Representatives Cox and Carter Introduce Bipartisan STOP METH Bill

February 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Rep. Cox will speak on this topic at the MPA’s 2012 Legislative Day, April 11th!

Legislation Bolsters Stop-Sale System & Reduces Annual Purchase Limits

JEFFERSON CITY — State Reps. Stanley Cox, R-Sedalia, and Chris Carter, D-St. Louis, today introduced bipartisan legislation designed to significantly strengthen Missouri’s anti-meth laws. The STOP METH legislation (HB 1328) enacts tougher penalties for criminals in possession of pseudoephedrine (PSE), significantly reduces the monthly and annual purchase amount of cold medications that contain PSE, requires that anyone convicted of a drug related offense obtain a prescription for pseudoephedrine medicines, and enhances the proven stop-sale system already in effect in Missouri.

“Methamphetamine is a scourge on our communities and real-time, stop-sale technology is the best solution for reducing meth labs,” said Cox, chairman of the Missouri House Judiciary Committee.  “Our bipartisan anti-meth legislation creates tougher penalties for criminals and significantly restricts the amount of cold medications with PSE that can be purchased in a month and year.  Our solution will help stop the criminals while ensuring honest, law-abiding citizens can access the cold medications they need without a prescription.”

“I’m pleased to join with Representative Cox in introducing this tough anti-meth bill,” said Carter.  “Making popular cold medications prescription-only is not the answer.  Our legislation protects legal access for law-abiding Missourians, while cutting off access for the criminals with tougher penalties and restrictions to help law enforcement track them down and keep meth off our streets.”

To read this full story, click here.

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Sell Yourself

January 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By DWIGHT NYBERG | President | MPA

In the early 1970’s, my Dad’s prescription volume was one-third of today’s volume, and he made twice the profit! That’s the new math I never understood.

The President’s call for zero copay on prescriptions for our Tricare patients is a prime example of not understanding healthcare. The lower copay for prescriptions should be available at the pharmacies that provide one-on-one or face-to-face consultation, patient education, drug therapy modification and/or product selection. The remaining pharmacies are mandated to charge copays.

It’s a proven fact that medication therapy management and patient education are both proactive methods of: Improving healthcare outcomes and quality of life. What an example of managing healthcare expenses! The same pharmacists who are hurt by this are already dispensing a larger percent of generic drugs. This helps the health care system save more money.

Could you do 20 or 30 MTM’s or patient education sessions each day, at $100 to $150 per session?

Remember, you’re the expert, you’re the best, you’re selling yourself.

Take a moment, estimate the dollar savings you could create each day, week, month, and year.

An easy $200 to $300 a day, $1,000 to $1,500 a week, $20,000 to $30,000 a month … you continue and use your estimate. Are you worth more than $150 per session?

Now, think about the diabetic, the asthma patient, the potential fall patient who’s lifestyle and quality of life you helped improve.

You’re the drug expert, you’re selling yourself !!!

Afraid the future will leave you behind? Then help create the future!

Participate with the Missouri Pharmacy Association as we challenge, change, and develop the future of Pharmacy.

An opportunity for all pharmacists!

Sell yourself, SELL YOURSELF!!!

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UMKC Students Active all Semester Long

January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By KK VOUTHY | UMKC 2013 Pharm.D. Candidate

UMKC Student pharmacists jumped into action before the fall semester started in mid-August. The year began with a collaborative effort between the medical, dental , and nursing school for an event called “Lunch on the Lawn.” Students on the Health Sciences campus came together for an opportunity to learn about respective disciplines located on the Hospital Hill. Various organizations from the three schools had an opportunity to show case and recruit new members.

In October, student pharmacists from both campuses participated in the Script Your Future Campaign to spread awareness regarding the dangers of not taking medications properly. The APhA-ASP chapter published a public service announcement in the Kansas City Star newspaper about American Pharmacist month and promoting medication adherence.

Numerous activities helped launch the event in conjunction with the American Pharmacist Month Celebration on October 3. A reception was held for pharmacy faculty, staff, and students. UMKC and Columbia campuses both held multiple health fairs at the local farmer’s market to offer patient care screenings such as blood glucose testing and blood pressure measurements. Patients were also educated on medication compliance and proper drug disposal methods for unused, unwanted medications.

In the same month, students volunteered at the Kansas City CROP walk to distributed water for walkers. UMKC students educated over 300 walkers about medication compliance.

In November, fourth year student pharmacists assisted at the annual UMKC Healthy for Life Employee Health Fair. Student gave flu shots, took blood pressures, and performed blood glucose testing for faculty and staff. The experience gave students the opportunity to apply their class room knowledge to the real world.

Most recently, the national pharmacy leadership society, Phi Lambda Sigma teamed up with UMKC APhA-ASP to offer student pharmacists the opportunity to improve upon their interviewing skills and sharpen their curriculum vitae.

As the semester comes toward an end, students get a week break for Thanksgiving to catch up on family, work, and rest. When they return, it will be time for finals and preparation for the coming new year. Until the next time, on behalf of all student pharmacists at UMKC, we appreciate all the support from the Missouri Pharmacy community.

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Working for Better Medication Adherence

January 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By CAMERON LINDSEY, Pharm.D., BC-ADM, CDE | UMKC Professor of Pharmacy Practice & Administration

Taking medication as directed may seem simple, but non-adherence among people with chronic conditions is a complex and widespread public health problem. Nearly three out of four Americans report that they do not always take their medications as directed, leading to serious health consequences and avoidable costs. That is why this October student pharmacists from the University of Missouri-Kansas City worked to raise awareness among patients across the state about the importance of taking medication as prescribed – a vital first step toward a longer, healthier life.

There are many reasons why people do not take their medication as directed, but the result is the same – they don’t receive the therapy their health care professionals have prescribed for them, leading to more serious health complications, reduced quality of life, and even early death.

Script Your Future focuses on patients affected by three serious chronic conditions – diabetes, respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease.

“Poor medication adherence is costing Americans their good health and our nation billions,” says Russell B. Melchert, Dean, UMKC School of Pharmacy. “Improved adherence is in all our best interests, contributing to lower overall health care costs and increased quality of life. By focusing national attention on this issue, Script Your Future helps us all take the first step towards a healthier future. UMKC has made it a priority to educate the next generation of pharmacists about the importance of communicating openly with patients about medication adherence, learning about the challenges they face and helping them find a solution.”

UMKC joins other schools of pharmacy across the country in participating in the Script Your Future Adherence Challenge. Script Your Future is a national coalition of more than 100 public and private stakeholder organizations, led by the National Consumers League. The campaign provides tools – available online at www.ScriptYourFuture.org – to help patients and health care professionals better communicate about ways to improve medication adherence.

To get involved in the Script Your Future Adherence Challenge, please contact Cameron Lindsey, PharmD, BC-ADM, CDE at lindseyca@umkc.edu. For more information about the campaign, please visit www.ScriptYourFuture.org or follow the campaign via Twitter (@IWillTakeMyMeds) and on Facebook.

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UMKC School of Pharmacy Update

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By RUSSELL B. MELCHERT, Ph.D | Dean | UMKC School of Pharmacy

Thank you for the opportunity to update you on the UMKC School of Pharmacy! We are undergoing many changes right now, and this is a very exciting time for us!

Our curriculum has undergone some major changes recently. We have modified our curriculum from a “1-5” to a “2-4.5” meaning that approximately two years of pharmacy prerequisite courses are required for admission to our program, and the professional doctor of pharmacy program is approximately four and one-half years in duration. Functionally, this amounts to moving the “old” first year of our curriculum to prerequisite courses, but most of the courses taken will be the same as before (e.g. general chemistry through organic chemistry). The change required us to go through one year where we do not admit any students. Not having an incoming class this year is somewhat traumatic for most of us on faculty and staff at UMKC, but we will get through it. The worst part for us was telling some great students that they could not apply for admission in 2011. We really look forward to our incoming class next year, and we are already accepting applications for entry in the fall of 2012. All applicants will need to apply through the national PharmCAS system—information on the process is available on our website.

A second major change is that back in June of this year Governor Nixon signed legislation that will provide the funding necessary for us to expand our pharmacy program to the Missouri State University (MSU) campus in Springfield. Even though the economy has exerted a significant negative impact, demand for pharmacists continues to outstrip supply throughout the country, particularly in rural states. Missouri is no exception to this phenomenon, and according to the latest Pharmacy Manpower Project data, Missouri’s demand for pharmacists continues to exceed supply and continues to be higher than the national average. Further, our school of pharmacy continues to receive requests for pharmacists from pharmacies in rural parts of the state. Our expansion of the program to the MU campus in Columbia has helped with this issue to some degree with the vast majority of our first two graduating classes (2010, 2011) filling positions throughout central and southern Missouri. Our graduate placement data trend seems to support the conclusion that regional programs can help meet regional demand for pharmacists. If all goes as planned and we receive approval to expand the program from our accrediting body, then we plan to enroll the first group of students on the MSU campus in the fall of 2014. We are very excited about this opportunity, and we are most grateful for the commitment of our partners at MSU and in the hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies throughout Springfield and the surrounding communities!

Yet another major change is that our enrollment for the fall of 2012 will return to our “pre-Caring for Missourians” level. That is, with the CFM funds, we were able to increase our enrollment by 15 students per year for three years. Beginning next fall, our entering class will go down by 15 and consist of 95 students in Kansas City and 28 students in Columbia. For the fall of 2014, we are planning on admitting 30 students per year at the MSU site. If approved, all students applying to the UMKC School of Pharmacy in 2014 will be able to indicate their preference for Columbia, Kansas City, or Springfield.

We also received several pieces of other good news over the past year. Despite the difficult economy and tight federal funding, our basic science faculty received eight new federal and foundation research grants, supplements to grants, and patents. New grants and/or patents were awarded to Drs. Hari Bhat, Kun Cheng, Santosh Kumar, Simon Friedman, Ashim Mitra, Mridul Mukherji, and Celestin Youan. Together with the rest of our outstanding scholars and researchers, the UMKC School of Pharmacy will most likely move into the upper 25% of pharmacy schools in terms of extramural research next year!

Once again, we find ourselves in very exciting times for the UMKC School of Pharmacy! Students, staff, and faculty alike are all part of a pivotal point in the 125 year history of our great school, and we are grateful for the support the MPA has provided in our education and patient care missions. Wherever you are, you can always assist us and the profession by talking to children about your profession and recruiting them to pharmacy school—it’s never too early to start recruiting! Thank you everyone!

You are all more than welcome to come visit us any time. Just send me an e-mail and let me know when you are coming. We enjoy showing people around the school in Kansas City and in Columbia!

Have a great fall and holiday season!

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