TPA Participates in NASPA/NACDS Conferences

TPA Board Member Adam Chesler (second from left) participates in a panel discussion with state executives from Iowa, Nebraska, and California. The panel was moderated by TPA CEO Debbie Garza.

Texas Pharmacy Association CEO Debbie Garza met with her counterparts from around the country at the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations’ 2018 Summer Meeting in Denver, August 25-26. The meeting was held in conjunction with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Total Store Expo.

NACDS provided a government affairs overview of its legislative priorities and successes at the federal and state level. Policy staff from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) attended the meeting and presented a panel about PBM legislation and another panel involving medical cannabis in state legislation and the role of pharmacy.

Among the highlights, TPA Treasurer-elect Adam Chesler (a NASPA associate member through Cardinal Health) participated in a panel discussion titled Technicians, Telepharmacy and More: The Future of Community Pharmacy Practice. Chesler and others discussed how pharmacy practice models are evolving to use pharmacy staff and technology in new ways.

“It’s always a treat to meet with my peers from other states to share ideas and best practices,” Garza said. “It’s easy to get caught up in the issues in your own state, so it’s good to learn how other states have handled them.”