A Message from the President
News
- Ed Davidson Celebrates 10 Years as Editor-in-Chief of The Consultant Pharmacist
- ASCP Launches New Initiative to Help Seniors with Chronic Constipation
- ASCP Co-Sponsors National Electronic Prescribing Conference
- Check Out New Audioconference on Alzheimer's in Residential Care
- What's in The Consultant Pharmacist?
- ASCP Hires New Staff Members
Senior Care Pharmacy '08
- Early-Bird Registration Ends October 30
- Hear Key Opinion Leaders and More
- ASCP Launches Campaign 2011 at Senior Care Pharmacy '08!
- New Orleans Senior Citizens Need Your Help!
- Attend the Fourth Annual Business Forum for Long-Term Care Pharmacy
- Workshops in New Orleans are Filling Up Fast!
- Product Theaters: A Special ASCP Event Series
- Learn More at the Satellite Symposia
Senior Care Advocate, ASCP's Policy and Advocacy News
- ASCP Criticizes DEA's Proposed Rule for Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances
- CMS Issues Rules Implementing MIPPA Changes
- ASCP Submits Comments on Proposed New Standards for Assisted Living Programs
- ASCP Submits Comments on Proposed Revisions to CARF Aging Service Standards
- ASCP Submits Comments to CMS Regarding Computer-Generated Fax and NCPDP SCRIPT Exemptions for Long-Term Care Facilities
- GAO Releases Report on Medicare Part D Plans' Fraud and Abuse Programs
- Kaiser Family Foundation Issues Report on Medicare Part D Coverage Gap
- CBO Releases Annual Report on Budget and Economy
- National Quality Forum Endorses HIT Standards
- ASCP Submits Comments to AHIC/ONCHIT on Proposed Updates to Medication Management Use Case
- Medicaid Oral History Interviews Posted on CMS History Page
Member News
- Lisa Hettich Leads WellPoint's Medicare Part D Program
- Get the Most Out of Your ASCP Membership
- Did You Renew Your Membership? Pay Your Dues in Advance
- Senior Care Pharmacist Award Nominations Due By December 31
- Submit Your ASCP Board of Directors Nominations By December 31
- Provide Community-Based Services Through ASCP's MTM Provider Partners
Chapter News
Student News
- ASCP is a Preceptor for Many Pharmacy Interns
- ASCP Hosts Four More Interns
- Call for Paul G. Cano Legislative Internship Applicants Due March 1
- Letters of Interest for Executive Residency Due January 31
Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy
- Be a Board-Certified Geriatric Pharmacist; Register By October 31
- Reception To Be Held at Annual Meeting
ASCP Foundation
- Responding to 1.5 Million Medication Error Injuries
- Reserve Tickets Now for 'The Big Easy Bayou Bash'
- Items Sought for 2008 Healthy Aging Auction
- Win Fabulous Vacation Prizes in the 2008 Raffle
A Message from the President
Many Coalitions Hear Our Voice
ASCP participates in a number of coalitions and our members serve as liaisons to a number of other groups. Having the voice of consultant and senior care pharmacy heard by other coalition members is vital to what we do and ensures that long-term care pharmacy is included in issues affecting both the practice of pharmacy and the senior populations we serve. I want to highlight some of our work with two of these organizations this year and refer you to http://www.ascp.com/advocacy/coalitions/ for more information on the organizations with which ASCP collaborates. The focus of our work this year has been to maintain our efforts in the realm of long-term care, and to reach out to organizations working with seniors in the community to share our message of the availability and value of consultant and senior care pharmacists. Two of the organizations we have worked extensively with are highlighted here.
Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners
This coalition of pharmacy professional organizations is currently working on implementation of “The Future Vision for Pharmacy Practice,” a plan for 2015 that envisions that pharmacists will provide patient centered services, achieve deemed status as Medicare providers, receive fair compensation for services provided, and be accountable for patient outcomes. Through subcommittees, the work is focused on Payment Model, Practice Model, and Communications. Each subcommittee is addressing the questions of “What issues appear as we move toward a new practice model? Do we have enough pharmacists with the right expertise to move ahead? Will adequate payment models exist? And how do we sufficiently communicate this vision to all stakeholders and to consumers sufficient to create the demand for pharmacists’ clinical services?” At this time, each JCPP member organization is applying the principles of the Vision document in different ways such as incorporating elements into the strategic plan, annual leadership action plans, and development of education programs. [For more information, see the September 2008 issue of ASCP Update.]
JCPP is represented by the executive director and president of each member organization. ASCP represents a unique voice among JCPP members, and in many ways our members are doing what JCPP envisions for pharmacists in general for 2015.
Long Term Care Professional Leadership Council
Four long-term care organizations—the American College of Health Care Administrators, American Medical Directors Association, National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long-Term Care, and ASCP, with the Nurse Executive Council for Post-Acute Care serving as advisors—are working together to advance quality in long-term care. Long Term Care Professional Leadership Council (LTCPLC) represents the voice of long-term care professionals, with the executive director and president of each member organization making up the council. The council has distributed three statements addressing core competencies of the professions, the use of antidepressants, and the care process. New statements are planned for distribution each quarter. A young organization, LTCPLC is an emerging voice for quality care in long-term care.
Other key interests of ASCP members are being addressed collaboratively through involvement in these coalitions:
- AMDA Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee
- Campaign for Quality Care
- Career Information Clearinghouse
- CEAL - Center for Excellence in Assisted Living Advisory Forum
- Council on Credentialing in Pharmacy
- Leadership Council of Aging Organizations
- Leadership for Medication Management
- National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention
- National Council for Prescription Drug Programs
- National Transitions of Care Coalition
- National Working Group on Evidence-Based Healthcare
- Pharmacy Manpower Project
- Pharmacy Quality Alliance
- Pharmacist Services Technical Advisory Coalition
- Pharmaceutical Waste Workgroup
- The Joint Commission Home Care Professional Technical Advisory Committee
ASCP is representing consultant and senior care pharmacists in all of these coalitions and as you can imagine, this could not be done without the dedicated efforts of both staff and volunteer members. If you have an interest in participating in any of these areas, there is plenty of room for you! Interested? Contact listening@ascp.com.
Thanks to all the staff and member volunteers that make all of this happen.
Lee Meyer, PharmD, CGP
ASCP President
News
Ed Davidson Celebrates 10 Years as Editor-in-Chief of The Consultant Pharmacist
H. Edward Davidson, PharmD, MPH, FASCP, has been the editor-in-chief of ASCP's award-winning, peer-reviewed journal, The Consultant Pharmacist, for the past 10 years. He is a noted researcher who is widely published and is a regular presenter at ASCP conferences. An ASCP Fellow, he currently serves as ASCP's representative to the National Transitions of Care Coalition. In 2007, Davidson received ASCP's highest honor, the Archambault Award, which is conferred in recognition of outstanding contributions to consultant and senior care pharmacy.
Davidson maintains an active practice as a consultant pharmacist as a partner of Insight Therapeutics in Norfolk, Virginia, working with disabled children and the elderly. He is assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Glennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology at Eastern Virginia Medical School, where he also sits on the Institutional Review Board.
His crowning achievement as editor-in-chief is the acceptance of The Consultant Pharmacist by the National Library of Medicine as an indexed journal in MEDLINE. As a result, health care professionals and consumers have access to the journal to learn about our unique brand of pharmacy practice, and academicians have significant incentive to publish in The Consultant Pharmacist.
ASCP Launches New Initiative to Help Seniors with Chronic Constipation
ASCP recently launched an ongoing initiative called E-IMPACCT, which stands for Elderly IMprovements and Advances in Chronic Constipation Treatment, to educate health care providers about chronic constipation. A comprehensive continuing medical education initiative for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals, it covers evaluating and managing chronic constipation and provides a range of tools to help clinicians in everyday practice.
Health care professionals are asking for more guidance on identifying chronic constipation, particularly in the long-term care setting, said ASCP Executive Director and CEO John Feather. “When we corresponded with clinicians, and looked at outcomes from previous continuing education activities, we identified a major educational need about chronic constipation.”
For all clinicians, the management strategies for treating constipation in the elderly should include a combination of patient education and communication, dietary modifications, and treatment options. Clinicians need to identify, recognize, and differentiate chronic constipation and have a clear understanding of the pros and cons of each of the treatments and medications, the side effects, the administration and efficacy data. This knowledge will help practitioners individualize regimens for every patient and will improve the health caregiver’s confidence in the course of action chosen.
Trish D’Antonio Mazzuca, ASCP director of professional and educational affairs, said participants are looking for information on differentiating between chronic constipation and constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. “Clinicians seem to have educational gaps related to treating chronic constipation.”
E-IMPACCT provides outcomes-based knowledge through an ongoing, comprehensive awareness campaign with educational components to be rolled out at various stages over a 12-month period. Through this initiative, participants are presented with new information and continuing education activities, patient cases, and training tools designed to help clinicians better manage chronic constipation to improve outcomes in today’s seniors.
Components of E-IMPACCT include live meetings and symposia, Web-based educational programs, audio conferences with live faculty question-and-answer sessions, and a dynamic Web page, http://www.elderlyconstipation.com/. Through the Web site and via opportunities at live meetings, health care practitioners may order free chronic constipation support tools, including clinician pocket guides, clinical reference cards, an in-service tool kit to train other health care providers, and patient information and education. An awareness campaign is designed to kick off the initiative so health care providers know these resources are available to them at no cost.
The ASCP E-IMPACCT initiative is supported by an educational grant from Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., and is sponsored through a collaboration of ASCP, AKH Inc., and Medical Communications Media Inc.
ASCP Co-Sponsors National Electronic Prescribing Conference
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Industry Partners, including ASCP, are sponsoring the National E-prescribing Conference to be held October 6–7 at Sheraton Boston Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. Topics include how to earn incentives from Medicare, how e-prescribing can work for your business, and answers to questions about privacy, security, and risk management. Featured speakers include: Michael Leavitt, secretary of health and human services; Kerry Weems, acting administrator for CMS; Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Finance Committee, Subcommittee on Health; Newt Gingrich, founder of Center for Health Transformation; and David Brailer, chairman of Health Evolution Partners, former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Conference registration has been closed due to capacity limits.
Check Out New Audioconference on Alzheimer's in Residential Care
ASCP is pleased to present a new free interactive audioconference CE program, “Improving the Management of Alzheimer’s Disease in Residential Care.”
For more information, call (888) 424-7355, or register online at http://www.scoup.net/.
What's in The Consultant Pharmacist?
October 2008
Research and Reports
Assessing Medication Consultations, Hypertension Control, Awareness, and Treatment Among Elderly Asian Community Dwellers
Case Study
Adverse Drug Events Complicate Antifungal Therapy for Pulmonary Aspergilloma
Helpful Ideas
To Filter or Not to Filter: Answering These Questions
Features
Controlled Substances in Long-Term Care Pharmacy: Part 2
ASCP President 2008–2009, Judy Beizer: Moving Senior Care Pharmacy into the Community
Student Forum
Pharmacist-Implemented Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Assistance Programs: Effects on Health Outcomes for Seniors
Senior Care Pharmacy ‘08
ASCP’s 39th Annual Meeting and Exhibition
Senior Care Pharmacy ’08 Poster Abstracts
Plus: Bylines, Health Trends, Policy Currents, ASCP Reports, and Calendar
The Consultant Pharmacist mails to members and subscribers mid-month and is archived at http://www.ascp.com/publications/tcp/.
Have you considered publishing in The Consultant Pharmacist? For author instructions and online submission, visit http://www.ascp.com/publications/tcp/.
Karen Dowd-Carpenter has joined ASCP as the sales and marketing manager in the Business Development Department. She previously oversaw operations, sales, and marketing for a Virginia-based contractor, and ran her own contracting business. She also has directed events and educational programs for the Young Entrepreneurs Association, the World President's Organization, and the Folger Library. She holds a degree in social work from George Mason University.
Senior Care Pharmacy '08
Early-Bird Registration Ends October 30
Register now for Senior Care Pharmacy '08, ASCP's 39th Annual Meeting and Exhibition, to be held November 19–22 at New Orleans Morial Convention Center in Louisiana.
Save $100 off the full registration fee if you register by the October 30 early-bird deadline. Register online and save an additional $15. For registration and hotel information visit: http://www.ascp.com/annual.
Hear Key Opinion Leaders and More
Senior Care Pharmacy '08 will offer you more than 100 hours of continuing education that you have identified you want!
AARP President Jennie Chin Hansen, RN, MSN, FAAN, is this year's Peter P. Lamy Memorial lecturer. The Peter P. Lamy Memorial Lecture was established by ASCP as a forum for the presentation of high-level research and new developments in the study of aging and related health care issues.
David J. Brailer, MD, PhD, a physician and economist, is the keynote speaker of the Opening General Session at Senior Care Pharmacy '08. He will be speaking about "Technology in Health Care—The Wave of the Future."
In addition, other nationally recognized content experts will present the latest research and guidelines on topics including:
- Assessing medication self-management skills
- Melding clinical science and practice in diabetes
- Meeting the needs of patients with vision loss
- Improving transitions of care for patients returning to the community
- Using the MDS Quality Indicator to improve resident care
- Heart failure management
- Stroke prevention
- Seizure management
- Infection control
- Pain management
- Delerium and dementia
You also will be able to stay up-to-date on the latest advocacy and regulatory issues:
- ASCP Campaign 2011—Raising awareness of the role of consultant and senior care pharmacists in promoting the appropriate and safe use of medications for an aging America
- What to expect in 2009—The First 100 Days
- The ABCs of Grassroots Advocacy—your participation makes a difference!
- Loren T. Miller, chief of the policy unit in the Office of Diversion Control at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will speak on controlled substances in long-term care. Don't miss this opportunity to hear directly from DEA on issues that affect your practice on a daily basis. There will be time for questions and answers.
To view the complete program with session descriptions, visit http://www.ascp.com/annual.
ASCP Launches Campaign 2011 at Senior Care Pharmacy '08!
Campaign 2011 is a new initiative designed to promote the appropriate, safe, and effective use of medications in the elderly by increasing access to pharmacist-provided Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services. ASCP is aggressively reaching out to consumers, caregivers, providers, policy makers and other stakeholders to promote awareness of the prevalence of medication-related problems in the elderly and the critical role that MTM plays in improving health outcomes and reducing medical costs.
Our goal is to promote greater access to MTM services through engagement, education, and empowerment! Join us for our inaugural events in New Orleans, where we are partnering with the Greater New Orleans Council on Aging and others to educate seniors and caregivers on how they can better manage their medications and reduce the risk of medication-related problems. To learn more about Campaign 2011 and all of our New Orleans events, and to sign up to volunteer, go to http://www.ascp.com/advocacy/campaign2011/index.cfm.
New Orleans Senior Citizens Need Your Help!
As part of our outreach to the New Orleans community, ASCP is sponsoring a donation drive. The New Orleans health care system is still very fragile. Many senior citizens, particularly those who are homebound, have difficulty accessing adequate primary care. Many lack insurance or are under insured. To lend a hand, we are asking ASCP members, conference attendees, and our vendors to bring needed supplies to the New Orleans Convention Center. Supplies will be distributed to needy seniors through the Greater New Orleans Council on Aging and Geriatric Initiatives, Inc., a New Orleans non-profit serving frail, homebound seniors. Supplies needed are: adult diapers, disposable bed pads, nutritional supplements, medication organizers (especially those that can accommodate four times a day dosing), tape, ace bandages, gauze, ostomy bags, alcohol pads, and gloves. To learn more about delivery of health care services to homebound seniors in Post Katrina New Orleans, please join Scharmaine Lawson, DNP, FNP-BC and Cynthia Shelton, RPh on Thursday, November 20, 3:30–5:00 p.m. at Senior Care Pharmacy '08 for a compelling presentation. To learn more about how you can help, please contact Director of Policy and Advocacy Claudia Schlosberg, cschlosberg@ascp.com.
Attend the Fourth Annual Business Forum for Long-Term Care Pharmacy
With the progress in Health Information Technology, are you prepared to meet the needs of your customers? Do you know where your business goes from here? Are you looking to maximize workflow and efficiency? Is your business looking to improve operations processes with innovative services or products? Discuss these topics and learn more about Group Purchasing Organizations at the Fourth Annual ASCP Business Forum for Long-Term Care Pharmacy, to be held Saturday, November 22 at Senior Care Pharmacy '08. This is an exclusive program designed specifically for pharmacy operators and managers. This full day of education focuses on the issues that concern you most in a rapidly changing environment—maximizing profits, mastering advances in technology, and motivating staff. Visit http://www.ascp.com/annual for more information.
Workshops in New Orleans are Filling Up Fast!
Register now for these workshops held in conjunction with the annual meeting, November 17–23, in New Orleans:
- Geriatric Assessment for the Senior Care Pharmacist Workshop (also approved for the Professional Development Program for CGP recertification)
- Clinical Update for the Geriatric Pharmacist Workshop (also approved for the Professional Development Program for CGP recertification)
- Fundamentals of Consultant Pharmacy Practice Workshop
- Delivering MTM Services in the Community—A Certificate Training Program
- Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery
Register today to secure your seat. For more information about Senior Care Pharmacy '08, visit: http://www.ascp.com/annual.
Product Theaters: A Special ASCP Event Series
Gain valuable insight into new pharmaceutical products and services through first-hand demonstrations at the Senior Care Pharmacy '08 Product Theaters. There you also will learn the latest research findings in senior care, and get answers from key experts and vendors to help your patients. Each program offers attendees a complimentary meal, excellent information, and more. Seating is limited, so plan to arrive early. Visit http://www.ascp.com for more information about the Product Theater offersings at ASCP's annual meeting in New Orleans.
Learn More at the Satellite Symposia
Medical education companies will coordinate industry-sponsored educational events in conjunction with Senior Care Pharmacy '08. Continuing education is available for these programs. Additionally, these programs offer breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending on the time of the program. They include:
- Tailoring Antiplatelet Therapy to Reduce Atherothrombosis in Elderly Residents, developed by Medical Communications Media, supported by an educational grant from Bristol-Meyers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership
- A Case Study in Anemia in Long-Term Care: Assessment and Management, developed by Medical Communications Media, supported by an educational grant from Ortho Biotech
- Practical Seizure Management in the Senior Care Population, developed by Creative Educational Concepts, Inc., supported by an educational grant from UCB, Inc.
- Managing the Growing Burden of Healthcare-Associated and Community-Associated MRSA Infections in the Long-Term Care Setting, developed by Rxperience, LLC, supported by an educational grant from Pfizer Inc.
- Improving Resident Outcomes in Alzheimer's Disease: Recognize, React and Remedy, developed by BCME, supported by an educational grant from Forest Research Institute
- The 3R's of Managing Seniors with Type 2 Diabetes: Recognition, Risks and Remedies, developed by DesignWrite, supported by an educational grant fromo Novo Nordisk
- Evidence-Based Guidelines, Performance Measures, Quality Indicators: How Do They Apply to Elderly Patients on Antithrombotic Therapy?, developed by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, supported by an educational grant from sanofi-aventis U.S.
- A Case-Based Discussion on Managing Chronic Constipation in the Elderly, developed by Medical Communications Media, supported by an educational grant from Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.
For more information about these programs, visit: http://www.ascp.com/education/meetings/2008/annual/AM08Satellite.cfm.
Senior Care Advocate, ASCP's Policy and Advocacy News
ASCP Criticizes DEA's Proposed Rule for Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances
ASCP sent extensive comments to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) about its proposed rule allowing for electronic prescribing of controlled substances. ASCP has been working closely with the ERx Controlled Substances Coalition, the Health Information Management Systems Society, the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, the Long-Term Care Health Information Technology Collaborative, and many others to raise awareness of how the rule impacts long-term care. Although ASCP has tried to persuade DEA to issue a workable rule, the consensus among most stakeholders is that this rule falls short of the mark. According to ASCP Director of Policy and Advocacy Claudia Schlosberg, “The proposed rule fails to take into consideration the unique prescribing process that is endemic to long-term care facilities, imposes significant burdens and costs on prescribers and pharmacies without adding benefit to DEA’s efforts to decrease diversion of controlled drugs or to enhance law enforcement capabilities and is incompatible with current workflows and pharmacy practice." To read a copy of ASCP’s comments, visit ASCP’s Web site at http://www.ascp.com/.
CMS Issues Rules Implementing MIPAA Changes
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued an interim final rule with a 60-day comment period to reflect new statutory requirements in the Medicare program enacted as part of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA). Provisions of the Interim Final Rule of particular interest to consultant and senior care pharmacists and pharmacies include:
- Ninety (90) day claims window for submission of long-term care pharmacy claims—Section 172 of MIPPA added a provision that requires CMS to incorporate into its contracts with Medicare Part D sponsors a provision that provides that long-term care pharmacies must have not less than 30 days, nor more than 90 days, to submit claims to the sponsor for reimbursement under the plan. This provision is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2010. This provision does not eliminate the requirement, specified in a CMS policy memorandum entitled “Special Transition Period for Retroactive Enrollment,” which requires that in retroactive enrollment situations Part D sponsors must use the date of Medicaid notification to establish a new timely claims filing period for claims incurred by dual-eligible (those who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid) beneficiaries during a period of retroactive Part D enrollment.
- Special Needs Plans (SNPs) Quality Improvement Programs—Section 164 of MIPAA added new provisions requiring quality improvement programs for SNPs. Each SNP must have a quality improvement program to monitor and evaluate its model for care. Among other requirements, each SNP must coordinate date collection using indicators that are objective, clearly defined, and based upon measures having established validity and reliability. Indications should be selected from a variety of quality and outcome domains including “medication management.” These and other provisions relating to SNPs will be effective January 1, 2010.
- Elimination of the late enrollment for subsidy eligible Medicare beneficiaries—Based upon Section 114 of MIPAA, effective January 1, 2009, CMS will not charge subsidy eligible individuals a late enrollment penalty.
- Prompt payment of clean claims—Beginning in contract year 2010, Part D sponsors must pay clean claims submitted by network pharmacies within 14 days after the date of receipt for electronic claims, and 30 days for all other claims. This provision does not apply to long-term care or mail order pharmacies.
- Incentives for physicians to e-prescribe—Section 132 of MIPPA provides for CMS to pay incentive payments to physicians for successfully satisfying certain e-prescribing requirements beginning in 2009. However, the MIPPA provides for the incentive payments to begin phasing out in 2011. The MIPAA also provides for a penalty to begin in 2012 for not successfully satisfying e-prescribing requirements. As this time, these financial incentives do not apply to long-term care providers for e-prescribing in the nursing facility setting due to the exemption of the long-term care setting from being required to use the CMS-named e-prescribing standards.
ASCP is preparing comments in response to this rulemaking.
ASCP Submits Comments on Proposed New Standards for Assisted Living Programs
ASCP submitted comments to the Maryland Department of Health supporting proposed new standards for pharmacist review of medication regimens of assisted living program residents. For a copy of ASCP's comments, click here.
ASCP Submits Comments on Proposed Revisions to CARF Aging Service Standards
ASCP submitted comments on proposed revisions to Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) Aging Service Standards that apply to aging service programs (e.g., assisted living communities, adult day centers) seeking CARF accreditation. For a copy of ASCP's comments, click here.
ASCP Submits Comments to CMS Regarding Computer-Generated Fax and NCPDP SCRIPT Exemptions for Long-Term Care Facilities
ASCP filed comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) July 7, 2008, Notice of Proposed Rule-making in which CMS proposed revising current Medicare electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) standards to lift the exemption for computer-generated facsimiles. For a copy of ASCP's comments, click here.
GAO Releases Report on Medicare Part D Plans' Fraud and Abuse Programs
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report titled, "Medicare Part D: Some Plan Sponsors Have Not Completely Implemented Fraud and Abuse Programs, and CMS Oversight Has Been Limited." (GAO-08-760) For the purpose of this GAO report, pharmacies are considered "contractors" of Medicare Part D plans. Therefore, pharmacies with Part D contracts should be aware of any sections within the document mentioning "contractors." Click here to download the report.
Kaiser Family Foundation Issues Report on Medicare Part D Coverage Gap; Finds That Lack of Coverage Affects Patient Use of Medication
A recent study released by the Kaiser Family Foundation quantifies the number of Medicare Part D plan enrollees in 2007 who reached a gap in their prescription drug coverage known as the "doughnut hole," and also found evidence that 21% of patients caught in that gap changed their use of prescription drugs when forced to pay the full cost of mediations. Click here to download the report.
CBO Releases Annual Report on Budget and Economy
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released its annual report on the state of the budget and the economy. Called the “Budget and Economic Outlook: An Update,” CBO estimates that the deficit for 2008 will be substantially higher than it was in 2007, rising from $161 billion last year to $407 billion this year. Furthermore, CBO’s projections indicate that if current laws and policies remain in place, deficits for the next two years will remain above $400 billion, or about 3% of gross domestic product (GDP). Over the longer term, the fiscal outlook continues to depend mostly on the future course of health care costs as well as on the effects of a growing elderly population. CBO concludes that over the long term, the federal budget is on an unsustainable path. According to CBO, the growing demand for resources—caused primarily by rising health care costs and, to a lesser degree, by the nation’s expanding elderly population—will put increasing pressure on the budget.” Federal spending for Medicare and Medicaid combined is expected to total 4.6% of GDP next year. If the laws are not changed, health care spending with rise to 6% of GDP in 2018—an increase of 30% in 10 years.
National Quality Forum Endorses HIT Standards
The National Quality Forum has endorsed nine new national voluntary consensus standards for health information technology (HIT) in the areas of electronic prescribing, electronic health record interoperability, care management, quality registries, and the medical home. These HIT structural measures are intended to help providers assess the efficiency and standardization of current HIT systems and identify areas where additional HIT tools can be used. For more information: http://www.qualityforum.org/news/releases/082908-endorses-health-it.asp.
ASCP Submits Comments to AHIC/ONCHIT on Proposed Updates to Medication Management Use Case
Since 2006, the American Health Information Community (AHIC) published 13 Use Cases describing interoperable Health Information Technology (HIT) scenarios. In April of 2008, the AHIC began the process of identifying 2009 priorities to serve as focus areas for standards harmonization and other national HIT agenda activities. Identifying gaps in the Medication Management Use Case, which they originally released in 2007, was among the priorities. In August, AHIC released a draft document outlining the "gaps." One of the gaps they identified, thanks in part to much feedback from long-term care (LTC) organizations, including ASCP, was a LTC-specific medication management scenario. While ASCP was very glad to see LTC addressed in their recently released document, comments were provided on a few areas that needed fine-tuning or further exploration. The LTC scenario also included and recognized the role of the consultant pharmacist, but the clinical pharmacist role was missing in other settings (e.g., hospital and ambulatory). In our comment letter, ASCP recommended adding this role to the other medication management scenarios. To view AHIC's 2007 proposed Medication Management Use Case, the recent document identifying "gaps" in the Use Case, and ASCP's comments on these documents, please visit: http://www.ascp.com/advocacy/briefing/hit.cfm.
Medicaid Oral History Interviews Posted on CMS History Page
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services History page has a new series of oral history interviews about the Medicaid program. You will find nearly 40 key individuals who have agreed to share their stories about Medicaid with the public.
David Smith and Judy Moore conducted a wide-ranging set of interviews with individuals knowledgeable about the Medicaid program, which form the basis for their book: Medicaid Politics and Policy 1965–2007. Interviewees include: state and federal officials who launched Medicaid in the late 1960s, wrestled over creative financing methods and program expansions in the 1980s and 1990s, and debated various block grant proposals over the years; as well as advocates who sought to expand the reach of the program to additional children and those who added home and community-based services to keep elders and disabled persons out of institutions; and members of Congress and their staff who modified the underlying statute time and again.
To access the interviews, go to: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/History/Downloads/cmsoralhistory.pdf
Member News
Lisa Hettich Leads WellPoint’s Medicare Part D Program
ASCP Member Lisa Hettich, PharmD, CGP, was recently promoted from Medication Therapy Management (MTM) clinical intervention manager to director of Medicare Part D programs for WellPointNextRx. Hettich is a board-certified geriatric pharmacist and also a member of the Board of Commissioners of the Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy (CCGP). As Hettich noted in an article published in CCGP'S July newsletter, The Credential, "Medicare Part D MTM is a 'toddler' still in need of much development ... but one whose growth is headed in the right direction. I believe Part D MTM is the 'foot in the door' allowing pharmacists an opportunity to prove the value of clinical geriatric pharmacy specialists ... both in and out of Medicare Part D."
Get the Most Out of Your ASCP Membership
Let ASCP help when you expand your practice, seek advice, or need educational opportunities.
- Use pharmacy’s best Web site —http://www.ascp.com—offering the latest geriatric. clinical, and practice management information, legislative and regulatory updates, information on ASCP publications and products, meetings, membership, and direct links to other pharmacy and health care Web sites. If you haven’t already, sign up for ASCP list servers at http://www.ascp.com/consultnet/index.cfm, where pharmacists share information and get answers to questions.
- Refresh your geriatric pharmacotherapy knowledge and skills through the http://www.geriatricpharmacyreview.com/ Web site, while also preparing to earn the Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (CGP) credential, administered by the Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy.
Did You Renew Your Membership? Pay Your Dues in Advance
Now is the time to renew your ASCP membership. Beginning in October you will be able to “lock-in” the 2008 membership dues renewal rate by paying your 2009 membership dues before December 31, 2008. You also may lock in that rate even longer by paying for multiple years at once. Many members have requested this benefit. If your membership is expiring, please renew by calling ASCP at 1-800-355-2727.
Senior Care Pharmacist Award Nominations Due By December 31
The Senior Care Pharmacist Award, which will be presented at ASCP’s 31st Midyear Conference and Exhibition at Walt Disney World Dolphin in Orlando, Florida, honors a senior care pharmacy practitioner who exemplifies his or her knowledge in geriatrics, geriatric pharmacotherapy, and the unique medication-related needs of the senior population; applies that knowledge in the provision of pharmaceutical care; improves the quality of life of the senior population; and contributes significantly to the goals of ASCP. Nominees must be members of ASCP for at least three years and not currently a member of the ASCP Board of Directors. Self-nominations are encouraged.
If you, or someone you know, is deserving of this award, submit a nomination in writing including the person’s curriculum vitae and a narrative endorsement describing the qualifications of the candidate. Three ASCP members must support each individual who is nominated. Nominations must be received no later than December 31, 2008, and should be sent to the Senior Care Pharmacist Award Selection Committee, c/o Heather Henson, Leadership Coordinator, ASCP, 1321 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; fax 703-739-1321; e-mail hhenson@ ascp.com. For more information visit: http://www.ascp.com/about/awards.
Submit Your ASCP Board of Directors Nominations By December 31
Do you know an eligible and qualified candidate to nominate for the Society’s 2009–2010 Board of Directors? Qualifications are two years' membership in ASCP, attendance at two or more ASCP meetings, and productive service, and involvement in ASCP leadership groups. Nominees for vice president and president-elect must have current or previous experience on the board. Submit your nominations to the Nominating Committee, c/o ASCP headquarters no later than December 31, 2008. For more information, contact Heather Henson, Leadership Coordinator, ASCP, 1321 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-739-1316, ext. 147; hhenson@ascp.com, or visit: http://www.ascp.com/about/leadership/board.cfm.
Provide Community-Based Services Through ASCP's MTM Provider Partners
ASCP's Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Provider Partners—Outcomes Pharmaceutical Health Care® and PharmMD Solutions—have turned to ASCP to help them enlist consultant and senior care pharmacists to deliver MTM services directly to their contracted enrollees. The need for skilled clinicians to deliver MTM services has increased dramatically since the coverage of MTM services under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, especially for patients residing outside of nursing facilities. ASCP's MTM Provider Partners expand the reach of ASCP member consultant and senior care pharmacists into community-based settings, bringing much-needed clinical expertise to medically complex patients wherever they reside. For more information, visit: http://www.ascp.com/members/ascp-mtm-partners.cfm
Chapter News
| Florida Chapter Best Practices '08 October 23–26, 2008 Orlando, Florida |
Massachusetts Chapter Interdisciplinary Senior Care Symposium November 6, 2008 Norwood, Massachusetts |
| Ohio Chapter Annual Law CEU Program October 28, 2008 Findlay, Ohio |
Please visit http://www.ascp.com/members/chapters/ for more information on your chapter's upcoming events! |
Student News
ASCP is a Preceptor for Many Pharmacy Interns
ASCP has welcomed student interns since 2001. In the past year, the number has grown significantly. Between May 2001 and May 2006, ASCP's experience as preceptor was limited to just 11 pharmacy interns who sought a rotation with us. Since launching the e-student membership in 2005, interest in an ASCP rotation has expanded dramatically with 45 pharmacy students spending 4–5 weeks with ASCP from May 2006 to May 2008, and 23 more rotating through our program in the current school year.
During orientation, each student intern views required videos and presentations, and reviews and discusses required readings. They also conduct several interviews with and discuss the roles and functions of:
- Staff members at ASCP who are pharmacists
- Each ASCP department head
- The executive directors of ASCP and the ASCP Foundation
- The current president
- A senior care pharmacist registered on SeniorCarePharmacist.com.
Other activities include:
- Virtually attending an education session from one of ASCP's national meetings by listening to the audio recording and following along with the slides
- Completing a clinical program on SCOUP.net.
- Taking the Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (CGP) Self-Assessment Exam and discussing the results with a staff pharmacist
- Exploring current policy issues of their choice
- Evaluating and editing a module of GeratricPharmacyReview.com
- Selecting and reviewing a geriatric-focused journal article with the executive resident
- Making presentations to ASCP staff on a health care topic of interest to consumers
- Writing a summary of their experiences that covers certain topics
Through their experiential rotations at ASCP, many learn about the great need for consultant and senior care pharmacists and become interested in this unique aspect of pharmacy. To that end, one of our recent interns, Ugo Nwachukwu, is now ASCP's executive resident.
"The ASCP rotation is not like a traditional rotation," Nwachukwu said. "I was treated as a colleague rather than a student who required constant supervision."
For more information about ASCP resources for students and recent graduates, visit: http://www.ascp.com/student/.
Interested in precepting? Visit: http://www.ascp.com/members/preceptor/.
ASCP's Student Pharmacist Initiative for the 2008–2009 school year continues with those who have selected ASCP for an advanced pharmacy practice rotation during their final year in pharmacy school. They are headed for graduation in May 2009, and ASCP is pleased to impress upon these PharmD candidates the lifelong career opportunities ahead of them in geriatrics. Four more students have started rotations since July:
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| Farzin Farid, Howard University, DC | Victoria Huynh, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia | Meghan McKee, Duquesne University, Pennsylvania | Monica Vargas, Nova Southeastern, Florida |
Call for Paul G. Cano Legislative Internship Applicants Due March 1
The Paul G. Cano Legislative Internship was created in memory of Paul G. Cano, who was ASCP's first director of government affairs. ASCP is seeking candidates for the 2009 position. The application deadline is March 1, 2009.
The internship focuses on pharmacy, long-term care, and other current health care issues being considered by federal and state legislative and regulatory bodies. Through this program, the intern will participate in all activities which involve the Society's policy and advocacy department, as well as activities with other students.
To qualify for the internship, applicants must be a current pharmacy student enrolled in an accredited school of pharmacy. Applicants should have a strong interest in legislative and regulatory affairs. Preference is given to those applicants who have actively participated in one or more professional associations and who possess excellent organizational, written, and oral communication skills.
For information on the application procedure, visit: http://www.ascp.com/student/canointernship.cfm
Letters of Interest for Executive Residency Due January 31
The one-year ASCP Executive Residency commences in June or early July, and offers a unique opportunity for a pharmacy graduate to gain experience and pursue a career in association management with a focus on geriatric pharmacy practice. Interested? If so, send a letter of interest no later than January 31, 2009, to: ASCP Executive Resident Search, Ugo Nwachukwu, PharmD, 2008–2009 Executive Resident, 1321 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For more information and application materials, visit: http://www.ascp.com/student/resident/execresident.cfm
Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy
Be a Board-Certified Geriatric Pharmacist; Register By October 31
At a time when national attention is turning to the nation's inadequate supply of health care professionals trained in geriatrics, now is an optimal time to demonstrate your expertise.
Register by October 31, 2008 to take the Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (CGP) exam by November 30, 2008. The CGP exam is practice-based, clinically relevant, psychometrically sound, and legally defensible. To register to take the exam, click here.
Reception To Be Held at Annual Meeting
All Certified Geriatric Pharmacists: Be sure to attend the Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy's annual meeting reception on November 19 at Senior Care Pharmacy '08 in New Orleans.
ASCP Foundation
Responding to 1.5 Million Medication Error Injuries
Medication errors injure 1.5 million people a year and cost in excess of $3.5 billion, a report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued this summer noted. The release of the report presented an opportunity for Tom Clark, ASCP Foundation director of clinical affairs, to underscore the need for solid consumer and caregiver information about medication use in the geriatric population.
“The ASCP Foundation is developing a consumer-oriented Web site for the Center for Medicines & Healthy Aging that will address a number of the issues outlined in the IOM report,” Clark said.
Recommendations from the IOM report include the following:
- Providers should take definitive action to educate patients (or their surrogates) about the safe and effective use of medications. They should provide information about side effects, contraindications, and how to handle adverse reactions, as well as where to obtain additional objective, high-quality information.
The ASCP Foundation will launch its Center for Medicines & Healthy Aging (CMHA) Web site later this fall.
- Patients (or their surrogates) should maintain an active list of all prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and dietary supplements they are taking; the reasons for taking them; and any known drug allergies.
The ASCP Foundation has a convenient medication record form on its Adult Meducation Web site and will include one on the CMHA site as well.
In addition to addressing specific health conditions that affect older adults, the CMHA Web site will focus on medication nonadherence, adverse drug effects, and geriatric syndromes.
The full IOM report, Preventing Medication Errors: Quality Chasm Series, is available online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11623.
Reserve Tickets Now for 'The Big Easy Bayou Bash'
Take a trip inside Mardi Gras with the ASCP Foundation on Thursday, November 20. The Foundation’s fundraising event at Senior Care Pharmacy '08, ASCP's 39th Annual Meeting and Exhibition, will be at the renowned Mardi Gras World, the studio where Mardi Gras floats are created. The Foundation’s dinner dance is always a highlight of the annual meeting, and this year it will take on the flavor and history of New Orleans’ most famous annual event.
Revel in the amazing maze of props and floats. Be photographed with the giant sculptures of King Kong, Rhett Butler, and Marilyn Monroe. Enjoy the region’s fabulous food and hospitality… and, of course, the distinctive sounds of New Orleans music.
“The Big Easy Bayou Bash” is certain to be the Foundation’s most memorable event ever. Tickets are $275 each, a portion of which is a tax-deductible donation to the ASCP Foundation. To reserve your seats, visit https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/AmericanSocietyofConsultant/OnlinePurchase.html or call 703-739-1316, extension 144.
“Let the good times roll!”
Items Sought for 2008 Healthy Aging Auction
The ASCP Foundation invites you to be an important participant in its 2008 Healthy Aging Auction. The auction will benefit the Center for Medicines & Healthy Aging (CMHA), the Foundation’s new consumer initiative to provide authoritative information about medication use for older adults and their caregivers.
For many years, the Foundation has conducted an auction of original works of art created by talented senior artists and featured on the cover of ASCP’s journal The Consultant Pharmacist. Last year’s auction included additional items donated by ASCP members, including their own artwork, and we intend to do that again this year.
The Foundation is seeking the following types of items for the auction:
- Travel (hotel stays, airline miles, cruise tickets, timeshares, etc.)
- Entertainment (sporting events, concerts, theater, book sets, movies, etc.)
- Wining and Dining (restaurant gift cards, bottles of wine, gift baskets, etc.)
- Leisure (spa packages, hot air balloon rides, city tour passes, etc.)
- Recreation (sports equipment, gym memberships, department store certificates, etc.)
- Electronics (digital audio players, portable DVD players, gaming systems, etc.)
- Arts & Crafts (paintings, photographs, pottery, jewelry, quilts, etc.)
If you are interested in donating something to be included in the auction, contact us at info@ascpfoundation.org.
Win Fabulous Vacation Prizes in the 2008 Raffle
Need to get away from it all? Who doesn’t! Here’s your chance . . . .
Win one of the following vacations in the 2008 ASCP 
Foundation Raffle:
- Four days on a Royal Caribbean cruise departing from Florida or California, including roundtrip airfare for two.
- One week on Singer Island, Florida, in a two-bedroom beachfront condominium.
- One week in Williamsburg, Virginia, in a two-bedroom condominium close to Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Jamestown, and Busch Gardens amusement park.
Tickets are a bargain at $25 each or 5 for $100. To purchase tickets, click here or call 703-739-1316, extension 144.
The drawing will be held in November at the annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ticket holders do not need to be present to win.