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!

Public Policy is in the Air

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!