GSHP Fall Meeting Agenda

Program Key

General Session

Management Forum

Special Events

Date and Time 

Credit Hrs.

Topic 

Speaker

Thursday, October 16, 2025

3:00pm-5:00pm

Friday, October 17, 2025

7:00am-7:45am

Registration and Breakfast

7:45-8:45am 

1

Bridging the Language Gap: Effective Management of Non-English Speaking Patients 

Objectives:

1.        Demonstrate key skills to successfully complete a patient visit using an interpreter

2.        Summarize cultural differences in health care including medication management, dietary and religious variances

3.        Illustrate anticipated impact of Ramadan on diabetes management

Michelle Cefaretti, PharmD

Clinical Pharmacist Supervisor - Ambulatory Care

JPS Health Network

8:45-9:45am

1

Immunization Update Series Part 1 - Pediatrics

Objectives:

1.        Identify the current CDC-recommended immunizations for pediatric and adolescent populations

2.        Recognize factors contributing to the decline in pediatric vaccination rates and their public health implications

3.        Demonstrate how  pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can improve pediatric immunization uptake through assessment, education, and vaccine administration

Kaitlyn Champion, PharmD, BCSCP

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

South University School of Pharmacy

9:45am-10:00am

10:00-11:00 am

1

Management of Drug Shortages in Acute Care 

Don Tyson, PharmD, BCPS

Director of Pharmacy

11:00am-1:00 pm

Lunch and Exhibits

1:00-2:00 pm

1

Guideline Update I

Clozapine Management

Sickle Cell Emergencies

AACE Lipid Guideline

2:00-2:15pm

2:15-3:15 pm 

1

Beyond Creatinine: Individualizing CKD Management with the KDIGO 2024 Guidelines

 Pharmacist Objectives: 
1.    Describe key updates from the 2024 KDIGO guidelines for the evaluation and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD), including changes to GFR estimation, risk stratification, and pharmacologic therapy
2.    2. Compare the clinical application of creatinine-based (eGFRcr), cystatin C-based (eGFRcys), and combined (eGFRcr-cys) equations for kidney function assessment, and explain the rationale for equation selection in various patient populations
3.    Apply KDIGO 2024 recommendations to individualize CKD care plans using patient-specific factors such as cardiovascular risk, nutrition status, and progression risk

Technician Objectives: 
1.    Describe chronic kidney disease (CKD) and how its classified
2.    Identify the role of kidney function tests in medication management for patients with CKD
3.    Recognize common medications recommended in the 2024 KDIGO guidelines for slowing CKD progression

Zachary Holmes, PharmD, BCPS

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

South University

3:15-4:15pm

1

New Drug Update 2025: A Formulary Approach

Pharmacist Objectives:

1.        Compare and contrast newly approved drugs with older agents regarding their pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, dosing and cost.

2.        Describe the "formulary approach" when evaluating new drugs. 

3.        Apply the "formulary approach" through a simulated committee activity. 

4. Identify drugs of potential importance in the pipeline that may be released in the next few years. 

Technician Objectives:

1.        List and contrast newly approved drugs with older drugs regarding their dosage forms, safety and cost.

2.        Identify the components of the “formulary approach” for evaluating new drugs.

3.        Describe any potential novelty or advantage of the new drugs discussed.

J. Russell May, Pharm.D., FASHP

Clinical Professor and Assistant Dean for Extended Campuses

UGA College of Pharmacy

4:15- 6:30pm

RECEPTION/EXHIBITS

Saturday, October 18, 2025

7:30-8:00 am 

REGISTRATION/BREAKFAST 

8:00-9:00 am 

1

Pharmacologic Advances in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Objectives:

• 1.    Describe the updated nomenclature, risk factors, and epidemiology of MASLD and MASH. 
  2.    Apply guideline-recommended diagnostic strategies, including non-invasive testing and specialty referral criteria, to a patient case.  
  3.    Develop an evidence-based treatment plan for a patient with MASLD/MASH. 

Mackenzi Meier, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
South University

9:00-10:30 am

Break and Exhibits

10:30-11:30am 

1

Urine Good Hands: A Pharmacist’s Guide to the New UTI Guidelines

Objectives: 
1.    Discuss the newly updated Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) complicated UTI (cUTI) guidelines 
2.    Summarize IDSA Antimicrobial Resistance 4.0 (AMR 4.0) recommendations for UTI and cUTI due to multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs)
3.    Apply current guidelines to patient scenarios and develop a treatment plan for patients with cUTI 

St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System

11:30-1:00pm

Lunch

1:00-2:00pm 

1

GSHP Clinical Skills Competition

• Apply principles of Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process to a clinical case.
• Develop a prioritized patient-specific problem list
• Formulate an evidence-based pharmacotherapy plan to achieve desired outcomes
• Describe rationale behind therapeutic recommendations
  

Mackenzi Meier, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

South University

2:00-3:00pm 

1

VTE Mythbusters: From Natural History to Treatment Failure—What Clinicians Really Need to Know

 Objectives:

• Describe the natural history of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and its treatment.
• Recognize common misconceptions about VTE and its treatment
• Identify pertinent information to guide recommendations for secondary VTE prevention
• Apply this information to develop recommendations on individual cases
•  Analyze details of a case to determine whether a therapeutic failure has occurred

Arthur Allen, PharmD
Anticoagulation Program Manager
VA Salt Lake City Health Care System

3:00-4:00pm

1

STEADI As We Go! A Pharmacist’s Guide to Reducing Falls, Improving Health Outcomes and Reducing Healthcare Expenditures

 Objectives:

• Explain the etiology of falls
• List the medication classes with high fall risk
• Identify the STEADI-Rx: Three Critical Steps
• Apply the STEADYI-Rx Process to a patient case

Michelle McElhannon, PharmD

Public Service Assistant

University of Georgia College of Pharmacy

Division of Experience Programs

7:00-10:00pm

Dinner and SEC Football Watch Party

Sunday, October 19, 2025

7:30-8:00 am 

REGISTRATION/BREAKFAST 

8:00-9:00am 

1

The Tools of Learning

 Objectives: 
1.    Describe the importance of knowledge retention and integration to the pharmacist as a life-long learner
2.    Summarize evidence-based learning strategies for professional competency that enhance knowledge retention and integration
3.    Apply evidence based learning strategies to promote collaborative learning for both learners and pharmacists

Zoanne Harlas, PharmD

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist-Critical Care

St. Joseph's/Candler

John Carr, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Critical Care

Director, PGY-2 Critical Care

St. Joseph's/Candler

9:00-10:00am

1

Bio-similar Series Part 3 - Oncology Infusion

Objectives: 
1.    Review biosimilar scientific demonstration process
2.    Discuss biosimilar practice implementation challenges and opportunities 
3.    Review avenues to support viable biosimilar practice economics 

Jorge J. García, PharmD, MS, MHA,  MBA, FACCC, FACHE

Assistant Vice President

System Oncology, Infusion & Investigational Drug Pharmacy Services

Corporate Pharmacy Clinical Enterprise | Miami Cancer Institute | Baptist Health South Florida

10:00-11:00am

1

USP 800 Implementation & Auditing Highlights

Objectives:

1.       Discuss new United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 800 Standards

2.       Describe updates to USP 800 medication storage

3.       Review applicable updates to USP 800 Hazardous Medication Sterile Compounding

4.       Recommend an effective teaching and auditing program for pharmacy personnel.

Monica R. Greene, CPhT

Lead Pharmacy Technician

WellStar NGOC-Marietta

11:00-12:00pm

1

Bridging the Gap: Initiating Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in the Emergency Department

 1.    Evaluate opioid withdrawal severity using the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS)
2.    Review the literature for initiating opioid use disorder treatment in the emergency department
3.    Review the pharmacology and dosing of medications used to initiate opioid use disorder treatment in the emergency department
4.    Select appropriate treatment(s) for a patient presenting to the emergency department with opioid use disorder
5.    Coordinate follow-up care and referral pathways after ED-initiated buprenorphine therapy

Siavash Panahi, PharmD

 Toxicology Pharmacy Fellow

Georgia Poison Center