What You Need to Know About the NABP Annual Meeting

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) will be holding its 113th Annual Meeting in Orlando from May 20-23. The meeting will offer attendees the opportunity to earn up to 6.5 contact hours (0.65 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credits.

The theme for this year’s meeting is “Explore, Discover, Act - Imagineering the Future of Pharmacy Regulation.” CPE activities have been designed to address current issues affecting the regulation of pharmacy practice.

On Saturday, May 20, discussions will center on expanded scopes of practice for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. “Expanded Scopes of Practice − No More Mickey Mousing” will discuss and analyze specific responsibilities for the pharmacist and tech in a changed scope of practice setting. It will also address the question, “Should regulations allow for both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to expand their scopes of practice to their fullest capacities without listing allowed and prohibited activities?”

Related article: Prescribing Rights: Worth it?

Sunday, May 21, will include the annual Educational Poster Session, “Imagineering for the Protection of Public Health,” which will feature various poster displays, presented by boards of pharmacy and schools of pharmacy, related to creating models of new pharmacy practices in furtherance of protecting the public health. There will also be a joint CPE session “Specialty Pharmacy - The Future of Pharmacist Care?” in which participants will learn from industry experts how the practice of specialty pharmacy began, the current landscape, and what the future holds.

On Monday, May 22, a presentation will center on telepharmacy and feature various prototype telepharmacy practices currently under review in many states. These prototypes address various practice settings, and boards are tasked with determining whether patient needs can be adequately met while the public is protected. Regulators of health-care providers will provide participants with an in-depth discussion comparing the practice of telehealth with the practice of telepharmacy.

Disussions of issues surrounding naloxone will take place on Tuesday, May 23. Many states have enacted prescribing authority or protocols for pharmacists to prescribe and dispense naloxone without a prescription to those at risk for an opioid overdose and/or those in a position to assist those at risk of an overdose. During “Naloxone and Beyond: Can Expanded Scopes Impact the Opioid Epidemic?” a specialist in opioid use disorder, a board of pharmacy representative, and a pharmacist will share this expanded scope of pharmacist practice can help curb this national epidemic.

Related article: Pharmacists and Patients Worry About Naloxone Dispensing

Tuesday will also include a presentation on the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) General Chapter <800> Hazardous Drugs-Handling in Healthcare Settings. The presentation will ask, are pharmacy board compliance officers prepared to inspect for these new standards? In “USP <800> Hazardous Drugs: It’s a Small, Dangerous World,” experts in this field will provide attendees with valuable information concerning relevant provisions to ensure compliance with this new standard.

More information about these CPE programs, along with details about the 113th Annual Meeting events and online registration, is available at www.NABPAnnualMeeting.pharmacy.