WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED - Georgia Pharmacy Association

Ocotber/November 2018

P B M T R A N S PA R E N C Y I N G E O R G I A ? P. 8

Don’t Panic

Time’s running out to meet your

CE requirementsWE’VE GOT

YOU COVERED

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company | 808 Highway 18 W | PO Box 370 | Algona, Iowa 50511P. 800.247.5930 | F. 515.295.9306 | [email protected]

phmic.comAll products may not be available in all states and territories.

Pharmacy

Tomorrow.Imagine That.

Georgia Pharmacy 1October/November 2018

2 prescriptInteresting timesCEO Bob Coleman explains how interesting times can be exciting times.

3 quick hitsWhat’s happening in the Georgia pharmacy worldThe sort-of FluMist comeback, improving Georgia’s healthcare rankings, dangerous needle and compounding mix-ups, and much more

Yes, it’s a license-renewal year. Yes, you need those CPE hours under your belt. There’s still time, and we’ve got a guide to help you find the classes you need ... before it’s too late.

14 DON’T PANIC

contents

8 legal injectionThe fight for transparencyWhat is Georgia spending on Medicaid managed care? How much goes to the PBMs? These are the questions — and Greg Reybold explains how we’re going to get the answers.

19PharmPACInvestors in the future of pharmacy in Georgia

22contact usWho does what at GPhA — and how to reach us

23 postscriptA potpourri of updatesFrom our 2019 legislative plans to a long-term committment to Amelia Island; a new practice academy to the upcoming region briefings, President Tim Short covers it all.

24the back page The lighter side of pharmacy and healthcare news

Georgia Pharmacy magazine is the official publication of the Georgia Pharmacy Association.

Unless otherwise noted, the entire contents of this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Direct any questions to the editor at [email protected].

Chief Executive Officer Bob Coleman

President and Chair of the Board Tim Short

President-Elect Chris Thurmond

Immediate Past President Liza Chapman

Editor Andrew Kantor Director of [email protected]

Art Director Carole Erger-Fass

ADVERTISING All advertising inquiries should be directed to Dianne Jones at [email protected] or (404) 419-8129. Media kit and rates available upon request.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Georgia Pharmacy is distributed as a regular membership service, paid for with membership dues. Single issues are $10 per issue domestic and $20 international. Practicing Georgia pharmacists who are not members of GPhA are not eligible for subscriptions.

POSTALGeorgia Pharmacy (ISSN 1075-6965) is published bi-monthly by GPhA, 6065 Barfield Road NE, Suite 100 Sandy Springs, GA, 30328. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, GA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Georgia Pharmacy magazine, 6065 Barfield Road NE, Suite 100, Sandy Springs, GA 30328.

3

6shout outsNew members, GPhAers in the news, plus the latest entries into the President’s Circle

4

8

6

Georgia Pharmacy 2 October/November 2018

PRESCRIPT

to support our efforts soon. In August, the GPhA and AIP boards of

directors both voted to allocate significant funds towards the development of a GPhA-owned Georgia CPESN. We are in the process of recruiting members to become part of the board of this new entity and also beginning the search process for a director to head the organization. For those currently participating in CPESN USA through CPESN GA, there’s no need for concern. We’re working closely with CPESN GA and more information will be forthcoming on this oppor-tunity.

The GPhA Board also voted to financially support a pharmacy awareness campaign start-ed by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. This multi-year campaign is designed to educate consumers about pharmacy, and expand patients’ understanding of not only the services that pharmacists offer, but also their importance as a partner in healthcare delivery. I am highly encouraged about the long-term potential of this program.

GPhA region presidents recently met with GPhA staff in Macon to kick off the new fiscal year, work more closely with the Leadership- GPhA graduates, and brainstorm ways to grow local involvement and enhance the value of local events. It was a great half day and I’m looking forward to spending more time with this group in the future.

These are only some of the efforts and proj-ects we are currently working on. (My editor enforces his space requirements!)

Seth Godin, noted author and speaker, once said, “Leadership … is about creating change that you believe in.”

I’m excited about creating change with the membership of GPhA. For some, these are inter-esting times, but I’m convinced interesting times are exciting times when we work together as an association.

Bob Coleman is chief executive officer of the Georgia Pharmacy Association.

You’ve probably heard the expression, “May you live in interesting times,” but did you know that some consider this saying to be an ancient Chinese curse? Whether or not the saying originated in China, there is little doubt that over the years “interesting times” has been used to describe

times of crisis, insecurity, and even war. The thought is that uninteresting times represent a period of calm and peace, while interesting times represent chaos and turbulence.

I believe it’s fair to say that quite a few phar-macists today would describe their current times as “interesting.” In a recent study, 69 per-cent of pharmacists said they felt underappre-ciated, and only 36 percent reported that they love their jobs. So it came as no surprise that 25 percent of pharmacists would not recommend that a young person today become a pharma-cist. Other studies have shown pharmacists are 20 percent more likely to abuse drugs; the profession ranks in the top 10 for suicide rates by profession.

We can point to any number of reasons for those results; DIR fees, low reimbursement rates, dispensing fees that won’t cover the cost of the label in some cases, clawbacks, audits, PBM abus-es, quotas, long hours, reduced hours — the list goes on and on.

Depressed yet? I certainly hope not. There’s another saying that may be apropos here, “It’s always darkest before the dawn.”

I prefer to believe we live in exciting times. These are times of change, innovation, and rein-vention.

Take a look at Greg Reybold’s story (p. 9) to get an idea of what’s going in the near future on the legislative and regulatory front. We are planning an aggressive agenda for this year’s session and are already seeing support from representatives and senators. I couldn’t be more excited about GPhA’s direction here and we’ll be calling on you

Interesting times

BOB COLEMAN

1

FLAT COLOR

OPENBLACK & WHITE

GLOSS/GRADIENT

Georgia PharmacyA S S O C I A T I O N

From the CEO


The CDC is including it in the 2018-19 flu vaccine lineup. It’s been gone for the past couple of seasons because, well, it didn’t seem to work — and researchers couldn’t figure out why.

But the American Academy of Pediatrics isn’t quite so confident. In

its recommendations for the 2018-19 flu season, it recommends FluMist only as a last resort “for children who would not otherwise receive an influenza vaccine (and for whom it is appropriate by age and health status).”

CLAY COUNTY IS LOSING ITS LAST PHARMACY

FluMist makes a comeback ... sort of

QUICK HITS

DPH has released a new version of the standing order for naloxone. This is the document you need to keep on hand if you want to dispense naloxone without a prescription. Go to GPhA.org/naloxone where you can download a PDF version suitable for framing printing.

NEW STANDING NALOXONE ORDER: PRINT AND SAVE THIS!

With the closing of Buy-Rite in Fort Gaines, the county will be the fourth in Georgia not to have a single phar-macy. That means a 30- to 40-minute drive to the nearest drugstore for the people who live there.

GEORGIA CONTINUES TO RANK LOW FOR HEALTHCARE

Once again, Georgia ranked near the bottom of states for healthcare. The latest study by WalletHub ranked the state #43 out of 51; it in-cludes the District of Columbia. Taken into account were the overall cost, how easy it was for citizens to get healthcare, and how good their outcomes were. (Each of those categories had multiple metrics.)

Georgia was dragged down in large part because we’re ranked #50 for access to care; only Texas was worse. We were also ranked low be-cause of our extremely high rate of uninsured people — third worst in the country behind Alaska and Texas.

The other worst states for overall healthcare, starting at the bot-tom: Louisiana (#51), Mississippi, Alaska, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.

The five best: Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Hawai’i.

read more @gphabuzz


QUICK HITS

Georgia hospitals hit with Medicare penaltiesAbout 85 percent of Georgia’s hospi-tals are being hit with penalties by Medicare for high readmission rates, even under a new, less-strict policy. They’ll be paid up to 3.0 percent less in 2019 for Medicare patients.

Here come the bullet points:• Five Georgia hospitals will be pe-

nalized by more than 2.0 percent: Southeast Georgia Health System (Brunswick), Piedmont Newton Hospital, Northside Medical Cen-ter, Houston Medical Center, and Chestatee Regional Hospital.

• Of Georgia’s 133 hospitals, 37 will receive a lower penalty than last year.

• 50 of them will receive a higher penalty.

• Five hospitals that had been penalized in 2018 will not be pe-nalized in 2019: Dorminy Medical Center, Emanuel Medical Center, Irwin County Hospital, Jefferson Hospital, and Upson Regional Medical Center.

• The average penalty was 0.66 per-cent, about the same as last year.

The pharmacy version, that is. And it seems “consumers love their phar-macies,” giving them an 84.7 percent satisfaction rating*.

Important note: J.D. Power only looked at chain pharmacies, not independents. And before you pat yourself on the back too hard, you should know that they also rate their banks and insurance compa-nies about as highly.

And what do they really love? Re-tail health clinics inside the pharma-cy. Having one adds 6.6 percent to a satisfaction score.

*For whatever reason, J.D. Power uses a 1,000-point scale, so technically it’s a rat-ing of 847/1000, but we can do the math.

The new J.D. Power survey is out...

It seems that turning the thermostat up can reduce hy-pertension. In fact (found this study), For every 1°C you lower the temperature, you increase blood pressure by almost half a mmHg (0.48 mmHg systolic, 0.45 diastolic).

WARM TEMPS, LOWER BP

MATERNAL DEATH IN GEORGIA IS SHOCKINGLY HIGHGeorgia already had the country’s worst maternal death rate, and the U.S. overall is well behind the rest of the developed world. Now new figures have come out ... and it’s even worse.

How bad? Women in Georgia are more likely to die during child-birth than mothers in Uzbekistan. And DPH thinks the actual rate is actually even higher.

Hopefully change is on the horizon. The state has allocated $2 mil-lion this year to help reduce those deaths.

ANTIBIOTICS VS MITOCHONDRIAWhy do some antibiotics — we’re looking at you, ciproflox-acin — cause some odd side effects, like ruptured tendons, nerve damage, or depression?

Fluoroquinolones work in part by interfering with one of the bacteria’s enzymes (topoisomerase). But human mitochondrian DNA also uses topoisomerase, and Finnish researchers found that the antibiotics ‘stopped the normal maintenance and transcription of mitochondrial DNA,” which leads to all sorts of issues.

Their advice: “Use fluo-roquinolone antibiotics with great caution.”

read more @gphabuzz


Two studies looked at the results of New Hampshire’s approaches to reducing opioids. What they found wasn’t encouraging.

• Idea: Change the schedule to make it harder to refill hydroco-done prescriptions.

• Planned result: Patients would end up taking fewer pills.

• Actual result: Surgeons prescribe more of the drug instead.

“[T]here was an immediate sig-nificant increase following the schedule change in the amount of opioids filled in the initial postoperative prescription.”

• Idea: Require prescribers to con-sult a prescription drug moni-

toring program before writing a script for opioids.

• Planned result: Fewer opioid prescriptions, more patient con-sultation.

• Actual result: No change in prescribing; prescribers report consulting the PDMP just took up their time.

A mandatory PDMP query requirement was not signifi-cantly associated with the overall rate of opioid prescrib-ing or the mean number of pills prescribed for patients undergoing general surgical procedures. In no cases was a high-risk patient identified, leading to avoidance of an opioid prescription.

The best laid plans

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR COMPOUNDERSDo you label your compounds in strength per milliliter or strength per total volume? The fact that we’re asking is important — some compounders do it one way, some do it the other.

Commercial manufacturers typically use strength per volume, so if you make the per-milliliter number big and bold, it can confuse caregivers and has led to overdosing, according to an FDA warning.

There are two basic types of injector needles, right? Standard and safety. Both kinds can be used with stan-dard pen injectors.

You probably know this. But guess what? Your patients don’t always, which means they might try to use a standard needle without removing the inside cover first, meaning they don’t get their meds.

“That’s silly,” you say. “They would feel the plastic hit their skin. They would know.” Nope, says the FDA, they might not — it’s received multiple reports of people not removing the protec-tive cap and thus not getting their insulin, leading to high blood sugar, hospitalization, and at least one death.

NEEDLE CONFUSION

WHICH RURAL HOSPITALS ARE LIKELY TO CLOSE?The Government Accountability Office found several factors that have led — and will likely lead — to a rural hospital closing. The four biggest indicators:

• In the South• For-profit• In a state that didn’t

expand Medicaid• Classified as “Medicare

Dependent” The more of those that apply, the greater the chance of it closing.


SHOUT-OUTS

CHAPMAN GETS A COOL NEW GIG A big GPhA congrats — and virtual fist-bump — to our immediate past president Liza Chapman of Dawsonville: She’s been named vice president of partnership development for the the nationwide Pharmacy Technician Certification Board!

INPHARMD SIGNS MAJOR CONTRACTCongrats to InpharmD — the Atlanta-based tech startup founded by GPhA board member Ashish Advani. It just signed a big contract with Well-Star Health System (Georgia’s largest health system) to have WellStar physicians, pharma-cists, NPs, and PAs use the company’s mobile app.

Per the company: The app gives WellStar care providers the ability to submit complex medical drug delivery questions 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In turn, they receive custom-ized, evidence-based answers.

CBD OIL HELPING GEORGIANSPharmacist (and GPhA mem-ber) Ira Katz and his Five Points

Pharmacy outside Atlanta were featured in a WSB-TV story about cannabinoid oil — and how patients are saying it’s helping them deal with pain while avoiding using opioids.

CHANCY TESTIFIES ABOUT GAG CLAUSESHugh Chancy — GPhA past president and current Nation-al Community Pharmacists Association board member — testified before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Commit-tee’s Subcommittee on Health. His topic: PBM gag clauses, which can prohibit pharma-cists from telling their patients about potential lower-price drug options.

What we particularly love: Such gag clauses are illegal in Georgia. Through GPhA, Georgia pharmacists had them banned in 2017 as part of a law that restricted several other noxious PBM practices.

GEORGIA PHARMACIES SCORE SOME AWARDSCongrats to the Georgia inde-pendent pharmacies that won awards at this year’s Digital Pharmacist Awards!

• Best Web Patient Engage-ment: Pavilion Compound-ing Pharmacy, Atlanta

• Pharmacy with the Highest Patient Level of Patient Satisfaction: Crawford W. Long Pharmacy, Jefferson

• Most Friendly Pharmacy in America: Dykes Pharmacy, Cochran

• Best Value for Money Phar-macy in America: Crawford W. Long Pharmacy, Jefferson

THE RURAL DOCTOR AND PHARMACIST SHORTAGEA front-page story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution talked about healthcare barriers in rural Georgia — including lack of providers, transportation issues, and more.

Specifically, it talks about the issues facing pharmacists who have trouble contacting physicians, and patients who can’t get to them.

Bonus: The article features photos and video of Nikki Bryant of the Adams Family Pharmacy, the lone pharmacy in Webster County.

Liza Chapman Ashish Advani Ira Katz Hugh Chancy


SILVER LEVEL:Christy Bivins, ClarkesvilleNikki Bryant, PrestonKen DeLay, MillenVictor Johnson, AugustaJosh Kinsey, AtlantaJonathan Marquess, AcworthRabun Neves, AthensCassie Riley, AthensBen Ross, StatesboroDean Stone, Metter

2017–18

PRES

ID

ENT’S CIRCLE

1


GP.Logos.Final.indd 1 3/21/18 1:02 PMThese are the newest member of GPhA’s President’s Circle — members who recruit their fellow pharmacists, technicians, academics, and others to become part of the association. Recruit a member and join!

PHARMACISTSAlex Pinkston; Marietta (AIP)Michelle Ames; Raleigh, N.C. (ACHP)Matthew Fitzpatrick; Statham Wendy Mathis; Brunswick (AEP)Neena Patel; Duluth (ACHP)Donnell Williams; Eastman (ACHP)Miriam Williams; Evans (AEP)Susan Kellum; Comer Holly McCormick; Savannah (AEP)Melissa Groover; Savannah (AEP)Kyle Thombley; Perry (ACHP)John Simmons; Dacula (ACHP)Donna Cook; Colquitt Kendrick Rosenthal; Brookhaven (AEP)Brooke Dixon; Ranger Laura Franklin; Summerville, S.C. Snehal Doshi; Alpharetta Nisha Dave; Dacula Glenn Gordon; Suwanee Kimberl Harkey; Daniel Island, S.C. Tiffany Spooner; Bainbridge Alyx Powell; Colquitt Hediyeh Najiarani; Milton Ca Tran; Warner Robins Vincent JonesAmal Azar; Naperville, Ill. Phyllis Tomczyk; Sandy Springs Elvira Sharafutdinova; Miami, Fla. (AEP)

NEW MEMBERS

Marielga Tate; Marietta Nicki Vashi; Suwanee Dominique Jones; Conyers Rebecca Akins; Dalton (ACHP)Cindy Lieu; Marietta Emily Blaiklock; Atlanta Katie Askew; Bainbridge Kelsey Cobb; Phenix City, Ala. Himali Patel; Sugar Hill Frederick Manasseh; Atlanta (AEP)Kendra Harris; Thomson (AEP)Naveed Tharwani; Atlanta (AIP)Jeffrey Smith; Marietta Tim Swager; Taylors, S.C. (AEP)Jeffrey Reagan; Conyers (AIP)Susan Gagnon; Dacula (ACHP)Prathima Chennaihgari; Chamblee Brittani Grinstead; Hawkinsville (ACHP)John Leffler; Savannah (AEP)Brian Bridges; Hazlehurst (AEP)Doug Martin; Lilburn Donna Rader; Bluff City, Tenn. Martha Elizabeth Toussaint; Statesboro (ACHP)Cynthia Rowan; Oxford (AEP)John Young; Barnesville Adra Tucker; Temple (AEP)Ashley King; Pooler (AEP)

Tiffany Tedder; Sylvania (AEP)Joseph Smith; Athens (AEP)Angelique Turner; Smyrna (AEP)Cindy Woolfolk; St. Augustine, Fla. (AEP)Loren Avrett; North Augusta, S.C. (AEP)Alan Puckett; Dacula (ACHP)James Desorbo; Kennesaw (ACHP)Therese Aka; Loganville (ACHP)Laurie Stokes; Conyers (AEP)

TECHNICIANSJulie Tillman; Moultrie (APT)Mitchell Terry; West Columbia, S.C. (APT)Kathy Conger; Plains (APT)Audriana Smith; Albany (APT)Stephanie Qualls; Bogart (APT)Stephanie Negron; Orlando, Fla. (APT)Lauren Anderson; Statesboro (APT)Rebecca Durden; Twin City (APT)Brandy Qualls; Clarkesville (APT)Leticia Acosta; Athens (APT)

ACADEMICJenn Nguyen; Peachtree Corners

AFFILIATEAOA Ventures; Alpharetta

WALGREENS OPENS NEW ATLANTA “COMMUNITY PHARMACY”

The grand opening of the Peachtree Street Walgreens Community Pharmacy. Those pictured include Debbyn Milligan (Walgreens southest regional VP), Young Chang (Walgreens southest regional healthcare director), Lance Lomax (Walgreens Atlanta director for pharmacy and retail operations), Rena Estep (healthcare supervisor), Justin Kraham (healthcare specailty supervisor), Sonali Dinani (registered manager and pharmacist), Amilcar Martinez (Walgreens southeast regional sales director), and GPhA CEO Bob Coleman.

LEGAL INJECTION



The fight for transparency

$223 million. That’s the amount PBMs took in from the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s (ODM’s) five managed-care organizations in 2017 to ad-minister their prescription drug plans.

That’s $223 million above the cost of the medication itself. It’s the “spread” — the difference between what PBMs billed the MCOs and what those PBMs paid to pharmacies. And in some cases what it paid those pharma-cies was less than what the pharmacies paid for medication.

In May of this year, the Columbus Dispatch ran a series of stories about the influence of PBMs on the prices of drugs, specifically what Ohio Medicaid, and thus taxpayers, were paying PBMs. The information came from a report com-missioned by ODM, which aggregated informa-tion from PBMs and managed-care organizations — a report the Dispatch acquired.

On its own, the PBMs taking $223 million from Ohio taxpayers is eyebrow raising. But it also turns out that it accounted for a staggering 8.8 percent of the total amount billed to the man-aged care providers.

In other words, when you consider every dollar that Medicaid Ohio spent on care, 8.8 percent of it went to PBMs. (It’s worth noting that this

number likely fails to reflect any additional money PBMs made through transaction fees, and filling prescriptions through their affiliated pharmacies.)

The revelation of those numbers — which, I imagine, did not thrill the PBMs — has caused Ohio Medicaid to demand that its managed-care providers move away from spread-pricing con-tracts with PBMs and to more transparent ‘pass-through’ pricing models. The goal is a better deal for pharmacists, taxpayers, and patients.

This is truly exciting news. It also begs the question, what is Georgia spending on PBMs in the managed care Medicaid arena? The truth is that we simply do not know ... yet. The good news is that we are working hard to find out. And while we’re thrilled with what has trans-pired in Ohio, our work actually began before the news came out about Ohio’s decision to move away from managed care.

CLEARER VISIONFirst, included in this year’s budget, thanks in large part to the work of Georgia House leader-ship in the past session, is first-of-its-kind legisla-tion aimed at PBM transparency.

Specifically, the budget included a directive to the Georgia Department of Community Health to collect information related to pharmacy claims from plan sponsors, and annually report all pharmacy claims — including an itemization of all administrative fees, rebates, or processing

BY GREG REYBOLD


charges associated with each claim. DCH will then be tasked with providing a report utilizing aggregated data to the chairs of the House and Senate Appropriation Committees.

Make no mistake, this language is an im-portant step towards transparency. How much information will be produced and whether it will reveal the spread between what PBMs charge managed care organizations and what pharma-cies were paid remains to be seen. (There were some late changes to the language in the 2018 session which may allow some wiggle room in terms of what ultimately gets reported. GPhA will continue to monitor this closely and engage with legislators and DCH when necessary.)

As significant as the budget language was, GPhA has not stopped there. Rather, in August, GPhA sent our own open records requests to

“GPHA BELIEVES THAT LEGISLATORS, TAXPAYERS, AND PROVIDERS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT THE STATE IS PAYING PBMS IN MANAGED CARE.”

DCH seeking information in connection with all four managed care companies in Georgia and their PBMs. We want Georgians to see the aggregate information on the spread between what PBMs were paid by the each MCOs and what PBMs paid pharmacies. (You can read the specific requests we sent below.)

GPhA believes that legislators, taxpayers, and providers have a right to know what the state is paying PBMs in managed care. Once the infor-mation is obtained, then the state can assess what changes are necessary such as Ohio’s move away from spread pricing contracts or more.

WORKING TOGETHERSuffice it to say, GPhA believes that changes are necessary and has begun to engage with legisla-tors and DCH on this very issue.

GPhA has also sent a letter to the newly formed association represent-ing Georgia’s managed care compa-nies informing it that, amongst other things, we are beginning conver-sations with state legislators and officials regarding the lack of trans-parency in managed care, including the unknown amount of money PBMs are making in their capacity as middlemen.

In Ohio, the PBMs’ spread amount-ed to more than $220 million. What’s the dollar figure in Georgia? In terms of its size, Ohio managed care is fair-ly analogous to Georgia’s, so GPhA anticipates the amount of money be-ing made by PBMs, when it is finally revealed, to be similarly eye opening. The status quo is failing Georgia’s patients, taxpayers, and pharmacists. It is time for a change.

We think we have made our posi-tion clear. With that said, set forth below are answers to some common questions regarding the Georgia Open Records Act as well as the sta-tus of GPhA’s requests which should provide some additional insight into GPhA’s fight for transparency.


and records that reveal an individual’s Social Security number, mother’s birth name, credit card information, debit card information, bank account information, etc.

There is also an exception for trade secrets obtained from a person or business entity that are required by law, regulation, bid, or request for proposal to be submitted to an agency. Even where there are grounds to exempt records, those are to be construed narrowly and there are certain timing requirements in which an agency is required to raise such grounds.

Are there costs associated with open records requests?Yes, agencies are allowed to impose a reason-able charge for the search, retrieval, redaction, and production and copying costs. Depending upon the scope of the request the costs can be significant.

Are there penalties for violation of Georgia’s open records law?Yes, Georgia law provides criminal misdemean-or and civil penalties for knowing and willful violations of the law.

What happens if there is a dispute as to a request?In the event a dispute arises, Georgia gives su-perior courts authority to hear the arguments, whether it involves a person, corporation, or the attorney general.

What is the status of GPhA’s requests?GPhA has received a number of responsive documents to date and is in the process of reviewing those documents. However, the response is ongoing and we anticipate receiving additional documents in the coming weeks. So far, no documents reflecting the spread have been produced by DCH. How can I learn more?If you are interested in learning more about GPhA’s requests and its fight for transparency, you should attend one of GPhA’s Region Brief-ings and dinners. They’re being held through-out the state in October. (See GPhA.org/briefings.) In addition to an update on GPhA’s open records requests, members can learn more about GPhA’s legislative agenda for 2019. We hope to see you there.

What is an open records request?In Georgia, the public has the right under the law to request access to public records from state and local governments. The law imposes upon the governmental entity that receives the request certain obligations to respond timely, assert any privileges or exceptions timely, and provide the requested documents.

What is the purpose of Georgia’s open records law?I cannot say it better than the state did:

The General Assembly finds and declares that the strong public policy of this state is in favor of open government; that open government is essential to a free, open, and democratic society; and that public access to public records should be encouraged to foster confidence in govern-ment and so that the public can evaluate the expenditure of public funds and the efficient and proper functioning of its institutions.

The General Assembly further finds and declares that there is a strong presumption that public records should be made available for pub-lic inspection without delay. This article shall be broadly construed to allow the inspection of governmental records. The exceptions set forth in this article, together with any other exception located elsewhere in the Code, shall be interpret-ed narrowly to exclude only those portions of records addressed by such exception.

This is a powerful statement on the impor-tance of transparency, the presumption that records be made available for public inspection without delay, and that exceptions be con-strued narrowly.

Are records in the possession of state contractors subject to open records requests?They can be Included in the definition of “public record” are documents maintained or received by a private person or entity in performance of a service or function for or on behalf of an agency. What about those exceptions?Georgia law sets forth certain types of infor-mation and records for which public disclosure is not required — for example, medical files

Qs&As


The following is the list of documents and infor-mation GPhA has requested from the Depart-ment of Community Health:

• The most recent Subcontractor Agreement Re-port submitted to the Department of Community Health by each managed care organization.

• The most recent Provider Network Adequacy Report submitted to DCH by each MCO.

• Pharmacy Audit Reports filed with DCH by each MCO for the preceding four quarters.

• Pharmacy Cost Reports filed with DCH by each MCO for the preceding four quarters.

• The most recent Disclosure of Ownership and Control Interest Statement submitted to DCH by each MCO.

• Any and all marketing materials (written and oral) related to prescription drug benefits each MCO and/or its contracted pharmacy benefits manager[s] have submitted to DCH within the past twenty four (24) months, including but not limited to, poster, brochures, websites, and any materials that contain information regarding prescription

drug benefits and pharmacy network related materials.

• Any and all marketing materials (written and oral) related to prescription drug benefits each MCO and/or its contracted pharmacy benefits manager[s] have used within the past twenty four (24) months that have not been submitted to DCH, including but not limited to, poster, brochures, websites, and any materials that contain infor-mation regarding prescription drug benefits and pharmacy network related materials.

• Records reflecting the difference between the total dollar amount each MCO paid its contracted pharmacy benefits manager[s] in 2017 and the total dollar amount each MCO’s contracted pharmacy benefits manager[s] paid to pharmacies for pre-scriptions filled for each MCO’s Georgia managed care patients in 2017.

• Records reflecting the total dollar amount each MCO’s contracted pharmacy benefits manager[s] paid to pharmacies for prescriptions filled for each MCO’s Georgia managed care patients in 2017.

• Records reflecting the total dollar amount each MCO paid its contracted pharmacy benefits manager[s] for prescriptions filled for each MCO’s Georgia managed care patients in 2017.

• Records reflecting the difference between the total dollar amount each MCO paid its contracted pharmacy benefits manager[s] and the total dollar amount each MCO’s contracted pharmacy benefits manager[s] paid to pharmacies for prescriptions filled for each MCO’s Georgia managed care pa-tients from January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018.

• Records reflecting the total dollar amount each MCO’s contracted pharmacy benefits manager[s] paid to pharmacies for prescriptions filled for each MCO’s Georgia managed care patients from Janu-ary 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018.

• Records reflecting the total dollar amount each MCO paid its contracted pharmacy benefits manager[s] for prescriptions filled for each MCO’s Georgia managed care patients from January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018.

GPhA’s open records request

1

FLAT COLOR

OPENBLACK & WHITE

GLOSS/GRADIENT


Committed to providing you the

Workers’ Compensation Coverage You Deserve!

• Dividend opportunities for eligible participating members

• Superior claims handling

• Personal customer service representative

• Access to Safetysurance.com, a virtual library that delivers the accident-prevention and safety information you need to improve your daily operations

Georgia Pharmacy Association has built a valuable relationship with AmeriTrust Group, Inc. formerly Meadowbrook Insurance Group, Inc. who can provide you a competitive, no obligation workers’ compensation insurance quote.

GPhA Member Benefits Include:

Edition Date: 07/2018

Dianne Jones | Georgia Pharmacy Association | P (404) 419-8129 F (404) 237-8435

Contact Dianne Jones at GPhA today to get started.

10% dividend paid to eligible GPhA members for the past 5 years!

GP.Aug_Sept18.QuickHits.3.indd 7 8/6/18 5:08 PM


cover story

COMPILED BY ANDREW KANTOR

Don’t Panic!

It’s a license-renewal year, which means there are pharmacists and technicians across the state — maybe even you — who need to meet their continuing education requirements before the December 31 deadline.

GPhA’s got your back. Unless you’re way behind, there’s still plenty of time to meet the requirements.

Of course, the first thing to do is see where you stand, so go to CPE Monitor at nabp.pharmacy. (Yes, that’s the URL — dot-pharmacy.)

Once you know how many hours you need, feel free to take that deep breath — then check out your options. And there are plenty, whether you prefer to attend a live virtual seminar, watch videos, or print out your reading material. We even have courses you can print out and mail or fax for credit, if you want to do it old-school. (You will need to go online to download and print the “paper” courses, though. Sorry about that.)

Obviously this isn’t an exhausive list of every organization offering CE to pharmacists and tech-nicans; compiling that is impossible. But we hope that it’s at least a solid starting point for getting your hours before the end of the year.

There are several types of CE courses available:

• Live in-person: Self-explanatory; these are classes you need to physically attend.

• Live webinar: A video presentation you watch in real time via your Web browser (sometimes requir-ing a quick, free download). It’s held at a specific date and time, obviously, and has the added benefit of allowing you to ask questions of the instructor.

• On-demand webinar: Typically a recorded video you can watch online; some allow you to download instead. When you’re done, take an online exam to get your credit.

• Print- or download-able: Similar to on-demand webinars, you instead download a document, slide show, or other file to read or watch offline. You get credit either by taking an online quiz or by sending in completed paperwork.

Most continuing education courses are available on-line via either a Web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) or using free software that typically installs automatically.

TIME’S RUNNING OUT TO MEET YOUR BIANNUAL CE REQUIREMENTS. WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.


LIVE WEBINARS FROM GPHA

Find them all at GPhA.org/cpeasy

Pharmacy Abbreviations and Calculations (not just) for TechniciansOctober 18, 2018; 7:30 PM 1.5 hours CPE Free to GPhA Members/$40 for nonmembers Instructor: Pedro A. Valentin

Basic Training: 30 Medications and Classifications Pharmacy Technicians Need to KnowOctober 25, 2018; 7:30 PM 1.5 hours CPE Free to GPhA Members/$40 for nonmembers Instructor: Frank F. Barnett

Laws and Regulations in Georgia: What Pharmacy Technicians Must KnowNovember 8, 2018; 7:30 PM 1.5 hours CPE Free to GPhA Members/$40 for nonmembers Instructor: Greg Reybold

PRINTABLE CPE FROM GPHAFind them all at GPhA.org/education

Working with the Ohio Pharmacists Associ-ation, GPhA has a library of printable PDF lessons any member can download. Each pro-vides 1.5 hours of continuing education credit. They include about six pages of reading, with a quiz at the end that you need to fill in and mail to OPhA for grading. With a passing grade of 80 percent or higher, your statement of CPE credit is automatically uploaded to CPE Monitor.

Although the program concluded this past spring, you can still print, return, and get cred-it for any of about two dozen courses, from asthma to hepatitis to new drugs to vaccine errors.

ON-DEMAND COURSES FROM GPHA

Find them all at GPhA.org/cpeasy

Preventing Medication Errors in the Retail Set-ting: What Pharmacists MUST Know, Do, and SayA free webinar from the Georgia Pharmacy Associ-ation for every licensed pharmacist and technician in Georgia.

Exploring Primary Care Provider Partnerships2 hours CPE Cost: $25, GPhA members only The primary care practice model is changing, and with change comes new opportunities for phar-macist to provide value. We’ll help you to get ready, with a look at proven strategies for identifying collaborative partners.

Implementing Community Pharmacy Services in Primary Care Settings2 hours CPE Cost: $25, GPhA members only Embedding pharmacists in primary care settings is a great idea, but how do you make it a practical one?

An Overview of Collaborative Practice Agree-ments Under Current Georgia Law2 hours CPE Cost: $25, GPhA members only There’s no denying it: Georgia law hasn’t caught up the array of services that pharmacists can offer the state’s patients. But that’s not to say there aren’t hidden opportunities for Georgia pharmacists.

MTM and the Successful Business Plan1.5 hours CPE Cost: $25, GPhA members only You’ve heard about outcomes or potential cost savings behind MTM. But what about the cost and time to implement a successful MTM program? Let Jake Galdo give you the business case of MTMs for community practice — from direct revenue to indirect costs.

CE COURSES FROM GPHAYour first stop should be, obviously, GPhA —

membership has its privileges, and those include free and discounted CPE courses.


ON-DEMAND WEBINARS

From the American Society of Health-System Pharmacistselearning.ashp.orgWho it’s for: Pharmacists and techniciansAbout 160 total courses, many of which are free. Others (mostly certification programs) range from $75.00 to $800.00, but members get a discount. Almost all are online (“application based”).Membership is $320.00/year for pharmacists, or $51/year for technicians, and provides unlimited access to on-demand courses.

From PowerPak powerpak.comWho it’s for: PharmacistsMore than 20 free courses, most offering 1.0 to 1.5 hours of CPE. Don’t let the short description fool you; this site has a wide variety of courses sponsored by various pharmaceutical compa-nies.

From FreeCEfreece.comWho it’s for: Pharmacists and techniciansThe name is misleading; there’s nothing free about the CE on this site. That said, it does offer a long list of courses for both pharmacists and techs. Cost: Most are priced under $10 and offer an hour (and sometimes two) of credit.

From RX Schoolrxschool.com/catalogWho it’s for: Pharmacists and techniciansOffers about 12 “Distance education” courses, most giving 2.0 hours of creditCost: $20.00 to $30.00 for most courses ($65.00

for Pharmacy Spanish); $99.00 for annual membership gives “Unlimited access to all Live and Distance CE courses.”Note: The school also offers about two dozen live webinars for about $30 to $40 each.

From ContinuingEducation.comcontinuingeducation.comWho it’s for: Pharmacists and techniciansOffers about 80 on-demand webinars for pharmacists and about 39 for technicians. Most provide 1.0 to 2.0 hours of CE.Cost: Most webinars are $15.00 - $27.00, depend-ing on the number of credit hours. Becoming a “CE-Pro” member for $19.95 per year cuts the fees by half. (If you’re planning to take more than two courses, membership pays for itself).

From Pharmacy Timespharmacytimes.orgWho it’s for: Pharmacists and techniciansFor pharmacists: Offers several dozen on-de-mand webinars and podcasts (audio-only) for 1.0 to 4.0 hours of credit.For technicians: Offers eight on-demand webi-nars for 1.0 to 4.0 hours of credit.Cost: Free for almost every course; you must create an account first.Note: The course listing is incredibly annoying to use; you’ll need to click “Load More” repeated-ly to view the entire list.

From the National Pharmacy Technician Associationpharmacytechnician.org/ceWho it’s for: Pharmacy techniciansOffers more than 30 hours of courses specifi-cally for pharmacy technicians, including live, on-demand webinar, and printable.Cost: $29.00 for a one-year NPTA membership; most courses are then free.

cover story

CE FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONSPharmacy organizations across the country provide continuing education

courses of all stripes to both pharmacists and technicians. There are plenty of free options, but even most fee-based courses don’t cost very much,


Representing pharmacists and pharmacies before the Georgia Pharmacy Board, GDNA and DEA.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Professional Licensing

Medicare and Medicaid Fraud and Reimbursement

Criminal Defense

Administrative Law

Healthcare Law

Legal Advice for Licensed Professionals

WWW.FRANCULLEN.COM

(404) 806-6771 • [email protected]

I SAY “TOE-MAY-TOE”...There are at least three ways to “measure” a CPE course. Look care-fully as each provider might use a different one.

In general: 2 credits = 2.0 hours =

0.20 CEU

THE FINE PRINT

The Georgia Pharmacy Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a pro-vider of continuing pharmacy education.

To earn CPE credit for live study, learners are required to attend the live webinar, participate in class discussion, respond to quiz questions, and complete an online survey within one week of the class.

To earn credit for home study, learners are required to listen to the recorded webinar and complete an online quiz.

Learn more at www.financialplanningrx.com

Integrated Financial Group | 200 Ashford Center North, Suite 400 | Atlanta, GA 30338Securiies offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through IFG Advisory, LLC, a registered investment advisor. Integrated Financial Group and IFG Advisory, LLC, are separate eniies from LPL Financial.

SOME THINGS WORK REALLY WELL TOGETHER.

Mike Tarrant, CFP® proudly announces his recogniion as a GPhA Corporate Sponsor

Mike has extensive experience working with pharmacists and pharmacy owners,

ooffering a ‘no generics’ approach to financial planning.


PRINTABLE CPE COURSES

PowerPAKpowerpak.comWho it’s for: Pharmacists and techniciansFor pharmacists: More than 130 courses on any topic you can name. Many are free, others are $6.97 for 2.0 hours of credit. For technicians: About 48 courses, providing 1.0 to 2.0 hours of credit; almost all are $3.95. The site also offers a two-year subscription provid-ing all the CE you need to meet state requirements for $97.00.

From Elite CMEpharmacy.test.elitecme.com/GAWho it’s for: PharmacistsHas about 16 courses on various topics, offering 1.0 to 7.0 hours of credit. Cost is $4.00 per credit-hour offered.

1

FLAT COLOR

OPENBLACK & WHITE

GLOSS/GRADIENT


PUT THE POWER OF A NETWORK BEHIND YOU

800-965-EPIC | EPICRX.COM

We Deliver Solutions fora Healthier Bottom Line

EPIC Pharmacies, Inc. provides more than 1,400 independent member pharmacies across the U.S. with the group buying power and managed care solutions essential to delivering quality patient care.

Membership o�ers:

• Group volume purchasing power• Aggressive wholesaler pricing programs• Successful rebate program - $42.7 million returned to members in 2017• EPIC Pharmacy Network, Inc. (EPN) membership fee included at no cost – access to third-party contracts• Clinical services tools, including expert assistance from our in-house pharmacist and access to custom PrescribeWellness o�erings and EQuIPPTM

• – free third-party claims reconciliation program and automated reimbursements below cost system

• – Web-based solution for pharmacy regulatory and compliance management

cover story

CE FROM APHA

pharmacist.com/education

APhA offers a mix of about 138 cours-es including four live webinars (“live events”) and more than 120 on-de-mand (“home study”) courses — typi-cally recorded versions of webinars.

Many on-demand courses are free for APhA members, and some are only available to members. They range from “Quick Quizzes” for a half hour (0.5 hours) of credit to “Advanced Training” offering two to 16 hours of education.


INVESTING IN PHARMPAC IS INVESTING IN YOUR PRACTICE.

The following pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, students,and others have joined GPhA’s PharmPAC for the 2018 calendar year.

The contribution levels are based on investment through August 31, 2018.

Mahlon Davidson, OxfordPharmPAC chairman

Diamond Investors ($4,800 or $400/month)

Titanium Investors ($2,400 or $200/month)

FRED SHARPEAlbany

SCOTT MEEKSDouglas

CHARLES BARNESValdosta

MAC McCORDAtlanta

RALPH BALCHINFayetteville

2018 PHARMPAC INVESTORS

BRANDALL LOVVORNBremen

DAVID GRAVESMacon

LON LEWISSt. Simons Island

TOMMY LINDSEYOmega


BRUCE BROADRICK THOMAS BRYAN, JR.WILLIAM CAGLE HUGH CHANCY KEITH CHAPMAN WES CHAPMAN DALE COKER BILLY CONLEY BEN CRAVEY BLAKE DANIEL AL DIXON JACK DUNN NEAL FLORENCE ROBERT HATTON VICTOR JOHNSON MARSHA KAPILOFF IRA KATZ

JEFF LUREY JONATHAN MARQUESS IVEY MCCURDY AMY MILLER DREW MILLER CASSIE RILEY HOUSTON ROGERS JOHN SANDLIN TIM SHORT TERESA SMITH CARL STANLEY DENNIS STRICKLAND DEAN STONE CHRIS THURMOND DANNY TOTH ALEX TUCKER TOMMY WHITWORTH

Platinum Investors ($1,200 or $100/month)

Silver Investors ($300 or $25/month) Nelson Anglin Ann Ayers Michael Azzolin Claude Bates James Carpenter Michael Crooks Ed Dozier Gregory Drake James Elrod Marshall Frost Kimberly Grubbs Joe Holt Susan Kane Willie Latch Tracie Lunde Hillary Jack Mbadugha Donald Piela, Jr Terry Shaw Jonathan Sinyard Renee Smith Marie Tomblin Andy Ullrich

Bronze Investors ($150 or $12.50/month) Phil Barfield Mark Barnes Jeffery Bray Bryce Carter Bob Coleman Mark Cooper Mathew Crist

Hal Douglas Amanda Gaddy Larry Harkleroad Harold Kemp Phillip James Josh Kinsey Brenton Lake Micheal Lewis Wallace Partridge David Smith Amanda Stankiewicz Flynn Warren Steve Wilson Member Investors(up to $150)Michael Adams Russell Adams Carmen Agnew Thomas Akins Cheryl Allen Jim Anderson Robert Ault Brandon Bailey Rebecca Bailey Marla Banks Fred Barber Barry Beardon Linda Beardon Paula Binion Ketchem Samuel Bird Fred Bishop Duane Black Ray Black Amber Brackett Ben Braddy TM Bridges

Lawrence Bridges Dan Brock Marcia Brock Winston Brock Kay Brooks Jesse Brown Christopher Brown Thomas Bruckner Bobby Burnley Thomas Butts Ron Cain J. Rance Cain Sheryl Cannington Jack Cantrell Phillip Carver John Chafin Tina Chancy Melissa Chewning Dawn Collier Paul Combs Chandler Conner Joseph Cook Guy A Cox Betsy Crowder Amanda Crowe Merry Culberson Julie Davis Suleman Daya Blake Dennard Richard Dennard Stacy Dickens Wendy Dorminey John Dukes Sheila Dukes Bill Dunaway Patrick Dunham Freddie Dwozan Stephen Dyer

Alton Dykes Randall Ellison Azza El-Remesey Kelly Farmer Michael Farmer Michael Faulk Jeffery Felton Jimmy Flanders Dena Foley Vernon Ford Theron Fox Raymond Fulp Julie Gay John Gee Christi Gibson Waqas Gill Leonard Givens John Glenn James Goodson Sheri Gordan Charlene Granberry James Graves Marvin Griffin Donnie Griffin Charles Grogan Angela Guillory Fred Gurley John Hall Maxwell Hancock Geraldine Hankla Ann Hansford John Hansford Gloria Harbuck Buddy Harden Gerald Hartman Jennifer Hayes Hannah Head Earl Henderson

Sharon Hortenstine William Horton Phillip Howell Kameron Huffman William Hunt Terry Hurley Amy Jacobs Johnny Joe Jason Jones Kimberly Kaminski Bryan Keen Karen Kelley Amy Kelly DeAnna Kemp Hal Kemp Matt Kent Brenda Kirkland Ashley Kunkle Robert Kuzniak Donald Lane Georgie Langford Edwin Laws John Leffler Franklin Linder Ashley London Richard Lott Earl Marbut Charles Maret Ralph Marett Joseph Marlow Cynthia Massengill Hewitt Matthews Josh McCook Charles McDuffie Joseph McEver Rashada McGhee Herbert McGinty Myrna McIntosh

Gold Investors ($600 or $50/month)

JAMES BARTLING LANCE BOLES WILLIAM BREWSTER LIZA CHAPMAN BARON CURTIS MARSHALL CURTIS MAHLON DAVIDSON SHARON DEASON BENJAMIN DUPREE KEVIN FLORENCE KERRY GRIFFIN JOHNATHAN HAMRICK MICHAEL ITEOGU STEPHANIE KIRKLAND GEORGE LAUNIUS EUGENE MCDONALD BOBBY MOODY

SHERRI MOODY SUJAL PATEL BILL PRATHER GREG REYBOLD DARYL REYNOLDS ANDY ROGERS BEN ROSS SHARON SHERRER RICHARD SMITH JAMES THOMAS WILLIAM TURNER CHUCK WILSON H.D. WILSON IIIM IKE TARRANT/INTEGRATED

FINANCIAL GROUP G EORGIA PHARMACY

ASSOCIATION

2018 PHARMPAC INVESTORS

HELP US REACH OUR GOAL FOR 2018!Visit GPhA.org/PharmPAC to find out more.

0 $130,000

$91,904*Goal:

$130,000

*As of August 31, 2018

Alfred McNair Laird Miller Mindi Miller Aubrey Miller Melissa Minix Jason Moring John Moseley Linton Neal Albert Nichols Charles Nicholson William Nicoletti Mark Niday Debbie Nowlin Ricki Oliver Melissa Olsen Donald Overstreet Brenda Owens Mi-Deok Park Carl Parker

Larry Parrish Rhett Paul Amon Peters Tri Phan Whitney Pickett Cynthia Piela Loren Pierce Rose Pinkstaff Faith Pinnell Lee Pinnell Irvin Pinnell Thomas Porter Becky Powell Susan Preston Robert Probst Reginald Pye Thomas Rawls Anthony Ray Leonard Reynolds

Nan Rhinehart Sonya Richards John Richey Virginia Riddell Donna Riggins Gerald Riggins Laura Rogers Gina Roland Lee Roundtree George Sanders Edward Schutter Victor Serafy Donal Sharp Gregory Shealy John Sherrer Thomas Sherrer Jeff Sikes Melinda Smith Embry Steven Spruill

Angela Stadler Ron Stephens James Strickland Laura Swan Matthew Tanner Richard Taylor Maxie Taylor Tammi Taylor Archie Thompson Tommy Tolbert Adra Tucker Austin Tull David Turner Marion Wainright Lindsay Walker Robert Ward Mitchell Weitman Lindsey Welch Lewis West

Benjamin Wheeler James White James White Jerry White Walter White Jonathon Williams Joseph Williams Paula Williams Timothy Wilson Keith Winslette Stephen Winslette Mark Winters Carla Woodall Katherine Woods Lou Woods Kevin Woody Carl Young James Young

GET INVESTED TODAY Visit GPhA.org/PharmPAC or call (404) 419-8118

CareSource understands that using medications correctly can improve patients’ health, which is why we offer a Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program. Pharmacists who participate are reimbursed for providing this service. It’s another way we bring innovative thinking and services to our health partners. For more information and to enroll in the program call OutcomesMTM at 877-237-0050 or visit www.outcomesmtm.com. MEDICAID & MORE

Partner with Purpose.

GA-P-0506 DCH Approved 07/05/2018


Keep in touch

contact

1

FLAT COLOR

OPENBLACK & WHITE

GLOSS/GRADIENT


For membership questions Mary Ritchie Director of Membership Operations (404) 419-8115 [email protected]

For questions about our educational offerings or the Georgia Pharmacy FoundationElizabeth Hamilton Foundation Director & Director of Marketing and Education(404) 419-8120 [email protected]

For questions about advertising or any of our insurance productsDianne Jones Vice President of Finance & Administration (404) 419-8129 [email protected]

For questions about governmental affairsGreg Reybold Vice President of Public Policy(404) [email protected]

For editorial questions or comments about e-mail, websites, social media, or this magazineAndrew Kantor Director of Communication [email protected]

For questions about the GPhA board or governance policiesMerrily Bennett Executive Assistant and Governance Manager (404) 419-8173 [email protected]

For operational or accounting questions:Dianne Jones Vice President of Finance & Administration (404) 419-8129 [email protected]

Patricia Aguilar Accounting Coordinator (404) 419-8124 [email protected]

For assistance with independent-pharmacy issuesJeff Lurey, R.Ph. VP of Independent Pharmacy (404) 419-8103 [email protected]

For questions about your AIP membershipVerouschka “V” Betancourt-Whigham Manager of AIP Member Services (404) 419-8102 [email protected]

AIP Member Service RepresentativesRhonda Bonner (229) 854-2797 [email protected]

Charles Boone (478) [email protected]

Melissa Metheny (678) 485-6126 [email protected]

Gene Smith (423) [email protected]

REACH US AT 404.231.5074 OR GPhA.ORG

GPhA LEADERSHIPPresident & Chair of the BoardTIM SHORT, [email protected] President-Elect CHRIS THURMOND, [email protected]

Immediate Past PresidentLIZA CHAPMAN, [email protected]

DirectorsASHISH [email protected]

WES CHAPMAN [email protected]

MAHLON DAVIDSON [email protected]

KEVIN [email protected]

ASHLEY [email protected]

AMY [email protected]

FRED [email protected]

JONATHAN [email protected]

Chief Executive OfficerBOB [email protected]

Got a concern about a GPhA program or service? Want to compliment or complain?Drop a note to [email protected].

1

FLAT COLOR

OPENBLACK & WHITE

GLOSS/GRADIENT


GPhA’S MEMBER SERVICE PARTNERS

Alliance for Patient Medication Safetymedicationsafety.orgQuality assurance compliance resources(866) 365-7472

InfiniTrakinfinitrak.usTrack and trace compliance software(844) 464-4641

Pharmacy Technician Certification Boardptcb.org(800) 363-8012

SoFisofi.com/gphaStudent-loan refinancing(855) 456-7634


most part, this change will have no impact on the membership as dues will continue to run on the September-August cycle with dues expiration the end of August.

Speaking of dues, please take a look on the front cover of this magazine. If there is sticker saying this is your last issue, please make sure you’ve sent in your annual membership dues to GPhA.

I encourage you to take a minute to pat yourself, your staff, and your fellow pharma-cists and technicians on the back. Monday, October 1 marked the first day of American Pharmacists Month. A celebration started in 2004 by APhA, the month is a celebration in support of pharmacists across the country. It’s used to increase awareness among the public, patients, policy makers, and other stakehold-ers about the broad roles pharmacists play in healthcare beyond the safe distribution of medications. For more information on the 2018 campaign go to pharmacistsmonth.com.

Lastly, be sure to plan to attend a Region Briefing in your area. Dates and times can be found on the GPhA website at GPhA.org/briefings. Your board of directors, region pres-idents, and staff look forward to talking with you there.

Tim Short is GPhA’s 2018–2019 president and owner of Sawnee Drug Co. in Cumming. Write to him at [email protected].

I’ve just finished my first GPhA annual planning meeting as your GPhA president and I just want-ed to tell the membership how thrilled I am about the direction the associa-tion is going.

Greg Reybold brought the board of directors up to speed on GPhA’s legislative efforts and the board voted unani-mously to approve the 2019 legislative agenda. Suffice it to say, Greg and GPhA have always been at the forefront of statewide efforts, but this year is going to move the bar up a notch.

And yes, we heard you last year regarding our legislative communication. We will make sure to keep the membership informed on the progress of our efforts this year as well as let you know when and where you are needed to support our actions.

We also heard you about the location for some upcoming Georgia Pharmacy Conven-tions. I’m pleased to inform the membership that, with the exception of the 2020 conven-tion that will be held in Ashville, N.C., GPhA just signed a new deal that will keep us at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort from 2019 through 2027. We’ll post the actual June dates on the GPhA.org website, but for people who combined their family vacation with con-ference attendance, there’s no more guessing when or where the convention will be located.

And on another board-related issue, the board approved re-forming the Academy of Pharmacy Technicians as an official GPhA academy. Notification will soon be going out to our technician members, along with a re-quest that they nominate officers.

The GPhA staff was very happy that the board also approved a change in the annual year from September-August to the regular calendar year, January-December. For the

A potpourri of updates

1

FLAT COLOR

OPENBLACK & WHITE

GLOSS/GRADIENT


GPHA JUST SIGNED A NEW DEAL THAT WILL KEEP US AT THE OMNI AMELIA ISLAND PLANTATION RESORT FROM 2019 THROUGH 2027

TIM SHORT

POSTSCRIPT

From the President


the back page

The six-legged supplementWe’re learning more and more about the importance of gut bacteria for overall health. A new study in Nature’s Scientific Reports finds that eating crickets might help improve your gut health thanks to their “chitin and other fibers.”

Got to know when to hold ‘emWhen in doubt, blame the meds: Hundreds of people are claim-ing that taking aripiprazole has turned them not into racists, but into compulsive gamblers. Or worse:

Hundreds more people have since sued the [manufacturers], claiming that the drug caused them to gamble, eat, or have sex compulsively.

Filling these might actually be kinda funThe American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that pediatricians write prescriptions for “play.” In fact, there’s even an entire organization dedicated to promoting it: Park Rx America (parkrxamerica.org). disorders if the remedy can be clearly perceived.”

Michigan considers adult-proof medicine bottlesA proposed law there would require that opioids have a locked cap to prevent someone else from stealing the pills.

A virtual high-five to Michigan Pharmacists Association CEO Larry Wagenknecht, who calmly put on his Captain Obvious hat and explained that, even if the state requires locking caps on opioid bottles, “They are not hammer proof.”

BY ANDREW KANTOR

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company | 808 Highway 18 W | PO Box 370 | Algona, Iowa 50511P. 800.247.5930 | F. 515.295.9306 | [email protected]

phmic.comAll products may not be available in all states and territories.

Pharmacy

Tomorrow.Imagine That.

1

FLAT COLOR

OPENBLACK & WHITE

GLOSS/GRADIENT


6065 Barfield Road NE | Suite 100 Sandy Springs, GA 30328

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT — ATTEND THIS YEAR’S AIP FALL MEETING

Registration: Please fill out and fax back to (404) 237-8435 Member’s Name: Nickname: Pharmacy Name: Address: E-mail address (please print): Will you be joining us for lunch (Noon – 1:00PM)? q Yes q NoHow many total will be attending? Names of staff/guests:

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2018 • MACON MARRIOTT & CENTREPLEX

AIP FALL MEETINGSAVE THE DATE

Events and programs include:• Network with colleagues• Meet with partners• CE opportunities• DEA roundtable

Plus• Legislative update• Continental breakfast and

lunch provided

All non-AIP members who own independent pharmacies are welcome to attend AT NO CHARGE.

WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED - Georgia Pharmacy Association

Documents

Transcript of WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED - Georgia Pharmacy Association