Tuesday, August 28, 2012

A Report from the Capitol

Happy Friday MPhA! I’m writing to you from the rotunda of the Minnesota State Capitol Building, where a Special Legislative Session was just adjourned.  As you may or may not know, Governor Mark Dayton recently approved this special session in order to address the disaster relief needs of those affected by this summer’s Northland storms and flooding.

Although I’ve watched legislative sessions on television before (I do watch other things as well, I promise), this was the first time I had attended a live session at the MN State Legislature.  

The session I attended was the Senate session starting at two 'clock in the afternoon.  Shortly after the session started, a half-hour break was called during which we waited for the results of the House session on the Disaster Relief Bill.  When the Senate reconvened, it was announced that the House had approved the bill, which provides about 167.5 million dollars to communities affected by this summer’s natural disaster.  Among the many provisions in the bill was financial aid for transportation systems, displaced families, as well as  “Quick Start” program to help makes homes severely affected by the disaster livable again.  After several readings of the bill and testimonials, the bill also passed the Senate after a 60-7 vote.

I am so glad that I had the chance to observe this session during my rotation with MPhA.  Not only did I appreciate the opportunity to witness the proceedings of a Senate session from start to finish, but I also had a lot of fun watching the different legislators from atop the Senate gallery, including my own senator from Falcon Heights.  As I watched them whispering to and catching up with their friends, and being asked to quiet down several times by the Senate president, I couldn’t help being reminded of a classroom of eager young kids, or for that matter, a classroom of eager young pharmacy students!  

Another great experience that I had today was the opportunity to go to the Upsher-Smith Headquarters in Maple Grove, MN, in order to attend the MPhA Board of Directors Retreat and Orientation.  I not only got to learn more about the role of the Board of Directors at this meeting, and participate in a fun painting activity planned by MPhA’s new president Martin Erickson, but I also got to learn about our hosts as well.  The folks at Upsher-Smith were very gracious, and a few of the pharmacists working for the company, which was actually founded by a pharmacist back in 1919, even joined us for lunch. 

Oh, how the time flies! I am sad to say that I only have one more week remaining in this rotation, but I am looking forward to a great last week with MPhA!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Public Policy is in the Air

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August Greetings MPhA! 

I hope you are all savoring the end of summer and looking forward to the start of the Great MN Get-Together tomorrow! (Assuming that you are into the deep-fried fun and endless people/animal watching…I have yet to meet very many Minnesotans that aren’t!). Anyhow, it’s hard to believe that I have already been on rotation with MPhA for three-and-a-half weeks! 

Over the past few weeks I’ve been lucky enough to participate in several interesting meetings and conference calls with MPhA Executive VP Julie Johnson.  My favorite thus far has been the Quarterly Public Policy Pace/McKesson Call.  During this call, representatives of McKesson’s Public Policy team spoke with pharmacy association leaders from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and of course, Minnesota! The purpose of the meeting was three-fold:  (1) It allowed us at MPhA (and the other pharmacy associations) to hear from one of McKesson’s regional Public Policy Team Directors on state and national legislative issues that directly affect pharmacy (2) It allowed McKesson to hear about the policy work being done by the various pharmacy associations, and (3) It allowed the associations to share with each other policy updates, success stories, and challenges being faced in their respective states.  McKesson, being the largest pharmaceutical distributor in North America, as well as a significant provider of Health IT services, is often involved in the similar policy-related efforts as the pharmacy associations.  Communicating with their policy leaders can often strengthen the efforts of the pharmacy associations, and provide useful insight for policy development and legislative advocacy on behalf of the profession.

You may be wondering, what were some of the policy issues discussed at the meeting? One of the big topics was the expansion of Medicaid services, and the development of insurance exchanges and information exchanges under the PPACA.  It was interesting to hear how different states are handling these issues, and how for the most part, many are waiting to see what happens this November at the polls before moving forward on these issues.  I am very curious to see how pharmacy can be involved particularly in the information exchanges, as I believe health care providers everywhere, including pharmacists in all practice sites, need better access to patients’ comprehensive medical histories in order to make the best therapy decisions. 

Did you know that in MN, Governor Dayton has put together a MN Health Reform Task Force to tackle these issues, as well as several Work Groups that have been meeting regularly for the past year?  These meetings are all open to the public.  If you are interested in learning more, take a look at this schedule: http://mn.gov/health-reform/images/Proposed-Meeting-Schedule-2012-07-31a.pdf.  I’m looking forward to the Access meeting in St. Paul next week!

On another policy-related note, did you know that the MN State Legislature might be meeting for a special session this Friday?  If the Governor approves the special session, I’ll be attending with MPhA’s state capitol representative Matt Lemke, and I’ll make sure to tell you all about it!

Monday, August 13, 2012

Why I Chose This Rotation

Hello again MPhA! This is Nada Abou-Karam, soon-to-be-pharmacist on rotation with MPhA’s Julie Johnson. I’ve just completed my second week of rotation and I am learning so much about MPhA, and gaining more and more appreciation for this amazing association. In my last blog post I told you about my background, and now I’d like to share with you a little bit about why I’m on this rotation, and discuss one of my favorite topics: leadership!

As you may or may not know, the College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota offers students the opportunity to graduate with emphasis in the area of leadership. At the end of my first year in the PharmD program I decided to pursue the LEA (Leadership Emphasis Area), because I was convinced that not only did I want to help lead positive change in pharmacy, but that I wanted to develop personal leadership skills as well.  After the many discussions and activities I have had surrounding leadership, and as I continue to learn more about this vast topic, I am convinced that leadership is not something for a select few, but something that everyone should try to pursue!

What does the LEA entail, you might ask? In brief (well sort of): two Leading Change in Pharmacy courses, one management course, one Leading Change Project, one Leadership Portfolio course, four leadership books, one research project relating to leadership, and one fourth-year rotation with a focus on leadership in pharmacy.  If this sounds like a lot, it is. However, it has been absolutely worth it, as I am learning a great deal about myself on this journey, and about my strengths and ability to lead positive change. 

When I was asked to choose my preference for a leadership rotation, choosing MPhA was a no brainer. What better way is there to lead change than through MPhA’s principal activities, policy development and legislative advocacy? 

What are your opinions on leadership? Do you want to improve as a leader? Here is some food for thought:

Is management the same as leadership? What is non-positional leadership? Are there “dangers” associated with leading? 

See you next time!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

MPhA Welcomes Nada Abou-Karam

Hello MPhA blog followers! My name is Nada Abou-Karam and I am a fourth-year pharmacy student at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. I am currently on a 5-week Leadership rotation with MPhA’s Executive Vice President Julie Johnson. During this rotation I will be learning all about MPhA and what it takes to run this great association, and each week I’ll use this blog to update you about my experiences. I’ll start by telling you a little about myself.

I was born and raised in the Twin Cities and currently live with my family in Falcon Heights, MN. I am the middle child in a family of three children, and I have one younger brother and one older sister. I am a second-generation American; my parents were both born in Alexandria, Egypt (a gorgeous port city on the Mediterranean Sea) and came to MN in the 1980s. My family still visits Egypt every few years to vacation and spend time with relatives. I actually just spent a wonderful 3 weeks there this past July! My hometown, however, is our beautiful state capitol of St. Paul. In middle school my family moved to Roseville, MN, and I attended Roseville Area High School. I then attended the University of Minnesota for my undergraduate coursework, and started at the UMN College of Pharmacy in 2009.

When I’m not studying, working as a Medication Reconciliation Pharmacy Intern, or doing something for the many great pharmacy student organizations I have been lucky enough to be a part of, I enjoy reading for pleasure (especially short stories and historical fiction), running, and playing/watching basketball. I also enjoy keeping up with local and international news, and you can often find me holding a newspaper or scrolling through my Twitter feed to find the latest news update.

Well, now that I’ve told you a little about myself, I’ll share with you my favorite experience thus far on my MPhA rotation. Although I’ve attended several interesting meetings with Julie this week, and gained insight into the structure of MPhA and the many of the services offered to MPhA members, my favorite experience was actually a talk I had with Julie just yesterday, when I got to learn about the amazing history of the association. Did you know that MPhA has been around since 1883?!? The idea for the organization started with a group of 12 Minnesota druggists who wanted an association to promote pharmacy, and to begin to frame pharmacy law. This was before the development of the Board of Pharmacy and the College of Pharmacy! The history-lover in me was fascinated by what I learned, and now I’m reading A Century of Service and Leadership: The History of the Minnesota Pharmacists Association. Check it out if you get a chance, and check out my next blog as well!

Nada Abou-karam
University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
Pharm. D. Class of 2013