Yearly Archives: 2016

The American College of Apothecaries and DitchYourPPI.com have launched a continuing education program designed to train pharmacists in working with physicians and other health care providers to provide a medication tapering system for patients taking prescription and over the counter Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs).

“Thousands of patients are “stuck” on acid reflux medication, unable to stop taking their heartburn pill,” said Juan Lopez, PharmD, Program Director of DitchYourPPI.com. “These patients are at risk of long-term negative side effects from chronic acid suppression therapy.” Lopez adds that most PPIs are recommended for only 4 to 8 weeks of therapy, but patients often find themselves dependent on these drugs for years.

To address the overuse of PPIs and assist patients in discontinuing them without experiencing rebound acid reflux, Lopez developed the protocol used by Ditch Your PPI. A collaboration between pharmacist and physician, Ditch Your PPI creates a personalized program that includes counseling, nutrition, and a flexible taper schedule to meet the patient’s unique and specific needs.

“When we heard Juan present about Ditch Your PPI at The Compounders Group meeting over the summer, we knew that we wanted to bring it our Fellows and members,” said Donnie Calhoun, CEO and Executive Vice-President of the American College of Apothecaries. “This program is a win-win for our patients and pharmacists as independent pharmacies increase their consultation, nutrition, and wellness services.”

The ACA “Ditch Your PPI” Pharmacy Accreditation Program consists of 5.5 contact hours of continuing education on the pharmacology, nutritional requirements, development and marketing of a patient care program. Participants also receive a “Ditch Your PPI” Toolkit and a one-year listing on www.DitchYourPPI.com as an Endorsed Local Pharmacy Provider.

More information on the ACA “Ditch Your PPI” Pharmacy Accreditation Program can be found at www.acainfo.org/DitchYourPPI.

The American College of Apothecaries (ACA) and American College of Veterinary Pharmacists are pleased to announce the establishment of new membership categories designed to enhance participation in the organizations by pharmacists at all stages of their careers as well as a new “Dual Fellowship” for Pharmacist Fellows who are interested in membership in both organizations.

“We realized that there were pharmacists who didn’t meet the criteria for Fellowship in the Colleges, but were either working in an independent community pharmacy or had pharmacy ownership as a goal,” said Donnie Calhoun, CEO / Executive Vice-President of the American College of Apothecaries and American College of Veterinary Pharmacists.

“Now they can join as a Pharmacist Member and take advantage of the benefits, discounts, and opportunities for networking and professional development that our Fellows enjoy. In a few years, as they advance in their careers, they can apply for Fellowship and the recognition that designation offers.”

“We also wanted to lower the barriers to membership for our student members,” Calhoun said. “An increasing number of pharmacy students are taking advantage of the free student membership in ACA and ACVP. By establishing a graduated fee structure for the first four years after graduation, new pharmacists can benefit from membership in ACA and ACVP while they are just starting their professional careers without the cost being a factor.”

The Pharmacist Member category is open to any licensed pharmacist meeting the ACA or ACVP Practice Standards and has a $250 annual membership fee. Pharmacist members may apply for Fellowship at any time.  Fees for New Practitioners are $50 per year for 1-2 years after graduation and $125 per year for 3-4 years after graduation.

Pharmacists who meet the requirements for Fellowship in both the American College of Apothecaries and the American College of Veterinary Pharmacists may apply for Dual Fellowship. Annual membership dues for Dual Fellowship are $700 for the first year and $850 per year for renewals.

Information and online applications for membership may be found at www.acainfo.org/joinaca and www.vetmeds.org/joinacvp.

The American College of Apothecaries is proud to announce an agreement with the online professional pharmacy network QID to become its first nation-wide association partner in the United States. Through QID, pharmacists, pharmacy students and technicians have free 24/7 access to a secure network with verified pharmacy professionals that is HIPAA compliant.

“The ability to use QID to connect at any time with pharmacists across North America and ask questions or share best practices is perfectly aligned with our mission to encourage entrepreneurship and mentoring among pharmacy professionals,” said Donnie Calhoun, RPh, FACA, FACVP, CEO and Executive Vice-President of the American College of Apothecaries.

“I’ve used QID myself to share my experiences as a pharmacy owner with MTM and smoking cessation programs,” Calhoun added. “As well, I can consult with a pharmacist thousands of miles away who has just the information that I need and when I need it.”

Calhoun is also excited about the ability to include ACA’s pharmacy student members in the QID community.

“This is a fantastic resource for pharmacy students—they can use QID to build their professional network as they prepare to start their career. Today’s students are increasingly “plugged in” and now ACA can provide them with online and mobile access to additional clinical resources and support.”

With the launch of its secure, “members-only” community within QID, the American College of Apothecaries will provide important member updates and content, as well as a gateway to the entire QID network, including personalized news feed including curated journal articles, posts and clinical queries from colleagues, and insights from subject matter experts.

ACA members will also have access to over 35 QID communities of practice, which are used to share best practice and business efforts, and ultimately deliver better care.

For more information, visit www.acainfo.org/qid.

The American College of Apothecaries Research and Education Foundation has announced a gift from ACA Member Terri Hall Klouda in memory of her late husband, former ACA President and Chairman Bernie Klouda. The gift will be used to establish the Bernie Klouda Memorial Student Scholarship Fund, which will provide assistance to pharmacy students in financial need.

“Bernie never wanted financial need to be a barrier for students interested in the profession of pharmacy,” said Terri. “He loved having students rotate through his pharmacy and serving as a mentor to them. The Bernie Klouda Memorial Student Scholarship Fund will allow the ACA Foundation to help students who may need assistance with expenses ranging from tuition and books, to rent and groceries.”

The ACA Foundation has set an initial goal to raise a minimum of $100,000 in order to create an endowment for the Bernie Klouda Memorial Student Scholarship Fund. The 1^st Annual Klouda Classic Golf Tournament will be held on August 20 in conjunction with the ACA Fall Pharmacy Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Bernie Klouda Memorial Student Scholarship Fund. Information for sponsors and players is available at www.kloudaclassic.org.

“This much-needed fund will ease the burden of future students and work to reduce barriers to their success,” said John Oftebro, President of the ACA Foundation. “We commend this vision and accept the challenge of raising the balance of the funds needed to fully endow the Bernie Klouda Memorial Student Scholarship Fund.”

Bernard “Bernie” Klouda was the owner of Bernie’s Pharmacy in Anchorage, Alaska. As a youth, he was encouraged to pursue a career in pharmacy by a pharmacist working in one of his family’s drug stores. During his nearly 35 years as a pharmacy owner, Bernie enjoyed mentoring pharmacy students and young pharmacists and sharing his perspective and experiences in independent pharmacy.

Over his distinguished career, Bernie served as President, Chairman of the Board, and a Regional Director for the American College of Apothecaries, as well as a member of the ACA Foundation Board of Directors.  Bernie received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the ACA Foundation in 2014. Bernie was also a Past President of the Alaska Pharmacy Association, receiving the Bowl of Hygiea Pharmacy Award in 2002 and Pharmacist of the Year in 2013.

The American College of Apothecaries (ACA) and American College of Veterinary Pharmacists (ACVP) recently completed an agreement with the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) designed to increase pharmacy students’ exposure to independent community pharmacy.

“Through this relationship with NCPA, we are excited to be able to offer our new student members access to educational experiences that will complement their academic courses and NCPA activities,” said ACA Executive Vice President Ed Hesterlee. “The chance to participate in classes and programming alongside of working pharmacy professionals who bring their own perspectives is invaluable for students interested in a career in community pharmacy.”

When pharmacy school students join NCPA, they also have the option to join ACA and ACVP for no additional fee. As a result students are given access to additional opportunities for networking and building relationships with established independent community pharmacy practitioners. The new student members of ACA and ACVP will also be eligible for special student pricing on the College’s webinars, pharmaceutical compounding training courses, and conferences.

“NCPA is dedicated to helping grow the universe of independent community pharmacy owners, so this partnership with ACA and ACVP is another way to increase student exposure to these small business health care providers,” said NCPA President Bradley J. Arthur, RPh, co-owner of Black Rock Pharmacy and Brighton-Eggert Pharmacy in Buffalo, N.Y. “This is a mutually beneficial relationship we look forward to fostering for a long period of time.”

ACA and ACVP student members are also eligible to apply for scholarships through the ACA Research and Education Foundation. Scholarships are awarded twice yearly; application requirements are available at Student Scholarship Criteria.

The ACA Foundation Scholarships and Travel Grants are designed to recognize students who have demonstrated academic success and commitment to leadership, entrepreneurism, or compounding. Student members from all years are encouraged to apply.

Already this year, over 3,700 pharmacy students have opted to join ACA or ACVP through the NCPA Student Member application.

Founded in 1940, the American College of Apothecaries is a professional pharmacy organization dedicated to advancing the entrepreneurial spirit of member pharmacists through education, innovation, mentoring, fellowship, and training.  In 1999, a group of ACA Fellows created the American College of Veterinary Pharmacists in order to focus on helping veterinarians provide high quality therapies and services for their animal patients.

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA®) represents the interests of America’s community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 22,000 independent community pharmacies. Together they represent an $81.4 billion health care marketplace and employ more than 314,000 individuals on a full or part-time basis. To learn more, go to www.ncpanet.org, visit facebook.com/commpharmacy, or follow NCPA on Twitter @Commpharmacy.