Get Set for a Busy Conference Season

As I write this, subtle hints of autumn are starting to appear here in New Jersey.

The mornings feel a bit crisper. The leaves on some of the trees are starting to change from green to their more vibrant fall hues. And everything you see at the store, maybe even your own pharmacy, is now pumpkin spiced for the foreseeable future.

For most of you and for us here at MJH Life Sciences™, this time of year means conference season. Kicking off in late August with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Total Store Expo (NACDS TSE) and culminating with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midwinter Meeting in December, this time of year provides several great opportunities to network with peers and stay up to date on the latest industry research. For those unable to attend these meetings in person, Pharmacy Times^®’ content team will be on site to provide live coverage on our website, pharmacytimes.com.

At the 2019 NACDS TSE in Boston, NACDS Chief Executive and President Steven Anderson, IOM, CAE, addressed some of the issues that pharmacists and the NACDS are working to address, notably direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees and the ongoing opioid epidemic.

“It is imperative that we continue to emphasize pharmacy’s work as part of the solution to the opioid abuse epidemic,” he said at the meeting, noting that pharmacists can provide drug disposal solutions and patient education.

Anderson also discussed recommendations from the NACDS that target opioid abuse, including drug disposal legislation, electronic prescribing regulations, health plan designs, prescription drug monitoring plans, supply limits for acute pain care, and specific pain management legislation and plans, a central topic of this month’s Pharmacy Times^® issue.

Also, in the weeks ahead, pharmacists will make their way to the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) 2019 Annual Conference, scheduled for October 26-29 in San Diego, California. In this issue, we are commemorating our finalists in the Next-Generation Pharmacist^® Awards program, which recognizes exceptional pharmacists, pharmacy students, and technicians who have gone above and beyond in caring for patients and advancing the profession. The award ceremony, which will be held October 25 in San Diego, leading up to the annual NCPA convention, recognizes future leaders, innovators, and pioneers in the pharmacy industry. Since 2010, the awards program, which is held with Parata Systems, the industry’s most comprehensive pharmacy technology solutions provider, has generated more than 3000 peer nominations across all 50 states and honored nearly 300 pharmacy leaders.

With so many great opportunities to learn and network, take the time to consider attending a pharmacy conference this fall. Not only do these conferences provide a great opportunity for education, they may also provide some great sightseeing opportunities during leisure time. Go register, and enjoy the season ahead.

Mike Hennessy, Sr, Chairman and CEO