Interested Candidates for MN BOP

The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy has one pharmacist opening. Pharmacists interested in being appointed to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy who would like endorsement by MPhA and MSHP, need to submit the following information as soon as possible:

• A brief statement of your interest and qualifications along with a request for support
• A copy of your CV
• The application for open appointments that is available on the Secretary of State's web site required for state appointments, and forward a copy of it to us. The link to the application is as follows: http://www.sos.state.mn.us/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8637

Information may be faxed to (651) 697-1776, or emailed to Julie Johnson, MPhA, at julie@mpha.org.

The following are the state's requirements for membership on the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy:

• Be actively engaged in the practice of pharmacy in Minnesota
• Have had at least five consecutive years of practical experience as a pharmacist immediately preceding appointment.

Board members are appointed by the governor who, in making appointments, will attempt to select members to ensure the board composition reflects the geography of the state and reflect the broad mix of practice types of pharmacists practicing in Minnesota. Minnesota Pharmacists Association and the Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists may jointly recommend to the governor five names for each pharmacist to be appointed. Please refer to the language from MN Pharmacy Law § 151.02-151.04 for further clarification.

MPhA and MSHP will review all requests for support, and make a recommendation to the Boards of Directors of the organizations. The final recommendation will be submitted to the Governor's office by March 15, 2010. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Johnson at the MPhA office.

At the Capitol

MPhA Legislative Day on Tuesday went great. As people came to the morning session we handed them a name badge, a card reminding them of their appointments and a folder with two sets of issue briefs to pass along to their legislators. Of the 50 or so meetings I set up only a handful needed to be changed. That morning the Senate called a floor session. This made it more difficult for some senators to meet although many did so outside the Senate chamber. In the State Office Building I spoke with attendees about their meetings. Many were pleased with the experience and were able to tie legislators’ experiences to some of the issues MPhA brought forth.

Meeting with my representative went great, I had the full 15 minute block and she was very receptive to both the pharmaceutical waste and Medicaid reimbursement issues. Although I only meet with my senator for 5 minutes outside the Senate chamber, she too gave me her full attention and was easy to talk with. All in all I estimate we had somewhere around 70-75 interactions with legislators that day. After coordinating those appointments I have a newfound respect for the time management juggle legislators must do. They are obviously busy people but enjoy meeting with constituents whenever possible.