Hello again, this is Zach Marty, your PharmD candidate from MPhA here to provide you with all kinds of exciting updates from the Capitol, MPhA HQ, the COP, and beyond.
Meetings with legislators have started to pick up as session is kicking into gear. As part of MPhA’s legislative team I was able to meet and educate 4 representatives on our proposed Pharmacy Audit Integrity Act last Thursday, and today we have met with 4 additional representatives and 1 senator regarding the Act. In addition, we have also been able to discuss with legislators the upcoming proposal for changing the wording for MN statute 152.11 (controlled substances) in order to be consistent with DEA guidelines released June 1, 2010, which allows for e-prescribing of controlled substances.
The most exciting thing was recently meeting with Senator Al Franken and his healthcare staff regarding concerns that many pharmacists have expressed over the pending merger between Express Scripts and Medco. Overall, the meeting went very well and I am looking forward to following Senator Franken’s actions regarding this very important federal issue.
Outside of the government affairs portion of my time, we had a successful MTM academy meeting which was very informative as providers across the area shared success stories and adaptations relating to the recent MTM audit. In addition, I was a proud participant of a productive professional affairs committee meeting, with extensive discussion surrounding one of my personal interests – accountable care organizations. I also was able to go back to “class” this week at the Twin Cities campus and promote Legislative Day to the Community Pharmacy Management class. Thank you to Dr. Schommer and Dr. Hadsall for that opportunity. I also had a great time helping facilitate transitions during the Midwinter Conference: Vascular Diseases: the Strategic Approach. We had a great turnout and I can say we all learned an immense amount that day, from each other and from the presenters. Thank you to all the speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, and participants for making the day such a success.
That’s all for now. It has been a busy week so far and I can’t wait for what is next! Until next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment