The Ball is Still Rolling...

I walked into MPhA offices just in time for some great news one day last week; the office for the Governor's health care reform task force wanted to meet with MPhA to gather our input on the pending health care reform. 

This triggered a whirlwind of activity for the association over the next week and from here on out.  I was fortunate to sit in on meetings regarding payment reform and healthcare integration workgroups (a sub committee of the task force), as well as a task force meeting.   I also was able to witness Dean Speedie's testimony to the workforce task group at the Minnesota Department of health.  One amazing thing coming out of those meetings was the testimony of several other organizations claiming an increased need for PharmD graduates to fill in important roles on primary care teams across the state.

Legislator meetings are coming along swiftly and I have even been given my "credentials" to conduct some by myself when schedules conflict.  I am highly anticipating the introduction of our bill in both the House and Senate in the very near future. 

We also had a very productive Public Affairs Committee meeting this week at MPhA, with a great sharing of knowledge about all things advocacy related.  Remember - its not too late to sign up for Legislative Day, Feb. 21st.  Never underestimate the power of some face time with your elected officials.  

Things Are Starting to Heat Up

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.

Zach Marty