APhA2010: Pharmacists inspire, engage, influence, and lead the way

Attendees find CPE, networking, awards, fun, more at annual meeting

Nearly 6,900 pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians gathered in Washington, DC, March 12–15 to celebrate the profession, participate in continuing pharmacy education sessions, network with others, receive Academy and Association awards, gain insight from inspiring speakers, and, not least, have fun! Posters were judged, exhibits were browsed, training was absorbed, sites were seen, and much, much more. Attendees at this year’s APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition had the added bonus of being able to tour the newly renovated APhA headquarters building—the home of pharmacy on the National Mall.

The Federal Pharmacy Forum launched its activities Thursday with a welcome to the more than 300 federal participants and exhibitors from APhA President Ed Hamilton, PharmD, FAPhA. Presenters discussed the generation gap and research from the Pharmacy Outcomes Research Team on medication therapy management in military treatment facilities.

Meeting attendees enjoyed great art, great food, and good music at the Opening Reception, held at the National Portrait Gallery. Student pharmacists continued the celebration at their ASP Welcoming Social with the theme of Red, White, and Blue.

Undaunted by a 6:15 am start time, more than 200 American Pharmacists Month (APhM) supporters gathered Saturday at the APhM Breakfast of Champions to share ideas and build momentum for the 2010 APhM celebration.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) greeted attendees at the Opening General Session on Saturday at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Holmes Norton told the audience, "We have been very mindful of your central role in health care. We need to remove barriers so pharmacists can serve better."

Honorary Member recipient Mark McClellan, MD, told Opening General Session attendees, "Health care reform isn’t what is happening in Washington. It is what you all are doing around the country to find ways to help people recover from illnesses, to help them stay healthy in the first place, and to save money in the process." Host Mark Walberg kept the program moving with lively banter until attendees were led into the grand opening of the Exposition to the lively music of the Maryland Society Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard.

Incoming APhA President Harold Godwin, BPharm, MS, FASHP, addressed the Second General Session, held Sunday morning. Godwin said, Our priority [as an association] is helping patients take responsibility for their medication therapy. He mentioned the more than 8,600 e-mails APhA members sent to the Hill to voice support for health care reform and said, "Focused advocacy can work, and we’re just getting started."

Alan Guttmacher, MD, Acting Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development and Former Acting Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, gave the keynote address at the Second General Session. Speaking on implementing personalized health care, he said, "We need to know how to use genomic information in health care to actually improve health. People react differently, so each person has to use it differently." Guttmacher told attendees, "Now is the time to determine what the role will be for pharmacists in personalized medicine."

Political junkies got their fix Monday morning with the APhA Political Leadership Breakfast, which featured a panel discussion by Liz Fowler, PhD, JD, Senior Counsel to the Senate Finance Committee Democratic Staff, and Mark Hayes, BPharm, JD, Health Policy Director and Chief Health Counsel to the Senate Finance Committee Republican Staff.

After two lively and productive sessions, the APhA House of Delegates concluded its work Monday afternoon with the election of the 2010–2011 Speaker-elect Brad Tice, PharmD. After 4 days packed full of ideas to inspire, engage, and influence the future of pharmacy, attendees said goodbye to APhA2010 at the Touch of Spring Closing Reception, which featured Japanese and American music and dance.

Posted by Carli Richard (crichard@aphanet.org)

March 15, 2010