Texas Pharmacy Today - Texas Pharmacy Association

Exciting Association News –
TPA Closes on Purchase of New Headquarters!

On Wednesday, October 28, your Association finalized the purchase of an office condominium to be used as the organization’s headquarters.

Now, you and thousands of your member colleagues in Texas are proud owners of a new and permanent location as TPA continues a journey that began more than 136 years ago – a journey to protect and advance the profession of pharmacy. This truly is an exciting time!

Above: Joe DaSilva executes the Deed of Trust at Reliant Title on behalf of the Association

Our new address will be 3200 Steck Avenue, Suite 370, in northwest Austin. It is about 5,000 square feet and will provide meeting space, offices and monthly savings for the Association. Plans include a small museum to honor the practice of pharmacy. Your staff will move from its current location to the new offices in mid-December.

Much more to come . . . Congratulations!

Advocacy

Texas State Board of Pharmacy Quarterly Meeting Set for Nov. 3

As another post-session regulatory year heads to a close, the Texas State Board of Pharmacy will meet on November 3^rd in its last quarterly meeting of 2015. This Board meeting also represents the first meeting of the new Board. As you may remember, on October 6^th Governor Abbott announced three new members to the Board, Jennifer

“Jenny” Downing Yoakum, R.Ph., from Longview; Rebecca “Suzette” Tijerina, R.Ph., from San Antonio and consumer Isaac “Chip” Thornsburg. These members are replacing Ben Fry, R.Ph., from Harlingen; Joyce Tipton, R.Ph., MBA, FASHP, from Houston; and consumer Charles Wetherbee from Boerne.

The new members will join Board members with continuing terms to vote on 12 new rules, including a number set to address legislation passed during the 84^th Legislature. The majority of the rules up for final adoption have seen little or no change from the proposed rules laid out at the August 4^th meeting. A few of the key changes to highlight are:

Amendments to §§281.7 and 281.9 Concerning Grounds for Discipline – now includes members of the Board in addition to the employees of the Board.
New Rule §309.5 and Amendments to §§291.33, 291.34, 291.104, 309.- 309.4, and 309.6 - 309.8 Concerning House Bill 751 Interchangeable Biological Products – no longer specifically references the Orange Book, but now includes references to the “most recent edition or supplement of the United States Food and Drug Administration’s references (e.g., the Orange Book and Purple Book).”
New Rule §295.16 Concerning Administration of Epinephrine by a Pharmacist – addresses concerns raised by TPA in the proposed rules which appeared to have inadvertently limited the pharmacists ability to administer an epinephrine auto-injector.

For those interested in a complete analysis of the rules as proposed in August click Here.

We highly encourage each of you to take a quick look at the Board’s agenda set for November 3^rdby clicking Here. Check out the newly proposed rules, along with numerous other issues to be discussed.

As always TPA will be in attendance to observe and influence the discussions leading the Board’s actions. We will keep you updated.

CALL TO ACTION
On November 3, the TSBP will consider the adoption of a new time frame for transferring prescriptions between pharmacies to a maximum of four (4) hours.

AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION

Regarding Prescription Records Rule Numbers: §291.34 Statutory Authority: Texas Pharmacy Act, Chapter 551-569, Occupations Code: (1) Section 551.002 specifies that the purpose of the Act is to protect the public through the effective control and regulation of the practice of pharmacy; and (2) Section 554.051 gives the Board the authority to adopt rules for the proper administration and enforcement of the Act.

The amendments, if adopted, clarify that prescriptions must be transferred within four business hours; and update the rules regarding distributions to include dangerous drugs.

The Board reviewed and voted to propose the amendments during the August 4, 2015, meeting. The proposed amendments were published in the September 25, 2015, issue of the Texas Register at 40 TexReg 6522. Past Board member Ben Fry, R.Ph. had proposed the 4 hour transfer rule amendments.
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Please contact the Board to express your support of this proposed amendment. Send your message of support via email to gay.dodson@pharmacy.texas.gov by 5:00p.m. on Friday, October 30.

National News

Walgreens Boots Alliance Nears Deal to Buy Rite Aid

Pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance is close to a deal to buy Rite Aid, according to reports Tuesday.

The acquisition, which The Wall Street Journal said could be announced Wednesday, would combine two of the largest U.S. drugstore chains. Rite Aid shares soared after the news, closing Tuesday more than 40 percent higher.

Before the spike Tuesday, Rite Aid had a market capitalization of about $6.4 billion. The deal could value Rite Aid at about $10 billion, according to the Journal.
Read the full story here.

Hypertension Med Recalled

Boehringer Ingelheim is recalling more than 11,000 bottles of furosemide tablets, USP 20 mg, a drug used to treat hypertension and edema.

VDP Pharmacy Enrollment Application Available November 2
VDP temporarily stopped accepting applications from providers trying to enroll or change ownership September 25. The new application is expected to be available on the VDP website beginning Monday, November 2. All pharmacy providers that want to participate in VDP and in managed care networks must enroll with the revised application by January 15, 2016, to ensure they meet the federal enrollment deadline of March 24.

Applications for DUR Board Accepted Until November 20
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is seeking applications from individuals interested in serving on the Texas Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board. The board will be composed of 17 physicians and pharmacists who provide services across the entire population of Medicaid recipients and who represent different specialties. The board will also include, as nonvoting members, two representatives from managed care organizations – one physician and one pharmacist – and a consumer advocate who represents Medicaid recipients. The application and more information about the DUR board is online at the Vendor Drug Program website. All applications must be received by HHSC no later than close of business on Nov 20.

VDP Advisory: July 2015 P&T Committee PDL Decisions Available
The Texas Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic Committee met July 24, 2015, to make recommendations about which drugs and drug classes to include on the Medicaid Preferred Drug List (PDL). The approved list of decisions, and other meeting documents, is now available at the Vendor Drug Program website. Decisions from the July and November 2015 P&T meetings will be incorporated into the next release of the PDL, scheduled for January 2016. The October 2015 P&T Committee drug class review schedule is also available..

VDP Advisory: July 2015 DUR Board Clinical Edit Decisions Available
The Texas Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board met July 23, 2015, to make decisions regarding criteria for clinical prior authorization edits. Their list of decisions, and other meeting documents, is now available at the Vendor Drug Program website.

Date Changes For January 2016 DUR, P&T Meetings
The dates for the January 2016 Texas Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board and Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee meetings have changed:

Both meetings will take place in the public hearing room of the John H. Winters Building.

Association News– Important Deadline Approaching
Texas Pharmacy Association Accepting Nominations for Board of Directors

Interested candidates should submit the application indicating the office(s) or position(s) of interest along with a curriculum vitae or resume by November 20, 2015.

Association members also may nominate fellow members. When nominating someone, please confirm that the individual is interested in being nominated, will provide you with the necessary information and willing to go through the election process. The Nominating Committee will meet in Austin on December 10, 2015. Potential candidates may be invited to meet with the Committee during that time. Click Here for Nomination Form

Member Spotlight: Linda Stevens Albrecht,
Regional Director of Experiential Programs (UT Austin)
Linda Stevens Albrecht’s pharmacy career has led her from Rhode Island, the smallest state to Texas, the largest (contiguous) state in the country. She currently is a Regional Director for Experiential Programs for the University of Texas, teaches a technician

training program at Richland College in Dallas, and is also a consultant with Dembny Pharmacy Consultants.

Albrecht received her BS in Pharmacy from Auburn 1983, and soon started a residency.

“This was before the Pharm.D. program,” says Albrecht. “My last year was the first year that Auburn even offered a ‘post’ BS program. I tracked right into a residency at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, RI.

“I loved Rhode Island,” says Albrecht. “I met my husband Jon in pharmacy school and he was at Rhode Island Hospital and we got engaged.”

However, Jon was recruited as a nutritional support pharmacist at Methodist Dallas Hospital, which required moving to Dallas.

“I had accepted a job at Rhode Island Hospital, but had to turn it down,” said Albrecht. “We moved to Texas in September 1984.”

Once in Texas, Albrecht knew she didn’t necessarily want to work at a chain setting, and was more interested in an independent or hospital setting.

“I was looking at Dallas’ Parkland Health and Hospital System,” says Albrecht. “I walked into the door on a Friday and met a fellow named Toby Clark. He knew I had done a residency at Rhode Island Hospital, and told me I was hired. It was probably the best thing that ever happened to me!”

Albrecht went on to take a number of different roles at Parkland, building her experience along the way.

“Pharmacy practice in Texas hospitals was not what it is now. I got to do a lot of great things. The goal was to become Education Coordinator, which is what I wanted to do,” says Albrecht.

“As Education Coordinator, I was in charge of CE, and orienting new employees,” says Albrecht. “We had an in-house pharmacy technician training program, and we had a residency program, which I got going. I liked hospital pharmacy, because you worked closely not only with patients, but with physicians and nurses. Plus your job is varied—you don’t do the same thing every day.”

These days, Albrecht divides her time between UT, Richland College, and Dembny Pharmacy Consultants. As a consultant for ambulatory care, Albrecht has 14 centers that she visits on a weekly basis, making sure they are compliant, and that records are maintained.

At UT Austin, she’s in charge of students in the Dallas/Fort Worth area who are doing rotations.

“I currently oversee 17 students,” says Albrecht, “I am in charge of site placement and following up in the sites, making sure everything is going OK. I have three people who work under me at UT.”

At Richland College she teaches students of all ages. “I love to see those folks get a job and re-tool at an older age,” says Albrecht. “I love to see them get jobs in pharmacy. Some of the techs return to go to pharmacy school, and that’s really rewarding. I had one young lady whose entire family had been on welfare, and when she got a job, it was just great.”

Custom building her own career has allowed Albrecht to create a good work/life balance.

“I’m able to juggle it all,” she says. “It’s very flexible I get to do what I want to do, which is very rewarding. When Jon and I adopted three children, I needed that flexibility. It would have been a lot harder if I had stayed at Parkland or worked in a retail pharmacy.”

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