to help new faculty become oriented and situated.

Amy approached being a leader and a mentor with an “open door” policy, and she would selflessly pause her work to address others’ needs. Students, residents, and faculty alike would ask her for guidance with career decisions and other professional concerns. Amy was respectful and nonjudgmental in her approach when assisting others whose goals and aspirations may have been different from her own. Her dedication was exemplary in that she worked tirelessly to provide residents and students with quality learning opportunities. She led and coached by example, consciously choosing behaviors that she hoped students and residents would emulate. An active pharmacist member of ICHP, Amy placed emphasis on professional organization involvement and giving back to the profession. Amy’s dedication and generosity to the profession of pharmacy have positively shaped many pharmacists’ careers, and the memory of her will continue to do so.

Award Criteria:

The individual nominated to receive this award must be an ICHP pharmacist, associate or technician member in good standing;
The individual should be an exemplary preceptor, professor and/or mentor of students, residents, pharmacy technicians and/or new practitioners;
The individual should be a positive role model for pharmacists, pharmacy students and/or pharmacy technicians;
In order to be considered for the award, individuals must have been nominated using the approved nomination form below;
More than one person may complete a nomination form for an individual.

To nominate someone for the Amy Lodolce Mentorship Award:

Please provide your name(s), i.e., the name of the nominator(s). (More than one person can nominate a nominee).
Provide the name of the person you are nominating. In addition, the nominee’s curriculum vitae must be included in the nomination package.
Please answer the following questions about the nominee:
a. Is the nominee a member of ICHP?
b. In what capacity have you worked with the nominee?
c. In what ways do you see the nominee working to advance the profession of pharmacy?
d. Give some examples of ways in which this nominee is a model mentor/preceptor.
e. Give some examples in which this nominee has demonstrated a service to community (outside of job responsibilities).
f. How has this nominee impacted your career?

Completed nominations should be sent by July 1, 2016, to Scott Meyers at scottm@ichpnet.org or to the ICHP office by fax at 815-227-9294 or mail to 4055 N. Perryville Rd., Loves Park, IL 61111.

We’re Looking For a Few Good Men…. And Women!
How Would You Like To Run For An ICHP Office?

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

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 office of President. So every year the ICHP Committee on Nominations searches for new leaders who are ready to step up to carry on the business of the Council and who are dedicated to ICHP’s Mission of Advancing Excellence in Pharmacy.

This year is no exception. We are looking for a cadre of candidates to fill the following offices:

President-elect

Treasurer-elect

Chair of the House

Director-elect of Division of Government Affairs

Director-elect of the Division of Professional Affairs

Director-elect of the Division of Organizational Affairs

Central Region Director-elect

Northern Region Director-elect

Southern Region Director-elect

NPN Chair-elect

The election isn’t until this fall, so you have a little time to make up your mind. But once you decide to run or you would like to know more about an office before committing to run, you may contact the Committee on Nominations Chair, Linda Fred at Linda.Fred@carle.com or ICHP’s Executive Vice President, Scott Meyers at scottm@ichpnet.org. We hope you are ready to run and take the lead for ICHP and Pharmacy!

Represent Your Part of the State
Affiliate Delegates Sought for ICHP House in September

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

Summer hasn’t even officially started yet, but we’re already looking for a few good women and men to represent their local affiliates in this year’s ICHP House of Delegates in the fall. The House will meet on Thursday evening, September 15th at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace during the first day of the ICHP Annual Meeting.

Delegates must be pharmacist members of ICHP and must be elected by their local affiliate. The ICHP office will be happy to coordinate affiliate elections for any affiliate with interested candidates. Voting members of the ICHP Board of Directors and Past Presidents of ICHP are already qualified as delegates, so this is a great chance for members who would like to get more involved in ICHP’s governance to step forward and run. Every affiliate may seat at least two delegates for the first 50 pharmacist members and one additional delegate per additional 50 pharmacist members to a maximum delegation of 10 seated delegates. Here is the 2016 apportionment of the House based on the January 2016 membership report:

Metro East Society of Health-System Pharmacists	2 delegates
Northern Illinois Society of Health-System Pharmacists	10 delegates
Rock Valley Society of Health-System Pharmacists	2 delegates
Sangamiss Society of Health-System Pharmacists	3 delegates
Southern Illinois Society of Health-System Pharmacists	2 delegates
Sugar Creek Society of Health-System Pharmacists	2 delegates
West Central Illinois Society of Health-System Pharmacists	3 delegates

To express your interest in serving as a delegate in this year’s Annual Meeting, please email the ICHP office at members@ichpnet.org by the end of June. Elections will occur in July via electronic voting. Please make sure your email server whitelists @ichpnet.org so that you receive a ballot, even if you are not interested in running for this position.

Seated delegates are elected by their own affiliate, and if there are additional candidates who are not elected, they will be designated as alternates and may serve as a delegate (in the order of most votes received) if an elected delegate cannot serve for any reason. Delegates must register for the Annual Meeting in order to serve; however, those who do serve qualify for a 50% Annual Meeting Registration refund following the Annual Meeting and upon completion of the appropriate form. The form will be distributed following the Annual Meeting.

For more information on the duties of a delegate, please watch this video.

Reflections on the ICHP Spring Meeting

by Trish Wegner, BS Pharm, PharmD, FASHP

“Find a Leader: Look in the Mirror!” was the theme for the Spring Meeting. Our hope is that attendees were able to pick up some additional skills to hone their leadership qualities. President Jen Phillips said this in her inaugural address: What I have come to learn over time is that great leaders are not born, they are made. No one is born a great leader (just like no one is born knowing pharmacokinetics, or pharmacy law or how to counsel a patient on an inhaler). We learn these concepts in a classroom, but it is through practice, practice, and more practice, that we are able to continuously refine them. Leadership works the same way. Sure, there may be people who are naturally good at some aspects of leadership – like organizational skills, communication skills, team-building skills, etc. However, rarely do we find someone who is naturally good at everything. Leadership, just like any other set of skills, requires some basic education followed by opportunities to hone and practice those skills.¹ The goal of the meeting was not only to provide hands on clinical information but also to provide tools to become better leaders.

Both the opening and closing keynotes focused on providing key leadership skills. Many think that a leader has to have a high IQ to be successful, yet Daniel Goleman is quoted as saying, “The most effective leaders are all alike in one crucial way: they all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence….Without it a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but he still won’t make a great leader.”² So what is emotional intelligence (EI)? It is the ability to accurately perceive your own and others’ emotions; to understand the signals that emotions send about relationships; and to manage your own and others’ emotions.²

People with high EI:³

1) understand and manage emotions

2) make better leaders

3) deal with stress

4) overcome obstacles

5) inspire others to work toward a common goal

6) manage conflict with less fallout

7) build stronger teams

8) are happier at work

Is it possible to develop or augment your own EI? Yes! McKee says there are five steps to developing EI:⁴

1) develop a personal dream for your future

2) craft a clear and compelling vision of a future

3) get a reality check from others

4) prepare a gap analysis

5) develop a learning plan

For more information, refer to Dr. Jennifer Tryon’s presentation which has a reference list on EI. You can still find the handouts on the Spring Meeting page of the ICHP website. You can also listen to the recording of her presentation also available on the website (Coming Soon!).

The closing keynote by Ashley Dittmar focused on crucial conversations. We all are faced with them but most of us don’t like having them because we are not trained on how to conduct effective communication. So what makes a crucial conversation? There are usually three elements: 1) it is a high stakes topic, 2) it includes opposing opinions, and 3) it involves strong emotions.⁵ Being able to navigate through a crucial conversation impacts both our personal and professional lives. As healthcare providers, we must speak up if we see an error in order to safeguard our patients. Ms. Dittmar referenced a study conducted by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses called the “Silence Kills” study.⁶ The study identified seven common and devastating crucial conversations: 1) broken rules, 2) mistakes, 3) lack of support, 4) incompetence, 5) poor teamwork, 6) disrespect, and 7) micromanagement. Dittmar commented that in the study, 84% of physicians and 62% of nurses and other clinical-care providers see some of their coworkers taking shortcuts potentially dangerous to patients. So how do you deal with crucial conversations? Attendees went through various group activities surrounding “Unbundling with CPR” and “Making it Safe”. CPR stands for Content, Pattern and Relationship. Make it Safe involves mutual respect and mutual purpose. Refer to Dittmar’s slides or research references related to crucial conversations.

Sandwiched between the keynotes were several interesting topics focusing on management, pharmacy practice and clinical issues. ICHP, for the first time, accredited the poster presentations for continuing pharmacy education. There were 24 posters accepted for presentation. Attendees could receive a total of two hours of CPE credit by reviewing and speaking with poster presenters. Ninety-four percent (94%) of attendees said they appreciated the new CPE format of the poster session. Congratulations to the winners for the poster and platform presentations:

Platform Presentation

Bryan C. McCarthy, Pharm.D., MS, BCPS

The University of Chicago Medicine

Economic impact of adverse drug events resulting in patient harm using hospital chargemaster data in 2014-2015

Original Research

Lianna Serbas, Pharm.D.

Captain James A. Lovell FHCC

Evaluation of fall risk in dementia patients on an atypical antipsychotic in the VA population

Encore

Whitnee Caldwell, Pharm.D.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Implementation of decentralized pharmacy technicians to improve medication delivery and nursing satisfaction

Student

Anna Aidonis, Pharm.D. Candidate, 2016

Hemangini Shah, Pharm.D. Candidate, 2016

Chicago State University College of Pharmacy

Retrospective analysis of osteoporosis risk factors among the Chinese population

Another first for the Spring Meeting was a reverse exhibit program where our vendor partners can visit with key leaders from member hospitals. This provides additional revenue so that ICHP can keep meeting registration fees as low as possible. At our traditional Exhibit Program we had 34 booths! Many thanks to our vendors for exhibiting with us and also special thanks to Astellas Pharma US, Inc. for being a Pearl Sponsor.

The leaders of the PAC showed up in spades, even though the card game was Hearts at the ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund fundraiser. Donors competed for prizes during the Hearts tournament while listening to 60s music including Leader of the Pack by the Shangri-Las. Ginger Ertel had the winning hand, but no one went empty handed. The function raised $2,000 to help ICHP’s legislative voice and offered participants a collegial way to spend the Friday night of the meeting. Be sure to take part in the “Auction with a Twist” during the Annual Meeting this fall!

Saturday’s lunch hosted a “Town Hall Meeting” where meeting attendees were supplied a brief update on Council activities from President Jen Phillips, who then opened the floor for comments and questions. Notes from the Town Hall are posted on the ICHP website.

Under the leadership of the ICHP President, kudos go to the Spring Meeting Planning Committee for organizing a great meeting. Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in discussion. Participant evaluations demonstrated that 100% agreed that their educational needs were maximized. Here are a few comments from different types of practitioners who attended:

The ICHP Spring meeting was highly educational and well organized. The speakers were well informed and friendly. Lots of great networking opportunities.
The Meeting was run well and organized. Good programming facilities. I liked the additional CE for the poster session. Great idea to highlight the poster session and draw in more to participate and view posters.
I really appreciated the opportunity to present as a PGY1. I enjoyed the town hall over lunch and having the meeting in East Peoria. I also appreciated the use of Turning Point as an interactive tool.
I personally enjoyed the speakers and their topics at the Spring Meeting. Emotional Intelligence, Crucial Conversations, and Successfully Leading Change in Healthcare Organizations were very informative. I, along with my fellow UIC students, learned so many things regarding leadership that we will be able to apply to our path in becoming student leaders. So, we'd like to give thanks to you and your committee for planning the Spring Meeting.

Hopefully each person could look in the mirror after the meeting and recognize that they are leaders! What a great reflection.

Join us again for our Annual Meeting September 15th to the 17th at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace to realize that “Leadership Is Not Just for Leaders.”

References

Phillips J. Leadership: It’s Not Just for Leaders. KeePosted 2015; 41(9).
Ovans A. How Emotional Intelligence Became a Key Leadership Skill. HBR 2015; Apr 28:1-6.
McKee A. How to Hire for Emotional Intelligence. HBR 2016; Feb 5:1-5.
McKee A. How to Help Someone Develop Emotional Intelligence. HBR 2015; Apr 24:1-6.
Patterson K, Grenny J, McMilan R, Switzler A. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1976.
Maxfield D, Grenny J, McMillan R, Patterson K, Switzler A. 2005. Silence Kills: The Seven Crucial Conversations for Healthcare. VitalSmarts Industry Watch. Retrieved from: http://www.silenttreatmentstudy.com/silencekills/SilenceKills.pdf

Columns

President's Message
Survival Skills

by Jen Phillips, PharmD, BCPS, ICHP President

This past weekend, my seven-year old son, Ben, and I embarked on a great adventure. We spent the weekend camping with other members of his Cub Scout Pack in Potato Creek State Park in North Liberty, Indiana. It was Ben’s first time camping, and he was beyond excited to spend two nights sleeping in a tent and to discover the wonders of nature.

During the weekend, the boys spent some time with a nature specialist, Vince, learning about all of the different types of birds and animals in the wild and even participating in the scheduled feedings of turtles, reptiles, and frogs. Vince also led a 90-minute, interactive, “survival skills” workshop with the boys. During this session, he helped the boys learn how to start a fire using just two sticks, how to identify edible plants, and how to build a durable debris shelter. The boys were fascinated by the information. So was I! I found this session to be very informative. You just never know when you might get stuck in the wild, and having this kind of knowledge in your back pocket could come in handy someday.

I started thinking about how this might parallel professional life, especially in the field of pharmacy. What type of “survival skills” do we need in order to make it through those hectic workdays, yet still provide compassionate and informed care to our patients? At the start of the survival skills workshop, Vince mentioned that there are four things that are absolutely essential for survival. The first two essential things are food and water. Apparently, our bodies can only survive 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food. Without food and water, we lose the ability to function effectively, so finding replenishment options should be at the top on our priority list should we ever find ourselves stranded. Finding a sustainable source of food and water would be a great way to ensure long-term survival.

Within the profession of pharmacy, we can think of the profession-specific knowledge and skills as our “food and water” that are essential to our professional survival. Without these things, we would not be able to provide care to our patients. Tools such as continuing education (CE), continuous professional development (CPD), and professional certifications help provide a sustainable method to ensure long-term professional survival. These tools allow us to constantly replenish our knowledge and skills so that we can stay up-to-date on the latest developments in healthcare and ultimately pass this onto our patients. ICHP provides a lot of opportunities for professional “food and water” by offering CE programming in a variety of different formats: Champion webinars, Spring/Annual meetings, and local affiliate programming, to name a few. If you are “hungry or thirsty” for CE, I encourage you to attend one or more of these sessions.

The third thing Vince identified as essential to survival in the wild was shelter. Apparently, in unfriendly environmental conditions, humans can survive for only up to 3 hours. Thus, finding a durable shelter is important to protect us from wild animals and harsh weather conditions.

There are many potential corollaries to this in pharmacy, but one thing that I thought of immediately that fits nicely with the concept of shelter is professional networking. Having a strong network of individuals to rely on when we face various unknowns can offer us the support that we need to get through any new situation we are facing. Thus, it is important to remember to take time to build a strong professional network. If you are looking for ways to build your “shelter,” ICHP can help. ICHP offers many opportunities to build and grow a professional network, including: networks that meet in person and via conference call such as the New Practitioners Network (NPN), the Pharmacy Directors Network dinners, and the Clinical Practice and Research Network (CPRN), the newly implemented ICHPchat, and a strong social media presence. Did you know, for example, that ICHP has a Twitter account, an Instagram account, and a Facebook page? In addition, offering live CE programming several times a year at the Spring and Annual Meetings and through live affiliate programming allows members to interact in-person with other pharmacy professionals.

After reviewing the first three items that are essential to surviving in the wild, Vince asked the audience if anyone could guess the fourth thing. An answer immediately popped into my mind, but seeing as I was the person with the least wilderness experience, I didn’t say it. People guessed for a while, throwing out such ideas as fire, pocketknife, and clothing. Vince acknowledged that while all of these things were definitely helpful, they weren’t all essential. Vince asked us to close our eyes and picture ourselves lost in the woods. He then asked us, “In addition to food, water, and shelter, what would you want to have with you?” I figured it was time to throw my guess out there, so I did. “I would need to have a positive attitude, else my anxiety would get the best of me”, I said, half smiling. I was very surprised when Vince smiled too and said, “That is exactly right!”

He then proceeded to tell us stories of people who were stranded in the wild and didn’t make it. Some of these people had food, water, and shelter. However, they were unable to remain calm, which led to irrational decision-making and/or a feeling of desperation; both of which led to unfortunate consequences.

Many times, people underestimate the power of a positive mental attitude. Some consider it “frivolous,” but I think many would agree that when we feel our best, we do our best. And when we do our best, our patients benefit. I urge you to think about this the next time you find yourself having a hectic day. Sometimes, when you are overwhelmed and understaffed, it can feel like you are stranded in the wilderness. If this happens, remember there are only four essential things you need to survive in the pharmacy world: food (knowledge), water (skills), shelter (network), and a positive mental attitude.

Directly Speaking
ICHP Opens Its Advocacy Center

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

Jim Owen, ICHP’s Legislative Consultant in Springfield, and I have preached, pleaded and begged you, ICHP’s members, to get involved legislatively for years. We’ve asked you to contact your State Representative or State Senator or both on a variety of issues over those years, but unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do much to make it easy for you. Well, that’s all changed now. At its April Board of Directors’ Meeting, the ICHP Board approved a one-year contract with VoterVoice to create ICHP’s Advocacy Center on the ICHP website!

Now, when we ask you to send an email or make a call, we will provide you with a link to the Advocacy Center and the specific campaign for which we are engaged. On the Advocacy Center, you can look up your current State Rep or Senator (you know they may change this fall). We will provide you with a choice of templates for emails that clearly and succinctly describe our issue and our position so that all you will need to do is plug in your personal experiences, if you choose.

You may have seen services like this before with other campaigns for other organizations, but this particular service will make it absolutely easy to contact your legislators and the Governor if needed with a few clicks and a few words. I recommend that you go to the ICHP website (ichpnet.org) and visit the Advocacy page to find the Advocacy Center. I bet finding it will be as easy as using it! Sign in and explore. I’m frequently amazed at how many people can’t tell me who their State Senator and Representative is. Look up your legislators. Then you will know for the next time I run into you!

There are no campaigns out there now but there may be soon as the General Assembly is starting to move on many of the pharmacy issues. But you can still explore, complete your profile and get ready for some legislative action! In addition, this service will allow ICHP members to lobby the State agencies like IDFPR, IDPH, IDHFS and IDHS.

Finally, this exciting portal will be available for sharing with your non-member colleagues when a Red Hot pharmacy issue surfaces! ICHP has the option to offer this service to non-members and because many of your colleagues will be on your side when an issue arises, you will be able to forward them the call to action with the link to our Advocacy Center. Once they’ve done their professional duty, who knows, maybe they will decide that they want to be as smart as you and join ICHP, so they can receive this great information when you do.

This is a big step for ICHP, and the service will help us get our message out faster, stronger and clearer than ever. This new service will allow us to do the heavy lifting part of lobbying on an issue. All we will need from you is a few clicks, words, and minutes of your time whenever the need arises! Come visit the ICHP Advocacy Center and see.

Leadership Profile
Amy Boblitt, BS, PharmD

What is your current leadership position in ICHP?

President, Sangamiss Society of Health-System Pharmacists

What benefits do you see in being active in a professional association such as ICHP?

▪ Attending current meetings in order to enhance my clinical skills as a pharmacist
▪ Networking with other pharmacists and working together to strengthen our future as pharmacists

What initially motivated you to get involved in ICHP?

I attended a local CE dinner and had a wonderful time socializing and learning with peers and fellow pharmacists.

Where did you go to pharmacy school?

Purdue University (Boiler up!)

Where have you trained or worked?

I graduated from McKendree Univeristy with a Bachelors in Biology. I then continued my education at Purdue University and graduated with my Doctor of Pharmacy Degree. Throughout pharmacy school, I worked at CVS. Soon after graduation, I found my career path leading to hospital pharmacy. I took a position at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, IL and have worked there for 10 years now.

What special accomplishments have you achieved?

▪ Board Certification, Pharmacotherapy (BCPS)

▪ Medication Therapy Management Certificate

▪ ICHP Shining Star Award

Describe your current area of practice and practice setting:

I am currently the transplant pharmacist at Memorial Medical Center. I round with the transplant team, which consists of surgeons, nephrologists, residents, nurses, dieticians and social workers. I also review medication profiles on patients placed on the transplant waiting list. Additionally, I am the MTM pharmacist for the urology/nephrology floor. This role allows me the opportunity to directly work with physicians and nurses to enhance patient care. Some of my responsibilities include pharmacokinetic management, renal adjustment, high risk medication education and medication profile reviews.

Is there an individual you admire or look up to, or a mentor that has influenced your career?

My father. He has taught me to believe in myself and to never give up. He is an explicit example of one who gives back to their community and is passionate about working with others.

What advice would you give to student pharmacists?

▪ Never give up!
▪ Develop great time-management skills.
▪ Be as involved as you can. Join the New Practitioners Network or other committees to meet other students and pharmacists.

What pharmacy related issues keep you up at night?

Keeping myself educated with new medications and changes in current guidelines. I feel precepting pharmacy students and residents helps to sharpen my clinical skills and stay up to date with changes in pharmacy.

Do you have any special interests or hobbies outside of work?

▪ Camping with family and friends
▪ Coaching my kids’ sports teams

Do you have a favorite restaurant or food?

Bella Milano

What is your favorite place to vacation?

Disney World and anywhere with our camper!

What is the most interesting/unique fact about yourself that few people know?

I was voted ‘Most Athletic’ of my senior class. I still enjoy playing sports and running in my free time.

What 3 adjectives would people use to best describe you?

Empathetic, faithful, organized

Government Affairs Report
Things begin to move in April

by Jim Owen and Scott Meyers

With the return of the House after a nearly month long hiatus and the Senate after the Easter break, bills have begun to move quickly in Springfield. That is, all but bills related to the budget. It appears that a budget agreement may not occur until after the November election, but no one really knows for sure.

Bills that ICHP continues to watch are numerous and varied, but the bill most likely to make it all the way through the legislative process is SB3336, which started out on pharmacy’s (not just ICHP’s) unfavorable list but now very appears close to an acceptable vehicle for helping the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation protect the public from dangerous pharmacists and technicians. Initially requiring the establishment of a quality assurance program in each pharmacy that would collect medication error reports that would be accessible to Department staff for inspection, it has now changed to a mandatory reporting requirement of the PIC or pharmacy owner to report to the Department whenever a pharmacist, certified pharmacy technician or registered pharmacy technician is terminated for actions which may have threatened patient safety. These incidents are very rare and, in most cases of repeated medication errors, remediation and revisions of systems occurs long before termination is necessary. This is not a perfect solution, but it is far better than opening internal or PSO provided medication errors, protected by federal law, to the eyes of the Department.

A bill that could have as dramatic an impact, was supported by most of pharmacy, but has experienced much less support outside of pharmacy is HB5809, which would allow specially trained pharmacists to prescribe and dispense oral and patch hormonal contraceptives. The opposition comes, of course, from the Illinois State Medical Society and the Illinois Nurses Association while support comes from ICHP, IPhA and the Illinois Department of Public Health. The bill currently remains in the House Health Care Licenses Committee and, should it move out of the committee, ICHP will call on our members to email or phone their Illinois Representatives to support it.

Here is a list of all the bills ICHP will continue to monitor until the General Assembly adjourns.

2016 Illinois General Assembly Bill Summary

Bill No.	Sponsor	Summary	Status	Position
SB2177	Noland, D-Elgin	Creates the Illinois Universal Health Care Act. Provides that all individuals residing in the State are covered under the Illinois Health Services Program for health insurance. Sets forth the health coverage benefits that participants are entitled to under the Program. Sets forth the qualification requirements for participating health providers. Sets forth standards for provider reimbursement. Provides that it is unlawful for private health insurers to sell health insurance coverage that duplicates the coverage of the Program. Provides that investor-ownership of health delivery facilities is unlawful. Provides that the State shall establish the Illinois Health Services Trust to provide financing for the Program. Sets forth the requirements for claims billing under the Program. Provides that the Program shall include funding for long-term care services and mental health services. Provides that the Program shall establish a single prescription drug formulary and list of approved durable medical goods and supplies. Creates the Pharmaceutical and Durable Medical Goods Committee to negotiate the prices of pharmaceuticals and durable medical goods with suppliers or manufacturers on an open bid competitive basis. Sets forth provisions concerning patients' rights. Provides that the employees of the Program shall be compensated in accordance with the current pay scale for State employees and as deemed professionally appropriate by the General Assembly.	Subcomm. On Special Issues Executive Comm.	Neutral
SB2269	Bennett, D-Champaign	Makes appropriations to Colleges of Pharmacy at UIC, CSU and SIUe from the General Professions Disciplinary Fund.	Assignments Comm.	Neutral
SB2349	Righter, R-Mattoon	Makes appropriations to Colleges of Pharmacy at UIC, CSU and SIUe from the General Professions Disciplinary Fund.	Assignments Comm.	Neutral
SB2403	Rose, R-Champaign	Hospitals shall ensure that professional staff with direct and indirect patient care responsibilities including pharmacy staff, are periodically trained to implement sepsis protocols.	3rd Reading in Senate	Neutral
SB2408	Rose, R-Champaign	Makes appropriations to UIC, CSU and SIUe from the General Professions Disciplinary Fund.	Assignments Comm.	Neutral
SB2416 Same as HB6082	Haine, D-Alton	Amends the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Abolishes the State Board of Health. Transfers responsibility for developing a State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) from the Board to the Department of Public Health. Removes provisions establishing a planning team for the SHIP and provides that the SHIP Implementation Coordination Council shall serve as the planning team. Provides that the SHIP Implementation Coordination Council shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor (instead of the Governor appointing a new SHIP Implementation Coordination Council for each SHIP). Amends the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act. Transfers certain functions under the Act from the Board to the Department of Public Health. Amends the Counties Code. Requires plans for certain facilities to be submitted to and approved by the Director of Public Health (instead of the Secretary of the State Board of Health). Repeals an obsolete provision of the Obesity Prevention Initiative Act. Amends the Hospital Report Card Act. In a provision concerning the retirement of reporting measures by the Department, requires the Department to obtain approval from the Hospital Report Card and Consumer Guide to Health Care Advisory Committee (instead of the Board). Amends the Communicable Disease Prevention Act. In a provision concerning the adoption of rules requiring immunization of children, requires the Department (instead of the Board) to conduct 3 public hearings before the rule is adopted. Effective immediately.	Rules Comm.	Oppose
SB2461 Same as HB4970	Barickman, R-Bloomington	Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Removes provisions concerning the position of deputy pharmacy coordinator. Removes limitations on the number of pharmacy investigators that must be employed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (previously no less than 4 pharmacy investigators needed to be employed by the Department). Amends the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004. Provides that the requirement for licensure that an applicant must submit certification issued by the Department of State Police that the applicant's fingerprinting equipment and software meets all specifications required by the Department of State Police applies to fingerprint vendor agencies (rather than fingerprint vendors), and that the requirement is a continuing requirement for licensure. Effective immediately.	House Rules Comm.	Neutral
SB2498	Bush, D-Grayslake	Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning licensure without examination.	Assignments Comm.	Neutral
SB2515 Same as HB5591	Munoz, D-Chicago	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides a process to register with the Department of Insurance as a pharmacy benefits manager and what information must be included. Provides that the Director of Insurance may revoke, suspend, deny, or restrict a certificate of registration for violation of the Code or on other grounds as determined necessary or appropriate by the Director. Provides that the Department shall regulate the drug pricing process used by pharmacy benefits managers, and specifies the appeals process for such pricing. Provides that pharmacy benefits managers shall not mandate that a covered individual use a specific pharmacy or provide incentives to encourage the use of a specific pharmacy under specified circumstances. Provides criteria for entities to use in performing on-site audits of pharmacy records. Provides that health plans must permit their enrollees to receive benefits, which may include a 90-day supply of covered prescription drugs, at any of its network community pharmacies. Contains provisions concerning medication synchronization. Provides that dispensing fees shall be determined exclusively on the total number of prescriptions dispensed. Regulates how pharmacy benefits managers may utilize personally identifiable data. Provides that the Department can regulate other specified activities of pharmacy benefits managers. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2017.	Insurance Comm.	Support
SB2901 Same as HB5949	Martinez, D-Chicago	Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Extends the repeal of the medicine locking closure package pilot program from January 1, 2017 to January 1, 2018. Effective immediately.	3rd Reading in the Senate	Neutral
SB3158	McCann, R-Jacksonville	Amends the Home Health and Hospice Drug Dispensation and Administration Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health may by rule provide for the possession and transportation of greater quantities of specified drugs by a home health agency, hospice, or authorized nursing employee.	Public Health Comm.	Neutral
SB3326	Luechtefeld, R-Okawville	Amends the Personnel Code to provide for partial jurisdiction B exemption for certain positions within the Department of Human Services.	Labor Comm.	Neutral
SB3336 Same as HB6180	Righter, R-Mattoon	Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Requires pharmacies to establish and maintain a quality assurance program designed to prevent dispensing errors as well as a process designed to detect and identify dispensing errors. Requires pharmacies to commence an investigation into any detected dispensing errors within 2 days after the date the dispensing error is discovered. Requires that if an investigation into a dispensing error indicates that the dispensing error is attributable, in whole or in part, to the pharmacy or its personnel, that a quality assurance review be performed. Provides requirements for the quality assurance review and its records. Provides that the records of the quality assurance review shall not be subject to discovery in any arbitration, civil, or other proceeding, except in certain circumstances. Effective 12 months after becoming law.	3rd Reading in the Senate – Senate Amendment 2 pending	Oppose as currently worded. Support Senate Amendment 2
HJR0139	Zalewski, D-Riverside	Urges the Department of Public Health to undertake a study coordinating with the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy (Chicago and Rockford campuses), the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy, and the Chicago State University College of Pharmacy to determine the appropriateness of promoting and encouraging interprofessional communication between healthcare providers, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, and pharmacists to facilitate more effective methods for transitioning care of a patient between the various healthcare settings or managing their medication regimens. Urges the Department of Public Health to examine and recommend solutions for a mechanism or process for electronically-prescribed prescription orders to electronically transmit "discontinuation", "cancel", or "stop" notifications to the pharmacy upon discontinuation or cancellation of the order. Urges the Department of Public Health to examine the overall benefits of mandated pharmacist-led medication reconciliation upon patient entrance into a new healthcare setting and patient discharge education upon transition to a new healthcare setting, follow-up communication with patients by healthcare providers after a specified period of time after transitioning, electronic communication to pharmacies whenever a change in medication occurs, and use of the primary care provider as a nexus for communication between healthcare providers, including pharmacists, to assure a centralized medication list is maintained for each patient.	Assignments in the Senate	Support
HR0944	Zalewski, D-Riverside	Urges the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to undertake a study to determine the appropriateness of mandating a mechanism for electronically-prescribed prescription orders to electronically transmit "discontinuation", "cancel", or "stop" orders from health care providers to pharmacies and to examine the effects of auto-refill programs on the unnecessary filling of discontinued medications no longer endorsed by the prescriber.	Health Care Licenses Comm.	Support
HR1018	Mitchell, R-Decatur	Urges Congress to adopt legislation banning direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs. Urges the United States Food and Drug Administration to adopt appropriate rules and regulations banning direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs.	Rules Comm.	Support
HB3627	Evans, D-Chicago	Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Makes changes to the definition of "practice of pharmacy", including (ii) allowing for the vaccination of patients ages 10 through 13 pursuant to a valid prescription or standing order (was, limited to Influenza (inactivated influenza vaccine and live attenuated influenza intranasal vaccine) and Tdap (defined as tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccines). Effective January 1, 2016.	Rules Comm.	Support
HB4408	G. Harris, D-Chicago	Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Makes a technical change in a Section regarding Medicaid co-payments.	Rules Comm.	Neutral
HB4429	Nekritz, D-Buffalo Grove	Amends the State Prompt Payment Act. Provides that after the effective date of the amendatory Act, any bill approved for payment under the Act and pursuant to a health benefit plan under the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 or submitted under Article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code, except a bill for pharmacy or nursing facility services or goods, if payment is not issued to the payee in a timely manner under the Section, the following interest penalty shall apply to any amount approved and unpaid until final payment is made: the sum of the prime commercial rate plus 4.0% per year, applied pro rata for the amount of time the bill remains unpaid. Defines "prime commercial rate". Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. In provisions concerning timely payment for health care services, provides that the interest to be charged on late payments of periodic payments, payments by independent practice associations and physician-hospital organizations, and payments by health insurers, health maintenance organizations, managed care plans, health care plans, preferred provider organizations, and third party administrators shall be the sum of the prime commercial rate plus 4.0% per year. Defines "prime commercial rate". Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Provides that the program of health benefits offered under the Act is subject to certain provisions of the Illinois Insurance Code concerning late payments and assignability except as otherwise provided.	Finance Subcomm. Of Revenue and Finance Comm.	Neutral
HB4539	Brady, R-Normal	Makes appropriations to Colleges of Pharmacy at UIC, CSU and SIUe from the General Professions Disciplinary Fund.	Rules Comm.	Neutral
HB4554	Flowers, D-Chicago	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that individual or group policies of accident and health insurance amended, delivered, issued, or renewed in this State after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall provide coverage for all drugs that are approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration and that are recommended by the federal Public Health Service or the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for pre-exposure prophylaxis and related pre-exposure prophylaxis services, including, but not limited to, HIV and sexually transmitted infection screening, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, medical monitoring, assorted labs, and counseling to reduce the likelihood of HIV infection among individuals who are not infected with HIV but who are at high risk of HIV infection. Provides that the provision does not require a policy of accident and health insurance to provide coverage for clinical trials relating to any drug for pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that upon federal approval, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall provide similar coverage. Effective January 1, 2017.	3rd Reading in the House	Neutral
HB4936	Durkin, R-Burr Ridge	Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning licensure without examination.	Rules Comm.	Neutral
HB4957	Tryon, R-Crystal Lake	Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide medical assistance coverage for diabetes education provided by a certified diabetes education provider for children with Type 1 diabetes who are under the age of 18. Defines "certified diabetes education provider" to mean a professional who has undergone training and certification under conditions approved by the American Association of Diabetes Educators or a successor association of professionals. Defines "Type 1 diabetes" to have the same meaning ascribed to it by the American Diabetes Association or any successor association. Effective immediately.	Rules Comm.	Support
HB4970 Same as SB2461	Stewart, R-Freeport	Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Removes provisions concerning the position of deputy pharmacy coordinator. Removes limitations on the number of pharmacy investigators that must be employed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (previously no less than 4 pharmacy investigators needed to be employed by the Department). Amends the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004. Provides that the requirement for licensure that an applicant must submit certification issued by the Department of State Police that the applicant's fingerprinting equipment and software meets all specifications required by the Department of State Police applies to fingerprint vendor agencies (rather than fingerprint vendors), and that the requirement is a continuing requirement for licensure. Effective immediately.	Rules Comm.	Neutral
HB4981	D. Harris, R-Mt. Prospect	Amends the State Prompt Payment Act. Provides that, for bills paid on or after the effective date, the interest penalty shall be 0.75% per month (currently, 1% per month). Effective immediately.	Rules Comm.	Neutral
HB5534	Feigenholtz, D-Chicago	Amends the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. Makes changes to the definition of "designated caregiver". Allows pharmacists to oversee through MTM the use of medical cannabis. Effective immediately.	Rules Comm.	Support
HB5540	Flynn-Currie, D-Chicago	Creates Section 225 ILCS 85/19.1 Naloxone dispensing without a prescription. Consistent with the Heroin Crisis Act of 2015.	1st Reading in the Senate	Neutral
HB5591 Same as SB2515	Lang, D-Chicago	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides a process to register with the Department of Insurance as a pharmacy benefits manager and what information must be included. Provides that the Director of Insurance may revoke, suspend, deny, or restrict a certificate of registration for violation of the Code or on other grounds as determined necessary or appropriate by the Director. Provides that the Department shall regulate the drug pricing process used by pharmacy benefits managers, and specifies the appeals process for such pricing. Provides that pharmacy benefits managers shall not mandate that a covered individual use a specific pharmacy or provide incentives to encourage the use of a specific pharmacy under specified circumstances. Provides criteria for entities to use in performing on-site audits of pharmacy records. Provides that health plans must permit their enrollees to receive benefits, which may include a 90-day supply of covered prescription drugs, at any of its network community pharmacies. Contains provisions concerning medication synchronization. Provides that dispensing fees shall be determined exclusively on the total number of prescriptions dispensed. Regulates how pharmacy benefits managers may utilize personally identifiable data. Provides that the Department can regulate other specified activities of pharmacy benefits managers. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2017.	Rules Comm.	Support
HB5641	Bellock, R-Westmont	Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision concerning orthotic and prosthetic devices and durable medical equipment, provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall adjust the useful life expectancy of eligible orthotic and prosthetic devices and durable medical equipment to 5 years. Requires the Department to require by rule all vendors of durable medical equipment to be accredited by an accreditation organization approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and recognized by the Department. Provides that no later than 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Department shall file proposed rules in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to implement this requirement. Provides that no later than 15 months after the effective date of the rule, all vendors must meet the accreditation requirement. Provides that the Department may contract with a third-party vendor to audit eligible durable medical equipment suppliers.	Rules Comm.	Neutral
HB5750	Harris, D-Chicago	Creates the Health Insurance Claims Assessment Act. Imposes an assessment of 1% on claims paid by a health insurance carrier or third-party administrator. Provides that the moneys received and collected under the Act shall be deposited into the Healthcare Provider Relief Fund and used solely for the purpose of funding Medicaid services provided under the medical assistance programs administered by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.	Rules Comm.	Neutral
HB5751	Ives, R-Wheaton	Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Provides that no medical provider shall be reimbursed for a supply of prescriptions filled outside of a licensed pharmacy except when there exists no licensed pharmacy within 5 miles of the prescribing physician's practice. Provides that, if there exists no licensed pharmacy within 5 miles of the prescribing physician's practice, no medical provider shall be reimbursed for a prescription, the supply of which lasts for longer than 72 hours from the date of injury or 24 hours from the date of first referral to the medical service provider, whichever is greater, filled and dispensed outside of a licensed pharmacy. Provides that the limitations on filling and dispensing prescriptions do not apply if there exists a pre-arranged agreement between the medical provider and a preferred provider program regarding the filling of prescriptions outside a licensed pharmacy.	Rules Comm.	Neutral
HB5809	Mussman, D-Schaumburg	Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Provides that "practice of pharmacy" includes the prescribing and dispensing of hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives. Defines "hormonal contraceptive patch" as a transdermal patch applied to the skin of a patient, by the patient or by a practitioner, that releases a drug composed of a combination of hormones that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to prevent pregnancy and "self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive" as a drug composed of a combination of hormones that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to prevent pregnancy and that the patient to whom the drug is prescribed may take orally. Allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense contraceptives to a person over 18 years of age and a person under 18 years of age only if the person has evidence of a previous prescription from a primary care or a women's health care practitioner. Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to adopt rules to establish standard procedures for pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives. Provides requirements for the rules to be adopted by the Department. Provides that all State and federal laws governing insurance coverage of contraceptive drugs and products shall apply to this Section.	Health Care Licenses Comm.	Support
HB5949 Same as SB2901	Zalewski, D-Riverside	Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Extends the repeal of the medicine locking closure package pilot program from January 1, 2017 to January 1, 2018. Effective immediately.	Assignments Comm.	Neutral
HB6082 Same as SB2416	Demmer, R-Rochelle	Amends the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Abolishes the State Board of Health. Transfers responsibility for developing a State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) from the Board to the Department of Public Health. Removes provisions establishing a planning team for the SHIP and provides that the SHIP Implementation Coordination Council shall serve as the planning team. Provides that the SHIP Implementation Coordination Council shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor (instead of the Governor appointing a new SHIP Implementation Coordination Council for each SHIP). Amends the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act. Transfers certain functions under the Act from the Board to the Department of Public Health. Amends the Counties Code. Requires plans for certain facilities to be submitted to and approved by the Director of Public Health (instead of the Secretary of the State Board of Health). Repeals an obsolete provision of the Obesity Prevention Initiative Act. Amends the Hospital Report Card Act. In a provision concerning the retirement of reporting measures by the Department, requires the Department to obtain approval from the Hospital Report Card and Consumer Guide to Health Care Advisory Committee (instead of the Board). Amends the Communicable Disease Prevention Act. In a provision concerning the adoption of rules requiring immunization of children, requires the Department (instead of the Board) to conduct 3 public hearings before the rule is adopted. Effective immediately.	Rules Comm.	Oppose
HB6158	Willis, D-Northlake	Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that on or after July 1, 2016, drugs which are prescribed to residents of a nursing home shall not be subject to prior approval as a result of the 4-prescription limit. Effective July 1, 2016.	Rules Comm.	Neutral
HB6180 Same as SB3336	McAuliffe, R-Chicago	Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Requires pharmacies to establish and maintain a quality assurance program designed to prevent dispensing errors as well as a process designed to detect and identify dispensing errors. Requires pharmacies to commence an investigation into any detected dispensing errors within 2 days after the date the dispensing error is discovered. Requires that if an investigation into a dispensing error indicates that the dispensing error is attributable, in whole or in part, to the pharmacy or its personnel, that a quality assurance review be performed. Provides requirements for the quality assurance review and its records. Provides that the records of the quality assurance review shall not be subject to discovery in any arbitration, civil, or other proceeding, except in certain circumstances. Effective 12 months after becoming law.	Rules Comm.	Oppose as currently worded

	Senate Deadlines	House Deadlines
Bill Introduction	February 19, 2016	February 11, 2016
Senate Bills out of Committee House Bills out of Committee	April 8, 2016	April 8, 2016
Third Reading for Senate Bills Third Reading House Bills	April 22, 2016	April 22, 2016
House Bills out of Committee Senate Bills out of Committee	May 13, 2016	May 13, 2016
Third Reading House Bills Third Reading Senate Bills	May 27, 2016	May 27, 2016
Adjournment	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2016

We encourage you to read this month’s Directly Speaking to find out about an exciting new advocacy tool ICHP will now be employing. It will make calls to action efficient and effective for ICHP members and will hopefully increase our impact in Springfield for years to come!

Professional Affairs Column: Pharmacy Practice
Use of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Screening Tests in Antimicrobial Stewardship

by Natalie R. Schwarber, PharmD, PGY-2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Resident, St. John’s Hospital; Scott Bergman, Pharm.D., BCPS (AQ ID), Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, SIUE School of Pharmacy, PGY2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Resident Director, St. John’s Hospital

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) accounts for nearly 25% of all pneumonias considered to be healthcare-associated (HCAP), hospital-acquired (HAP), or ventilator-associated (VAP). It is associated with 50% mortality rates in HAP and VAP. Therefore, the American Thoracic Society and the Infectious Diseases Society of America practice guidelines for nosocomial pneumonia recommend that all patients with risk factors for HCAP, late-onset HAP, and VAP receive empiric treatment for MRSA due to these mortality risks.^1,2 In clinical practice, we have seen that once broad-spectrum antibiotics are initiated in a potentially critically ill patient, it can be very difficult to de-escalate therapy. An additional tool that may be useful to this process is MRSA nasal swab screening.

In Illinois, the MRSA Screening and Reporting Act (210 ILCS 38) requires identification of all MRSA colonized patients in all intensive care units (ICU) and isolation of infected or colonized patients. At HSHS St. John’s Hospital, a 439-bed teaching hospital in Springfield, IL, all patients receive a MRSA nasal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) upon ICU admission to screen for MRSA colonization. If the swab is positive, it means the patient is colonized with MRSA and placed in contact isolation. Several studies have shown that this process can prevent transmission of MRSA in the hospital. A question often posed to us as pharmacists is “how useful are these screening tests at predicting the likelihood of MRSA infection in patients with pneumonia?” Recently published studies have evaluated this question.

Chan et al., published a prospective observational study in 388 mechanically ventilated patients with VAP. Surveillance cultures were taken from the nares, the oropharynx or trachea, and any open wounds of each patient upon ICU admission, every seven days, and at ICU discharge. Results indicated that 26% of patients were colonized with MRSA.⁴ The authors calculated a 48.1% positive predictive value (PPV) and a 96.7% negative predictive value (NPV) for MRSA VAP, indicating that negative MRSA surveillance cultures can be used to rule out MRSA ventilator-associated pneumonia.⁴ Limitations of this study include the use of chromogenic agar instead of PCR to detect S. aureus colonization and the large trauma population included.

Dangerfield et al., reported similar results to the previously summarized trial. Four hundred and thirty-five patients with HCAP, HAP, VAP, or community acquired pneumonia (CAP) were retrospectively analyzed to describe the diagnostic characteristics of MRSA nasal swab PCR in predicting MRSA pneumonia. A total of 14.3% (62/435) were colonized with MRSA and 181/435 (42%) patients were located in an ICU.⁵ In this study, a negative MRSA swab was associated with a 35.4% PPV and 99.2% NPV for detecting culture-proven MRSA.⁵ The authors recommended that a negative MRSA nasal swab be used to de-escalate therapy due to the high NPV.⁵ The major limitation of this study was the overall low MRSA pneumonia prevalence rate of 5% - 6%, as the reported prevalence of VAP, HAP, and HCAP is 25%.⁵

Tilahun et al., specifically evaluated 165 ICU patients with HCAP or CAP to assess the correlation between MRSA nasal swab screenings and MRSA lower respiratory tract infections. Similar to the previously described studies, the negative swab correlated with a high NPV of 98.5% and a low PPV of 28.6% for subsequent infection with the pathogen.⁶ The authors concluded that the high NPV of the nasal swab could be used to de-escalate therapy.⁶ However, 55% of the 165 patients in this study had CAP, which may limit its applicability to HAP and VAP patients.

Boyce, et al., took a different approach compared to the previous three trials by using a positive MRSA nasal swab as rationale to add anti-MRSA therapy, rather than using a negative swab to de-escalate therapy.⁷ This retrospective review of 275 HCAP and CAP patients found a high PPV of 97.4% and NPV of 54.3%. This study did have a higher MRSA rate than other studies as well as a higher than normal rate of MRSA in CAP at 17%.⁷

A summary of the PPV and NPV of these trials can be seen in Table 1.

Table 1. Summary of PPV and NPV of four clinical trials

Study	N	PPV	NPV
Chan	388	48.1%	96.7%
Dangerfield	435	35.4%	99.2%
Tilahun	165	28.6%	98.5%
Rimawi	165	97.4%	54.3%

Although this data summary is limited by the fact that all of the trials discussed are observational designs, their findings can potentially still be a useful tool in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). A study published in 2013 describes a protocol in which the AMS team was able to order nasal and throat surveillance cultures in patients on empiric vancomycin for MRSA HCAP without adequate lower respiratory tract cultures.⁸ If therapy was de-escalated based on negative surveillance cultures, a retrospective chart review was performed after the patient was discharged to assess development of MRSA pneumonia, death, or readmission in 30 days. Ninety-one patients had vancomycin discontinued within 48 hours of negative surveillance cultures and were included in the analysis. No patients developed MRSA pneumonia after de-escalation or within 30 days. Eleven percent of patients expired, however none of the deaths were due to MRSA pneumonia.⁸ If a similar protocol was implemented, close follow up of patients would be warranted for the development of MRSA pneumonia.

Specific protocols have not yet been implemented at HSHS St. John’s Hospital. Pharmacists, particularly those in the ICU, have used this information to de-escalate vancomycin in pneumonia patients who do not have positive MRSA screenings or respiratory cultures. A possible future direction could be the addition of the nasal swab to pharmacist scope of practice, especially when consulted for vancomycin pharmacokinetic dosing. Potential barriers to implementation are lack of prospective, randomized clinical trials and lack of physician knowledge of this correlation. Physician knowledge can be increased through education efforts of the pharmacists when making calls to de-escalate vancomycin therapy. Monitoring of these patients for development of MRSA pneumonia is justified after vancomycin discontinuation. Retrospective data collection is being planned at this time to assess the safety of this process. Because the NPV is high in three of the four published studies evaluating this topic, it is prudent for pharmacists to use this tool to decrease the use of inappropriate broad spectrum antibiotics when the MRSA nasal swab is negative.

References

Kollef MH, Morrow LE, Baughman RP, et al. Health care-associated pneumonia (HCAP): a critical appraisal to improve identification, management, and outcomes – proceedings of the HCAP summit. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:S296-S334.
Rubenstein E, Kollef MH, Nathwani D. Pneumonia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:S378-S385.
American Thoracic Society. Guidelines for the management of adults with hospital-acquired, ventilator-associated, and healthcare-associated pneumonia. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005;171:388-416.
Chan JD, Dellit TH, Choudhuri JA, et al. Active surveillance cultures of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a tool to predict methicillin-resistant S. aureus ventilator-associated pneumonia. Crit Care Med. 2012;40(5):1437-1442.
Dangerfield B, Chung A, Webb B, Seville MT. Predictive value of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal swab PCR assay for MRSA pneumonia. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2014;58(2):859-864.
Tilahun B, Faust AC, McCorstin P, Ortegon A. Nasal colonization and lower respiratory tract infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Am J Crit Care. 2015;24(1):8-12.
Rimawi RH, Ramsey KM, Shah KB, Cook PP. Correlation between methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal sampling an S. aureus pneumoniae in the medical intensive care unit. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2014;35(5):590-593.
Boyce JM, Pop OF, Abreu-Lanfranco O, et al. A trial of discontinuation of empiric vancomycin therapy in patients with suspected methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus health care-associated pneumonia. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2013;57(3):1163-1168.

ICHPeople

Congratulations to ICHP members Ed Rainville and Jennifer Tryon who were honored in 2016 in ASHP's Practitioner Recognition Program. The ASHP Practitioner Recognition Program rewards excellence in pharmacy practice by granting recognition through the FASHP designation. Members who have achieved FASHP status have successfully demonstrated sustained commitment or contributions to excellence in practice for at least 10 years, contributed to the total body of knowledge in the field, demonstrated active involvement and leadership in ASHP, and have been actively involved in and committed to educating practitioners and others. The program has recognized 875 Fellows since it began in 1988.

Educational Affairs
What is the evidence to support the use of canakinumab or anakinra to treat refractory arthritic gout?

by Melissa Moriarty, PharmD Candidate, University of Illinois at Chicago; Bill Budris, BS Pharm, Drug Information Pharmacist, Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Question

What is the evidence to support the use of canakinumab or anakinra to treat refractory arthritic gout?

Introduction

Prior to calling the drug information group, the physician attempted to obtain prior authorization for canakinumab for a patient with refractory arthritic gout. However, the request was denied. She requested the available evidence for the off-label use of canakinumab or anakinra to make a case and obtain approval. This drug information consultation will review the current evidence on the off-label use of canakinumab and anakinra for arthritic gout.

Methodology

On January 4, 2016, a systematic search was performed beginning with the tertiary database UpToDate, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved labeling, Health Canada documents, and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) materials for Ilaris® (canakinumab) and Kineret® (anakinra). The tertiary database was searched with the terms “canakinumab,” “anakinra,” and “gout.” PubMed was searched with the terms ”gout,” “canakinumab,” “anakinra,” “canakinumab AND gout,” and “anakinra AND gout.” ClinicalTrials.Gov and a Google Power Search were performed with the same terms. PubMed and Google were also searched for guidelines by searching “gout guidelines” and “arthritis guidelines.”

Results

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, acute gout is characterized by sudden flare-ups of a hot, painful and swollen joint.¹ If a patient experiences recurrent flare-ups, a chronic form, known as gouty arthritis, can develop. However, the terms “acute gout” and “gouty arthritis” are often used interchangeably.

Neither canakinumab (Ilaris®) nor anakinra (Kineret®) are approved by the FDA or Health Canada for the treatment of gout or gouty arthritis.^2,3,4,5 However, the EMA approved canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg subcutaneously for the management of patients with gouty arthritis in whom other medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and colchicine are not tolerated or were ineffective.⁶

The 2012 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Guidelines for the Management of Gout indicate that an interleukin-1 (IL-1) inhibitor such as anakinra 100 mg subcutaneously daily for 3 consecutive days or canakinumab 150 mg subcutaneously is an option for severe acute gouty arthritis attacks that are refractory to other medications.⁷ However, it is noted that the use of IL-1 inhibitors for acute gout is uncertain due to a lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating anakinra and the unclear risk-benefit ratio for canakinumab.

The use of anakinra for gouty arthritis has been documented in several case reports.^8,9,10 However, there are no RCTs documenting its use, efficacy, or safety for the treatment of gout or gouty arthritis. Additionally, the results of the case reports varied. Although effective in treating flare-ups, relapses were common.

The use of canakinumab for the treatment of gout and gouty arthritis was addressed in two RCTs - the ß-RELIEVED and ß-RELIEVED-II trials.¹¹ In these two trials, canakinumab 150 mg was compared to triamcinolone acetonide 40 mg. The authors concluded that canakinumab was more effective than the comparator in reducing pain (p<0.0001), tenderness and swelling (p≤0.01), and the risk of new flares (p≤0.0001). Notably, there was a higher rate of both adverse events (AEs) (66.2% vs. 52.8%) and serious AEs (8% vs. 3.5%) in the pooled data for the canakinumab groups compared to the triamcinolone groups. Specifically, infectious AEs were 20.4% in the canakinumab groups and 12.2% in the triamcinolone groups. However, significance was not reported.

A retrospective analysis of data from the two trials reported superior efficacy compared to triamcinolone in patients who were intolerant or unresponsive to NSAIDs and colchicine.¹² Specifically, the percentage of patients who responded to therapy was greater in the canakinumab group for 8 of 12 variables (p<0.05), and the canakinumab groups met a greater percentage of response criteria compared to the triamcinolone groups (65% vs. 49%, p<0.001). A 2014 Cochrane Review assessed IL-1 inhibitors for the treatment of acute gout.¹³ The systematic review found 4 studies, 3 of which compared canakinumab to triamcinolone to treat acute gout flares. The authors concluded that there is moderate-quality evidence to suggest canakinumab likely provides better pain and swelling relief compared to triamcinolone in patients experiencing an acute gout flare. However, there may be an increased risk of adverse events, and the cost is significantly higher.

Multiple review articles discuss the role of IL-1 inhibitors, including canakinumab and anakinra, to manage gout, specifically in patients who cannot tolerate or have failed other therapies such as NSAIDs, colchicine, and steroids.^{14,15,16,17,18,19} These reviews described the efficacy of canakinumab for acute gout attacks in patients who are refractory to or have contraindications to other therapies, but some note the toxicity profile, as noted above, may limit its use. Anakinra was noted to have limited data for the indication of gout.

Multiple presentations at the Annual Scientific Meetings of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ACR/ARHP) summarized safety and efficacy data for the use of canakinumab and anakinra in patients with gout.^20,21,22 Data presented in 2009 provided evidence that canakinumab could provide faster and stronger pain relief compared to triamcinolone for patients with refractory gout.²⁰

In June 2011, an FDA advisory committee reviewed canakinumab for the indication of gouty arthritis in patients with inadequate response to NSAIDs or colchicine.²³ The majority of committee members believed there was a lack of long-term safety data and minimal data in high risk patients. The committee noted that although the drug had been shown to be effective, additional studies are necessary for high risk patients and patients who are refractory to NSAIDs, colchicine, and corticosteroids.

Conclusion

Canakinumab and anakinra are IL-1 inhibitors that have been investigated for the treatment of acute gout and gouty arthritis in patients who are intolerant or refractory to standard therapy. There are minimal data for the efficacy of anakinra, which is limited to case reports, but more data, including 2 RCTs, support the efficacy of canakinumab. However, the FDA rejected canakinumab’s indication for the treatment of gouty arthritis attacks in 2011. From the available evidence, canakinumab 150 mg subcutaneously is likely effective to treat patients with refractory gouty arthritis. However, the costs, benefits, and risks (including the increased risk of infection) should be weighed prior to starting therapy.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gout (October 2015). http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/gout.html (accessed 30 Mar 2016).
Ilaris (canakinumab) package insert. East Hanover, NJ: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; 2009. Revised 2014 Oct.
Kineret (anakinra) package insert. Stockholm, Sweden: Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB; 2001. Revised 2013 Oct.
Health Canada. Summary basis of decision: Ilaris (February 2010). http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodpharma/sbd-smd/drug-med/sbd_smd_2010_ilaris_131009-eng.php (accessed 2016 Jan 4).
Health Canada. Details for: Kineret (November 2015). https://hpr-rps.hres.ca/details.php?drugproductid=869&query=anakinra (accessed 2016 Jan 4).
European Medicines Agency. Ilaris: canakinumab (December 2009). http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/medicines/human/medicines/001109/human_med_000826.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058001d124 (accessed 2016 Jan 4).
Khanna D, Khanna PP, Fitzgerald JD et al. 2012 American College of Rheumatology guidelines for management of gout. Part 2: therapy and antiinflammatory prophylaxis of acute gouty arthritis. Arthritis Care Res. 2012;64(10):1447-1461.
So A, De Smedt T, Revaz S, Tschopp J. A pilot study of IL-1 inhibition by anakinra in acute gout. Arthritis Res Ther. 2007;9:R28.
Chen K, Fields T, Mancuso CA et al. Anakinra’s efficacy is variable in refractory gout: report of ten cases. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2010;40:210-214.
Singh D, Huston KK. IL-1 inhibition with anakinra in a patient with refractory gout. J Clin Rheumatol. 2009;15(7):366.
Schlesinger N, Alten RE, Bardin T et al. Canakinumab for acute gouty arthritis in patients with limited treatment options: results from two randomised, multicentre, active-controlled, double-blind trials and their initial extensions. Ann Rheum Dis. 2012;71:1839-1848.
Hirsch JD, Gnanasakthy A, Lale R et al. Efficacy of canakinumab vs. triamcinolone acetonide according to multiple gouty arthritis-related health outcomes measures. Int J Clin Pract. 2014;68(12):1503-1507.
Sivera F, Wechalekar MD, Andrés M et al. Interleukin-1 inhibitors for acute gout. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;9:CD009993.
Tran TH, Pham JT, Shafeeq H, et al. Role of interleukin-1 inhibitors in the management of gout. Pharmacotherapy. 2013;33(7):744-753.
Cavagna L, Taylor WJ. The emerging role of biotechnological drugs in the treatment of gout. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:264859.
Avram A, Duarte C, Santos MJ et al. Identifying patient candidates for IL-1 Inhibition: lessons from real-world cases. Joint Bone Spine. 2015;82(suppl 1):eS17-eS29.
Khanna PP, Gladue HS, Singh MK et al. Treatment of acute gout: a systematic review. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2014;44(1):31-38.
Bardin T. Canakinumab for the patient with difficult-to-treat gouty arthritis: review of the clinical evidence. Joint Bone Spine. 2015;82(suppl 1):eS9-eS16.
Perez-Ruiz F, Chinchilla SP, Herrero-Beites AM. Canakinumab for gout: a specific, patient-profiled indication. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2014;10(3):339-347.
So A, De Meulemeester M, Shamim T et al. Canakinumab (ACZ885) vs. triamcinolone acetonide for treatment of acute flares and prevention of recurrent flares in gouty arthritis patients refractory to or contraindicated to NSAIDs and/or colchicine. Presented at the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting. Philadelphia, PA; 2009 Oct.
Perez-Ruiz F, Herrero-Beites AM, de Miguel M et al. Low-dose anakinra is effective for the prophylaxis of acute episodes of inflammation in severe tophaceous gout. Abstract presentation at the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting. San Diego, CA; 2013 Sept.
Schlesinger N, Bardin T, Bloch M et al. A 3-Year follow-up study of canakinumab in frequently flaring gouty arthritis patients, contraindicated, intolerant, or unresponsive to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or colchicine. Presented at the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting. San Francisco, CA; 2015 Sept.
Food and Drug Administration. Summary minutes of the arthritis advisory committee meeting (July 2011). http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/Drugs/ArthritisAdvisoryCommittee/UCM267388.pdf (accessed 2016 Jan 4).

College Connections

Chicago State University College of Pharmacy
The Importance of Leadership and Involvement in Pharmacy School

by Kristine Manlimos, P4

As graduation approaches, I reflect on how much I have matured as a student pharmacist. I can recall during my P1 year starting the program at CSU with both fear and motivation. I was timid, shy, and uncertain of what the future had in store for me. Prior to pharmacy school, I worked at a community pharmacy and this was what I thought I had in mind for my own career path after I finished school. During my undergraduate years, I worked for Oregon State University’s Student Leadership and Involvement, a university department which supports students and student groups by providing opportunities for leadership development and community involvement on campus. I worked directly with student organizations for event planning and leadership workshops. When I started pharmacy school, I did not think I wanted to be involved with organizations and wanted to focus solely on my studies.

As a curious P1 student, I attended a SSHP meeting and learned about post-graduate residency training. I did not think this career path was for me at the time, but I was happy that I was able to learn about what other options and areas of practice were available to me as a future pharmacist. As time progressed, I began to interact with other students outside of CSU and I rediscovered my inner passion for leadership and involvement once again. At that point, I became actively involved with various professional student organizations and participated in activities such as volunteering at health fairs to provide health screenings to underserved populations.

During my P3 year, I was still uncertain if residency was for me. I knew that applying for a residency position would be a very competitive process and I did not know if I that was what I wanted to pursue. I contemplated between a community and inpatient residency and wondered where I would fit best. I kept an open mind going into my APPE rotations and started having interests in areas beyond community pharmacy (which was shocking for me). It was then that I knew I wanted to have a career as an ambulatory care pharmacist. I enjoyed being able to meet with patients to review their medications, provide education, and to demonstrate to them how to use medication devices. I started researching residency programs that offered ambulatory care experiences. While waiting for interview invitations, I discovered I had more interests in the inpatient setting, specifically pediatrics and emergency medicine. It was an exciting time for me to realize the different areas I could potentially specialize in with PGY2 residency training.

The residency search and match process can initially be confusing and overwhelming. Our SSHP chapter holds an annual Residency Information Series, where various topics regarding residency are addressed and it concludes with a Residency Panel that consists of current residents and residency program directors. I have gained insight both at these events and at professional conferences. I knew I had to be prepared for the rigorous process, whether I would be able to match to a program or not.

Earlier this year, I was invited as a guest speaker for an organization that I co-founded, CSU--COP’s Student Asian Pharmacists Association. I was invited to talk about the importance of leadership and involvement in pharmacy school. During this presentation, I not only wanted to focus on the importance of organizational involvement to obtain a residency position, but also to gain invaluable experiences of patient care outside of pharmacy school requirements. Even if one does not want to pursue a residency, being involved in organizations (even if just volunteering for events) can provide experiences and relationships that help one grow as a student pharmacist. When I was preparing for my presentation, I asked for insight from my colleagues from other schools how their involvement helped mold them into better student pharmacists. Moreover, a few of my classmates gave me input as they reflected on their past experiences. Many of them regret not being as involved as they could have been, since they have witnessed the benefits in those who were actively involved.

My parting advice for fellow student pharmacists who may be unsure of what career path to choose, I urge you to become involved in an organization at your campus. It can help you learn something about yourself as well as provide networking opportunities with colleagues within and outside your school.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy
2016 Pharmacy Legislative Day

by Scott Sexton, Tim Oyer, Pharmacy Students, Class of 2017

On March 2nd, 2016, student pharmacists and pharmacists coming from Schaumburg to Edwardsville gathered in Springfield with a unified purpose – to advocate for the future of pharmacy. The 10th annual ICHP and IPhA Legislative Day gave students a chance to take a look into the legislative process that so importantly affects the profession of pharmacy. This annual event gives student pharmacists the opportunity to make a lasting change in the advancement of the profession.

Beginning in the Howlett Building, students gathered for lunch and were able to network with other students and pharmacists from across the state. This was an excellent opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new colleagues from other schools. Everyone was excited to learn about the “hot bills” currently making their way through the Illinois House and Senate that could affect pharmacy. When lunch concluded, students filed into the auditorium to be briefed on the topics of the day.

In this informational session, students were given advice on how to approach their legislators and discuss bills with them. Scott Meyers (the ICHP Executive Director) and Garth Reynolds (the IPhA Executive Director) briefed the audience on the bills in the House and Senate with the most potential to affect the profession of pharmacy. Senator Dave Syverson then took the stage and declared his appreciation for the profession of pharmacy. He discussed health and education legislation and allowed questions from the floor. Students and pharmacists alike were able to ask crucial questions regarding their field of practice.

The legislation with the most considerable impact on pharmacy this year happened to be going through both the Senate and the House as companion bills SB2515 and HB5591. The focus of both bills is improving patient access to pharmacist care services. Pharmacists are the most accessible – and in some cases the only – healthcare provider for our patients. These proposed bills allow pharmacists to provide more patient-centered services that they are sufficiently trained to offer. Additionally, these bills seek to place regulation on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), which currently have minimal oversight. These bills also aim to combat the issue of medication non-adherence by making it easier for patients to synchronize their medication refills. With medication nonadherence being a burden on healthcare expenditures and patient safety, this is a critical component. If passed, this bill would ensure that the patient’s right to choose the pharmacy that they wish to use is preserved and that they will not see restrictions or penalties to copays.

Other keys bills that the pharmacy organizations supported include HB5809, which stated that the “practice of pharmacy” includes prescribing and dispensing of contraceptives, and HB3627, which would allow pharmacists to administer all ACIP recommended vaccines for patients 10 years of age and older. SB3336 and HB6180 are companion bills titled Quality Assurance Programs that did not receive support from pharmacy. The concern with these bills was that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation would be able to review medication errors and use this information for disciplinary purposes.

Following this informational session, students and pharmacists set out on their mission. The rotunda in the capitol building was abuzz with student pharmacists gathering for a cause. The capitol was shining bright with the white coats of students making their way towards their respective legislators. It was clear that student pharmacists were taking this noble task seriously. Even though legislators are motivated individuals, it is impossible for them to know the intricacies of every bill passed due to their busy schedules and the sheer volume of bills that pass through. Students had the chance to speak with legislators and sit in on a House Hearing concerning Higher Education. This was a unique experience to see representatives from specific districts defend their constituents and debate the possible effects of legislation. Following the hearing, students gathered back at the Howlett building to meet Governor Bruce Rauner. Governor Rauner was there to show his support for the profession of pharmacy and meet student pharmacists from across the state. Many students were fortunate enough to take “selfies” with the governor.

Legislative Day is a valuable event for pharmacists and student pharmacists to make their presence known and inform their representatives about the potential effects of legislation. It provides an opportunity to exercise a collective voice as a profession. As student pharmacists represent the future of the profession, they have a duty to shape that future. It is imperative that student pharmacists embrace this responsibility and advocate for their profession.

Welcome New Members!

New Member	Recruiter
Cole Heinz	Mark Burgess
Kina Roberson
Kelly Ruhland

Officers and Board of Directors

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

LINDA FRED

Immediate Past President

217-383-3253
linda.fred@carle.com

CHARLENE HOPE

President-Elect

708-783-5933

chope@macneal.com

MIKE WEAVER
Treasurer
815-599-6113
mweaver@fhn.org

KATHERINE MILLER

Secretary

katherine.miller@uchospitals.edu

TRAVIS HUNERDOSSE
Director, Educational Affairs
thunerdo@nmh.org

CARRIE VOGLER

Director, Marketing Affairs

217-545-5394

cvogler@siue.edu

KRISTI STICE
Director, Professional Affairs

217-544-6464 ext.44660
kristi.stice@hshs.org

CAROL HEUNISCH
Director, Organizational Affairs

847-933-6811

cheunisch@northshore.org

KATHRYN SCHULTZ

Director, Government Affairs

312-926-6961

kathryn_schultz@rush.edu

ANN JANKIEWICZ
Chairman, House of Delegates

Ann_M_Jankiewicz@rush.edu

ANA FERNANDEZ

Technician Representative

312-926-6980

abfernan@nmh.org

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

REBECCA CASTNER

Chairman, New Practitioners Network

773-821-2164

rcastner@csu.edu

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

ED RAINVILLE
Regional Director Central
ed.c.rainville@osfhealthcare.org

LYNN FROMM
Co-Regional Director South

618-391-5539

frommL@andersonhospital.org

TARA VICKERY GORDEN
Co-Regional Director South

618-643-2361 x2330

tvgorden@hmhospital.org

Student Chapter Presidents

KATHERINE SENCION
President, Student Chapter
University of IL C.O.P.
ksenci2@uic.edu

JOANNE CHA
President, Rockford Student Chapter
University of IL C.O.P.
cha17@uic.edu

JESSICA PENG
President, Student Chapter

Midwestern University C.O.P.
jpeng54@midwestern.edu

BRITTANY HUFF
President, Student Chapter
Chicago State University C.O.P.

bhuff@csu.edu

WHITNEY MAHER
President, Student Chapter
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville S.O.P
whitney.maher@gmail.com

JORDAN FAISON
President, Student Chapter
Roosevelt University C.O.P.

jfaison@mail.roosevelt.edu

VALENTIN PACURARU
President, Student Chapter
Rosalind Franklin University C.O.P.
valentin.pacararu@my.rfums.org

ICHP Affiliates

KATHRYN SCHULTZ
President, Northern IL Society (NISHP)

kathryn_schultz@rush.edu

JARED SHELEY
President, Metro East Society (MESHP)

jpsheley@gmail.com

AMY BOBLITT
President, Sangamiss Society

Boblitt.amy@mhsil.com

ED RAINVILLE
President, West Central Society (WSHP)
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 May 1, 2015 and May 1, 2016. Giving categories reflect each person's cumulative donations since inception.

ADVOCACY ALLIANCE - $2500-$10000

Kevin Colgan

Edward Donnelly

James Owen Consulting, Inc.

Frank Kokaisl

Scott Meyers

Michael Novario

Michael Weaver

Thomas Westerkamp

LINCOLN LEAGUE - $1000-$2499

Scott Bergman

Andrew Donnelly

Ginger Ertel

Linda Fred

Ann Jankiewicz

Jan Keresztes

Kathy Komperda

Despina Kotis

William McEvoy

Christina Quillian

Michael Rajski

Carrie Sincak

Avery Spunt

JoAnn Stubbings

Patricia Wegner

CAPITOL CLUB - $500-$999

Margaret Allen

Sheila Allen

Rauf Dalal

Kenneth Foerster

Leonard Kosiba

George MacKinnon

Janette Mark

Mary Lynn Moody

Jennifer Phillips

Edward Rainville

Kathryn Schultz

Jill Warszalek

GENERAL ASSEMBLY GUILD - $250-$499

Jennifer Arnoldi

Peggy Bickham

Jaime Borkowski

Scott Drabant

Brad Dunck

Nancy Fjortoft

Jo Ann Haley

Travis Hunerdosse

Kim Janicek

Mary Lee
Ronald Miller

Karen Nordstrom

Peggy Reed

Heidi Sunday

Tara Vickery Gorden

Carrie Vogler

Marie Williams

SPRINGFIELD SOCIETY - $100-$249

Jill Borchert

Noelle Chapman

Kathy Cimakasky

Christopher Crank

Lara Ellinger

Jennifer Ellison

Joan Hardman

Dylan Marx

Katherine Miller

James Sampson

Jerry Storm

Brandi Strader

Amanda Wolff

GRASSROOTS GANG - $50-$99

Katrina Althaus

Rebecca Castner

Megan Hartranft

Christina Jacob

Bella Maningat

Brian Matthews

Bill Middleton

Mark Moffett

Nadia Tancredi

CONTRIBUTOR - $1-$49

Marc Abel

Skylar Boldue

Jeremy Capulong

Antoinette Cintron

Janet Engle

Linda Grider

Heather Harper

Ina Henderson

Antoine Jenkins

Levi Karell Pilones

Josie Klink

Connie Larson

Barbara Limburg-Mancini

Michelle Martin

Natalie Schwarber

Sarah Sheley

David Silva

Helen Sweiss

Steve Tancredi

Karin Terry

Upcoming Events

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

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Pharmacy Residency Project Pearls in Chicago

NISHP/UIC CPE Program

UIC College of Pharmacy | Chicago, IL

Accredited for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians | 1.5 hours (0.15 CEUs)

Tuesday, June 7, 2016 | 6:00pm

Statistics Review for BCPS

CPRN Program

Northwestern Memorial Hospital | Chicago, IL

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

ILLINOIS SUMMIT ON ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP 2016

Illinois Department of Public Health Program

Memorial Center for Learning & Innovation | Springfield, IL

More info coming soon. Questions? Contact the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Division of Patient Safety and Quality at DPH.DPSQ@Illinois.gov.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Peoria Chiefs Game

WCSHP and Sangamiss Networking Event

Dozer Park | Peoria, IL

Tickets are $8. For more information or to request tickets, contact Ed Rainville, at Ed.C.Rainville@osfhealthcare.org.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

APhA’s Delivering Medication Therapy Management Services

Certificate Training Program hosted by IPhA

IPhA Office | Springfield, IL

Accredited for pharmacists | Up to 21.0 credit hours (2.1 CEUs)

Hosted by Illinois Pharmacists Association. ICHP members may use discount code ICHP2016 to receive the member price. Membership will be verified.

November 2021

KeePosted Info

Features

Call for Entries: 2016 Best Practice Award

It’s Back! The ICHP Pharmacy Action “Auction With A Twist”

Nominate the Best! ICHP Awards Process Opens

We’re Looking For a Few Good Men…. And Women! How Would You Like To Run For An ICHP Office?

Represent Your Part of the State Affiliate Delegates Sought for ICHP House in September

Reflections on the ICHP Spring Meeting

Columns

President's Message Survival Skills

Directly Speaking ICHP Opens Its Advocacy Center

Leadership Profile Amy Boblitt, BS, PharmD

Government Affairs Report Things begin to move in April

Professional Affairs Column: Pharmacy Practice Use of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Screening Tests in Antimicrobial Stewardship

ICHPeople

Educational Affairs What is the evidence to support the use of canakinumab or anakinra to treat refractory arthritic gout?

College Connections

Chicago State University College of Pharmacy The Importance of Leadership and Involvement in Pharmacy School

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy 2016 Pharmacy Legislative Day

More

Welcome New Members!

Officers and Board of Directors

ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund (PAC) Contributors

Upcoming Events

It’s Back!
The ICHP Pharmacy Action “Auction With A Twist”

Nominate the Best!
ICHP Awards Process Opens

We’re Looking For a Few Good Men…. And Women!
How Would You Like To Run For An ICHP Office?

Represent Your Part of the State
Affiliate Delegates Sought for ICHP House in September

President's Message
Survival Skills

Directly Speaking
ICHP Opens Its Advocacy Center

Leadership Profile
Amy Boblitt, BS, PharmD

Government Affairs Report
Things begin to move in April

Professional Affairs Column: Pharmacy Practice
Use of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Screening Tests in Antimicrobial Stewardship

Educational Affairs
What is the evidence to support the use of canakinumab or anakinra to treat refractory arthritic gout?

Chicago State University College of Pharmacy
The Importance of Leadership and Involvement in Pharmacy School

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy
2016 Pharmacy Legislative Day