nEWS-current and archives

Congratulations to Essie Samuel, Michelle Vu and Angelle Newman who were the winners of the 2020 Trivia Contest.

The third week in October is designated to recognize the invaluable contributions pharmacy professionals make to patient care in numerous and varied ways.  This has certainly been an exceptional year for pharmacy, and it is now more important than ever to recognize the significance of the profession.  2020 has been a year of “firsts” for all of us as we continue to learn and adapt to pandemic life. 

As medication experts, we are leading the way as we establish safe and effective treatment protocols from new and ever-changing data.  We are brainstorming creative, unique ways to deliver medications, conserve PPE, and prioritize medications from a scare supply.  Some of us may have even been deployed to work on Covid-19 testing or planning for the upcoming vaccine distribution.  Many student and resident programs have had to quickly pivot to a virtual learning environment as everyone adapts to a new way of doing things. 

This year has provided unprecedented challenges for all of us and National Pharmacy Week is the perfect time to reflect on what we have accomplished.    In addition to the beloved and highly competitive trivia game, GSHP would like to celebrate your achievements as well.   We encourage you to share your shining moments from this year.  Please go to our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter page and share pictures or stories from your best 2020 moments with #pharmacyweek.

Happy National Pharmacy Week to all of you.  Congratulations and thank you for all that you do to serve the people in your community.  I wish you a week filled with celebration and an upcoming year of new frontiers.

Susan Jackson

GSHP President 2020-2021

The Georgia State Board of Pharmacy has begun the online renewal process for pharmacists and nuclear pharmacists, which expire on December 31, 2020.  The online renewal process will facilitate the renewal of these licenses and provide ease and efficiency of renewal for both individual licensees and the staff of the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy. Any licensee interested in renewing should consult the Board’s website at

https://gadch.mylicense.com/eGov/.

Dear GSHP Members,

Today, October 12, 2020, is recognized as National Women Pharmacist Day to celebrate the advancement women have made pursuing careers in pharmacy.  This day was chosen during National Pharmacist Month in honor of the first female pharmacist, Elizabeth Gooking Greenleaf, who had 12 children and opened an apothecary in Boston in 1727.   While we celebrate the contributions of all women in pharmacy, I would like to take this opportunity to showcase the accomplishments of one of our members and past presidents, Leslie Jaggers, Pharm.D., BCPS, FASHP.  Dr. Jaggers was kind enough to give me a few minutes of her time to share her journey and thoughts regarding the role of women in pharmacy.

Dr. Jaggers has had a storied and diverse career path that began at the University of Georgia where she completed a B.S. degree in pharmacy as well as her Pharm.D.  She went on to complete a residency at the University of Kentucky in Clinical Practice.    Her career has taken her in numerous directions from Clinical Supervisor for Adult Medicine at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida, to a Clinical Affairs Associate position with ASHP, to her 20 years of service as the Cardiovascular Clinical Pharmacist at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, the last 4 years with the Samsky Advanced Heart Failure Center.  Today, she is sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience through her current position as a Cardiovascular Field Medical Director at Pfizer.

She has also been actively involved in numerous pharmacy organizations at the local, state, and national level.   She has been a presidential officer for both the Georgia Society of Health System Pharmacists as well as the Atlanta Academy of Institutional Pharmacists.  She is a fellow of ASHP and has served on the ASHP Council for Therapeutics and House of Delegates.  She has been a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy and was awarded the AAIP Pharmacist of the Year in 2009 and GSHP Pharmacist of the Year in 2018. She has been an integral part of shaping the future of many pharmacists as a pharmacy practice residency program director, preceptor, and adjunct clinical associate professor.  

Dr. Jaggers believes that we have not had to look far to see the impact of women on the profession of pharmacy and will continue to see great progress in their contributions.  She has witnessed growth and opportunity over the course of her career and anticipates women will have a strong presence in pharmacy for years to come.   Dr. Jaggers acknowledged Sarah Mullis, RPh, former Director of Pharmacy at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, and Chris Sorkness, RPh, Pharm.D. from the University of Wisconsin as two specific examples of the many women who influenced her career in positive, but different ways.  Sarah embraced servant leadership and demonstrated what could be accomplished through leading by example.   Chris provided an academic framework with profound knowledge, a command of literature, credibility and outstanding communication skills. 

I believe Dr. Jaggers has influenced, mentored, and served as a role model to many pharmacists as well.  I am proud and honored to highlight her story as we celebrate the important impact women have made on our profession.  Please check out #womenpharmacistday on your social media platforms to learn more and celebrate the progress made by women in pharmacy.

Susan Jackson

GSHP President 2020-2021

Effective October 1, 2020, Veklury (remdesivir) will no longer be allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and State Departments of Health. This change is possible given that there is now sufficient supply of Veklury (remdesivir) to meet demand, even if a surge of COVID-19 cases occurs.

See more information:  AmerisourceBergen Remdesivir Distribution.pdf

Each year ASHP offers Student Societies of Health-System Pharmacists (SSHPs) nationwide the opportunity for official "ASHP-SSHP Recognition".  This honor recognizes the hard work of SSHPs throughout the academic year and further strengthens ASHP’s support and collaboration with local student pharmacist leaders.

Criteria for recognition encourage SSHP activities that:

·         Promote interest in membership and collaboration with local, state, and national health-system organizations

·         Cultivate career exploration, residency preparation, and professional development

·         Encourage students to engage with ASHP’s key initiatives, partners, and priorities

GSHP is pleased to announce that our four student chapters have earned official recognition from ASHP for 2020-2021. To view a complete list of these officially recognized SSHPs, please visit: https://www.ashp.org/Pharmacy-Student/Student-Societies/Find-a-Student-Society.

If you pay Georgia income taxes, you are eligible to receive a 2020 tax credit for contributing to your designated rural hospital organization as follows.  Additional information can be found at www.georgiaheart.org :

• Individual Filer – 100% of the amount contributed, up to a limit of $5,000*
• Married Filing Jointly – 100% of the amount contributed, up to a limit of $10,000*
• Pass-Through Entity – 100% of the amount contributed, up to a limit of $10,000, so long as they would have paid Georgia income tax in that amount on their share of taxable income from the pass-through entity
• C Corporation or Trust – 100% of the amount contributed or 75% of the corporation or trust’s Georgia income tax liability, whichever is less
   

*After June 30 of 2020, for so long as a portion of the $60 million cap on RHO tax credits is available (as of 8-28-20 $37 million is remaining), individual taxpayers may make unlimited contributions to RHOs for a corresponding 100% Georgia income tax credit.

Submit your 2020 HEART Tax Credit application online today!

FREE LIVE CE for GSHP Members! 

Webinar-

Thursday, September 24, 2020 – 12:00pm-1:00 pm

A Day in the (Half) Life: Antimicrobial Dosing in Renal Replacement Therapy

Speaker:

Stella Y. Ye, PharmD

Clinical Pharmacist, Chronic Care Clinic

Grady Health System

Atlanta, GA

Presentation Objectives for Pharmacists:

• ·         Compare and contrast the different properties of various renal replacement therapy (RRT) modalities
• ·         Review how drug properties affect removal of medications in RRT
• ·         Discuss patient-specific factors that may affect medication clearance in RRT
• ·         Evaluate strategies for optimizing antimicrobial dosing in RRT

Presentation Objectives for Pharmacy Technicians:

• ·         List the different properties of various renal replacement therapy (RRT) modalities
• ·         Listpatient-specific factors that may affect medication clearance in RRT
• ·         List strategies for optimizing antimicrobial dosing in RRT

Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Participants of the session who complete the evaluation and provide accurate NABP e-Profile information will have their credit for 1.0 contact hours (0.10 CEU) submitted to CPE Monitor as early as 1 day after the event and no later than 60 days after the event.  The participant is accountable for verifying the accurate posting of CE credit to their CPE Monitor account within 60 days. 

UAN # 0228-0000-20-074-L01-P; 0228-0000-20-074-L01-T

This is a member service of GSHP.  There is no charge for members to attend.  Dues must be current to receive CE credit.

Non-members will be charged $20.

Members:
To register:   

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bcNvrQmxRuiVc5LpW5mLgw

FREE LIVE CE for GSHP Members! 

Webinar-

Thursday, October 1, 2020 – 7:00pm-8:00 pm

New Drug Update 2020: A Formulary Approach

Speaker:

J. Russell May, Pharm.D., FASHP

Clinical Professor and Associate Department Head

Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy

University of Georgia College of Pharmacy

HM 124, Augusta University Campus

1120 15th Street

Augusta, Georgia 30912

Presentation Objectives for Pharmacists:

• ·         Compare and contrast newly approved drugs with older agents regarding their pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, dosage and cost.
• ·         Apply the “formulary approach” to evaluating new drugs.
• ·         Identify other recently approved medications and discuss their indications and potential usefulness

Presentation Objectives for Pharmacy Technicians:

• ·         List newly approved drugs their pharmacology, efficacy, safety, dosage and cost.
• ·         Apply the “formulary approach” to evaluating new drugs.
• ·         Identify other recently approved medications and discuss their indications and potential usefulness

Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Participants of the session who complete the evaluation and provide accurate NABP e-Profile information will have their credit for 1.0 contact hours (0.10 CEU) submitted to CPE Monitor as early as 1 day after the event and no later than 60 days after the event.  The participant is accountable for verifying the accurate posting of CE credit to their CPE Monitor account within 60 days. 

UAN # 0228-0000-20-073-L01-P; 0228-0000-20-073-L01-T

This is a member service of GSHP.  There is no charge for members to attend.  Dues must be current to receive CE credit.

Non-members will be charged $20.

Members:
To register:   https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qr4hs-ZBS1CCxGYbwbPeZA

Calling all pharmacists, residents, and students!

On behalf of the GSHP Student and Resident Committee, we welcome you to sign up for the GSHP Mentoring Program. This is a great avenue for professional development of mentors and mentees alike.

For mentors: This program is a great way to stay apprised of the up and coming generation of pharmacists, give back to the profession, invest in others, and pay it forward!  Mentor Sign-Up

For mentees: This program is a great way to get involved in GSHP and begin to network with pharmacists across the state. Some may be your future employers or residency directors/preceptors. This is such a great opportunity to use GSHP to build and grow your professional platform. Mentee Sign-Up

Residents: You can choose to be a mentor or a mentee!

 Sign-up ends September 25th

You can read more about the mentor program and sign-up at:  https://gshp.wildapricot.org/page-18127