Official Newsjournal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

ICHP KeePosted

November 2021

Volume 47 Issue 4

Print Entire Issue

2016 Oct - Pharmacy Month

KeePosted Info

Features

2016 ICHP Annual Meeting is in the Books

Attention ASHP Pharmacist Members

Time to Celebrate for Pharmacy!

ICHP Takes Major Action to Dissolve House of Delegates

Columns

President's Message

Directly Speaking

Board of Pharmacy Update

Government Affairs Report

ICHPeople

2016 Best Practice Winner

Leadership Profile

College Connections

University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy

Chicago State University College of Pharmacy

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy

More

Welcome New Members!

Officers and Board of Directors

ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund (PAC) Contributors

Upcoming Events

KeePosted Info



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

Copyright © 2016, Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists. All rights reserved.

Features

2016 ICHP Annual Meeting is in the Books
Great Education, Great Awards, Great Networking, Great Crowds!

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

The Annual Meeting is over but the buzz should continue for some time. This year’s event drew over 500 attendees over the three days (Sept. 15-17) and featured a new format on Thursday, with annual meeting partner, Pharmacy Learning Network (PLN). The always great educational program at the Annual Meeting was augmented this year with a very full day on Thursday, including 6.5 hours of CPE credit featuring nationally recognized speakers. In additions, Innovation theaters and exhibits filled the 11-hour day with non-stop learning, networking and action. Special thanks to PLN for partnering with ICHP this year.

Friday’s and Saturday’s programming also featured nationally recognized speakers on hot topics of interest to pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy students alike. The Friday morning Reverse Exhibit drew some of the meeting participants away from the accredited education but the fast and furious exchange between Pharmacy Department decision makers and industry representatives provided an abundance of learning opportunities to all the participants.

Over 50 pharmaceutical, wholesale, technology and educational entities participated in this year’s exhibit program. The jammed exhibit hall provided attendees with valuable information on available products and services for their departments. And it didn’t hurt that a sincere conversation with any of the company representatives present could lead to a gift card or other prize at the end of each exhibit session! ICHP awarded more than $200 in prizes and PLN provided a special prize of a FitBit!

But the most exciting and positive moments came during the meetings Awards presentations!  During Friday’s Town Hall Luncheon, the ICHP Best Practice Award was presented to Dr. Maya Beganovic, former PGY-1 resident at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge for her project titled: “MALDI-TOF Alone versus MALDI-TOF Combined with Real-Time Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions on Time to Optimal Antimicrobial Therapy in Patients with Positive Blood Cultures”. Her supervising pharmacist was Dr. Sarah Wieczorkiewicz. In addition, Evanna Shopoff, Territory Manager and Eric Heimdal, Sales Specialist of PharMEDium, received the 2016 ICHP Industry Award for their dedication to promoting ICHP membership and participation in statewide educational meetings to other industry representatives and pharmacists across the State.

The Saturday Awards Luncheon featured the presentation of the rest of ICHP’s Awards including it’s most prestigious award, the 2016 Health-System Pharmacist of the Year. This year, The 2016 Pharmacist of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Carrie Sincak, Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs at Midwestern University, Chicago College of Pharmacy in Downers Grove. Carrie served in a variety of capacities within ICHP including as its President in 2010-2011 and she continues to serve as an active volunteer on at least one ICHP division. But her nominators cited more than that as the reason for the honor. She is a mentor and leader within her University and previously at her practice sites and she is a dedicated teacher of students and young practitioners.

Another very important ICHP Award, the Amy Lodolce Mentorship Award was presented to Michael Fotis, faculty member at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program. Mike was nominated by former residents, colleagues and even one of his current PA students who all detailed his outstanding ability to guide students and young practitioners through the health care practice, political, and emotional mazes. His 21 years as director of the pharmacy residency program at Northwestern gave him ample time and candidates to support.

ICHP’s New Practitioner Leadership Award went to Kathryn Schultz, Hematology and Oncology Specialist at Rush Medical Center in Chicago. Kathryn has demonstrated outstanding leadership through her work as a student chapter President at Midwestern University, on the Northern Illinois Society of Health-System Pharmacists Board of Directors, as the current Director of the Division of Government Affairs for ICHP. Kathryn not only gets the importance of advocacy for the profession, she lives it all the time.

The ICHP Outstanding Volunteer Award was presented to Ed Rainville, ICHP Central Region Director and Clinical Coordinator at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Ed has played a critical role in revitalizing the ICHP activity in the central part of the State but has also taken a leadership role in some of the planning responsibilities for both of ICHP’s statewide meetings. He has worked diligently to increase the number and quality of submissions for the Spring Meeting Poster session which this year offered CE credit for attendees.

The ICHP President’s Award was presented to another well-known ICHP member and Past President, Ann Jankiewicz. Normally this award is presented by the President to a member who has stepped up during the President’s term and made contributions above and beyond but this year, President Jennifer Phillips recognized Ann for contributions to Jen that have occurred throughout her career. Citing her first experiences with Ann when she was an entry level technician at Rush, again when Jen returned to Rush as a drug-information pharmacist and again when she became a member of ICHP’s Board of Directors.

The ICHP Division of Professional Affairs Director Kristi Stice presented the University of Illinois at Chicago with this year’s Student Chapter Award. This is the second time UIC has won the award however, they did it this year breaking Chicago State’s two year hold on the trophy! Student Chapters are judged on their level of participation in ICHP throughout the year, including participation in community service events, Legislative Day, during Board of Director Meetings, and more.

At the luncheon, ICHP also recognized an impressive cadre of Shining Stars – an award for members who have stepped up their involvement in ICHP over the past year to a new and positive level. The 2016 Shining Stars are:
Antoinette Cintron
Katelyn Conklen
Chris Crank
Clara Gary
Megan Hartranft
Carol Heunisch
Milena McLaughlin
Kushal Shah

Congratulations to all of the ICHP Award winners for 2016! To learn more about each ICHP award, the criteria for each may be found on the ICHP website at: http://www.ichpnet.org/members/award_winners/.

The Saturday afternoon Residency Showcase was one of the highlights  for the eager 214 pharmacy students who attended this year’s meeting. Residency programs from 35 sites and 8 states participated in this year’s warm-up to the ASHP Midyear Meeting in December. This important component of the ICHP Annual Meeting is a great way for students who are considering applying for a residency to get firsthand knowledge early in the process. It should be a must-be-there for all P2-P4 students who are even remotely considering a residency in their future!

As you can see the 2016 ICHP Annual Meeting had a lot to offer everyone! If you missed it, we’re sad. If you made it, we’re glad and hopefully you are too! We hope to see you next year at Drury Lane on September 14-16, 2017!



Attention ASHP Pharmacist Members
It’s Time to Elect Delegate to ASHP’s House

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

The ASHP Summer meeting for 2017 will be held in Minneapolis and in 2018 it will be in Denver! ICHP needs to elect three delegates to join Ed Rainville and Noelle Chapman as the Illinois delegation for 2017 and then continue on in 2018. Delegate candidates must be ASHP pharmacist members who are planning on attending the ASHP Summer Meetings for both 2017 and 2018 at their own expense. They must also attend one of the Chicago-based Regional Delegate Conferences each May, and provide their own nomination via e-mail, fax or mail to the ICHP office by October 21, 2016.

Nominees must provide nomination statements, which include years of membership in ASHP, current employment position, pharmacy association memberships, volunteer experiences related to pharmacy associations and any other relevant information the potential candidate would like to include. However, candidate statements must be limited to 250 words or less. The ICHP Committee on Nominations will select up to six candidates for this year’s ballot. The three candidates receiving the highest vote totals will be credentialed as delegates for 2017 and 2018 and the remaining three candidates will serve as alternate delegates for 2017 only.

The 2017 Summer Meeting is scheduled for June 4-7, 2017 in Minneapolis. No date or site has been set for the 2018 event but we know it should be in early June of that year. Delegates and alternate delegates are reimbursed for expenses relating to attendance at the Regional Delegate Conferences only and all other expenses are the responsibility of the delegates and alternate delegates. ASHP’s House of Delegates is the policy making body within ASHP and is responsible for and approving all ASHP position statements and practice guidelines.

This is a great opportunity for someone who has served at the State level for some time and wishes to move up within ASHP. It is probably not a good match for someone with no pharmacy association volunteer experience.  

Elections will be held in November with all ASHP pharmacist members eligible to vote via the internet. Election results will be announced in the January KeePosted. Interested individuals should send their letter of intent and candidates statement to Scott Meyers at the ICHP office via fax at (815) 227-9292 or e-mail to scottm@ichpnet.org.  



Time to Celebrate for Pharmacy!
October is National Pharmacy Month

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

Man, summer flew by this year and fall is quickly following.  October is here and with it, National Pharmacy Month, Health-System Pharmacy Week (Oct. 16-22) and National Pharmacy Technician Day (Tuesday, Oct. 18). Lots of reasons to celebrate!  

And how should a Pharmacy Department celebrate? Well, absolutely with cake and ice cream but also with information cards on the cafeteria tables, a poster session in a conference room, staff recognition awards, and a lot more. As a matter of fact, there is no wrong way to celebrate as long as you do something! Letting this opportunity slip away without any fanfare is a missed opportunity to share what you do with the rest of your institution.

So do something original, do something fun, do something scientific or all of the above but do something and send us your pictures with a very brief description (we don’t want the writing component to be a barrier for you to share your celebration!) and we’ll highlight your facility on Facebook and maybe even our website. Let’s see who the party animals are. Celebrate for Pharmacy!


ICHP Takes Major Action to Dissolve House of Delegates

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

The ICHP House of Delegates voted to dissolve on Thursday evening, September 15th at the ICHP Annual Meeting. The delegates took this important action based on a recommendation from the Division of Organizational Affairs that was approved by the Board of Directors.

For several years, members of the House and members of the Board of Directors have questioned the need for the House and in 2013 a similar proposal was presented to the House but defeated. These proposals originated from a lack of delegate elections to the House, a decrease in delegate participation by those in the House, and a lack of reporting back to affiliate members by their delegates after the meetings. Feedback on the initial proposal from the 2013 House was that there needed to be more lines of communication directly to members if the House was to be abandoned. Since that time, ICHP has implemented semi-annual Town Hall Meetings that seek member feedback, the Board has invited Past Presidents to receive Board materials and listen into Board Meeting calls, and ICHP has created a new online community, ICHPChat. These mechanisms will replace the need for delegates to report back to their local affiliates.

All of these additional avenues of communications have been implemented and member uptake has begun to spread. The next step for dissolution of the House is for a membership vote on the accompanying Constitution and Bylaws changes needed to finalize the process. Ballots will go out in October and all pharmacist members will have the opportunity to vote. If you have questions regarding the Constitution and Bylaws changes you may call me at the ICHP office at (815) 227-9292 or e-mail me at scottm@ichpnet.org



Columns

President's Message
President’s Year End Summary

by Jen Phillips, PharmD, BCPS, ICHP President

My year of President of ICHP has come to a close. I am proud of all of the accomplishments made by the ICHP divisions, committees, and board of directors during the past year. I would like to thank many individuals who helped make this past year a success:
  • First, thank you to Scott Meyers and Trish Wegner, both of whom are extremely dedicated to the mission and vision of ICHP and put in countless hours to ensure its success. This organization would truly not be the same without your passion, commitment, and drive.
  • I would also like to thank the members of the board of directors, all of whom have made valuable contributions to ICHP over the course of the past year.
  • To the office staff of ICHP, who do all of the background work but seldom get recognition. Your efforts are noticed and appreciated. I will miss working with you as President, but I look forward to continuing to work with you in other capacities. You are one great group!
  • I would like to acknowledge our active (non-leader) members who bring life to our organizations’ vision. Whether you are serving as a volunteer on a committee, or a one-time volunteer for a small project, your efforts are also appreciated and encouraged. I urge you to continue to give us your knowledge, skills, and experience in whatever capacity you are able to give.
  • As co-faculty advisor of the student chapter of ICHP MWU, I want to extend a special thank you to the leaders and members of all of the student chapters. These students find time in between exams to bring our mission and vision to life among future pharmacists. I hope that you continue to bring the same level of energy and excitement to the profession when you graduate. We are ready and willing to welcome you as pharmacist members and volunteers when that day happens!
  • Everyday is a learning experience for me. I continue to learn from my colleagues and peers and I am grateful to have the best co-workers in the world. I am thankful for their advice, their insight, and their unending support.
  • Finally, I would like to thank my Dean, Nancy Fjortoft, as well as my Department chair and vice-chairs for their support during this past year. Being President at ICHP is a time commitment and I appreciate their willingness to offer support and flexibility to help me accomplish my goals. I am grateful to work at a place that is so supportive of pharmacy associations as well as professional growth.
The theme for my presidential year was “Leadership, It’s Not Just for Leaders”. My goal was to help other pharmacists, technicians, and students realize that honing leadership skills is something that all of us can benefit from, regardless of our role. I attempted to infuse this ideology throughout all of ICHP’s activities this year. The Division of Educational Affairs had wonderful programming at the Spring and Annual meetings that addressed leadership development and/or other soft skills such as emotional intelligence. We also addressed the topic of emotional intelligence at the Student Leadership Retreat last year as well as at the Leadership Retreat last November. I wrote several newsletter articles addressing leadership skills including soft skills, emotional intelligence, and the gender leadership gap. I hope that members found these articles useful. During my presidential year, I also made the decision to work on a leadership mentorship program. I look forward to working on that project this upcoming year.

Thanks once again to all who helped make this year so productive. I am proud to have served such a wonderful organization and I look forward to many more years of service.



Directly Speaking
Reflections on 9/11

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

I’m writing this month’s column a few days in advance of the 15th anniversary of the attack on September 11, 2001. First it’s hard to believe that it has been 15 years already. I heard the other day that this year’s high school freshmen class weren’t born when that happened! And it is a coincidence that we are just a week away from the 2016 ICHP Annual Meeting and the attack occurred two days before the Annual Meeting in 2001.

In fact, in 2001, I was headed to an Illinois Board of Pharmacy meeting in downtown Chicago when the attacks began to unfold. By the time I arrived at the Thompson Center, both towers had been hit and the Pentagon was about to be. Somehow, the staff at IDFPR found a television and brought it to the Board meeting room. We watched the first tower fall and then the second. At that point, someone entered the room and said that downtown Chicago was being evacuated and we needed to leave the building. The Metra ride out to Elgin took more than 3 hours that afternoon because trains had extra cars to get more people out of the city. There were still hundreds if not thousands of planes in the air and the thought was the Sears Tower could be the next target.

As I look back on that day and the weeks and months that followed, I remember the concern many people had regarding our country’s safety. But more importantly, I remember how the country united to help the victims and the first responders. There seemed to be a sense of service that resonated across the country. Yes, there was a strong sense of patriotism but there was a stronger feeling of “We’re all in this together” at the same time.

As I mentioned earlier, the attack occurred two days before the 2001 ICHP Annual Meeting and air travel was completely shut down across the U.S. for nearly a week. In fact, on the last day of the meeting, as we packed the staff cars to return to Rockford, one of the first airliners to return to the air, flew over Drury Lane creating an eerie feeling for me and several others.

During that Annual Meeting, members networked continuously with the most common discussion topic being emergency preparedness. What can we do to be ready? What kinds of supplies will we need for the next disaster? How can those who aren’t in the affected areas help those who are to treat any victims? Surprisingly, during the three days of programming, only one speaker had to completely cancel due to travel issues and one other speaker made their presentation remotely thanks to a conference speaker phone and an assistant turning their slides. But during the session that was cancelled, attendees took the opportunity to brainstorm on what could be our next steps to prepare for future disasters, natural or man-made. While it was a somber meeting, it was also a very enthusiastic meeting.

I’m now finishing this article after we have completed the 2016 ICHP Annual Meeting, I see some positive signs that I haven’t seen much since the 2001 Meeting. At this year’s Annual Meeting, the U.S. was struggling with a bitterly divisive election and flaring racial unrest. But during the meeting, ICHP members were frequently discussing and seeking out community service projects in which to participate and networking opportunities to help one another with every day workplace dilemmas. Most importantly, ICHP installed its first African-American President. Charlene Hope became the 53rd President of ICHP and while she is the first African-American President of ICHP, she not its first female President, Sister Mary Louise Degenhart, ICHP’s third President holds that honor! Congratulations Charlene and good luck!

There was a lot of discussion during the meeting and especially during the Town Hall Meeting during Friday’s lunch about getting involved in community service projects with other pharmacists, technicians, and students. ICHP’s Division of Professional Affairs is working on identifying one philanthropy effort that ICHP can support throughout the year and across the State so that the organization, as a whole can have a greater impact on our own community. If you have a suggestion that you think fits with ICHP and its mission: Advancing Excellence in Pharmacy, send it to me at scottm@ichpnet.org and I will pass it on.

I guess the good news is that at this year’s Annual Meeting and closely following the commemoration of the 15-year anniversary of September 11th, I feel like - at least within ICHP - there is new interest and energy that we haven’t seen for a while. I definitely see a younger organization with many new rising stars jumping into volunteer opportunities and becoming ICHP leaders. While reflecting on September 11th could be a somber task, in fact, this year, I found it to be uplifting and encouraging. I never want to see a disaster of that scale again in my life, but it is reassuring that even something that horrible could have some positive ripples that came from it.


Board of Pharmacy Update
Highlights from the September 2016 Meeting

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

The September 13th Board of Pharmacy Meeting was held at the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. These are the highlights of that meeting.

New Public Member – Robert Zimmerman, JD, retired attorney, has been appointed to the Board to replace Dr. Yatin Shah. He will bring a different perspective to the Board of Pharmacy.

November Meeting Change – The Board usually meets on the second Tuesday of the odd numbered months which would cause the next meeting to fall on the 8th of November, which is election day and a State holiday. As a result, the November meeting of the Board will be held on Tuesday, November 15th.

NABP/AACP District IV Meeting – The Crowne Plaza on Halsted in Chicago will be the site for the November 2-4 District IV Meeting. The Illinois Board of Pharmacy and the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Pharmacy will co-host the three days of education and policy meetings. The meeting is open to the public and registration is available online at http://www.district4nabp-aacp.org/. The Illinois Board of Pharmacy is planning on introducing a resolution to update the NABP Model Practice Act in the area of telepharmacy. If approved by the District, it will be presented at the May, 2017 NABP Annual Meeting.

Illinois Professionals Health Program – IPHP, as it is often referred to, is an Illinois-based assistance program for health professionals facing chemical dependency and addiction issues. Mr. Terry Lavery presented an update to the Board concerning pharmacist, pharmacy student, and pharmacy technician participation in the program. Of the approximately 270 health professionals currently enrolled in the program, around 30 are pharmacy licensed personnel. The program is paid for by a portion of pharmacist and pharmacy technician license fees and is open to voluntary participants as well as those ordered to participate by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Costs of the program are mostly covered, however additional drug screens above one per month and inpatient treatment expenses are not covered by the program.

The Department staff reported that if a licensed individual enrolls in the program voluntarily, without disciplinary order, the Department will maintain confidentiality and no public record of treatment will be placed on the individual’s record. Most patient contracts are for five years.

ebas presentation – Ethics and Boundaries Assessment Services, LLC (ebas) is an assessment program used currently by some licensing Boards in Illinois when there is a question of a practitioner’s grasp of ethics regarding their practice. This service provides a five-part essay test that measures a practitioner’s understanding and judgement related to Boundary Violations, Fraud, Professional Standards, Unprofessional Conduct, and Substance Abuse. The test is used in severe cases when a practitioner’s license hangs in the balance. It is graded by professionals who do not know the background on the individual. The test fee is $1500 initially and if a practitioner fails any section, they must retake that section at a cost of $300. If the practitioner fails 3 or more sections, they must retake the entire exam. Exam costs are the expense of the practitioner. The Board will consider using this test is extreme cases of ethics breaches.

Newsletter – The next issue of the Board Newsletter is expected out in November. All previous issues may be found on the IDFPR website at http://www.nabp.net/publications/newsletters/illinois-department-of-financial-and-professional-regulation-division-of-professional-regulation-state-board-of-pharmacy.

NAPLEX 90-day Wait Period Waivers – The Board discussed at length the current 90-day waiting period for applicants to retake the NAPLEX or MPJE when they have failed. Currently, under certain circumstances, determined by each state, a state may waive the 90-day waiting period. Illinois has rarely received requests and has even more rarely granted that waiver. However, a recent unsuccessful applicant from another state found out about this possible waiver, applied for it, received it, and then posted on social media his/her success which sparked a flood of applications for waivers in several states including Illinois.

NABP will implement a new rule on November 1st that will drop the waiting period to 45-days but Illinois will not allow any waivers. The Board felt that since the waiting period will change shortly and in fairness to those who have made previous requests and been denied, they will not grant any waivers for the rest of the period of the current rule.

Remedial Programming – Illinois currently requires pharmacist applicants to complete remedial training after three failures of the NAPLEX or MPJE. However, the Board was unable to identify any program in Illinois other than Midwestern University’s Board Exam Review that is offered each May to their graduates and the general public. There are some online programs, but the content has not been evaluated and the Board would like to require some face-to-face learning in addition to Illinois specific law. The Board will develop criteria for standard remediation that provide guidance to employers who wish to create workplace programs for these candidates. A sub-committee will work on this and bring back a draft at the November Meeting.

Legislative Update – Garth Reynolds, IPhA Executive Director provided a brief legislative update to the Board. The Governor has signed a few of the bills that have been described in previous columns of the Government Affairs Report and no action has been taken by the General Assembly since it adjourned at the end of May.

Citation Program – The Department staff reported that the Citation Pilot Program has been widely accepted across the state. These citations document minor infractions and carry a monetary fine but if paid on time, do not result in public discipline. The Department will work to make this program permanent in 2017 when the Pharmacy Practice Act Sunset Review will open the Act for changes.

Next Meeting – The next meeting of the Board of Pharmacy will take place on Tuesday, November 15th at 10:30 a.m. in the James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph, Chicago. Members of the profession and public are welcome to attend.



Government Affairs Report
You’re Now Required to Report the Unsafe!

by Jim Owen and Scott Meyers

Senate Bill 3336 (SB3336) was signed by Governor Rauner on August 19th and pharmacy owners and Pharmacists-In-Charge (PIC) need to carefully read and adhere to it. The language is below and it is an amendment to the Illinois Pharmacy Practice Act. The final language of the bill is a result of the collaboration of ICHP, the Illinois Retail Merchants’ Association, the Illinois Pharmacists’ Association and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Here’s the new language in the Pharmacy Practice Act:

(225 ILCS 85/30.1 new) 

Sec. 30.1. Reporting. 

(a) When a pharmacist, registered certified pharmacy technician, or a registered pharmacy technician licensed by the Department is terminated for actions which may have threatened patient safety, the pharmacy or pharmacist-in-charge, pursuant to the policies and procedures of the pharmacy at which he or she is employed, shall report the termination to the chief pharmacy coordinator. Such reports shall be strictly confidential and may be reviewed and considered only by the members of the Board or by authorized Department staff. Such reports, and any records associated with such reports, are exempt from public disclosure and the Freedom of Information Act. Although the reports are exempt from disclosure, any formal complaint filed against a licensee or registrant by the Department or any order issued by the Department against a licensee, registrant, or applicant shall be a public record, except as otherwise prohibited by law. 

(b) The report shall be submitted to the chief pharmacy coordinator in a timely fashion. Unless otherwise provided in this Section, the reports shall be filed in writing, on forms provided by the Department, within 60 days after a pharmacy's determination that a report is required under this Act. All reports shall contain only the following information: (1) The name, address, and telephone number of the person making the report. (2) The name, license number, and last known address and telephone number of the person who is the subject of the report. (3) A brief description of the facts which gave rise to the issuance of the report, including dates of occurrence. 

(c) The contents of any report and any records associated with such report shall be strictly confidential and may only be reviewed by: SB3336 Enrolled 
(1) members of the Board of Pharmacy; 
(2) the Board of Pharmacy's designated attorney; 
(3) administrative personnel assigned to open mail containing reports, to process and distribute reports to authorized persons, and to communicate with senders of reports; 
(4) Department investigators and Department prosecutors; or 
(5) attorneys from the Office of the Illinois Attorney General representing the Department in litigation in response to specific disciplinary action the Department has taken or initiated against a specific individual pursuant to this Section. 

(d) Whenever a pharmacy or pharmacist-in-charge makes a report and provides any records associated with that report to the Department, acts in good faith, and not in a willful and wanton manner, the person or entity making the report and the pharmacy or health care institution employing him or her shall not, as a result of such actions, be subject to criminal prosecution or civil damages.

As you can see, this language places a new burden on the pharmacy and the PIC. However, it also protects them from civil and criminal liability in a state where most people love to sue. And let’s face it, Illinois employers these days don’t terminate anyone without plenty of evidence so the real burden is minimal. The results, we all hope, will be a safer pharmacy environment with a new mechanism to get the bad actors out of the practice and reduce the surprises found when hiring someone with a questionable past.

We think this law helps the pharmacy profession and our patients and we proud to have been a part of the collaboration!


ICHPeople

Congratulations to ICHP member, Jennifer Splawski, PharmD, BCPS, for her recent book chapter on The Pharmacist's Utilization of the National Patient Safety Goals to Contribute to Safe and Effective Medication Use!

Congratulations to David Tjhio, ICHP Technology Committee Chair, on his recent publication, Optimizing automation and technology across a pharmacy enterprise!



2016 Best Practice Winner
MALDI-TOF Alone versus MALDI-TOF Combined with Real-Time Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions on Time to Optimal Antimicrobial Therapy in Patients with Positive Blood Cultures

by Maya Beganovic, PharmD


The 2016 Best Practice Award Winner, MALDI-TOF Alone versus MALDI-TOF Combined with Real-Time Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions on Time to Optimal Antimicrobial Therapy in Patients with Positive Blood Cultures, is available as a home-study for CPE credit. To earn your CPE credit, you must read the manuscript below in the September/October 2016 issue of KeePosted and then go to CEsally.com to answer the self-assessment questions and complete your credit. Once you have logged in to your CEsally.com account, search on MALDI-TOF Alone, add to your To Do List, be sure and save CE, and then go to your To Do List to complete the process. If you have questions on how to set up your CEsally account, please call the ICHP office at 815-227-9292.

Faculty

Maya Beganovic, PharmD*
Post-Doctoral Fellow, In-Vitro Pharmacodynamics/Clinical Outcomes in Infectious Diseases
University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy/Providence VA Medical Center
Kingston, RI

*PGY-1 Resident, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital at time of submission

Sarah M. Wieczorkiewicz, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Pharmacist, Infectious Diseases
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Park Ridge, IL

Target Audience
This knowledge-based activity was developed for Health-System Pharmacists.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this knowledge-based continuing pharmacy education activity, pharmacist participants should be able to:
1. Define Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) technology.
2. Identify advantages and limitations associated with MALDI-TOF utilization.

This program is provided by the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists. The Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This program is equivalent to 0.5 contact hour (0.05 CEU) of pharmacy continuing education.

ACPE Universal Activity Number: 0121-0000-16-061-H01-P

Type of Activity: Knowledge-based

Faculty Disclosure
It is the policy of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP) to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its education programs. In accordance with this policy, faculty must disclose to the participants any significant relationships with commercial companies whose products or devices may be mentioned in faculty presentations, or with the commercial supporter of these continuing pharmacy education programs. These disclosures will be available at the program.

PTCB now requires CPhTs to earn only pharmacy technician-specific (‘T-specific’) credit to qualify for recertification. As of January 1, 2015, ALL CPE credit earned must be T-specific. In addition, PTCB will reduce the number of allowable CPE hours earned through in-service training from 10 to 5. Please advise all pharmacy technicians at your site of this change.

CPE Monitor
When registering for this program, you will be asked to provide your NABP e-Provile ID # and Birthday. This information will be required by any participants seeking CPE credit. Visit www.ichpnet.org/cpemonitor/ for information about CPE Monitor and how to obtain your NABP ID.


INTRODUCTION
Despite advances in utilization of antimicrobial therapy, bloodstream infections (BSI) remain a considerable threat to hospitalized patients. Data from death certificates suggest that BSIs are the 11th leading cause of death in the United States.1 A significant proportion of healthcare-associated BSIs result from multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO). MDRO infection rates continue to uptrend and pose substantial public health risk.2 To minimize these threats, early administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy is critical in streamlining antimicrobials to optimal therapy and discontinuing inappropriate antimicrobial therapy, particularly in the setting of contaminated cultures. Utilizing conventional methods of organism identification can delay time to optimal therapy and increase patient exposure to unnecessary antimicrobials.3,4,5,6,7,8 

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) uses mass spectrometry (MS) to rapidly and accurately identify clinically isolated organisms by genus and species. Compared to conventional methods, MALDI-TOF decreases time to organism identification by approximately 1.2-1.5 days.5,6,7 Several studies have established that the combination of MALDI-TOF identification and real-time antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) intervention provided by antimicrobial stewardship teams (AST) improves patient outcomes compared to traditional methods of organism identification.6,7,8,9 However, there are limited data evaluating AMS by comparing rapid organism identification via MALDI-TOF alone to MALDI-TOF combined with real-time AMS intervention. 

PURPOSE
The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of rapid organism identification via MALDI-TOF alone versus MALDI-TOF combined with real-time AMS intervention on time to optimal antimicrobial therapy, and other clinical and financial outcomes, in patients with positive blood cultures.

GOALS
The goals of our program were to create a comprehensive guideline for adult and pediatric patients with positive blood cultures and determine if providing real-time AMS intervention for patients with positive blood cultures had an impact on time to optimal therapy, which included discontinuation of unnecessary antimicrobials for contaminated cultures. Patients were followed prospectively and compared to a similar cohort from the year prior to implementation of real-time AMS intervention. Long-term goals of this program include operationalizing this intervention on a health-system level, and providing patients with optimal medical care that may result in reductions in length of hospitalization, mortality, recurrent infection, and overall healthcare costs. 

DESCRIPTION

Study Design and Patient Population
This study was a single-center, pre-post, quasi-experimental study. It took place at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (ALGH), which is a large, community teaching hospital with 645 beds. Adult and pediatric patients admitted to inpatient services at ALGH during a 3-month period (November 2015- January 2016), with a positive blood culture identified via MALDI-TOF were included, and compared to a control cohort during a 3-month period of the previous year (November 2014-January 2015). Patients were excluded if they transferred from an outside hospital with an active BSI or expired prior to the acquisition of blood culture results. 

Workflow Procedures Prior to Intervention
Blood cultures were analyzed for the presence of microorganisms via the BacT/ALERT Microbial Detection System (bioMérieux, Durham, NC), which contains culture media with suitable nutritional and environmental conditions for the most common organisms found in blood. Inoculated bottles are placed into the instrument (BacT/ALERT 3D), incubated, and continuously monitored for growth. Every two hours, the BacT/ALERT 3D is evaluated for culture positivity. Once an organism is flagged as positive, a gram stain is performed, results are posted in the patient’s electronic medical record (EMR), and then are promptly called to the charge nurse. The remainder of the blood sample is re-incubated for an additional 5-8 hours before the MALDI-TOF is performed. The MALDI-TOF identification data are reported in the EMR, but they are not communicated directly to a healthcare provider. (Figure 1a).

Figure 1a. Workflow Pre-Intervention



New Workflow and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Interventions
Prior to initiating a new workflow, the AST developed comprehensive blood culture and bacteremia guidelines including: indication and timing of blood cultures, methods for obtaining blood cultures, duration of incubation and organism identification, interpretation of blood culture results, assessment of contamination versus true bacteremia, clinical pearls of BSI management, and organism-specific bacteremia treatment recommendations. These guidelines were presented to and approved by the AST, and the pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committee.

Positive blood cultures were evaluated using the same microbiologic procedures prior to the study. However, instead of passive verification of final culture results, a designated pharmacist was responsible for receiving real-time notification, via pager, of all blood culture-positive MALDI-TOF results 24 hours per day, 7 days per week (Figure 1b). Subsequently, the pharmacist promptly contacted the patient’s physician to provide recommendations based on the AST-approved, evidence-based protocol. Pages received between the hours of 10:00PM and 6:00AM were evaluated and triaged by the designated pharmacist.  However, with the exception of events requiring immediate attention, such as bug-drug mismatches, overnight pages were addressed the following morning.

Figure 1b. Workflow Post-Intervention

Study Endpoints
The study objective was to evaluate the impact of MALDI-TOF combined with real-time AMS intervention. The primary outcome was time to optimal therapy (TTOT). Optimal therapy was defined as the time from blood culture draw to the time of most appropriate antimicrobial therapy administration. This included broadening coverage if necessary, de-escalating therapy to the most narrow spectrum antimicrobial, or discontinuing inappropriate or duplicative antimicrobial therapy. Secondary endpoints included time to effective therapy (TTET), defined as the time from blood culture draw to the time of first susceptible antimicrobial administration, in-hospital all-cause mortality, hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), time to microbiologic clearance, antimicrobial length of therapy, and recurrence of bacteremia within 30 days of antimicrobial discontinuation. 

Statistical Analysis
A sample size of 40 subjects per group was needed to achieve 80% power to find a difference of 1.5 days. Descriptive statistics were performed for all continuous (mean ± SD) and categorical [N (%)] data. All normally distributed continuous variables were compared using the unpaired student’s t-test, and all categorical variables were compared using Χ2 analysis. Analyses were performed using SPSS for Windows, version 22.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). A two-tailed p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. 

OUTCOMES
There were a total of 252 blood cultures (239 patients) included in the final analysis: 126 blood cultures (116 patients) in the pre-intervention group and 126 blood cultures (123 patients) in the intervention group. Of the 126 positive blood cultures in each arm, 113 patients (90%) in the pre-intervention group, and 83 patients (66%) in the intervention had a true bacteremia (i.e., non-contaminant). There were no statistically significant differences in baseline demographic data (Table 1). There were higher observed PITT Bacteremia Scores and Charlson Comorbidity Indices in the intervention group, although these differences were not statistically significant. The most common sources of infection included genitourinary, intra-abdominal, and respiratory (Figure 2). Organism distribution is shown in Figure 3. Overall, there was no difference in infection-causing organisms between groups.  However, significantly more contaminants were noted in the intervention group. 


Table 1. Baseline Demographics


Figure 2. Source of Positive Blood Culture


Figure 3. Organism Distribution


Time to Optimal Therapy   
MALDI-TOF plus AMS intervention resulted in significantly shorter TTOT compared to MALDI-TOF alone (75.17 vs 43.06 hours, p<0.001). Results were further evaluated based on organism type and demonstrated that MALDI-TOF plus AMS intervention led to shorter TTOT in patients with contaminated cultures (48.21 vs 11.75 hours, p< 0.001) and Gram negative infections (71.83 vs 35.98 hours, p<0.001). There was faster optimization in patients with Gram positive infections although not statistically significant (64.04 vs 41.61 hours, p= 0.082). These patients were frequently treated empirically with vancomycin which is optimal therapy in many Gram positive infections, particularly in the setting of multiple beta-lactam drug allergies. 

Secondary Outcomes 
Optimization of MALDI-TOF through its pairing with AMS intervention resulted in significantly shorter hospital LOS (15.03 vs 9.02 days, p= 0.021), ICU LOS for Gram negative infection (5.55 vs 1.19 days, p= 0.035), time to microbiologic clearance for Gram negative infections (51.13 vs 34.51 hours, p= 0.001) and length of antimicrobial therapy for Gram positive infections (24.30 vs 18.97, p= 0.018). Although TTET (16.8 vs 12.15 hours, p= 0.082) and reduction in overall ICU LOS (4.30 vs 1.22 days, p= 0.053) were not statistically significant, these outcomes are clinically significant in the setting of sepsis and healthcare cost reduction, respectively. Due to the significant reduction in hospital and ICU LOS, financial outcomes were assessed. Direct costs were reduced by half and resulted in an annual projected healthcare cost-savings of approximately $6.3 million ($28,677 vs $15,784 per patient, p= 0.010). Refer to Table 2 for complete secondary outcome results.

Table 2. Secondary Endpoint Outcomes



DISCUSSION
The workflow prior to this program included passive monitoring of patients with positive blood cultures, and despite having the technology to obtain results up to 1.5 days faster, it was noticed that when MALDI-TOF was paired with AMS intervention, treatment was optimized faster than with MALDI-TOF alone. To our knowledge, this is the only study comparing MALDI-TOF with AMS to MALDI-TOF without AMS. Several previous studies have established that the utilization of team-based AMS and real-time microbiology result analysis improves patient outcomes when compared to traditional methods of organism identification without real-time intervention.6,7,8,9 One study demonstrated that rapid organism identification, even without AMS, may have a positive impact on antimicrobial selection. Clerc, et al9 reported that MALDI-TOF utilization without AMS intervention resulted in antimicrobial therapy modification for 35.1% of Gram-negative BSIs, likely due to heightened physician awareness of the available technology. 

Vlek and colleagues5 conducted a crossover study involving 253 episodes (218 patients) of BSI that compared traditional identification methods to MALDI-TOF. In this study, MALDI-TOF identification yielded results 28.8 hours earlier (16.4 vs 45.2 hours, p< 0.001) than traditional methods. Furthermore, they found an 11.3% increase in the proportion of patients on appropriate antimicrobial therapy within 24 hours (64% vs 75.3%, p= 0.001).

As data supporting the benefits of patients receiving appropriate antimicrobial therapy emerged, additional studies were designed to evaluate patient outcomes. Perez et al6 conducted a pre-post quasi-experimental study evaluating 219 patients with Gram-negative BSIs and the impact of integrating rapid organism identification via MALDI TOF with AMS intervention. Their study demonstrated a significant reduction in length of hospitalization (9.3 vs 11.9 days, p= 0.01), and healthcare costs ($26,162 vs $45,709 per patient, p= 0.009), and a non-significant reduction in 30-day all-cause mortality (5.6% vs 10.7%, p= 0.19), and ICU LOS (6.3 vs 7.3 days, p= 0.05) in the intervention group. In a similar study design, including all positive blood cultures without organism limitations, Huang et al7 evaluated 501 patients in their final analysis. They found that integrating real-time AMS intervention resulted in improved TTET (20.4 vs 30.1 hours, p= 0.021), and TTOT (47.3 vs 90.3 hours, p< 0.001). Clinical outcomes demonstrated a significant reduction in all-cause mortality (20.3% vs 12.7%, p= 0.021), ICU LOS (8.3 vs 14.9 days, p= 0.014), bacteremia recurrence (5.9% vs 2.0%, p= 0.038), and a non-significant reduction in hospital LOS (11.4 vs 14.2, p= 0.066).

Discontinuation of unnecessary antimicrobials, particularly when antimicrobial resistance has become a substantial public health issue, is a critical AMS intervention. Nagel et al8 evaluated patients with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) -positive blood cultures. Consistent with our study, their findings showed significant reduction in unnecessary antimicrobial use (3.0 vs 4.4 days, p= 0.015).

Our study evaluated the impact of AMS intervention by comparing the use of rapid organism identification via MALDI-TOF pre and post-implementation of newly revised workflow that included a pharmacist providing real-time interventions. Limitations of this study include small sample size, which may have contributed to a lack of difference in some of the secondary outcomes including mortality.  While 88% of AMS interventions were accepted, a challenge of the study included changing empiric therapy prior to susceptibility results despite organism identification due to the perceived risk of MDROs. Future direction evaluating the combination of rapid identification methods with genetic testing for resistance or validation of a MDRO risk factor stratification is warranted.

CONCLUSION
Our program revealed that combining MALDI-TOF with real-time, pharmacist-driven, AMS intervention consistently provided best practice outcomes when compared to MALDI-TOF alone, thus highlighting the importance of AMS. Therefore, with the projected annual cost savings at one hospital, current pharmacist positions are being pursued in order to sustain and expand this program to other sites within our large hospital-system.


References
  1. National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 61, No. 4, May 8, 2013. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_04. Accessed May 3, 2015.
  2. Wisplinghoff H, Bischoff T, Tallent SM, et al. Nosocomial bloodstream infections in US hospitals: analysis of 24,179 cases from a prospective nationwide surveillance study. Clin Infect Dis. 2004; 39(3):309-17.
  3. Barenfanger J, Graham DR, Kolluri L, et al. Decreased mortality associated with prompt Gram staining of blood cultures. Am J Clin Pathol. 2008;130:870- 6.
  4. Gaynes R. The impact of antimicrobial use on the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in hospitals. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 1997;11(4):757-65. 
  5. Vlek AL, Bonten MJ, Boel CH. Direct matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry improves appropriateness of antibiotic treatment of bacteremia. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(3):e32589.
  6. Perez KK, Olsen RJ, Musick WL, et al. Integrating rapid pathogen identification and antimicrobial stewardship significantly decreases hospital costs. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2013;137(9):1247-54.
  7. Huang AM, Newton D, Kunapuli A, et al. Impact of rapid organism identification via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight combined with antimicrobial stewardship team intervention in adult patients with bacteremia and candidemia. Clin Infect Dis. 2013;57(9):1237-45.
  8. Nagel JL, Huang AM, Kunapuli A, et al. Impact of antimicrobial stewardship intervention on coagulase-negative Staphylococcus blood cultures in conjunction with rapid diagnostic testing. J Clin Microbiol. 2014;52(8):2849-54.
  9. Clerc O, Prod'hom G, Vogne C, et al. Impact of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry on the clinical management of patients with Gram-negative bacteremia: a prospective observational study. Clin Infect Dis. 2013;56(8):1101-7.



Leadership Profile
Virginia (“Ginny”) Nash, MS, PharmD, BCPS, CPE

What is your current leadership position in ICHP?
I am Co-Chair of the Ambulatory Care Network

What benefits do you see in being active in a professional association such as ICHP?
Professional associations are a great way to stay informed and advance practice. They have helped me transition my thoughts from concepts to ideas to practice in order to change how we deliver pharmaceutical care.

What initially motivated you to get involved in ICHP?
It was 'encouraged' at work - and I'm glad I was because it has been beneficial to my practice and professional development.

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

Where have you trained or worked?
Kishwaukee Hospital now part of Northwestern Medicine

What special accomplishments have you achieved?
- Attended ASHP Pain and Palliative Care Traineeship
- KishHealth Quality Pillar Award winner 2015
- University of Illinois Rockford College of Pharmacy hospital preceptor of the year 2016
- Certified Pain Educator

Describe your current area of practice and practice setting.
I am a pharmacist working at Kishwaukee Hospital now part of Northwestern Medicine in a rural setting with a progressive culture that encourages innovation.

Is there an individual you admire or look up to, or a mentor that has influenced your career?
I am fortunate to be able to say there are many people I have admired (and continue to admire) throughout my career. Two stand out in particular. One inspired me to change how I listen when people talk to me because I liked the way he listened to me. The other pharmacist has been an unfailing supporter of mine who will tell me the truth - especially when I need to hear it.

What advice would you give to student pharmacists?
Have passion for your work and a commitment to learning. As a preceptor I tell my students it's easier to fix a wrong answer than a bad attitude. If they have a good attitude we can get through anything.

What pharmacy related issues keep you up at night?
Professional growth and moving our department forward - more specifically, professional growth that will move our department forward.

Do you have any special interests or hobbies outside of work?
Long distance cycling, downhill skiing, kayaking, rock climbing.

Do you have a favorite restaurant or food?
Yoshino's Japanese Restaurant in Rochelle IL - It is the best Japanese food I have had outside of Japan. There is a Japanese train manufacturer located in Rochelle and the restaurant provides authentic Japanese food for the employees and the community. It's awesome!

What is your favorite place to vacation?
Anywhere I can do things outside with my friends.

What is the most interesting/unique fact about yourself that few people know?
I don't know if this is the most interesting thing about me but very, very few people know that I was a baton twirler.

What 3 adjectives would people use to best describe you?
I hope they would say: Self-motivated, driven, and passionate.



College Connections

University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy
Discovering Leadership through ICHP

by David Silva, P2, ICHP President-Elect

Reflecting on my first year in pharmacy school, people have always asked me why I chose to move all the way from sunny California to the Windy City. I had known of my interest in pharmacy for quite a while, and – with the metropolitan allure and promise of boundless opportunities within the Illinois Medical District – Chicago seemed like a perfect fit. What I’ve found since then, however, is that the personal growth and leadership experiences I’ve gained through my involvement with ICHP this past year have more than validated why I am here.

When I first arrived at UIC, like most students I was bombarded with countless acronyms of the many professional organizations on campus. It was difficult to tell each of them apart, but it was not an issue seeing that at the time I had no real interest in joining one. Then, about a week into school, as various organizations were holding informational meetings and events, I happened to stumble into a leadership seminar tucked away in the basement of the college. Sitting in the back of the lecture hall, I began to hear from several prominent, accomplished students as they gave advice on leadership and succeeding in pharmacy school. One particular quote from a senior student truly stood out to me that day and has ever since: “You are much more capable than you think. I know each one of you could take on multiple leadership positions, and would still surprise yourself with how much more you could handle.”

It sounds like a cliché moment dramatized through self-reflection, but that was certainly the defining moment in which I decided to reorganize my priorities and run for a leadership position. I had come to Chicago to study pharmacy, and felt I was not cut out for leadership. However, despite having never held office – let alone being a member – of any organization or club in my life, I was inspired to try something new. As everyone in that room on that day had emphasized, the worst that could happen if you tried and failed was to get up and try again.

That evening I began looking into what each organization at UIC had to offer, and what positions or opportunities were still available; at that time I knew I had an interest in clinical pharmacy, and ICHP immediately stood out. Lo and behold, the position of “P1 Liaison” was available. Unsure of the exact duties of this position - and still somewhat doubting myself - I set out to find out more about the position and subsequently started crafting a platform and speech. As nervous as I was, looking back on that day only a short 9 months ago, I can barely recognize that person I used to be.

In the time that followed being elected as P1 Liaison, I began to gain a newfound confidence in my abilities both as a student and as a leader. I had never thought of myself as a leader, but as I first began to receive feedback from other students following a series of hospital tours offered by ICHP – the first event I ever had to plan, organize, and manage throughout – I could see the positive impact I could have on others. Even if only a handful of students benefitted from my time and effort invested, it was completely justified as worthwhile to continue and develop these opportunities further.

As the year progressed, this effect snowballed. I became more invested in participating in and providing new opportunities through ICHP for my fellow classmates and to benefit the community, and began to realize that I - that any of us - are much more capable than we think. From working together with our e-board on numerous lung health initiatives, to having the extraordinary opportunity to be involved in several highly innovative, student-led efforts in ICHP that will be continuing next year, I became engrossed in ICHP’s role in providing students with the resources and experiences necessary to excel during their future careers in a health-system setting.

Reflecting on my P1 year, I can confidently state that I would not be the person I am today without the experiences and growth achieved through my involvement with ICHP. Having received the President-Elect position going in to my P2 year, I am greatly looking forward to seeing how both our chapter, and other ICHP chapters throughout the state, will continue to innovate and provide exceptional opportunities for students.



Chicago State University College of Pharmacy
My Journey into the Pharmacy Profession

by Jenifer Leja, P3, Secretary

Choosing to pursue a career as a pharmacist has been very challenging and rewarding. Pharmacy school has helped me grow personally and professionally. Two years ago, I began my journey at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy. I knew that it would be rigorous and challenging, yet necessary in order to mold me into a competent pharmacist. Every day I am motivated to work harder to achieve my goals. My experience in pharmacy school has taught me to be patient, dedicated, and understanding. One thing that was important for me was to gain insight of pharmacy practice outside of the classroom. 

This past summer, I was very fortunate to have been accepted to an internship at a large pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) mail order pharmacy. Prior to this experience, I was unaware of exactly how this pharmacy operated aside from mailing prescriptions to patients. After observing the various departments, such as operations and patient counseling, my initial thought was that the pharmacists seemed to have very segregated job functions. Then, I realized that the company functions similar to a puzzle, where every pharmacist had the role of a different piece and each component played an important role in the overall big picture. Everyone worked to ensure that medications were sent to patients quickly, safely, and effectively.

I had the opportunity to take part in a weekly Executive Speaker Series. These were sessions where pharmacists throughout the company met with interns to discuss their roles within the company. I observed pharmacists engaged in patient counseling and prescription verification/monitoring. Additional tasks included clinical accounting, where pharmacists worked in collaboration with insurance companies to create formularies and resolved discrepancies in prescription coverage. Pharmacists involved with expatriate services worked strictly with clients involved in the military or governmental personnel overseas. It was very enlightening to see how dedicated everyone was towards their patients. 

Upon completion of this internship, I left with a new understanding of how PBMs operate. During my time there, I was able to easily apply concepts that I have learned from school and share this knowledge with colleagues at my internship, through various projects and presentations where I was involved. I am now able to share my newfound knowledge of PBMs with my fellow Chicago State students and classmates. This internship was invaluable to my professional growth and I am grateful to have been given this opportunity. I was able to see firsthand the importance of teamwork—collaborating with others to achieve one common goal—serving the patient! 


Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy
Meet the Board

by Kaylee Poole, P2, President-Elect

Let’s all say welcome to our new executive board! We are all excited to start a new school year and get involved in SSHP again.

President: Mallory Belcher is a P3 stepping into her role as President after previously serving as our fundraising chair. She did an excellent job last year as fundraising chair and we are excited to see what great ideas she brings to table for this year. 
Fun fact: Mallory’s hometown is Tampa, Florida!

President-Elect: Kaylee Poole is a P2 who previously served as our P1 liaison. She did a great job promoting P1 involvement in SSHP last year and is excited to continue serving our organization.
Fun fact: Kaylee’s name is a combination of her parents’ middles names—her mom’s middle name is Kay and her dad’s middle name is Lee!

Vice President: Jamal Sims is a P3 and is already doing an outstanding job of collaborating with our project chairs this year!
Fun fact: Jamal and his cat, Khalessi, share a unique bond—they both have asthma!

Secretary: Erin Lindstrom is a P2 and is ready to use her passion for organization to help our organization succeed!
Fun fact: Erin has 7 siblings! 

Treasurer: Kaelyn Smith is a P3 who previously served as our secretary. She is ready to step into her new role and use her skills to further develop our organization.
Fun fact: Kaelyn has met Taylor Swift!

Fundraising Chair: Meghan Fischer is a P3 and is our new fundraising chair. She is ready to give SSHP her all and learn as much as she can from the organization and her peers.  
Fun fact: Meghan is originally from South Dakota!

Membership Chair: Abbey Rodeghiero is a P2 with previous recruitment experience. She came to us with a lot of great ideas to encourage membership and we cannot wait to see what else she has up her sleeve! 
Fun fact: Abbey has a crazy obsession with pugs!

Professional Practice Chair: Aaron Morris is a P2 who is excited to be able to pursue his clinical knowledge within the organization. He is looking forward to helping inform other students of what their options are after they graduate.  
Fun fact: Aaron can count past 20 in four different languages!

Community Chair: Taylor Hutchison is a P2 who is excited to get actively involved in our chapter’s outreach program. She has previous experience that can help our chapter excel!
Fun fact: In her spare time, Taylor likes to bake and decorate cakes for special occasions—including her own wedding!

ICHP Liaison: Olivia Brandner is a P2 looking forward to all of the opportunities available in this organization. Her previous leadership experience will be an asset to our organization!
Fun fact: Olivia once accidently became a part of a parade while driving home from work!

ASHP Liaison: Nicole Wheeler is a P2 who is excited to facilitate communication between SSHP and ASHP. She is excited to work with her peers and strengthen our organization. 
Fun fact: Nicole once sold a homemade pie for $550!


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Welcome New Members!


New Member Recruiter
Ivan Abadines
Madiha Ahmad Shaziya Barkat
Sharon Alexander Lorraine Huske
Nada Alsuhebany
Anne Marice Alvarez
Rose Alwardi
Mehul Amin Michelle Jeong
Jacqueline Anyasi
Georgia Argyropoulos
Ninazandra Armonia
Shayda Ashraf
Waqas Asif
Sana Aziz
Anne Baldwin Michelle Jeong
Ioana Balta Lauren Stambolic
Natasha Barrow
Esma Bebo
Steven Becker
Emily Bernhard
Shelly Bhardwaj
Daniel Biel
Brandle Blakely
Thad Blaszczak
Morgan Bollech Michelle Jeong
Mindy Bowden
Haley Boyer Trevor Luman
Kristin Bradley
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Shane Brandt Michelle Jeong
Arial Bratcher Linda Fred
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Clarissa Calderon
Erin Carson
Demi Chae
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John Chan
Hyun Choi
Dane Christ Andrew Schoff
Kathrine Rose Co Michelle Jeong
Carmita Coleman
Stefanie Colyer
Megan Corsi Bryan McCarthy
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Elena Cukurs
Lauren Cunico
Ziad Dabbagh
Belal Dakroub
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Kimberly Dang
Sierra Delehanty Trevor Luman
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MareChris Domingo
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Kevin Duong
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Quincy Elery Linda Fred
Jad Erd
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Pia Mae Fiel Michelle Jeong
Amanda Finch
Katherine Flurry
Amy Frew Sherry Stotler-Frew
Justyna Fydrych Lauren Stambolic
Kelsey Gardetto
Latoia Gatewood Clara Gary
Natalia Gawelda
Emeline Gbegan
Amanda Gibson
Sophia Gilardone Lauren Stambolic
Britt Granholm
Tanmayi Gupta Bryan McCarthy
Iris Gutierrez
Linda Haase
Syeda Hassan
Danielle Hiner
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Khrystyna Hlukhenka
Chinh Hoang
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Tara Huston
Taylor Hutchison
Dawn Hyatt
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Charles Jonathas Lauren Stambolic
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Honey Joseph
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Tenzin Palmo
Krista Paplaczyk
Amolee Patel Michelle Jeong
Hafsah Patel
Krishma Patel
Paulushi Patel
Shivani Patel
Viral Patel
Amanda Penland
Sarah Perveen
An Pham
Amanda Pikul
Angelina Raimande
Hali Ramirez
Julio Ramirez
Christina Rampa
Amir Rasool
Miguel Recinos Belinda Casillas
Priyanka Reddy
Zara Rehman
Lauren Reiser
Karleen Ritchie
Reem Romaya
Hannah Roppo Lauren Stambolic
Julin Ruan
Karlee Rumler
Sandeep Sablok
Marina Sagalovich
Shereen Salama
Amira Saleh
Suzanne Salutric Rameez Hasan
Jamie Salvador
Zainab Sandozi
Jenna Sapasap
Joellyn Schefke
Anthony Scott
Emily Scott
Ahlam Shaabneh
Anil Shah Linda Fred
Anisa Shalabi
Jayna Sharma
Mishel Shifrin
Vicelle Sibal Michelle Jeong
Imtiaz Siddique
Samantha Siepak
Sarah Singer
Gurvir Singh
Sundip Singh
Giles Slocum Gary Peksa
Todd Smith
Taylor Smolak
Jennifer Steward Kathryn Schultz
Angie Suh
Jessica Sullivan Jaclyn Sullivan
Iqra Sumbal
Alison Svoboda
Jakub Swiatek Levi Pilones
Paulina Szczepaniak
Natalia Szynalik
Jaheen Tappewale
Dustin Taylor
Olutosim Teniola
Sandy Thai
Jelena Toro
Rubegin Torrevillas
Anh Tran
Huyen Tran Lauren Stambolic
Denisse Trinidad
Lara Trinidad
Sarah Trumbore
Darius Tumminello
Kavya Vaitla
Nevena Varagic Levi Pilones
Jason Vargas
Emily Viehl
May Marne Virtudazo Michelle Jeong
Tuyet Vo
Allison Waldvogel
Katelyn Wees
Katarzyna Wielgosz Trevor Luman
Ruby Wilson
Lindy Wing
Mathew Wong
Zhaoju Wu
Tiffany Wu
Connie Yan
Andrea Yoon
Mary Youkhana Michelle Jeong
MohamedSabir Yusuf Siyaji Kevin Colgan
Sitwat Zainab
Michael Zangri
Barbara Zawadzki
Andy Zhang
Mary Zugovic
Stephen Zych

Officers and Board of Directors

CHARLENE HOPE 
President
708-783-5933 
chope@macneal.com

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

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

KATHY KOMPERDA 
Secretary 
630-515-6168 
kkompe@midwestern.edu

LARA ELLINGER 
Director, Educational Affairs 
laelling@nm.org

CARRIE VOGLER
Director, Marketing Affairs
217-545-5394

KRISTI STICE 
Director, Professional Affairs
217-544-6464 ext.44660 
kristi.stice@hshs.org

CAROL HEUNISCH 
Director, Organizational Affairs 
847-933-6811

KATHRYN SCHULTZ
Director, Government Affairs
312-926-6961

TARA VICKERY GORDEN 
Chairman, House of Delegates
618-643-2361 x2330

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

COLLEEN BOHNENKAMP
Chairman, New Practitioners Network

BRYAN MCCARTHY
Co-Chairman, Ambulatory Care Network

VIRGINIA NASH
Co-Chairman, Ambulatory Care Network

CLARA GARY
Technician Representative

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 
Regional Director South
618-391-5539


Student Chapter Presidents

FLORENCE PATINO 
President, Student Chapter 
Chicago State University C.O.P. 

SHAZIYA BARKAT 
President, Student Chapter
Midwestern University Chicago C.O.P. 
sbarkat14@midwestern.edu

KASIA PLIS 
President, Student Chapter 
Roosevelt University C.O.P. 
kplis@mail.roosevelt.edu

JORIE KREITMAN 
President, Student Chapter 
Rosalind Franklin University C.O.P. 
jorie.kreitman@my.rfums.org

MALLORY BELCHER 
President, Student Chapter 
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville S.O.P
mabelch@siue.edu

LEVI PILONES 
President, Chicago Student Chapter
University of IL C.O.P. 
lpilon2@uic.edu 

TREVOR LUMAN 
President, Rockford Student Chapter 
University of IL C.O.P. 
tluman2@uic.edu


ICHP Affiliates 


ANTOINE JENKINS 
President, Northern IL Society (NISHP)

JARED SHELEY 
President, Metro East Society (MESHP)
jpsheley@gmail.com 

KATELYN CONKLEN 
President, Sangamiss Society
Conklen.Katelyn@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 October 1, 2015 and October 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
Ann Jankiewicz
Jan Keresztes
Kathy Komperda
William McEvoy
Christina Quillian
Michael Rajski
Carrie Sincak
Avery Spunt
Patricia Wegner


CAPITOL CLUB - $500-$999
Margaret Allen
Sheila Allen
Rauf Dalal
Drury Lane Theatre
Kenneth Foerster
Travis Hunerdosse
Leonard Kosiba
Mary Lee
Janette Mark
Jennifer Phillips
Edward Rainville
Kathryn Schultz
Heidi Sunday
Jill Warszalek
Alan Weinstein


GENERAL ASSEMBLY GUILD - $250-$499
Tom Allen
Jennifer Arnoldi
Peggy Bickham
Jaime Borkowski
Donna Clay
Scott Drabant
Sandra Durley
Nancy Fjortoft
Michael Fotis
Jo Ann Haley
Joan Hardman
Kim Janicek
Zahra Khudeira
Ann Kuchta
Ronald Miller
Peggy Reed
Tara Vickery Gorden
Carrie Vogler
Marie Williams


SPRINGFIELD SOCIETY - $100-$249
Rebecca Castner
Noelle Chapman
Lara Ellinger
Jennifer Ellison
Nora Flint
Carol Heunisch
Lois Honan
Charlene Hope
Robert Hoy
Kati Kwasiborski
Bella Maningat
Milena McLaughlin
Megan Metzke
Katherine Miller
Kenneth Miller
Danielle Rahman
Jerry Storm
Amanda Wolff


GRASSROOTS GANG - $50-$99
Katrina Althaus
Antoinette Cintron
Jeanne Durley
Linda Grider
Heather Harper
Megan Hartranft
Erika Hellenbart
Ina Henderson
Christina Jacob
Leslie Junkins
Connie Larson
Barbara Limburg-Mancini
Brian Matthews
John McBride
Bill Middleton
Mark Moffett
Kit Moy
Gary Peksa
Daphne Smith-Marsh
Jennifer Splawski
Nadia Tancredi
Thomas Yu


CONTRIBUTOR - $1-$49
Marc Abel
Tamkeen Abreu
Trisha Blassage
Colleen Bohnenkamp
Erick Borkowski
Jeremy Capulong
Josh DeMott
Jannina Dionnio
Angelia Dreher
Tim Dunphy
Veronica Flores
Frank Hughes
Lori Huske
Vera Kalin
Levi Karell Pilones
Josie Klink
David Martin
Claudia Muldoon
Jose Ortiz
Lupe Paulino
Amanda Penland
Zach Rosenfeldt
Kevin Rynn
Cheryl Scantlen
Joellyn Schefke
Amanda Seddon
Kushal Shah
Sarah Sheley
Beth Shields
David Silva
Helen Sweiss
Steve Tancredi
Kathryn Wdowiarz
Marcella Wheatley
Tom Wheeler
Junyu (Matt) Zhang



Upcoming Events

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


Thursday, October 20, 2016
Jerry L. Bauman, PharmD, FCCP, FACC
Spencer E. Harpe, PharmD, PhD, MPH
CPRN Meeting
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy | Chicago, IL


Thursday, November 3, 2016
Mandy Penland, PharmD
WCSHP LIVE CPE Program
Unity Point Methodist Medical Center | Peoria, IL
Accredited for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians | 1 contact hour (0.1 CEU)


Monday, November 7, 2016
Keynote:
Susan M. Havercamp, PhD, FAAIDD
Elderly Cognitive Decline panel
Nutan Vaidya, MD
Dan Mroczek, PhD
Michael Shuman, PharmD
William Rhoades, DO
Depression panel:
Kristin Schneider, PhD
Danielle Candelario, PharmD
Qeena Woodard, DPM
Michel Statler, MLA, PA-C
PTSD panel:
John Patrick Bair, PhD
Michael Shuman, PharmD
Pete Kallio, DNP, CRNA
Julie Schwertfeger, PT, DPT, MBA
Closing Plenary:
April Newton, PT, DPT, FNAP
Rosalind Franklin University LIVE CPE Program
Rosalind Franklin University | North Chicago, IL
Accredited for pharmacists | 3.75 contact hours (0.375 CEUs)


Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Bryant M. McNeely, PharmD
Sangamiss LIVE CPE Program
Lake Pointe Grill | Springfield, IL
Accredited for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians | 1.0 contact hour (0.1 CEU)


Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Michael Fotis, BS Pharm
Champions Program
LIVE Webinar
Accredited for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians | 0.5 contact hour (0.05 CEU)


Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Networking and dinner
Francesca's on Taylor | Chicago, IL


Thursday, November 17, 2016
Part 1: Blood Disorders: Diagnosing and Treating (non-CPE)
Mary Moody, BS Pharm
Part 2: IV Fluid Selection in Sepsis (CPE)
Craig Cooper, BS, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
NISHP LIVE Program
Wildfire | Oakbrook, IL
Part 2 accredited for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians | 0.75 contact hour (0.075 CEU)


Monday, December 5, 2016
Networking reception with food and cash bar
Mandalay Bay | Las Vegas, NV


Tuesday, January 10, 2017





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