Official Newsjournal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

ICHP KeePosted

November 2021

Volume 47 Issue 4

Print Entire Issue

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 News journal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

EDITOR
Jennifer Phillips

ASSISTANT EDITOR
Milena McLaughlin

MANAGING EDITOR
Scott Meyers

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR
Trish Wegner

DESIGN EDITOR
Melissa Dyrdahl

 

ICHP Staff
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Scott Meyers

VICE PRESIDENT - PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Trish Wegner

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Maggie Allen

INFORMATION SPECIALIST
Heidi Sunday

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND
PHARMACY TECH TOPICS™ SPECIALIST

Jo Ann Haley

ACCOUNTANT
Jan Mark 


COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Melissa Dyrdahl

 

LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANT

Jim Owen

 

ICHP's Mission Statement

Advancing Excellence in Pharmacy


ICHP's 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.

·         Pharmacists use their medication expertise and leadership skills to optimize the medication use process and patient outcomes.

·         Pharmacy technicians are trained and PTCB certified to manage the medication distribution process.

ICHP's Goal Statements

·         Raising awareness of the critical role pharmacists fulfill in optimizing medication therapy and ensuring medication safety in team-based, patient-centered care.

·         Providing high quality educational services through innovative continuing pharmacy education and training programs, and sharing evidence-based best practices.

·         Developing and nurturing leaders through mentorship, skill development programs, and leadership opportunities.

·         Working with national and state legislators and policymakers to create or revise legislation and regulation critical to pharmacy practice and quality patient care.

·         Urging pharmacy technician employers to require successful completion of an accredited pharmacy technician training program and PTCB certification of all pharmacy technicians.

 

Approved by the ICHP Board of Directors May 30, 2018.


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 © 2017 Thinkstock, a division of Getty Images. 


Copyright © 2018, Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists. All rights reserved.


KeePosted Info

President's Year-End Message

Directly Speaking:

Columns

Government Affairs Report

Board of Pharmacy Update

Membership Spotlight:

New Practitioners Network

Educational Affairs

Elevate Your Meeting Experience!

ICHPeople

Features

Emergency Response Drill through the Illinois Health-System Pharmacy Response Network (HSPRN)

Our New ICHP Communications Manager

Time to Celebrate for Pharmacy!

Announcing Big Changes –

College Connection

Chicago State University - College of Pharmacy

Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy

Roosevelt College of Pharmacy

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science College of Pharmacy

More

Upcoming Events

Welcome New Members!

ICHP Pharmacy Action Fund (PAC)

Officers and Board of Directors

President's Year-End Message

by Travis Hunerdosse, PharmD, MBA

It is hard to believe that my term as ICHP President is coming to a close.  Serving as President has been an extremely rewarding experience for me and has “elevated” me both personally and professionally.  The connections made through ICHP are life long and I enjoy seeing members develop into leaders in the organization, encouraging volunteers to step up to serve on the divisions, networks and committees, and welcoming new members into this great professional organization.  ICHP has served as my professional home and I thank each of you for making it an amazing organization.  I also want to thank our board of directors, divisions, networks and committees for a fantastic year.  Your accomplishments this year make me very proud.

I want to extend a special thanks to Scott Meyers and Trish Wegner.  Without their encouragement to step up and volunteer, I would not be where I am in the organization today.  They have a burning passion for our profession and are always striving to ensure that ICHP serves as a professional home for health system pharmacy professionals in the state of Illinois and that ICHP continues to be recognized as a national state affiliate leader.  The ICHP staff also deserves recognition for their hard work to keep the organization running.  It has truly been a pleasure to work with each and every one of you during my time on the board of directors and as President.


This year has brought many accomplishments for ICHP that I would like to highlight.  First, I would like to recognize the division of Educational Affairs, Board of Directors, and Executive Committee for working with our membership and the deans of the colleges of pharmacy to reconvene the Pharmacy Coalition.  This group will bring together preceptors and leaders from the colleges of pharmacy and health systems to improve the experiential educational experiences for our students in addition to optimizing the evaluation process and preceptor development.  The Marketing Affairs Division has been working to elevate the membership experience by developing new and established member programs, bolstering the Champions Program, and fostering ways for our technician members to stay connected and discuss issues important to them.  Advocacy is a large piece of the value that ICHP brings to its members.  The Divisions of Professional Affairs and Government Affairs ensure that ICHP’s position statements are developed to support our professional work, address current issues important to our profession and that our state legislature recognizes this work.  Organizational Affairs has completed a lot of work to ensure ICHP’s governing documents are up to date and reflect recent changes in our governance with the dissolution of the house of delegates and brought forth revisions to ICHP’s mission and vision statement that ensure it remains contemporary.


ICHPs Networks have many accomplishments this year as well.  I am proud of the leaders and volunteers of these networks who bring together members with specific interests and meet the unique needs of these individuals.  This year, the ICHP board approved the formation of two new networks to support the needs of our members - the 340B Network and the Small and Rural Hospital Network.


The New Practitioners and Ambulatory Care Networks continue to impress me with all the great work that they do.  I appreciate the energy that these two networks generate for ICHP and its members.  The NPN works collaboratively with the divisions on volunteer activities, member educational programing, and fun events that bring together the membership.  The Ambulatory Care Network has created a task force to establish guidelines for ambulatory care practice in Illinois.  This is extremely important work to address the needs of this growing section of health system pharmacy and support advocacy efforts as the pharmacy practice act is being reviewed.

My theme of this year was Elevate.  Elevate yourself, your team, and your profession.  My hope is that each of you became comfortable with being uncomfortable, stepped up and volunteered, and acted to elevate yourself, your team, and your profession.  Remember, the sky’s the limit and it starts with you.

Directly Speaking:
Something They Don’t Teach in Pharmacy School, but They Should!

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

You learn a lot in pharmacy school that is useful and often very complicated.  What you learn can be used to help your patients improve their health and make their lives much better.  One thing pharmacy schools don’t spend much, if any, time on is taking care of yourself.  Yes, the schools and now even employers are stressing health, wellness, resilience, and burnout prevention to some extent. But what about taking care of yourself financially?  Nope, I didn’t think so.  And not that the subject has anything to do with providing pharmacist care, but indirectly it might.  If later on in your career, you spend much of your time worried about your financial retirement because you didn’t realize how important it would be when you were young, I’m not sure how good the focus on patient care will be.

 

So let me clarify, when you are young and freshly out of school, you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about your retirement.  At least I didn’t.  Plus, these days, most students face a mountain of student loan debt.  So graduation or completion of residency finally gets that big paycheck started and the last thing anyone wants to do is to continue living like a student (Small apartment, limited wardrobe, fast food, and second hand car, you know!) so saving money is probably one of the last things on your mind.  But something I learned in Sunday School and again later in Church has turned out to be great advice that I wish I had followed from the beginning.  The bible tells us that the first share or ten percent of what we earn should go to God, the second 10 percent to our savings and we should live off the remaining 80 percent.  You don’t have to be spiritual, but putting away at least 10 percent of each paycheck and beginning right after graduation will give you something to be truly thankful for in the end.  And if you haven’t started yet, do it with your next check.

 

But there’s more they don’t teach in pharmacy school.  That’s how to manage the money that you save.  And here is why I have really been thinking about this subject recently.  ICHP approved a new investment policy this year and is now in the process of searching for an appropriate investment manager to help us grow some of our reserves so that we can continue to provide you, our members, with solid services while keeping your dues low.  (And those dues are very low compared to most of our neighboring State Pharmacy Societies, but that’s a topic for another issue!)  In addition, for the past year and a half I have been serving my third term as Treasurer of PTCB, which now claims a sizable investment account with relatively new (to PTCB) investment managers.  The new investment managers for PTCB have taught me a lot about investing, selecting the right fund managers, investment fees and much more.  So with all this new experience that I wish I had when I was fresh out of school, I thought I would provide some encouragement and advice to our younger members, and those older ones who haven’t started thinking about retirement yet. 

 

My advice: first, make sure you start saving right now.  The more you make, the more you should save, so if you’re married, get your spouse on the same page.  Second, start learning about investing like you learned about pharmacy.  You don’t need a degree to invest but when you get comfortable with investing, you will think you deserve one.  Learn the terms, watch the economy, listen to the news and think about the financial ramifications of whatever you hear.  If your employer has a 401(k), 403(b), or Simple IRA, use it.  Especially if your employer will match your contributions up to a specific level.  If you don’t at least save to their maximum match, you’re giving away free money! 

 

But don’t just put money in your employer’s retirement account and walk away - watch it closely.  If it underperforms, you may be able to roll the funds out of your employer’s vehicle and into one with a different manager.  You’ll have to check with your employer and human resources.  But don’t just walk away.  And if your employer doesn’t offer any retirement savings, put the money aside and at the end of each year up to $6,500 can be placed into a Roth IRA for you and the same for your employed spouse.  If you’re not sure how to get that done, a financial planner can help set you up.

 

Also, seek more knowledge about specific money market funds, certificates of deposit, mutual funds, stocks, or bonds.  Today’s savings accounts don’t pay much at all.  ICHP’s high balance savings account which has sometimes contained in excess of $700,000 has paid at most 8 basis points as interest.  That’s 8/100th of a percent!  So a savings account with a minimum balance may allow you to retain a free-checking account at your bank but then anything above that minimum balance should be placed into something else that earns more.  Something like a money market fund or even a small certificate of deposit will provide some liquidity but earn at least one to two percent.

 

It’s never too late to start saving for your future and the same is true for improving your saving/investment strategies.  Get started and start learning.  Save as you learn, don’t wait until you think you have or know enough to start, you won’t ever get there.  If 10 percent seems like just too much to start with, then put $50 or $100 per paycheck in your savings until it the minimum balance is met, then start looking for a money market fund.  You will be surprised how fast you will build up funds for your retirement or that rainy day when the washer breaks, your car stops running, or your kids need braces.  Like Nike says, “Just Do It!”


Columns

Government Affairs Report
An Update from the Collaborative Pharmaceutical Task Force

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

The Task Force met for the 7th time in 2018 in Chicago and Springfield on Tuesday, July 10th.  The topic of discussion was duties and responsibilities for pharmacy technicians.  The following actions were taken by the Task Force:

 

Technician duties – The task force discussed whether the Practice Act should delineate tasks that pharmacy technicians should be allowed to do or limit that list to tasks technicians should be prohibited from performing.  The task force members agreed that a list of allowable tasks would often be out-of-date and hard to revise whereas, a list of prohibited tasks would be much shorter and easier to maintain.  Currently the Act prohibits technicians from the following tasks:

            Patient Counseling

            Drug Regimen Review

            Clinical Conflict Resolution

            Transfer of Prescriptions

            Administration of Immunizations

The task force agreed that technicians should be allowed to transfer prescriptions since they may now receive verbal prescriptions from prescriber offices.  In addition, there was much discussion and eventual agreement that the act of administering immunizations (and other medications if properly trained and monitored) by technicians should be allowed.  Both of these tasks would be at the discretion of the PIC and pharmacist on duty.

 

When the pharmacist is out of the pharmacy – The task force discussed the ability of technicians to work in the pharmacy, including dispense filled refills to patients, when the pharmacist is on break, at lunch or in the restroom (on premises but not in the pharmacy).  The task force agreed that this is a reasonable practice and asked IDFPR staff to see if legislative (Act) or regulatory (Rule) changes were necessary to clearly allow these practices.

 

Technician Product Verification – The now professionally accepted term for Tech-Check-Tech was discussed at length.  Currently there is no real agreement as to whether this practice is acceptable within the Act.  However, considering that it is not covered in the list of prohibited tasks above, the task force felt that it was acceptable with the following caveats - The Department will determine if the Act or Rules need to be clarified and appropriate language should be drafted that requires pharmacies that use technician product verification meet specific requirements.  The Minnesota model was described as a good template; it requires education and training; validation; on-going continuous quality monitoring; and remediation if necessary.

 

For the third meeting since his appointment, Thomas Stiede, the organized labor representative to the task force, did not attend.  The task force members present agreed to move forward and begin taking action with or without Mr. Stiede.  For our very few members who work within a union organized department, I would urge you to complain to your union leadership that you are not being represented.  In my opinion, the unions were directly or indirectly responsible for this task force in the first place and to allow their representative to skip participation is disrespectful to the General Assembly, their members and the profession of pharmacy.

 

ICHP will continue to keep you informed on the progress of this important task force and its impending impact on the profession.


Board of Pharmacy Update
Highlights of the July Meeting

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

The July 10th Board of Pharmacy Meeting was held at the Michael A. Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. These are the highlights of that meeting.

 

2018 District IV Meeting

Will be held in Grand Rapids, MI and hosted by Ferris State University College of Pharmacy and the Michigan Board of Pharmacy on November 7-9, 2018. 

 

Department Update

  • Compounding rules comments are being finalized and should be sent to JCAR within the next month.  These should be approved - barring any unforeseen concerns - before the end of the year.
  • The license application online process is complete for pharmacists and now active.  The online pharmacy license application is in the testing stage and should be available in the near future.
  • The Board discussed establishing criteria for preceptors of remedial study (required when a pharmacist applicant fails NAPLEX or the MPJE three times) and their study programs.  Only a couple of the Colleges of Pharmacy offer any kind of programming and it is usually once a year in the spring.  The number of three-time failures is increasing so there is a need for more options.


Legislative Update

The July Board Meeting update was presented by ICHP Executive Vice President, Scott Meyers.  The Spring Session of the General Assembly ended with 19 pharmacy-related bills being passed by both chambers and sent to the Governor.  These and all the bills ICHP monitored are discussed in the Government Affairs Report in the June issue of KeePosted.

 

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Board is set for September 11th, 2018 to begin at 10:30 am in downtown Chicago. Check the IDFPR Website www.idfpr.com for the exact location.  These meetings are open to the public and pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy students are encouraged to attend.

 

Membership Spotlight:
Meet Kristine VanKuiken



















ICHP Spotlight Interview – Kristine Van Kuiken

 

What is your leadership position within ICHP? 

Technician Representative Elect

 

Where is your practice site?

I currently work at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System as a Pharmacy Technician Specialist. I work in Administration for the Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Department under the Finance Director.  I work with others in my department to prepare and review the monthly revenue reports and help to identify any issues or discrepancies. I also serve as an internal “help desk” for our 7 outpatient pharmacies who may have prescription processing issues, including prior authorizations. I am solely responsible for all audits for our pharmacies - both desk audits as well as on-site audits. I also process and follow up on all contracts that involve our department.  These include revenue generating contracts, such as PBM agreements, and purchasing contracts, such as accreditations. My role is always evolving and I love it! 

 

How did you know pharmacy was right for you?

I knew I wanted to be in pharmacy from about the age of 13.  I remember my grandparents being on so many different medications and wanting to know why they had to take those medications. By the time I was in high school, I wanted to be able to help them, as well as other people, understand why they were taking meds.  My grandparents never seemed to know why and always just said “because the doctor told me to.”  My goal was to be a pharmacist, but as life progressed that was not to be for me.  So I did the next best thing and became a pharmacy technician.  I had no idea when I started classes at South Suburban College that I would evolve into the role I am in now.  I love being a technician and am always looking for new avenues to follow.

 

When did you know that becoming a pharmacy technician was the right choice for you?

I knew I had made the right choice when I began the mail order service at UIC for transplant patients. Many patients came to UIC for a transplant and some from far away. Delivering their medications to their homes was a service that lots of them were thankful for.  I became an important part of these patients lives and loved to be able to make a difference for them.  Many of them would call or stop by the pharmacy to talk to me and ask if I could help them understand why they needed all of these medications.  I felt I had actually made a difference and was thankful to have met so many wonderful people.


What makes ICHP great?

ICHP is pivotal because it is a great resource for information and helps people make connections.  I have attended the Annual Meeting for several years now and always come away from it with new knowledge and new friends.  I also think the people involved with ICHP make it great.  Without such wonderful people sharing their experiences and time, it would not be the resource that it has become.  I have learned so much about different aspects of pharmacy thru ICHP.

 

Why did you join ICHP?

Honestly, it was the continuing education credit that brought me in, but then it just grew from there. After my first ICHP Annual Meeting, I was hooked!

 

Are there any influential people in your career? 

Besides my Mom, who gave me the strength and courage to follow my dreams, I also credit Jan Kerestes.  She was the director/teacher of the pharmacy technician program that I enrolled in and was always a great motivator for me.  She made me believe that pharmacy technicians were and are important in pharmacy.  I think that becomes more true as time goes on.

 

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

I love to read and do crossword puzzles.  I think both help to keep my brain active. My boyfriend and I are currently rehabbing the house we live in from top to bottom.  It is a learning experience for me and I have actually found it quite enlightening. I am learning how to do many different things that I never thought I would enjoy. I also enjoy going to auto races, drag races and classic car shows.

 

Favorite restaurant or food

Mexican food! I work near the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago which has some of the most delicious Mexican food!


New Practitioners Network
Meditation on Work-Life Balance

by Nathan Mitchell, PharmD - PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident, Northwestern Medicine

As I am writing this article on what is literally my last day of residency, I cannot help but express the surreal feeling that I am experiencing. There is a strange, cathartic dichotomy where I am simultaneously excited, yet horrified at the prospect of the rest of my career. The future is both open and welcoming, yet wrought with uncertainty.  I am lucky enough to have a job lined up, so the fear I have now is two-fold: one, I am worried that I will not perform well enough in my new position; and two, I am concerned that the first fear will be so overwhelming that I will lose any semblance of, what is called these days, a work-life balance.

Fear of failure is something with which we all struggle. Something almost universal that I love about our profession is how much we care. We care for our patients. We care for our students. We care for the field of medicine and research. Our passion is part of what makes us such trusted and effective practitioners. It is natural, then, that along with such passion would come a fear of failure, a fear of not being able to succeed at the thing for which you have so worked hard. As I move forward into the next phase of my career, I am going to do everything that I can to be successful in my new position. My passion for patient care expects it, and my fear of failure demands it. What I worry about now is letting that fear control my life outside of work.

The whole concept of a work-life balance can seem like a myth at times. We are simultaneously told that we need to pace ourselves and add more work to our plates. It is as if the people who created the idea of the work-life balance forgot that time is a limiting factor. I have seen it too often; pharmacists well out of residency working resident-style hours and slowly going mad. The people who need a break the most are, ironically, the ones who get more added to their plates because they are the hardest workers.

I knew that residency would consume my life. I knowingly sacrificed my personal life these past two years because the reward was a more fulfilling career. It was truly a worthwhile sacrifice, and I would do it over again given the option. The problem is, here I am at the end, and I am worried that I do not know how to stop. I have spent two years thinking about very little other than my career, and now the prospect of having a life outside of work is thrilling but daunting. People ask me what I am going to do with my free time, and there are plenty of things I would love to do. I want to work out more, eat better, pick up the violin again, date again, and volunteer. These are lofty goals. Will I really be able to fit everything in while managing a demanding clinical pharmacist position? 

The reality is we are not work-robots. We are in the business of taking care of other people, but the first people we need to take care of are ourselves. If we do not tend to our own mental health, how can we expect ourselves to sufficiently manage the health of our patients? It seems so easy to fall into the trap of working constantly and never taking a break. I expressed these concerns to a mentor of mine from this past year, and she said that I just have to learn to say no. If there is a concert I want to go to or dinner with friends or even if I just need a Netflix marathon at the end of the day, I am allowed to stop working and leave. It is not lazy or wrong to take care of oneself. I need to be mindful of what is on my plate and not take on more than I can chew.

Learning to say no is critical, not just for our life outside of work, but for our work as well. Time truly is a limiting factor, and the more we take on, the more overwhelmed we make ourselves, the more likely that our projects will suffer. It seems to me that it is better to do a reasonable number of things well than to do many things poorly. It can feel selfish and wrong to say no, but in actuality it is quite the opposite! By saying no, we are giving ourselves time to think, and we give our responsibilities the attention they deserve. We can actually be even better stewards of health by restricting what we take on at work.

This is much easier said than done and, personally, I will probably take a long time to figure out how to say no in a way that adequately achieves the balance between work and my outside life; however, art is something you practice, and the art of saying, “no” can be cultivated. We owe it to ourselves, and we owe it to our patients, to make it a priority. 


Educational Affairs
Call for Posters - Deadline January 10, 2019

Are you working on a project that others could learn from?  Please consider sharing the outcomes with your colleagues at the poster session during the ICHP Spring Meeting March 28-30, 2019 in Collinsville, IL! This is a great opportunity to share innovative ideas with others and learn about trends in Illinois health-system pharmacies. All ICHP members are eligible to submit abstracts to be considered for presentation at the Spring Meeting.

Click here for all the details.


Categories for submission:

Original Research: To be considered for acceptance, papers must describe original research in pharmacotherapeutics, clinical pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, practice innovations in organized health-care settings, administrative practice or cost analysis of pharmaceutical services. Papers must not have been published in abstract or complete form or have been presented elsewhere prior to presentation at the ICHP Spring Meeting.

 

Research in progress: To be considered for acceptance, papers must describe original research in progress in pharmacotherapeutics, clinical pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics or practice innovations in organized health-care settings, administrative practice or cost analysis of pharmaceutical services. Papers must neither have been published in abstract or complete form nor have been presented elsewhere prior to presentation at the ICHP Spring Meeting. Those abstracts submitted as research in progress are expected to have results and conclusions available for poster presentation at the Spring Meeting. Those with no results and conclusions by the time of the meeting are disqualified.

 

Encore: Research may have been presented elsewhere or published in abstract or complete form prior to presentation at the ICHP Spring Meeting.  To be considered for acceptance, papers must describe research in pharmacotherapeutics, clinical pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, practice innovations in organized health-care settings, administrative practice or cost analysis of pharmaceutical services. Posters or papers presented before January 1 of the previous year are not eligible. For example, posters or papers presented before January 1, 2018 are not eligible for 2019 submissions. Full results and conclusions must have been presented/published previously to qualify as an encore presentation. Those projects previously presented/published without results and conclusions should be submitted as an original poster.

 

Student: Only original material will be considered. Any material that has already been presented should be entered as an encore presentation. The person primarily responsible for the work must be a current student enrolled in an Illinois School of Pharmacy and must present the poster at the meeting.

 

Original research may be submitted as research in progress. Those abstracts submitted as research in progress are expected to have results and conclusions available for poster presentation at the Spring Meeting. Those with no results and conclusions by the time of the meeting are disqualified.

 

**Case reports and literature reviews are not eligible for poster submission. These types of research may be eligible for submission to ICHP's Newsjournal, KeePosted.

 

Platform Presentations
Abstracts submitted in the Original Research category will be eligible for a platform presentation, as decided by the ICHP Educational Affairs Division Poster Review Committee.  The two abstracts with the highest scores, submitted in the original research category with results and conclusions at the time for abstract submission, will be invited to participate in the platform presentation session at the Spring Meeting.  Each presentation will be 15 minutes in length.

 

Eligibility Criteria:

All Illinois health-system pharmacy practitioners, including pharmacists, pharmacy residents, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy students are invited to submit projects for consideration. The submitting author must be a current ICHP member. If a student is listed as the submitting author for an original presentation, the poster will be eligible for the student award.

 

The submitting author should present the poster.  However, if legitimate circumstances do not permit attendance at the meeting, another pharmacy professional author involved with that poster may present it during the poster exhibit session at the Spring Meeting. All poster presenters must be registered for the Spring Meeting and complete ACPE required documents as requested, if the posters are accredited for continuing pharmacy education.

 

Submission:

Members wishing to submit a poster should use the online submission form. Be sure to click "Submit" after completing your form. The deadline for submissions is January 10, 2019. Please direct any questions to Trish Wegner at TrishW@ichpnet.org.

 

Deadlines:

Submission deadline is January 10, 2019. Authors will be notified of acceptance of their poster via email in February, 2019.

 

Criteria determined by the Educational Affairs committee


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ICHPeople
Congratulations!

















Congratulations to Sangamiss president-elect Billie Samples on the arrival of a baby girl!  
Billie and her husband Zachary welcomed Avalynne Brooke Samples (pictured above) to their family on May 22, 2018.  
Baby Avalynne arrived weighing 8lbs 9oz and was 21 inches long.  

A special shout-out to Mike Koronkowksi who received the UIC Preceptor of the Year award from the P4 class!

Way to go Nancy Shapiro! Nancy was recently promoted to Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy! 

Features

Emergency Response Drill through the Illinois Health-System Pharmacy Response Network (HSPRN)

Feature Article

by Cindy Li, PharmD candidate, ICHP student intern
















Introduction

The year 2017 was one in which the United States saw many natural disasters. Hurricanes ravaged the gulf coast and Puerto Rico and wildfires blazed through California. These disasters not only brought destruction to buildings and infrastructure, but also caused illness and injuries in victims living in those areas, resulting in public health crises. Many pharmacies in these affected areas were forced to close due to flooding, dangerous conditions, and loss of power, causing patients to lose access to necessary medication. Pharmacists in surrounding areas cooperated with state agencies and professional organizations to restore access to those medications to as many patients as they could reach.

 

The goal of the Illinois Health-System Pharmacy Response Network (IHSPRN) is to respond to similar crises across the state of Illinois. IHSPRN may act in conjunction with state agencies such as the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the Illinois Medical Reserve Corps, and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to mobilize pharmacy resources and personnel to respond to disasters, epidemics, chemical spills, bioterrorism, and other emergencies.

 

Individuals who are injured or wounded after a natural disaster should be assessed for risk of various infections and illnesses. This assessment includes evaluation of their medical history as well as the severity of the injury or wound. Individuals with unknown or incomplete vaccination history should be given prophylaxis for tetanus and other infections. Special populations who are especially susceptible to tetanus infections include individuals above the age of 50 years, especially women, and individuals with diabetes. Children under the age of six years with unknown or incomplete vaccination status should receive DTaP, while children over the age of six and adults should receive Tdap or Td (Figure 1). For wounds that are severe or contaminated, tetanus immune globulin (TIG) should be given in addition to the vaccine.

 

The purpose of this drill was to evaluate various factors such as response time, establishment of an emergency protocol, and inventory status of various pharmacies across Illinois. This drill also served as a practice exercise to simulate an event in the state of Illinois in which pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must respond with inventory counts of various medications within a limited time frame.

 

Methods

A list of all pharmacies licensed in Illinois was obtained from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Pharmacies on the list were contacted via an email SurveyMonkey link and/or fax, requesting contact information for the primary and secondary persons responsible for emergency preparedness at the pharmacy. Pharmacies were given options to participate in the drill via email, participate via fax, or opt out of the drill. A reminder to complete the SurveyMonkey form was sent one week prior to the drill.  Pharmacies were excluded if they were no longer active, not in the state of Illinois, or community chain pharmacies that had their own emergency protocol dictated by company policy.

 

A postcard containing the date and information regarding the emergency drill was mailed to all eligible pharmacies. This postcard contained instructions to update the contact information for the primary and secondary persons responsible for emergency preparedness via phone or email. This postcard was postmarked three weeks before the drill.

 

On the day of the drill, those emergency contacts who opted in were sent a SurveyMonkey link or a fax sheet, depending on their preference indicated earlier. The questionnaire requested the total number of doses of Tdap, Td, DT, and DTaP vaccines, as well as the total number of doses of tetanus immune globulin (TIG) vaccines currently in the pharmacy’s inventory. The questionnaire also asked for the pharmacies to indicate the presence or absence of an established emergency protocol for the event of a tornado or flood in the local area, specifying whether the protocol accounts for damage in the pharmacy.

 

Following the drill, an email was sent to all respondents informing them of the median response time, the percentage of respondents who did not have an emergency protocol, and the rationale for choosing tetanus vaccines and tetanus immune globulin. The email contained a SurveyMonkey link where participants may provide feedback.

 

Results

Out of 135 pharmacies that opted in to the drill, 69 pharmacies within 26 counties responded (Figure 2). Ten counties did not have any available inventory. Respondents in Illinois had a total of 2,324 doses of Tdap, 351 doses of Td, 118 doses of DTaP, 30 doses of DT, and 73 doses of TIG.


Response times ranged from less than one hour to 74 hours (Figure 3). The average response time was six hours, and the median response time was one hour. 85.5% of respondents responded within 7 hours.

 

A total of 36 pharmacies (52%) that responded to the drill had an emergency protocol in place for the event of a tornado or flood that includes damage to the pharmacy. Ten pharmacies (14%) that responded to the drill had an emergency protocol in place for the event of a tornado or flood in the local area that does not include damage to the pharmacy. Three pharmacies (4%) had both protocols, and 26 pharmacies (38%) did not have a protocol in place for the event of a tornado or flood (Figure 7).

 

Discussion

One of the primary concerns regarding the results of the drill was the low participation rate. Even though an incentive was given to all who completed the drill (entry into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card), potential participants were not informed of it until the email reminder on SurveyMonkey was sent. Because the emails of some pharmacies were not available, not all pharmacies were informed of the incentive until the day of the drill, when they were informed via the drill form. Despite this incentive, only 69 out of 135 pharmacies that opted in to the drill completed the drill form (Figure 2). Because there were few respondents to the evaluation survey following the drill, the reason for low response percentage was unknown, but may be due to a high workload within the pharmacy, lack of confidence in the drill, the perception that the drill was not important or urgent, the perception that a response is not necessary due to a lack of inventory, or transmission error.

 

In the event of an emergency, response time can be crucial. Of the pharmacies that responded, the majority (85.5%) of them responded within seven hours (Figure 3). This is a realistic time frame in which IHSPRN could relay the data to state agencies that may then begin to coordinate transport of necessary medications to the site of the emergency in a timely manner.

 

The distribution of counties that responded to the drill is relatively even across Illinois (Figure 4). However, only 16 of 26 counties that responded had medications available to be distributed. Depending on the type of pharmacy that responds and the medication needed, time of transport is a crucial factor in giving affected patients access to necessary medications in a timely manner. Pharmacies closer to the site of the emergency will be able to respond faster to the emergency. However, those pharmacies may also be affected by the disaster.

 

The establishment of an emergency protocol in the event of a tornado or flood, both likely occurrences in the state if Illinois, could benefit pharmacies and the public greatly in the event of an emergency. Pharmacies sustaining damage from an emergency will benefit from a safe evacuation protocol of its customers and workers. This protocol may be as simple as establishing a chain of command and evacuation route(s) enabling pharmacy personnel and patients to get to an area of safety. Pharmacies that do not sustain damage in an emergency may act as valuable resources in the community. Pharmacists may give immunizations and supply medications to other facilities or patients that have trouble accessing maintenance or emergency medications.




Figure 1 

Tetanus Prevention After a Disaster (CDC; accessed 5/31/18)

 

Age (years)

Vaccination history

Clean, minor wounds

All other wounds

0 through 6

Unknown or not up-to-date on DTaP series based on age

DTaP

DTaP

TIG

Up-to-date on DTaP series based on age

No indication

No indication

7 through 10

Unknown or incomplete DTaP series

Tdap and recommended catch-up vaccination

Tdap and recommended catch-up vaccination

TIG

Completed DTaP series AND <5 years since last dose

No indication

No indication

Completed DTaP series AND >/= 5 years since last dose

No indication

Td, but Tdap preferred if child is 10 years of age

11 years and older

Unknown or <3 doses of tetanus toxoid containing vaccine

Tdap and recommended catch-up vaccination

Tdap and recommended catch-up vaccination

TIG

3 or more doses of tetanus toxoid containing vaccine AND <5 years since last dose

No indication

No indication

3 or more doses of tetanus toxoid containing vaccine AND 5-10 years since last dose

No indication

Tdap preferred (if not yet received) or Td

3 or more doses of tetanus toxoid containing vaccine AND >10 years since last dose

Tdap preferred (if not received) or Td

Tdap preferred (if not yet received) or Td



Figure 2 

Emergency Response Drill Flow Diagram




































Figure 3 

Response Times for All Pharmacies Completing Drill


















Figure 4 

Illinois Counties in which Pharmacies Responded to the Drill*










































*Counties in which pharmacies responded with available inventory are highlighted in blue, while counties in which pharmacies responded with no available inventory are highlighted in green.



Figure 5 

Total Inventory Counts of Pharmacies Responding to Drill by County.

County

Tdap

Td

DTaP

DT

TIG

# of Pharmacies Responding

Champaign

1530

90

0

0

0

1

Christian

12

7

0

0

1

1

Clark

10

0

0

0

0

1

Clinton

13

0

0

0

0

2

Coles

37

7

0

0

2

1

Cook

352

103

79

10

1

16

DeKalb

0

0

0

0

0

1

Dupage

3

0

0

0

0

4

Edgar

0

0

0

0

0

1

Edwards

5

0

0

0

0

1

Hancock

2

0

0

0

0

1

Henry

8

0

0

0

0

2

Jasper

9

0

0

0

0

1

Jefferson

0

0

0

0

0

1

Kane

50

11

10

0

5

2

Kankakee

0

4

0

0

0

3

Knox

35

0

0

16

2

1

LaSalle

5

0

0

0

0

2

Lake

0

0

0

0

0

2

Madison

91

26

0

4

12

5

Marion

26

0

0

0

1

2

Mason

0

0

0

0

0

1

Massac

28

25

10

0

0

1

McHenry

0

24

0

0

1

1

McLean

10

18

0

0

1

1

Ogle

20

14

0

0

15

1

Peoria

0

0

0

0

0

1

Randolph

10

6

0

0

1

1

Rock Island

0

0

0

0

0

1

Saint Clair

0

0

0

0

0

3

Saline

1

0

0

0

0

1

Union

20

6

9

0

0

1

Vermilion

37

0

0

0

4

1

Wayne

10

10

10

0

2

2

Whiteside

0

0

0

0

0

1

Winnebago

0

0

0

0

0

1

 


Figure 6 

Total Inventory Counts of Pharmacies Responding to Drill by Tier (Category)

Tier (Category)

Tdap

Td

DTaP

DT

TIG

# of  Pharmacies Responding

1 – Hospital Inpatient

2065

280

118

26

65

22

2 – Mental Health Hospital

0

11

0

0

0

1

4 – Independent

81

0

0

4

8

36

5 – Home Care or Long-Term Care

0

4

0

0

0

5

6 – Outpatient or within a clinic

178

56

0

0

0

5

Total

2324

351

118

30

73

69

 


Figure 7 

Pharmacies' Indication of the Presence or Absence of Protocol(s) in the Event of a Tornado or Flood in the Local Area





























References

Bell C, Daniel S. Pharmacy leader's role in hospital emergency preparedness planning. Hosp Pharm. 2014;49(4):398-404.

 

Alkhalili M, Ma J, Grenier S. Defining roles for pharmacy personnel in disaster response and emergency preparedness. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2017;11(4):496-504.

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tetanus prevention after a disaster. (2015, August 25). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/disease/tetanus.html.

 

Texas Board of Pharmacy. Hurricane Harvey emergency dispensing of prescription medications. (August 2017). Retrieved from https://www.pharmacy.texas.gov/files_pdf/2017_harvey_notification.pdf.

 

Texas Board of Pharmacy. Information for pharmacies that sustain damage due to Hurricane Harvey. (August 2017). Retrieved from https://www.pharmacy.texas.gov/files_pdf/2017_integrity_of_medicaiton.pdf.

 

 

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank everybody at the ICHP office for all of your help and input on this project. This internship has been an invaluable experience for me, in which I learned a lot about how emergency response in the state and national levels operate. Heidi and Melissa, thank you for all of your help on the postcards. Maggie and Jo, thanks for showing me how everything works around the office. Trish and Scott, thank you for your input on the materials I sent out to the pharmacies. Jan, THANK YOU for figuring out the fax machine!


Our New ICHP Communications Manager
Meet Melissa Dyrdahl

Feature Article

by Melissa Dyrdahl, ICHP Communications Manager
























Hello everyone!  My name is Melissa Dyrdahl and I am the new communications manager for ICHP.  Like many of you, I feel so fortunate to have found a job that I really enjoy, and I look forward to sharing that passion with all of you. 

I think my interest in creative digital/media arts (photography, graphic design, writing, etc.) probably started when I was a pre-teen growing up in Byron, Illinois.  I have always loved taking photos, reading, writing, and making videos (this was way before YouTube – thank goodness!) In high school, we had the chance to shadow individuals pursuing various careers that we were interested in, so I got to intern with a commercial photographer at a print company and at a radio station.  I was hooked.  I knew I had to do something creative.   

My passion for media followed me to college. I attended Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota where I majored in Mass Communications with an emphasis on broadcasting.  There, I participated in my university’s forensics (speech) team. I also spent two years as a radio personality and the program director for the campus radio station, 89.5 KQAL.  During my senior year I was lucky enough to land a job at a local television station, WXOW-TV 19, in La Crosse, Wisconsin as the weekend producer.  I would also fill in as a reporter during the week, between classes and radio responsibilities. The week prior to graduation, I was promoted to morning producer of News 19 Daybreak, a 90-minute morning television newscast. I was pretty pumped to have found a fulltime job before even graduating - Woohoo! 

I stayed with WXOW for three-and-a-half years, until 2009, when I took a chance and moved to State College, Pennsylvania. There, I switched gears career-wise for a while, and began working at a local winery. I was quickly promoted to store manager and began planning events, designing promotional materials, and was put in charge of social media marketing and e-mail blasts, among many other tasks. 

In 2013, I took another leap of faith and moved with my husband to Quito, Ecuador for what was supposed to be a 10 month adventure.  Ten months somehow turned into almost five years living abroad.  It was an amazing experience that shaped me and my world views in more ways than I could have ever imagined.  I was fortunate that during a great chunk of this time I was able to continue working for The Winery at Wilcox as their webmaster.  While in Ecuador, I also participated in and helped out with different digital projects for an archaeological project -using and improving my working knowledge of adobe design programs.  In 2016, I welcomed a sweet, perfect, beautiful, baby boy into the world and was lucky enough to stay home with him for two full years.

All of that now leads us to the present.  I’ve come full-circle. I’m back at home in Byron, now with that still-sweet, two-year old son. (The two’s are known for being terrible, but they’re also pretty terrific.) I was still living in Ecuador (getting ready to move back) when I saw the job posting for the ICHP communications manager position and applied.  It seemed like the perfect fit - an accumulation of all my work experience and projects that really gets me excited. I also loved the idea of working for a non-profit organization.  I know it’s all of you pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and students out there on the front lines who make the real “hands-on” difference, but in a way, I feel like I get to be a tiny part of that now, and it makes me pretty proud.

I really look forward to working with all of you, especially Marketing Affairs and the Champions sub-committee. If there is ever anything I can help you out with, please feel free to contact me (even if it’s just for some Ecuador travel tips).  I can’t wait to meet many of you at this year’s annual meeting and put some faces to all these names.  See you in September! 


Time to Celebrate for Pharmacy!
October is National Pharmacy Month

Feature Article

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

With the changes coming with the “New” KeePosted and with summer flying by this year, we wanted to give you a head start in planning this year’s celebration.  October brings us National Pharmacy Month, Health-System Pharmacy Week (Oct. 21-27), and National Pharmacy Technician Day (Tuesday, Oct. 23).  Lots of reasons to celebrate!

 

First, 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 right way to celebrate as long as you celebrate!  Letting this opportunity slip away without any fanfare is a missed opportunity to share what you and your pharmacy colleagues do for your patients and 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 knows how to party.  Celebrate for Pharmacy!


Announcing Big Changes –
KeePosted™ Transformation coming in November 2018!

Feature Article

Big changes are happening to the ICHP KeePosted News Journal beginning with the November 2018 issue. The ICHP Board of Directors has approved changing KeePosted to a quarterly publication, available as both a print (using recycled materials) and digital news journal. The new print KeePosted™ will be a member benefit at no additional charge.

Transformation Timeline

  • August 2018 - Final issue of current KeePosted™ digital only format.
  • September-October – There will be no KeePosted™ news journals published as we collect and hold all columns and articles for the first print issue of November.
  • November 2018 - The new format will be published as both print and digital.
    • Every ICHP member will receive a copy of each paper issue – so please be sure that we have your preferred mailing address!
    • Only want digital? See the Opt Out information below.
  • 2019 - The first of February, May, August and November – hard copy mailings ship out and digital issues are published online.

Content

Your favorite peer-reviewed columns will still be in KeePosted™, providing our members with publishing opportunities. The President’s Message, Directly Speaking, Division and Committee articles, all College Connections, special guest articles, Best Practice journal continuing education, Member Spotlight, and Board of Pharmacy updates – just to name a few – will be in the new KeePosted™!

So if you are looking for an opportunity to publish, write an article for the KeePosted™ and your work will be online and in hard copy! Article due dates will be changing to meet the new hard copy print schedule.  We will have all the new submission information available and posted online soon at www.ICHPnet.org.

 Other Changes in ICHP Communications

  • Breaking news (legislation, rule changes and Board of Pharmacy updates) and important announcements will be shared via “ICHP News” email blasts, Facebook, ICHPnet.org News, and Voter Voice.
  • Statewide meeting announcements and affiliate program information will be emailed to members, posted on the website and listed in KeePosted™.
  • The ICHP Champion News Brief is now emailed directly to all ICHP members and will continue to be a monthly publication.
  • The ICHP CPE News Brief (currently every two weeks) will become a monthly email update listing all the available ICHP continuing education opportunities for our members.
  • Important advocacy information will be sent out via Voter Voice (ICHP’s advocacy website provider), so please watch for those emails as well!
  • Plus, the Career Center will continue on its current every two weeks on Thursday email schedule.

Time sensitive news will go out immediately via email and social media; news and information that can wait will go out quarterly in the new KeePosted™. The print version will summarize information and events from the past quarter and announce upcoming quarterly events of value to members. 


What Happens next?

The new KeePosted™ will be a printed news journal mailed quarterly directly to your preferred mailing address. A digital version will still be available online as well for those who prefer digital. The goal is to meet the needs of all our members, many of whom miss our old print version – you soon will be able to carry the KeePosted™ with you, read an article while waiting for the elevator , and easily share with co-workers.

We are planning on six issues as a pilot for the new print format and will analyze the new format to determine if it will become a permanent transformation after the February 2020 issue.

Opt Out

A new option will be available for members when you join or renew your ICHP membership – you may opt out of the print version if you only want the digital. However, every ICHP member will receive our first issue in November 2018. And remember, the new KeePosted™ will be a member benefit at no extra charge, and will also be eco-friendly using recycled materials!

Keep Us Updated on your Email!

For KeePosted™ and all important Illinois pharmacy email notifications - please be sure members@ichpnet.org is white listed at your work site. If that is not possible, make sure we have your most up to date personal email so that we can keep you informed about what is happening in Illinois pharmacy.


College Connection

Chicago State University - College of Pharmacy
My First Medial Mission: An Unforgettable Experience

College Connection

by Florence Garza, SSHP Member—Class of 2018

During the spring semester of my P-4 year, I had the opportunity of a lifetime! I volunteered to assist with DOCARE International, a global health outreach organization that provides acute and chronic medical services to under resourced areas. It is primarily funded and managed by a group of osteopathic physicians; however, all healthcare providers are welcomed to volunteer.  In fact, a pharmacist currently sits on their executive board. Participants provide care to inhabitants throughout the Caribbean and to several countries in Africa and Asia.

 

Chicago State University--College of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the Midwestern University--College of Pharmacy campuses in Chicago and Arizona has developed a global health outreach program where students can complete an advanced pharmacy practice experience with DOCARE International. Recently, I had the privilege to participate in a medical mission trip to Antigua, Guatemala. Our team consisted of multiple disciplines including pharmacy, dermatology, dentistry, occupational therapy, optometry, podiatry, general medicine, and pediatrics.

 

Our day usually began at 7:15 am by loading the bus with medications and supplies.  It took anywhere from 1-2 hours to reach our destination. My workday included triaging patients, interpreting Spanish for other healthcare professionals, and then working in the pharmacy. If a patient was diagnosed with allergic rhinitis for instance, I would direct that person to the pharmacy, supply him/her with their medication, and provide medication counseling. Other common issues included stomachaches, headaches, musculoskeletal pain, toothaches, vision impairments, and dermatologic conditions. Additionally, we saw patients for diabetes and hypertension management.

 

I was given the opportunity to learn how other disciplines conducted their patient visits by listening to the questions that they would frequently ask. This allowed me to ask similar types of questions as I triaged patients and gave me greater confidence in my interactions with them. Pharmacy students were given the opportunity to provide therapeutic recommendations (after verification with our preceptors) based upon our pharmacy’s inventory. Fortunately, many of the medications we carried were adequate for treating our patients’ most common complaints. There were instances where we did not have the medication(s) needed for a specific ailment and those patients were referred to other DOCARE clinics.

 

This experience was challenging yet rewarding. Witnessing the lack of resources and the urgent need for critical medical services was overwhelming. Having the ability to provide pharmaceutical care to those in a developing country was a blessing. I thoroughly enjoyed the time that I spent with the amazing group of people that made up our team. The skills that I acquired over this 2-week experience will last a lifetime. I highly encourage other students to do something “outside of the box” and volunteer their time and services in an underdeveloped country. You definitely gain a new perspective on healthcare and it provides you with a well-rounded patient care experience.



Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy
Reflections of an ICHP Mentor

College Connection

by Ani Bekelian, PS-3, ICHP Historian

As I entered my second year of pharmacy school, I wanted to join a professional organization that allowed me to develop my leadership skills and demonstrate my commitment to the profession that I have chosen. When looking for an organization to join, I wanted something that would provide me with vast networking opportunities as well as exposure to different practice settings and post-graduate training opportunities, such as residencies. As I am interested in working in either an ambulatory care or hospital setting, I felt joining an organization that promoted health-system pharmacy practice, such as ICHP, would be a great fit for me. After joining and spending the last year participating in the ICHP Historian committee and mentorship program, I feel that I made the right decision.

 

I was initially drawn to the ICHP student mentorship program because I saw it as a great opportunity to pass on the knowledge that I had learned as a first-year pharmacy student. Often, when one starts a program—whether it be an undergraduate or professional program—it can be difficult, and rather overwhelming, to navigate the unknown waters alone. I still remember, all too well, the challenges that I faced as a newly matriculated student. I felt that by participating in the ICHP student mentorship program my mentee could benefit from the tips and tricks that I have picked up along the way.

 

As an ICHP student mentor, I was given the opportunity to help guide my mentee through the MWU-ICHP student organization, in addition to acting as an advisor for any academic queries, comments, or concerns. Together, through the span of the academic year, we attended multiple ICHP sponsored social events, in addition to having multiple academic meetings. Through the process of the mentorship program, I not only developed a great networking contact, but also gained a valuable friend.

 

As an ICHP student mentor, I learned a lot about myself as a student as well as a young woman. Discussions regarding study habits, suggestions for research, and summer opportunities encouraged a lot of self-reflection as a mentor. This past year has provided me with valuable insight into my character, my professional and personal goals, as well as my outlook towards my studies and life-long career. It has allowed me to grow as a stronger student, a more confident leader, and a more passionate advocate for our profession.

 

The experiences that I have had through the mentorship program are ones that I will take with me into my next academic year. To the incoming PS2 and PS3 students, I highly recommend participating in the program as mentors as it provides a valuable opportunity for self-reflection and discovery. To the incoming PS1s, I highly recommend considering becoming mentees as the experiences you will have will serve you well throughout your time at school and beyond.


Roosevelt College of Pharmacy
New E-Board Excited for Upcoming Year

College Connection

by Sara Koehnke PS-2, SSHP President

The ICHP chapter at Roosevelt College of Pharmacy is undergoing some exciting changes. With a completely new executive board, we look forward to building on the successes of the previous board while bringing our own creativity to the table. We welcome:

 

President: Sara Koehnke

Vice President: Kristina Khaireddine

Treasurer: Liza Kenny

Secretary: Mihee Lucia Choe

Webmaster: Juvaria Rahman

Membership Chair: Mateusz Worwa

Professional Development Chair: Dan Lim

 

We met members of the Class of 2021 at an informal organization meet-and-greet in the summer, and we cannot wait to tell them more about ICHP at the formal organization fair in the fall. We had 15 interested students.

 

In an effort to have a better social media presence, we have created a public Facebook page and we have added a few upcoming events. We are happy to be able to share our information on this platform in addition to our website.

 

We are excited for the fall term and all that it brings including our formal organization fair, membership drive, journal club, and residency 101, just to name a few!

 

Our E-board is reviewing our current events and deciding what we want to adjust, add, or remove. The revision of our events will take time, but we are getting that ball rolling.

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science College of Pharmacy
Career Exploration Through Professional Outreach

College Connection

by Angelina Raimonde, PS-3, ICHP Secretary

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), Pharmacy is Right for Me campaign is a national effort to promote the profession of pharmacy. Identifying strategies consistent with the campaign that effectively promote the profession of pharmacy has been the focus of a research project that I am completing this summer with my co-researcher, Kris Kloc, and our faculty mentor Dr. Jamie Dillig. Dr. Dillig is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice and the Director of Outreach at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science College of Pharmacy. She has been working to educate young students about the profession of pharmacy and provide knowledge regarding pharmacy career paths. Dr. Dillig facilitates pharmacy outreach through college fairs, career days, and special interest groups in middle and high schools.


Key outreach strategies that are successful in defining a student’s career choice are widely unknown, which gave Kris and I an opportunity to conduct research in this area. Part of our background research was to experience an outreach event firsthand. Kris and I chose to conduct the event at a middle school career fair. To prepare, we created a PowerPoint presentation that explained why we chose the pharmacy profession, our pathway to pharmacy school, and career options for pharmacists after graduation. We also incorporated an active learning exercise. 


Since the students were more familiar with the duties of community pharmacists compared to other roles, they were fascinated with the number of career opportunities available to pharmacists that were highlighted. One student was so intrigued that he asked, “I see that pharmacists can specialize in genetics, oncology, and ambulatory care—can I do all of those? And what is the maximum amount of jobs that I can be involved in?” This question was pretty remarkable, not only considering that the student was in 7th grade, but also that he was so excited by the information that he felt one specialty was not enough. Part of the reason students may not consider pharmacy as a career option could be due to the lack of outreach to students early in their education.

 

This experience provided better insight on how to proceed with our summer research project and what questions to consider when evaluating career outreach among young students. We hope to identify specific strategies that are instrumental in helping students choose a career path, especially as they pertain to the AACP Pharmacy is Right for Me efforts. They may be integral in inspiring the next generation of pharmacists.



Figure 1. Kris Kloc and I preceding our Middle School Career Presentation to promote outreach for the profession of pharmacy for the AACP Pharmacy is Right for Me campaign.























More

Upcoming Events
Join us!

Tuesday, August 14th, 2018 from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm 
Sangamiss Society of Health-System Pharmacists - Live Program
Microbiology 101: What Pharmacists Wish They Knew
Faculty:  Natalie Tucker, PharmD, BCPS, Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist
For more information or to register, go to our website

Wednesday, August 15th, 2018 from 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
August Champion CPE
Access Granted: The Pharmacy Technician’s Role in Specialty Pharmacy
Speakers: Letrina Flowers, CPhT, Ambulatory Medication Access Coordinator
Elba Rebecca Sertuche, CPhT, Lead Pharmacy Technician III/Prior Authorization Specialist

This webinar is being made available to all ICHP pharmacy technicians and pharmacists. To participate in the webinar follow these steps:
To begin your audio conference:
  1. Dial 866-740-1260
  2. Enter your access code: 3555115
To view the video:
  1. Go to www.ReadyTalk.com
  2. Enter your access code: 3555115 and enter your information
For more information, check out the Champions page on our website.

Saturday, August 25, 2018
ICHP Student Leadership Retreat
Invitation Only
UIC Chicago

Thursday, September 13 - Saturday, September 15, 2018
ICHP Annual Meeting
Register here!

Thursday, September 20, 2018 from noon - 12:30pm
September Champion CPE
Too high or too low? A Pharmacist's Approach to the Hypertension Guidelines
Speaker: Amina Ghalyoun, PharmD, BCACP

Welcome New Members!

A big ICHP welcome to all of the members who joined in July! 

Member

Recruiter

Ahmed Khan

 

Gladis Khananu

 

Peter Kim

 

Malgorzata Kowalczyk

 

Erik LaChance

 

Sontha Lu

 

Aneta Magiera

 

Gabriel Marin

 

Vaka McCree

Jennifer Splawski

Gordana Milencovici

 

Filda Miller

 

Dejan Milovanovic

 

Edith Morales

 

Olivia Neiconi

 

Nupagorn Nuengchana

 

Youkhanna Odicho

 

Devendra Patel

 

Danuta Pienkowski

 

Adriana Pool

 

Omar Rivas

 

Mary Grace Rosites

 

Cynthia Ruiz

 

Anastasiya Sazanovich

 

Sima Shah

 

Ellen Smith

Whitnee Caldwell

Leticia Soto

 

Andrew Statuopoulos

 

Latrenda Sterling

 

Elizabeth Thomas

 

Hantina Phoebe Tsai

 

Kathryn Valladao

 

Johnny Valles

 

Loan Vi

 

John Vignocchi

 

August Villa

 

Snezana Vitor

 

Jessica Wishork

 

Joanna Wisniewska

 

Blazej Woszczynski

Nitika Agarwal

 


Officers and Board of Directors

Executive Officers

 

Travis Hunerdosse
President
(312) 926-6124

thunerdo@nm.org

 

Charlene Hope
Immediate Past President
(708) 783-5933
chope@macneal.com

 

NoelleChapman120.jpgNoelle Chapman
President-Elect

 

Kathryn Schultz
Treasurer
(312) 926-6961
kathryn_schultz@rush.edu

 

Jennifer Arnoldi
Secretary

jearnol@gmail.com

 

Scott Meyers
Executive Vice President

ICHP Office
(815) 227-9292

scottm@ichpnet.org

 
 



Regional Directors

 

Amy Boblitt
Regional Director Central
(217) 788-3015
boblitt.amy@mhsil.com

 

Elise Wozniak
Regional Director Northern
elise.m.wozniak@gmail.com

 

Lynn Fromm
Regional Director

Southern
(618) 391-5539
fromml@andersonhospital.org

 


Division Directors

 

Mary Lee
Organizational Affairs Director
(630) 515-7311
mleexx@midwestern.edu

 

Karin Terry
Professional Affairs Director
(309) 655-3390
Karin.l.terry@osfhealthcare.org

 

Lara Ellinger
Educational Affairs Director
(312) 926-3571
laelling@nm.org

 

Carrie Vogler
Marketing Affairs Director
(217) 545-5394
cvogler@siue.edu

 

Christopher Crank
Government Affairs Director
(630) 978-4853
ccrank@gmail.com

 
 
 

Technician Representative

 

Clara Gary
Technician Representative
(312) 996-8525
cgary1@uic.edu

 
 
 

Network and Committee Chairs

 

Bernice Man
Chairman, New Practitioners Network
(773) 702-9641
bernice.man.pharmd@gmail.com

 

abbyK120.jpgAbby Kahaleh
Ambulatory Care Network Chair
 
akahaleh@roosevelt.edu

 
   David Tjhio
Chairman, Committee on 
T
echnology 
(816) 885-4649
davidtjhio@cerner.com

 

Jennifer Phillips
Editor & Chairman KeePosted 
Committee Chair, 
Nominations Committee
(630) 515-7167
jphillips@midwestern.edu

 

Milena McLaughlin
Assistant Editor, KeePosted News Journal
(630515-7293
mmclau@midwestern.edu

 
 



Student Chapter Presidents

Ashley Shinnick - Chicago State University College of Pharmacy
Ashinnic@csu.edu

Shivek Kashyap - Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy
skashyap28@midwestern.edu

Sara Koehnke - Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy
skoehnke@mail.roosevelt.edu

Aprille Banchoencharoensuk - Rosalind Franklin University 
College of Pharmacy
aprille.banchoencharoensuk@my.rfums.org

Kaylee Poole - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy
kapoole@siue.edu

David Silva - University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy
dsilva8@uic.edu

HyeRim Whang Kong - University of Illinois at Chicago - 
Rockford Campus College of Pharmacy
hwhang2@uic.edu


ICHP Affiliates

Northern Illinois Society (NISHP)

Erika Hellenbart
President
ehellen@uic.edu

Denise Kolanczyk
President-elect

Antoine Jenkins
Immediate Past President
(773) 821-2592 
at-jenkins@csu.edu

David Martin
Treasurer
dwmartin0713@gmail.com

Milena McLaughin
Secretary
(630515-7293 
mmclau@midwestern.edu

Vera Kalin
Technician Representative


West Central Society of Health-System Pharmacists (WSHP)
Ed Rainville
President
ed.c.rainville@osfhealthcare.org


Metro East Society (MESHP)
Jared Sheley
President
jpsheley@gmail.com


Sangamiss Society of Heath-System Pharmacists
Julie Downen
President
(
217) 788-3953
downen.julie@mhsil.com

Billee Samples
President-elect


Katelyn Conklen
Immediate Past President
Conklen.Katelyn@mhsil.com


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


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