Conference Preview: NCPA 2024 Annual Convention and Expo

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Annual Convention and Expo will kick off this Saturday, October 26 and run through Tuesday, October 29 in Columbus, Ohio. The theme of this year’s meeting is Growth. Performance. Success.

This year’s NCPA Annual Convention will take place October 26–29 in Columbus, Ohio.| Image Credit: Anton Gvozdikov - stock.adobe.com

Ahead of the meeting, Drug Topics sat down with Mark Garofoli, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, CPE, CTTS, for his insights into the upcoming meeting. Garofoli is the director of experiential learning and a clinical assistant professor at West Virginia University, and a clinical pain management pharmacist at the West Virginia University Integrative Pain Management Center.

“Our country is at a tipping point where a lot of healthcare and a lot of pharmacy-centric things are on the tips of the tongue for…the lay public,” Garafoli said, explaining that no matter what the topic—progressing community pharmacy, addressing insurers, or providing medications for opioid use disorder—pharmacy as a profession needs to “have our ducks in a row of how we are going forward.”

“There are always good sessions at NCPA, and quite frankly, there are good receptions and [other events], too,” Garofoli explained. “But…it’s what happens in the hallways—or maybe on the sidewalk if there’s nice weather. It’s the folks you want to talk to, the folks you might not have seen for a year or a few months. It’s those moments where you’re all in the same town, the same building, having conversations and catching up [while] sparking new professional relationships and networking.”

“I genuinely look forward to that at NCPA this year,” he added. “Not to sound like [it’s] an amusement park, but it’s the place to be.”

Check back tomorrow for the rest of our interview with Garofoli. Until then, take a look at some of the sessions that Drug Topics will be covering during this year’s convention.

Session Highlights

The Drug Topics team will be on site at the Greater Columbus Convention Center bringing readers the latest news and updates from NCPA’s business education sessions. Here are some sessions to watch for:

Saturday, October 26 at 8:30 and 9:45 AM

Inhale, Exhale, Immunize: Navigating the Latest in Respiratory Vaccines and Dose of Protection: Travel and Non-Respiratory Vaccine Update

In the first of 2 sessions led by David Ha, PharmD, attendees will learn about the latest updates in respiratory vaccines, as well as how to implement vaccination services, understand ACIP recommendations, and integrate respiratory vaccines into the pharmacy workflow. During the second session, Ha will focus on the latest updates in travel and non-respiratory vaccines.

Sunday, October 27 at 3:45 PM

Finish the Fight: Strategies for Getting PBM Reform Past the Finish Line

Along with Anne Cassity, JD, NCPA’s senior vice president of government affairs, and Jack Mozloom, NCPA’s senior vice president of public affairs, Carter High, PharmD, RPh, and Bil Schmidtknect share updates from NCPA’s Finish the Fight campaign, an effort to get pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform legislation across the goal line and into the endzone.

Monday, October 28 at 8:15 AM

It’s Okay to Dispense: Applying NCPA and NABP’s PhARM-OUD Guidelines to Improve Access to Buprenorphine in Your Pharmacy

Tyler Varisco, Kenneth Shatzkes, PhD, and Mark Garofoli, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, CPE, CTTS take the stage to take an in-depth look at recent policy and legal actions that have impacted buprenorphine access, while reviewing NCPA and National Association of Boards of Pharmacy recommendations around opioid use disorder practice guidelines, and how those guidelines can be applied in community pharmacies.

Tuesday, October 29 at 11:00 AM

The Ted Lasso Approach to Crafting Your Company’s Culture

Human Resources experts Brian Butcher, Esq, and Andrew Esposito, Esq, look to hit TV show Ted Lasso for lessons that pharmacy owners and managers can use to build a positive company culture within the pharmacy.

General Sessions

As always, don’t forget to check out the General Sessions. The First General Session, scheduled for Sunday, October 27, will feature comedy-juggling duo the Passing Zone, who will showcase the 3 cornerstones of success: innovation, collaboration, and execution.

The Second General Session, taking place Monday, October 28, features legislative panel that includes Anne Cassity, in conversation with Jim Flood and Scott Douglas of Crowell & Moring, who will discuss how the upcoming election might impact health care, pharmacy, and PBM reform.

Expo Hall

The Expo Hall will be open from Noon to 4:30 PM on Sunday, October 27 and from 12:30 PM to 5:00 PM Monday, October 28. Stop by Booth #1034 to meet the Drug Topics team, sign up for our eNewsletters, grab a copy of our latest issue, and take our readership survey, exclusive to NCPA attendees.

Click here to follow along with our NCPA conference coverage.

Coverage of the National Community Pharmacists Association 2024 Annual Convention and Expo was supported by Red Sail, with independent editorial content creation on-site by the Drug Topics team.