Meeting Preview: APhA 2022

Among the highlights of the American Pharmacists Association’s (APhA) first in-person annual meeting in 3 years is the focus on fair and equal treatment of all genders, the organization’s code of ethics, reimbursement for pharmacy services, and digital health.

APhA is proceeding with its meeting—which also offers virtual sessions—in San Antonio, Texas, out of “contractual obligations”; the organization “in no way condones the state [of Texas] for its stance on specific issues, especially women’s reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights,” Rafael Saenz, APhA chief of staff, told Drug Topics®.

“In fact, we are going into the state with a firm vaccine requirement, despite the state’s widely known ban on vaccine mandates,” Saenz said, adding that the organization is approaching the live event very cautiously.

The organization also released a statement1reaffirming its support for pharmacists and their ability to serve all patients which reads:

“As we prepare to travel to San Antonio, Texas for our first in-person meeting together in 3 years, we want to reaffirm our support for pharmacists and our oath which calls us to serve all patients, no matter their race, creed, or identity. The Pharmacist’s Code of Ethics has multiple statements that note ‘pharmacists promote the good of every patient, protect the dignity of the patient, and respect personal and cultural differences among patients,’” the statement noted.

“Further, APhA does not support any discriminatory practices, policies, behavior, or work conditions that impair the professional judgement of pharmacists and compromise their dedication to the best interests of all patients. This includes any policy designed to halt the provision of competent care to transgender patients.”¹

Conference Highlights: What to Watch For

APhA’s Opening General Sessions, held on Saturday, March 19 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, “will be showcasing innovations in practice and what is possible when pharmacists are reimbursed for cognitive services,” Saenz said.

Opening General Session speakers Nnodum Iheme, RPh and Emmanuel Ayanjoke, PharmD, MBA, “are making a major impact on their community by taking time to care for their patients, and are getting paid for their amazing work,” according to the APhA meeting web site.²

Nick Trego, associate vice president of CareSource, a Medicaid payer, will discuss how the organization’s investments in pharmacy are producing improvements in health outcomes and decreased costs for covered patients.

During the Second General Session, held Sunday, March 20 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, Mick Ebeling, founder and CEO of Not Impossible Labs, will “share the secret recipe he used to help a paralyzed artist create art again and to reimagine, redefine, and reinvent how prosthetic limbs are made,” APhA said.²

“Whether it’s getting vaccines to people around the world, or helping hungry people in America access food, Ebeling’s work is solving real-world challenges by stepping back and looking at problems with fresh eyes to find new solutions. You’ll leave inspired, challenged, and maybe even with some new ideas about how you can tackle the impossible,” APhA added.²

Don’t miss Drug Topics® coverage of APhA, beginning this Friday, March 18.

References

1. APhA reaffirms its support for pharmacists and their ability to serve all patients. News release. American Pharmacists Association. March 14, 2022. Accessed March 14, 2022. https://www.pharmacist.com/APhA-Press-Releases/apha-reaffirms-its-support-for-pharmacists-and-their-ability-to-serve-all-patients
2. General sessions. American Pharmacists Association. Accessed March 14, 2022. https://aphameeting.pharmacist.com/aaStatic.asp?SFP=UU1RQURGR0RAMTA3Mzk