President's Message: A Look Back
I’m shocked this will be the last newsletter I will write as MSHP President. It’s been an exciting year with plenty of activities to keep the entire organization engaged. I commend the entire organization for the accomplishments achieved this year and the obstacles overcome. It was shortly after I took over as President that a devastating tornado ripped through Joplin, taking out one hospital and leaving a community to deal with this natural disaster. The pharmacy community came to the aid of Joplin. This assistance ranged from action by the MO Board of Pharmacy, BNDD, Schools of Pharmacy, Missouri Pharmacy Association, ASHP and many other individuals. ASHP has also bestowed upon St. John’s Regional Medical Center and Freeman Hospital the honor of the ASHP EVP Courageous Service Award which will be presented at the Spring Meeting this year. Also, shortly after my term started, we transitioned over to a new management group, Centric Management and Consulting. We also completed documentation and were subsequently approved to remain an affiliate of ASHP. This is the first time MSHP has done this since initially becoming an affiliate of ASHP. By this time of the year, which was during the completion of summer, we were on the ground running and working with the latest strategic plan. The strategic plan set for this year was very aggressive and has required a tremendous amount of work on behalf of the board and MSHP committees. Please, when you see someone that sits on one of the committees or the board of directors, commend them for their accomplishments. They have done an excellent job! One major task that the board has worked on this year has been an intense evaluation of the Constitution, Bylaws and Policy and Procedures. In consultation with past MSHP Presidents, current board members and ASHP, some changes are being proposed in the ballots you are receiving this month at the same time the ballots for President-Elect and Treasurer are being disseminated. In addition to minor modifications to the Constitution, Bylaws and Policy and Procedures, there are a few recommended changes I feel should be specifically mentioned. The first change is to create two new positions on the board in order to keep the organization efficient while at the same time being progressive. These two proposed board positions are for a Treasurer-Elect and a Technician Director. In addition to these new positions, the other significant proposed modification is to the membership structure. The proposal is for all members to be MSHP members with the opportunity to join a local affiliate. This will eliminate the opportunity to be an affiliate-only member. The board felt this is an essential step in order to be progressive in our state, especially when there is activity at the state level that would impact health-system pharmacy. I will be forever indebted to MSHP for the invaluable experiences. Thank you all for the wonderful time! I specifically want to thank the current board, past MSHP Presidents, specifically Neil Schmidt, as well as Steve Calloway and Bert McClary for their unending volunteering and desire to improve the profession of pharmacy. I look forward to what the future holds for MSHP. I see a lot of potential within the organization which can emanate change throughout the state to make the profession of pharmacy even stronger. At the Annual Spring Meeting, Daniel Good will be taking over as President. I know Daniel will do an excellent job at the helm of the organization. Daniel has served as Public Policy Committee Chair and recently as President-Elect. He is a great leader and always provides excellent input to whatever is being contemplated by the organization. Thank you all again. I look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting in Kansas City, April 19-21. Featured ArticlesBushmeat: A Source of Zoonotic Disease In the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of cases of zoonotic diseases in the United States. Zoonotic diseases are those which can be transmitted from animals to humans. They are caused by an array of bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. Some examples include Bubonic Plague, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The worldwide increase in incidence of zoonotic disease is mainly due to human settlement in areas where animal populations and parasites were previously isolated from humans and from the increase in ownership of domesticated animals. In the past couple years, a new mode of transmission for zoonotic diseases has emerged. Human handling and consumption of bushmeat, defined as “the use of wild animals for food, ranging from cane rats to gorillas,” has been cited as a source for several zoonotic diseases in Africa. Although not commonly consumed in the United States, increased illegal importation and consumption of bushmeat could pose a serious threat to the health of the general population. Read More Association Between Proton Pump Inhibitors and Clostridium Difficile Clostridium difficile, more commonly known as C. diff, is a gram positive anaerobic spore forming bacteria that is responsible for the most common cause of hospital associated diarrhea. In 2005, eighty-four in every one-hundred thousand hospitalized patients developed C. diff and twenty thousand patients were diagnosed with C. diff in an outpatient setting. The mortality rate for elderly, frail patients with a confirmed diagnosis of C. diff is estimated to be as high as 25%. In the general population, C. diff can lead to death, increased length of hospital stay and costs by as much as $5,000 per patient over the 180 days following the diagnosis of C. diff. Established risk factors for the development of C. diff include recent antibiotic use (≤ previous 90 days; particularly exposure to antibiotics shown to increase the risk of C. diff such as clindamycin, fluroquinolones, 3rd generation cephalosporins and ampicillin), an extended period of time spent in a healthcare facility (>14 days), increased age (>65 years old), serious underlying illness (immunocompromised patients such as those with HIV or receiving chemo), and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use. The correlation between PPI use and greater patient susceptibility to the development of C. diff has been controversial. Data suggests there is a link between PPI use and both increased C. diff development and reoccurrence rates. A reoccurrence rate of up to 42% has been shown for patients exposed to PPIs and antibiotics within 15-90 days following C. diff treatment. Read More Newly Discovered Toxin - Potential for a More Targeted Approach to Treating MRSA Infection Infections occur by the invasion and multiplication of microbes into human tissues. In the healthcare field today, many bacteria are associated with causing infections and establishing resistance to antibiotic therapy. One bacterial strain in particular, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), has become resistant to beta-lactams, such as oxacillin, penicillin, amoxicillin and methicillin, rendering these infections more difficult to treat. Read More Treatment of Uncomplicated Cystitis Cystitis, also known as a urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common bacterial infection in women, accounting for up to 8 million physician visits per year. Annual incidence rates among women 18-39 years old are 15%. [1] Cystitis is one of the most common indications for antimicrobial therapy among an otherwise healthy population. Thus, efficacy as well as the potential for collateral and ecological damage (selection of multidrug resistant organisms, colonization or infection with multidrug-resistant organisms) must be considered when choosing an antimicrobial agent. Read More MSHP R&E Foundation ReportThe MSHP Research and Education Foundation will be very busy at the upcoming KCHP/MSHP Annual Meeting. The Foundation will be presenting the 2012 Best Practice Award, recognizing innovation and outstanding performance in a pharmacy directed initiative. The themes for the 2012 award focused on improving patient care through innovative disease state focused clinical initiatives and medication safety. The recipient of the award will have a poster detailing the program’s implementation and impact on patient care on display throughout the meeting. To further recognize the Best Practice Award winner, the R&E Foundation Board will host the 2nd Annual awards ceremony and breakfast at 7:00am on Friday, April 20th. Space for this event is limited, so register today. We look forward to seeing fantastic attendance at the ceremony. We hope everyone will join us for the Poster Reception on Friday afternoon at 3:45 pm. Pharmacists and pharmacy students from around the state will be sharing outcomes from their research projects. The poster session is an excellent opportunity for seasoned pharmacists, new practitioners, residents, technicians and students alike to gather new insights, share ideas with others, and network. The 35 Missouri posters that will be on display at the meeting will be judged in either the original, encore or student presentation categories with awards for these three categories being presented prior to the keynote address on Saturday, April 21st. The R&E Foundation will also be sponsoring a research education session on the topic of “Practical Approaches to Take in Initiating and Developing a Research Project” on Friday, April 20th from 11am-12pm. Mark Patterson, Ph.D., MPH Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Pharmacy and Kristin Repp, Pharm.D., BCPS, Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator, Saint Luke's Northland Hospital will serve as faculty. If you’re a new practitioner or just wanting to hone your research skills, be sure to mark this session on your meeting schedule for attendance! After the Spring Meeting, the Research and Education Foundation will begin planning the activities for the next fiscal year. In doing so, we will need to fill two openings on the R&E Foundation Board of Directors. The terms of Paul Juang and Julie Murphy will be ending; we greatly appreciate their years of service. If you are interested in potentially serving on the Board of Directors, please contact Monica Schaefer. The R&E Foundation is instrumental in providing pharmacist educational opportunities in Missouri. Moving forward we will be expanding research education opportunities for Missouri practitioners. Initiatives like those described above and future endeavors require support from MSHP members. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to the R&E Foundation, you may do so by going to our website, or by stopping by the registration desk at the Annual Meeting. Donors will receive a badge ribbon recognizing support at the KCHP/MSHP Annual Meeting! MSHP NewsASHP Appoints MSHP Members to Various Commissions
Exhibit Space Still Available for KCHP/MSHP Annual Meeting 2012 Former MSHP President Challenges Members to Donate to R&E Foundation MSHP Submits Recommendations to MOBOP KCHP/MSHP/GKCSHP Partner on Successful Student Workshop
Smith Receives Rho Chi Award MSHP Welcomes New Members!January February March GKCSHP ReportA Message from the GKCSHP Executive Board
Technician Involvement April Meeting
MSHP Job Listings
Cardiovascular Specialty Pharmacist Inpatient Pharmacy Manager View more jobs at the MSHP Career Center.
ASHP NewsASHP Disappointed With Statement On Pharmacists By Family Physicians CDC Offers Free Online CE on Antibiotic Resistance Pharmacy NewsTeva Recalls Medroxyprogesterone New Drug Treats Toxic Methotrexate Concentrations 2015 Initiative Yields to PPMI |
Upcoming EventsMSHP/KCHP 2012 Quick LinksResearch and Education Foundation Contributors Research and Education Foundation Contribution Form In The Next Issue: Please send articles to: |
