2022 SPRING NEWSLETTER

CONTENT OUTLINE

● President’s Message

● Recent Action of the Board

○ Pharmacy Legislative Day at Capitol Hill

● Recent News

○ ASHP Pharmacy Forecast

● Local Utah Health-Systems Residency Programs

● USHP Mid-Winter Meeting

● Membership Update

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Happy Spring from USHP!

I'm in surprisingly good company for someone living in the middle of nowhere. Utah ranks in the bottom 10 for population density in the United States, so small hospitals such as mine actually dot the map throughout Utah. In fact, out of the 63 hospitals in the State, 23 of them exist outside of the large metropolitan areas to serve rural communities! Since I've joined USHP, I'm grateful for USHP as an organization that represents all health systems and hospitals throughout Utah (large and small) and helps me stay connected to Pharmacists 400 miles away that I can learn from to improve care for patients in my community.

At USHP, we continue to grow and evolve to meet the current needs in Utah. Last year, due to the pandemic, we got the opportunity to reimagine the Midwinter Meeting Series. With USHP already offering three robust CE events each year, we focused more on advocacy and networking efforts. We are excited to continue that effort again this year! Our Advocacy Committee does an incredible job of updating our Bill Tracker throughout the legislative session, so you know what Bills are affecting pharmacy practice. USHP provides links to the bill itself, details of the bill to inform of its impact, and a position on whether we support, oppose, or are neutral. Please utilize this valuable information to speak to your legislators!

We also wanted a forum for Pharmacy Directors to collaborate, so we have a Pharmacy Directors Network Meeting on Thursday, February 24th at 2 pm via Zoom. If you're a Pharmacy Director, please join us to meet fellow Pharmacy Directors, stay informed on what's happening throughout Utah, and discuss ideas to improve patient care. We'll also have a guest speaker from our Advocacy Committee educate us on all the pharmacy-related Bills in the current legislative session. Don't miss out!

We've got a lot happening over the next few months and a lot of benefits coming your way. See you all at the next event!

RECENT ACTION FROM THE BOARD

Pharmacy Legislative Day at Capitol Hill Recap

On February 9th, 2022, the University of Utah College of Pharmacy and Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy participated in poster presentations for the Pharmacy Legislative Day at Utah State Capitol Hill. Each year, the event is jointly sponsored by USHP and the Utah Pharmacists Association (UPhA), where pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy students are gathered to showcase their pharmacy professionals' services to our state legislators.

During each legislative session, we have 18 student posters (9 per school) showing the impact of pharmacy. Many of the poster topics revolved around this year's theme, "Rediscovering Pharmacy in Utah," which includes pharmacist's role in pharmacogenomics, antibiotic stewardship, LGBTQ Healthcare, medication costs, Prophylactic HIV PrEP Therapy, and much more! In addition, pharmacy students performed a variety of health screenings such as blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and pulmonary function tests.

With the current legislative session, our goal is to continue advocating for our profession in the state of Utah and to develop a positive relationship with our community leaders.

RECENT NEWS

The 2022 ASHP Pharmacy Forecast was released in the January 2022 edition of AJHP with the themes of value, access, disparity, equity, resilience, agility, and preparedness. ASHP surveyed a variety of pharmacists in different roles from all over the United States with their opinion on where they would like to see the pharmacy profession moving in the next 5 years.

Some highlights of the survey:

1. Value - When asked if CMS would recognize pharmacists as healthcare providers, 17% of respondents signaled “Very Likely,” while another 49% answered “Somewhat Likely.”

2. Access, disparities, and equity - When asked if payers will link value-based payments to improving health equity measures, a vast majority of respondents responded either “Very Likely” (19%) or “Somewhat Likely” (52%).

3. Agility and resilience - The opinion on the statement was split. “At least 50% of the health-systems will offer advanced care at home (e.g., hospital at home)”; 7% and 39% indicated that it was “Very Unlikely” or “Somewhat Unlikely” respectively, while 16% and 38% stated that it was “Very Likely” or “Somewhat Likely” respectively.

4. Workforce capability - A strong majority of respondents believe that at least 25% of routine pharmacy tasks linked to technology will be replaced by either artificial intelligence or digital health solutions (47% “Somewhat Likely” and 9% “Very Likely”).

5. Preparedness - While 73% of respondents indicated that it was “likely” that health systems would utilize advanced data analytics to address health disparities, just 48% of the same respondents indicated that they would be prepared to do so by 2026.

For even more insights into how the pharmacy profession continues to evolve, read the entire forecast in the January 2022 edition of AJHP, or read it online here.

LOCAL UTAH HEALTH-SYSTEMS RESIDENCY PROGRAMS

For a complete list of Utah Residencies see the USHP Website, https://www.ushp.org/utahresidencyprograms.

Presley Whetman, PharmD

PGY1 Resident at University of Utah

What has been the most rewarding part of your residency?

I would say the most rewarding thing is making an impact in patient lives and growing as a clinician. I went into residency wanting to become better for the patients I serve, and I can constantly see my clinical skills and critical thinking grow the further I get into residency.

What was the most important factor that made you choose your program?

The culture is hands down the reason for ranking the way I did. As a learner you want to feel like you can learn in a safe space, having a good culture means the program has invested in making that a reality. Preceptors, their dedication to learning and drive are only some of the things that make up culture.

What advice would you give to pharmacy students interested in pursuing residency?

Go for it! You never know if you don’t try and it’s easy to get discouraged if you don't get an interview or don't get in. The match process works in mysterious ways but trust in the work you have done and the time you have spent investing in yourself as a student/person. There is a right fit out there for you if you want it! (it may not always be your #1 or even #5). At the end of the day a good resident is a good resident at any program not just because they go to a specific program!

Carlie Wilke, PharmD

HSPAL 2nd year Resident at University of Utah

What has been the most rewarding part of your residency?

Meeting new people and making lifelong friendships - I have met so many people here in Utah that I know will be a part of my life forever. I am going to be a bridesmaid in one of my coresident's weddings this summer, I have regular puppy play dates with preceptors who also have dogs, we regularly do things together outside of work (hikes, dinner, bowling, rec kickball team, etc.)

What was the most important factor that made you choose your program?

Culture - a place that would challenge me but also support me through the challenges of residency.

What advice would you give to pharmacy students interested in pursuing residency?

Connect yourself with people who can help mentor you through the process of making yourself a competitive residency candidate and prepare you for the application process. It is beneficial to have people you can trust to provide you honest, constructive feedback on documents such as your CV and letters of intent (LOIs) as well as review your CV for opportunities for new experiences that may help you stand out as a candidate.

Regan LeeMaster, PharmD

PGY1 Resident at Utah Valley Hospital

What has been the most rewarding part of your residency?

There are so many rewarding things about residency, but two that stand out the most to me. I love the opportunity to learn a new specialized topic with each rotation and I love getting to help patients.

What was the most important factor that made you choose your program?

I wanted a residency program that would push to me grow and support me while doing so. When I interviewed with Utah Valley Hospital, I knew this was the place for me. The preceptors were so knowledgeable and willing to teach, and on top of that, I knew they wanted me to succeed. And even now I still feel excited to come to work every day. It boils down to trusting your gut. There are a lot of amazing residency programs, but you know better than anyone what you want out of a residency so the best thing you can do is trust your instincts.

What advice would you give to pharmacy students interested in pursuing residency?

Prepare as if you are going to do one! It is way harder trying to squeeze in a bunch of things to stack your CV instead of just slowly doing it over the course of pharmacy school. If you end up not doing a residency, then you’ve gained knowledge and experience in all the things you’ve done. Either way, it’s a win-win.

Brittany Harnicher, PharmD

PGY1 Resident at Intermountain Medical Center

What has been the most rewarding part of your residency?

The most rewarding aspect of residency has been the overall growth I have seen in my clinical knowledge and confidence, amongst other personal achievements. I am learning to be resilient, resourceful, and efficient.

What was the most important factor that made you choose your program?

I have a strong interest in critical care and emergency medicine, so I wanted to apply to a level 1 trauma center with multiple ICU rotations. I highly recommend ensuring you apply to programs with a good “fit,” meaning you feel comfortable with the people there and the culture created. A lot of times you can gauge this fit if you can participate in a rotation as a student, visit with the program at Midyear, or during an interview for residency.

What advice would you give to pharmacy students interested in pursuing residency?

First, residency is extremely competitive so if you are even remotely interested, it's important to be involved and to have work experience and participate in extracurricular activities. Residency is very challenging and is a constant process of learning and improvement, especially when learning how to manage a multitude of projects and deadlines. I personally did a lot in pharmacy school and loved being involved and knew that these experiences would help me to prove to residency programs that I could juggle a lot of projects and be a well-rounded person.

UPCOMING USHP EVENTS

Spring Resident Continuing Education (CE) Series

We will be hosting our resident CE series starting next month in spring. It will be held virtually via Zoom on March 14th, 15th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, and 24th. Please stay tuned for more information regarding our guest speaker, topics, and registration coming to you soon!

Pharmacy Directors Network Meeting

We are excited to introduce this new networking opportunity! We hope to connect fellow Pharmacy Directors to discuss ideas to improve patient care and stay informed on what’s happening throughout Utah. There will be a guest speaker from our Advocacy Committee to answer questions you may have about the current legislative session. Join us virtually through Zoom on Thursday, February 24^th from at 2PM.

Curriculum Vitae (CV) Review Night

Join us virtually on Tuesday, April 12th, from 6:30 - 8:00 PM for our 10th annual CV review night! Registration is free to our USHP members only. If interested in becoming a CV reviewer for our student pharmacists, please email Macheala Jacquez (Macheala.Jacquez@hsc.utah.edu). You will receive approximately 3-4 CVs one week prior to the event to allow enough time to review them. On the night of the event, reviewers will spend approximately 10 minutes in a virtual breakout room with each student to discuss recommendations and provide live feedback for improvement.

INTERESTED IN JOINING USHP?

We love to have you! If interested in serving on our committee boards: advocacy, communications, membership, program, or technician. Please visit our USHP website at https://ushp.wildapricot.org/committees to get in touch with our board liaison today and learn more about what we do! In addition, you’ll get great benefits in collaborating with our other amazing pharmacists and technicians. We also include FREE registration to our annual meetings, attendance at our board, committee retreats, and much more!

To learn more about your USHP membership status, go to our website at www.ushp.org and log into your account and check to see if your membership status is currently still active.

Thanks!

Newsletter Acknowledgement(s)

● Brian Bothwell, PharmD, BCPS (USHP President)

● Anastasia Blair, PharmD, BCCCP (USHP Communications Liaison)

● Erica Marini, PharmD, MS, BCPS (USHP Communication Committee)

● Alisyn May, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES (USHP Communication Committee)

● Miao Lai, USHP Intern (University of Utah College of Pharmacy)

● Payson Ashmead, USHP Intern (University of Utah College of Pharmacy)

● Lindsey Hannibal, USHP Intern (Roseman University College of Pharmacy)

Tentatively send out Spring Newsletter by February 14th.