Burgess, Milenkovich elected to new posts; Plagakis ends a long run

Burgess elected to national post

Philip P. Burgess, MBA, DPh, RPh, has been elected to serve a three-year term on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), representing District 4, which comprises the boards of pharmacy of Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The governing body overseeing all of NABP’s operations, the NABP Executive Committee includes representatives of the eight NABP districts across the country.

“Public safety is always the overarching issue” of interest to the committee, Burgess, a member of Drug Topics’ editorial advisory board, told Drug Topics in an e-mail. He added, “High on the list this year has been sterile compounding, drug abuse, illicit websites (implementation of ‘.pharmacy’), and assisting member boards with inspections.”

Burgess has been a member of the Illinois State Board of Pharmacy since 2002 and is currently serving in his fifth term as chair of that board. He is a member of several Illinois State committees and has served several national pharmacy organizations as well.

Now president of Philip Burgess Consulting, LLC, in Chicago, Burgess spent more than 40 years with the Walgreen Company, serving in several capacities, and was the chain’s national director of pharmacy affairs for 10 years.

Milenkovich assumes new post - again

The law firm of Roetzel & Andress LPA recently announced that Ned Milenkovich, partner and practice group manager of Roetzel’s Health, Drug & Pharmacy Law group and featured legal columnist for Drug Topics, has been elected by the Illinois State Board of Pharmacy to serve as the board’s vice-chair, a position in which he has served twice before. Milenkovich will hold the position for a term of one year.

“I am looking forward to serving the board, as well as the public, in this capacity once again,” said Milenkovich. “The board’s role in setting standards for the professional conduct, discipline, and qualifications of pharmacist candidates and licensees in Illinois is an important one, and I expect to work with the chair and the rest of the Board’s members in maintaining the high standards of pharmacists in the state of Illinois.”

End of an era

Drug Topics’ gratitude and appreciation go to Jim Plagakis, whose column “JP at Large” has ended its 25-year run. His contributions to the magazine, his fellow pharmacists, and the profession of pharmacy are countless and ongoing. Along with his many fans, Drug Topics wishes him all the best, as well as a speedy recovery as he continues to convalesce after his recent surgeries. Loyal fans can continue to read his commentaries on his own blog, at www.jimplagakis.com.