School of Pharmacy conference to address pharmacy practice transformation

By Cynthia McMullen

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy will host “Pharmacy Practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia: The Practice Transformation Conference,” bringing together experts in progressive pharmacy practice from across North America.

The conference will take place Thursday, June 2, at the Hilton Garden Inn, 501 E. Broad St., in Richmond.

The daylong conference is designed to provide a forum for discussion among practice leaders, student pharmacists and faculty. Objectives include identifying key elements for integrating innovative and sustainable pharmacy practice models in various Virginia health care settings and developing a consensus regarding priorities among the opportunities Virginia pharmacists should pursue to advance pharmacist services.

Gary Matzke, Pharm. D., associate dean for clinical research and public policy in the VCU School of Pharmacy, will deliver the keynote address, “Health Care Reform: Implications and Opportunities for Pharmacists.”

In addition to focusing on recent health care reforms at the national and state level, conference speakers and attendees will consider the many opportunities the pharmacy profession now has to become more engaged in improving access and quality of health care – with an emphasis on medication-related health outcomes – as well as reducing health care costs. 

“In this new era, pharmacists’ roles and societal responsibilities as members of community and institutional health care teams challenge the profession to determine how the pharmacist practice model of care can be optimized to improve patient health outcomes,” said Matzke.

To that end, three plenaries will be offered: Lisa Dolovich, research director and associate professor for McMaster University’s Department of Family Medicine, on “The Future of Chronic Care Pharmacy;” William Zellmer, consultant and VCU School of Pharmacy clinical professor, on “The Future of Acute Care Pharmacy;” and Brian Isetts, professor at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, on “The Future of Payment Reforms.”

Janet Silvester, director of pharmacy and emergency services at Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, will introduce the conference and co-moderate along with John Beckner, regional pharmacy manager at Martin’s Food Markets in Richmond. 

Small group discussions will yield recommendations for possible new care-delivery models and strategies to address issues that impact opportunities to expand pharmacists’ roles. VCU School of Pharmacy Dean Victor Yanchick also will lead a conference wrap-up, “Next Steps for Pharmacists in Virginia.”