OPA New Practitioner eXperience (NPX) Launchpad

Fall 2016

Welcome to the second volume of the NPX Launchpad, the quarterly newsletter intended to help you, new practitioners, excel personally and professionally!  The New Practitioner eXperience (NPX) is an automatic (and free!) Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA) member benefit for pharmacists who have been in practice for 7 years or less.

Check out our featured articles in the Fall 2016 Edition:

• Practitioner Profiles featuring the 2016-2017 NPX Advisory Team
• Money Matters with “Three Financial Statistics That Will Motivate You to Take Action,” by Tim Ulbrich
• A Taste of Our Kitchen with a delectable recipe by Amanda Singrey
• Ohio Days highlighting some upbeat adventures to find in “The Glass City”
• Get Involved with NPX

You will also find news on upcoming events within OPA, as well as updates from our various committee liaisons.  We hope you enjoy the NPX Launchpad and we invite each you to take the next step in your professional growth by getting involved with NPX today!
 

Sincerely, your NPX Advisory Team,

Alexa Sevin, Chair

Amanda Singrey, Vice-Chair

Aaron Neidig, Member-at-Large

Shea Pennington, Launchpad Coordinator

Scott Uram, Member-at-Large

Logan Yoho, Member-at-Large

Alexa Sevin, RPh, PharmD, BCACP

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at The Ohio State University and PrimaryOne Health

Duquesne University, 2012

What is your favorite OPA Memory:

I thoroughly enjoy meetings at the OPA office, whether that be committee meetings or certificate programs or other events.  I love all the enthusiasm in the room and the opportunity to network with and learn from pharmacists from across the state.

What is one thing you wish could be incorporated into your work day?

Dance breaks!  Even a short, one-song dance party would be a great way to boost my mood and energy level.

Amanda Singrey, RPh, PharmD

Specialty Practice Pharmacist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

The Ohio State University, 2013

What is your favorite OPA Memory:

Judging the OTC and Self-Care Challenge at the 2015 OPA Annual Conference

What is one thing you wish could be incorporated into your work day?

"Puppy breaks" where you can stop and play with puppies throughout the day to relieve some stress!

Aaron Neidig, RPh, PharmD

Pharmacy Clinical Director at MediWise Pharmacy

University of Findlay, 2015

What is your favorite OPA Memory:

My best experience so far was attending the Midwest Independent Pharmacy Expo this fall. My dream is to one day own an independent pharmacy. The information that I took away from this event was really valuable and will be a great resource in the future.

What is one thing you wish could be incorporated into your work day?

I wish I could incorporate a health food stand/ smoothie bar at the pharmacy to educate patients about a healthy diet and provide local produce to the community. It would be another great way to get out from behind the pharmacy counter and counsel patients.

Shea Pennington, RPh, PharmD

Pharmacy Co-Manager at Kroger

Ohio Northern University, 2015

What is your favorite OPA Memory:

Aiding in preparations for the 2015 OPA Annual Meeting, and organizing the student volunteers, was a really rewarding experience.  I enjoyed seeing first-hand how much work is involved in making this huge, state-wide event so successful!

What is one thing you wish could be incorporated into your work day?

Beach breaks… if only we could remodel the back of the pharmacy with a sand box, heat lamp, and ocean wave sounds for some true relaxation!  Puppies definitely welcome.

Scott Uram, RPh, PharmD

Pharmacist at Kroger

University of Toledo, 2015

What is your favorite OPA Memory:

I love attending Annual Conference and connecting with pharmacy “phriends” from all across the state.

What is one thing you wish could be incorporated into your work day?

I compete nationally in physique shows so I would say a daily workout to unwind and clear my head.

Logan Yoho, RPh, PharmD

Pharmacy Manager at Fruth Pharmacy

Ohio Northern University, 2010

What is your favorite OPA Memory:

My favorite OPA memory was cramming a ton of pharmacy students into a hotel room for the Annual Meeting.  The meetings were a great break from school.  We were able to develop some great bonds.

What is one thing you wish could be incorporated into your work day?

If I could incorporate anything into the pharmacy work day, it would be free massages.  That would definitely de-stress the pharmacy!

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Join us at one of these fall OPA events!  NPX Advisory Team members will be there and would love to get to know you and tell you more about OPA and how you can get involved. 

Pints & Policies
October 20, 2016 | Columbus, OH

Be sure to mark this evening on your calendars!  This event, cosponsored by The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and the New Pracitioner eXperience, will provide a casual setting to socialize with other professionals and learn about important legislation affecting the practice of pharmacy in Ohio.  Look for more details on location in the near future.

OPA Midyear Meeting
November 6, 2016 | Makoy Center, Hilliard, OH

Don’t miss out on this energizing opportunity to earn CPE and connect with experts in your profession!  And as an added bonus, the meeting offers one hour of patient/medication safety CPE credit  to help meet Ohio’s new CPE requirement.  Other course offerings include: an Ohio legislative update; a program on influencing patient behaviors and adherence using medication synchronization; and clinical programs on the autism spectrum, zika virus, Alzheimer’s disease, and medical marijuana. Register Here!

Three Financial Statistics That Will Motivate You to Take Action

By Timothy R. Ulbrich, R.Ph., PharmD

Statistic #1: Saving for a Rainy Day

47% of Americans could not cover an emergency expense costing $400 without having to sell something or borrow money.  (Reference: Federal Reserve Report on the Economic Well­Being of US Households, May 2015)

The reality is that the unpredictable will happen.  The question is… are you ready for when that day comes?

I’m not going to lie.  I wasn’t sold on the importance of an emergency fund back in 2009 after finishing residency training.  Looking back, I think I was a bit arrogant in thinking emergencies wouldn’t happen or that I would somehow ‘figure it out.’  When $200,000 in non­mortgage debt is staring you in the face, it is hard to buy into the need to save up 3­6 months of expenses for when a rainy day might rear its ugly head.  The reality is that an emergency will rear its ugly head; it’s just a matter of when.  <>

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Apfelkuchen

(German “Apple Cake”)

From the kitchen of Amanda Singrey

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups sliced apples
• ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Beat eggs and sugar.  Add oil.  Sift dry ingredients and stir into batter.  Fold in apples and nuts.  Pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350° for 35­-45 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cools.

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You Will Do Better in Toledo

By Scott Uram

“You will do better in Toledo,” say the signs as you drive into the city.  The slogan, which was introduced in 1913, represents our city’s positive attitude.  Toledo has become well known for its industry, particularly in auto assembly and glass (hence the nickname “The Glass City.”  It’s the city I have called home my whole life and below are the top five reasons any young practitioner should want to live there.

Sports: Toledo offers two minor league sports teams to cheer on, the Toledo Mud Hens minor league baseball team and the Toledo Walleye mid-level professional hockey team.  Both teams play right in downtown Toledo which makes for a nice night out with friends and family.

The Toledo Zoo: Most big cities have zoos, but almost no place in the country has one as huge and impressive as the Toledo Zoo, named the “Best U.S. Zoo” by U.S.A Today.  With almost 5,000 animals and 15+ exhibits, you could spend the whole day there.  My personal favorite is The Lights Before Christmas, which is amazing because the whole zoo is decorated with tons of Christmas lights.

The Food: If you’re a foodie like me, then you will love Toledo because it has long been rumored to have the most restaurants per capita in the country.  Tony Packo’s, a café and hot doggery, is probably the most widely known following recurring mentions on the show M*A*S*H.  Whenever a celebrity visits, they sign a foam bun and it gets hung up around the restaurant.

The Toledo Museum of Art: As an art enthusiast, I can honestly say the Toledo Museum of Art is incredible.  There are new exhibits added each month and they have added a glass pavilion where you can usually watch workers blow glass, or even take a class yourself.

Two Large Universities: Toledo is home to two major universities, the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University.  Both are fairly large with around 20,000 students, and they have D1 sport teams that play head-to-head in the Mid-American Conference.  Go Rockets!

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NPX has asked members to get more involved and join a committee. Thanks to all those who have volunteered to serve as an NPX committee liaison! Here's a brief update of what each committee is working on.

Medication Therapy Management (June 23)
Liaison: Erin Petersen, R.Ph., PharmD

The MTM Committee had another productive meeting in June brainstorming ideas for long range planning and reviewing the Collaborative Practice templates created in the winter to ensure they parallel the legal requirements. These documents will be available on the website soon to help pharmacists create these collaborative practice contracts.

Membership Services and Development (July 21)
Liaison: Christine Prusa, R.Ph., PharmD

Meeting attendees discussed current membership status.  Only ~18% of Registered RPh’s in Ohio are also members of OPA. How do we bridge that gap?  Many ideas were discussed including better understanding the barriers to non-members joining, and making targeted ads by highlighting member benefits (such as how OPA aids in meeting new CE requirements). Also, we need current members to articulate the benefits membership provides to friends and colleagues. 

Independent SIG Meeting (August 23)
Liaison: Brianne Porter, R.Ph., PharmD

This quarter, the Independent SIG focused heavily on concerns and legislation related to reimbursement.  Antonio provided updates regarding Medicaid’s transition from a fee-for-service model to an acquisition-cost based system with a fixed dispensing fee started in April 2017, Medicare network issues, and MAC transparency.  As a reminder, OPA encouraged pharmacists to reach out to their legislators regarding the concerns with reimbursement.  Additionally, we reviewed opportunities for independent pharmacies with the new consult agreement and medication synchronization. 

Public and Professional Relations Committee Meeting August 11, 2016 Report
Liaison: JD Bickel, R.Ph., PharmD

The Professional and Public Relations Committee met and had a long and fruitful discussion of our goals and methods for future outreach, led by Dr. Jen Rodis.  We refocused on the best ways to craft and deliver targeted content to key stakeholders (such as patients and caregivers, prescribers, etc.) using audience-specific means (print, audio/visual, and social media).  If you are interested in getting more involved in this work, or in sharing your ideas for how to best share our new “Ohio’s MTM Stories” (http://ohiopharmacists.org/aws/OPA/asset_manager/get_file/123504?ver=3270155) with the public, contact committee chair Steve Burson at (steve@steve-burson.com).

Compounding SIG Committee (September 15)
Substitute Liaison: Katie Elsass, OPA APPE Student

The main topic of discussion at the Compounding SIG Committee Meeting included USP <800> issues and the OPA Compounding Conference on October 9th, 2016.  If you feel strongly about USP <800> new rules in regards to non-hazardous and hazardous drug compounding, please email Ernie Boyd at eboyd@ohiopharmacists.org with a succinct list of important issues regarding USP 800.  He will then compile the list and work on compiling these issues.

Upcoming Committee Meetings:

Medication Therapy Management, October 12th
Pharmacy Economics, October 20th
Legal & Regulatory, November 3rd 
Public & Professional Relations, November 9th
Independent SIG, November 15th

All meetings are held at the OPA office, 2674 Federated Blvd, Columbus 43235 at 10:00 a.m. unless otherwise noted.  Please visit the OPA website (www.ohiopharmacists.org) for more information.

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Help us write the next newsletter! Articles may be submitted for Practitioner Profile, Ohio Days or A Taste of Our Kitchen.  Have an idea for another article relevant to new practitioners?  You can submit that as well!  Articles should be submitted in a Word document to Shea Pennington at v-pennington@onu.edu.  Photographs for articles should be submitted separately for higher quality images.  Thank you!

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