APhA Member News
A minute with …
Nick Capote, PharmD, MS, BCSCP
Pharmacy manager, Tufts Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts
Member since 2011
“APhA provides me with a distinguished network of student, new practitioner, and experienced pharmacist colleagues and mentors. Staying engaged in the organization regularly puts me in contact with individuals who inspire and challenge me. These benefits keep me focused on my own career path as I grow professionally.”
What excites you about the profession of pharmacy?
Right now could be the most exciting time to be a pharmacist in history. Change is occurring more rapidly in our health care system than ever before. If we embrace innovation, push for excellent pharmaceutical care, and keep the patient at the center of our decision-making, we will see the role of the pharmacist evolve just as rapidly.
What is your most memorable APhA experience?
My first APhA Annual Meeting was in New Orleans in 2012. During the Awards Ceremony, I witnessed my professors, fellow students, and APhA–ASP chapter be recognized for various accomplishments.
It was amazing to see those individuals who I learned from and alongside be honored for their outstanding achievements. At the end of the ceremony, my chapter president was holding our newly minted Patient Care Award, and the executive committee posed behind her. I was part of a lucky group of first-year students selected to be on the executive committee earlier in the year, so I stood in the back of the group. I still don’t know why my chapter president did it, but she turned around and pulled me from the back of the group to stand next to her for the photo. It was in that moment that I realized I could make a big difference and share with others to inspire and motivate, just as she had done for me.
What advice would you give to other pharmacists or student pharmacists who want to follow your career path?
The road can be long and filled with unknowns. Chart your course with the help of those who continue to successfully chart their own. Take note of the small wins to keep your sails full, and you will start to see the career you have always dreamed about take shape. Ultimately, you are in charge of creating your own opportunities, so don’t waste any time!
Can you share a story about a time you felt like you really made a difference for a patient?
Pharmacy services as they relate to the production of sterile products continue to increase in complexity. A meaningful event in my area involved compounding a “complex non-sterile” medication, as defined by the state of Massachusetts, for a patient with a complicated infection.
Historically, the sterile products area was to not engage in complex non-sterile compounding and refer providers to an outside compounder. However, as our patient population expanded in intricacy, my team re-evaluated this decision. After revising a recipe and reviewing appropriate compounding procedures we prepared the medication needed for this patient using the appropriate engineering controls. This intervention, along with others made by the medical team, transitioned a non-responsive patient with a life-threatening infection into a rapidly recovering patient.
The decision to change our practice centered upon the most important aspect of our practice: what is best for the patient.
Members in motion
TPA names Anthony Pudlo as new executive director
The Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) Board of Directors recently announced the selection of Anthony Pudlo, PharmD, MBA as the new Executive Director of TPA. As the executive director, Pudlo will be responsible for advancing, protecting, and promoting high-quality pharmacist-provided patient care in Tennessee.
Most recently, Pudlo served as the Vice President of Professional Affairs at the Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA). In his role at IPA, he worked to develop clinical resources for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians across Iowa and served as liaison to state agencies and health care organizations to promote the value of pharmacists and safe and effective medication use. He also played a significant role in executing IPA’s strategic plan and helping to accomplish organization-wide goals. Pudlo has led numerous important initiatives at IPA, including procuring important grants, advancing the role and responsibilities of pharmacy technicians, establishing free HIV and hepatitis C screenings by pharmacists, and integration of pharmacists into medical clinics, in addition to IPA’s COVID-19 resources and efforts.
“I am grateful to the TPA Board of Directors for the opportunity to lead TPA and the TPA team,” Pudlo said. “I look forward to meeting with pharmacists across Tennessee and working together to build upon the traditions that make TPA a premier state pharmacy association in the country.”
Get involved in APhA
Diabetes Management SIG
The mission of the APhA–APPM Diabetes Management Special Interest Group (SIG) is to create a support network for pharmacists and student pharmacists who share an interest in diabetes management. The APhA–APPM Diabetes Management SIG allows pharmacists and student pharmacists in this area of practice to connect with others in the field and provides opportunities to discuss up-to-date disease management information.
Members of the APhA–APPM Diabetes Management SIG share education materials, clinical updates, training events, and other information related to the care of patients with diabetes. The APhA–APPM Diabetes Management SIG is also a home for pharmacists and student pharmacists to share planning information for community service events geared toward patients with diabetes. Learn more at apha.us/DiabetesMGTSIG.
Did you know?
APhA has a new practice tool to help you implement a CGM program within your practice
Developed by the Association for Diabetes Care and Education Specialists in partnership with APhA, the newly created Personal Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Implementation Playbook will help you apply a personal CGM program within your pharmacy practice.
This guide brings together fragmented information available from multiple sources to provide an inclusive and unbiased approach to administration of personal CGM into your practice, whatever its size. It includes a step-by-step approach to implementation, additional resources, and the latest research.
Start the process of incorporating this potentially game-changing tool for your patients living with diabetes by downloading this free guide at apha.us/CGMPlaybook.