Announcements & Posts

Stay up to date and informed of the latest news and upcoming meetings. Make sure your email is updated so you don't miss out.

 

Summer Update
INITIAL POST SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

HPhA has signed on to support the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) Pharmacist’s Fundamental Responsibilities and Rights. These principles focus on pharmacist’s responsibilities and workplace expectations needed to fulfill those responsibilities. How can you use these principles in your work?

  • Perspective employers can review how their site supports pharmacists in these principles
  • Residency programs can lead discussions with perspective residents or with residents transitioning to their next position after residency.
  • Mentors can discuss the principles with mentees that are seeking career next steps.
  • Experiential education sites can leverage the principles for professional development discussions with students.

We have partnered with the West Virginia Pharmacists Association (WVPA) to provide our members discounted access to their highly attended Federal Compliance Summit that includes 3 hours of CE.

  • WVPA brought expert speakers from USP and Partnership for Safe Medicines to speak about USP795/797 and Drug Supply Chain Security Act compliance. You can now participate on-demand for CE credit and get the information you need to be compliant with the changes starting in November 2023. Upon purchase, you will be sent a password to access the videos on the WVCA website. You will have 30 days to view the videos and complete the assessment.
  • Total cost for HPhA Members will be $39.99 that includes a $20 discount compared to non-member pricing.

HPhA signed on to a letter from ASHP addressed to Senators Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell and Representatives McCarthy and Jeffries to support Authorization to Reimburse Physicians for E/M Services Provided by Pharmacists. In line with our legislation last year, HPhA supports the urge to Congress to provide a legislative fix clarifying the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) authority to reimburse physicians for complex evaluation and management (E/M) services provided by pharmacists on their care team. If you are interested in taking part in HPhA's Government Affairs efforts, please consider attending our 2024 planning meeting.

 

A message from our sponsor: The Partnership for Safe Medicines
INITIAL POST SEPTEMBER 28, 2023
A pharmacist in Texas emailed a number just like this to prime wholesaler and discovered the medicine he was holding was fraudulent and unsafe for his patients. Knowing how the Drug Supply Chain Security Act's (DSCSA) serialization works saves lives by stopping counterfeiters. Almost all medicine in the U.S. now has a unique serial number like the one above. As medicine moves through the supply chain, an electronic record is created that follows each container of medicine until a patient receives it. Pharmacists can use this information to accurately detect and remove suspect of illegitimate products. 
The Partnership for Safe Medicines has developed videos and free CE courses to teach pharmacists and pharmacy techs about the DSCSA. Learn how to use this number and about other DSCSA dispense requirements at: https://www.safemedicines.org/pharmacists.

 

 

Maui Disaster Pharmacy Relief Opportunities
INITIAL POST AUGUST 28, 2023
Over the past two weeks, HPhA has been in direct contact with the health chairs in both the House and Senate and has representation on the secondary response team for Maui relief alongside all major health plans and pharmacy chains. We will continue to help prepare for the long road ahead and engage membership with volunteer opportunities as they arise. Right now, pharmacy specific relief efforts are streamlined amongst a small amount of community pharmacies as housing on Maui is limited and there are limited daily medication distributions. However, the Department of Health is coordinating efforts for healthcare providers to support the West Maui Community. Volunteer Medical Services can be found at the bottom of this page.  HPhA would like to thank our national colleagues for their continued support over the past two weeks. Within 24 hours of the disaster, HPhA heard from The American Pharmacists Association, National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, Americans Society of Health System Pharmacists and The National Community Pharmacists Association. Specifically, if your pharmacy was affected by wildfires on the island of Maui, the NCPA Foundation can help. The NCPA Foundation Disaster Relief Grant, sponsored by the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, assists eligible community pharmacy owners with funds to help repair their pharmacy in the event of disaster, accidents, illness, or other adverse circumstances. Assistance is available to both NCPA member and nonmember independent pharmacies on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information contact the NCPA Foundation at [email protected] or 703-838-2653 or complete the grant application on the NCPA Foundation website.

 

A Win for Pharmacy - 2023 Legislative Session Conclusion
INITIAL POST MAY 8, 2023
On behalf of HPhA President, Corrie Sanders - SCR17 requesting a social and financial assessment of proposed mandatory health insurance coverage for services provided by pharmacists passed last Thursday! Hawai’i law prevented this initiative. Statute 23-51 states “before any legislative measure that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services, specific diseases, or certain providers of health care services as part of individual or group health insurance policies, can be considered, there shall be concurrent resolutions passed requesting the auditor to prepare and submit to the legislature a report that assesses both the social and financial effects of the proposed mandated coverage.” SB693 itself was modified to an audit as it traveled through the House, so SCR17 and SB693 became identical initiatives. We needed either SB693 or SCR17 to pass so that we can reintroduce payment for pharmacist services without any administrative barriers during the next legislative session. SB693 did not make it to conference. HPhA has been in direct communication with the Office of the Auditor that will be conducting the audit. We will also need to be a resource for both Insurance Commissioner Ito and state insurance organizations to ensure the audit provides meaningful and accurate information. We will continue to work closely with our national pharmacy association colleagues and state association presidents to provide the Office of the Auditor with meaningful metrics and examples of similar assessments in other states.



2023 HPhA Award Nominations
INITIAL POST APRIL 16, 2023

Now accepting nominations for the following awards: Pharmacist of the Year Award, Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award, Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award, Bowl of Hygeia Award, Excellence in Innovation Award. The deadline for submissions is Friday, May 19, 2023. Nominees must be an HPhA member by May 26, 2023, to be included on the voting ballot. Awards will be presented at the HPhA General Meeting on Friday, October 13, 2023, at the Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach. Feel free to contact us at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.



2023 Residency Presentations
INITIAL POST ON APRIL 11, 2023

Please join the Hawaii Pharmacists Association (HPhA) as we feature our Hawaii Pharmacy Residents as they present their Residency Projects.  Each resident has worked all year long on a project to help further their respective institutions and the pharmacy profession.  It is our honor to showcase their presentations at an event that will highlight each and every one of their achievements. We will hold this presentation virtually via Zoom Meeting Room on Friday, May 12 at 5:30 PM. A link to the Zoom meeting will be sent to registrants. No CE credit.



Legislative Updates - SB693
INITIAL POST ON JANUARY 23, 2023

SB 165: Payment for Pharmacist Services was introduced in the Senate on Friday, January 20th by Senator San Buenaventura, the Chair of Health and Human Services. HPhA expects a companion bill to be introduced this week from the House but seeking to engage Hawaii pharmacists in preparation for the bill(s) moving through committees. Bills are publicly available to view from the state legislature homepage where you can also track the measures in the coming months. 


POSTED IN LEGISLATIVE UPDATES


  

Registration Now Open - 2023 Annual Meeting
POSTED ON MARCH 16, 2023

This year, we have made huge strides in our efforts to participate in the legislative process! As a result, we will have a special legislative workgroup session during the 2023 Annual Meeting. During this special session, we will report on the progress we have made and collectively identify the legislative areas that we, as a collective state organization of pharmacists, should pursue in the next cycle.

In addition to this exciting opportunity to participate in the legislative process, we will offer the following topics:
• Importance of delabeling drug allergies (with a focus on penicillins)*
• New laws and new types of fraud/issues in law enforcement and diversion from Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED)*
• Counterfeit medicines and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)*

A special pharmacogenomics presentation will also be given by Kristine Ashcraft who serves as a Medical Affairs Director of Pharmacogenomics.



11th Annual Poster Presentation Session - Call for Poster Abstracts

POSTED ON FEBRUARY 3, 2023

Abstracts can be submitted in one of three categories: Original Research, Practice Insights, or Therapeutic Case Report. Abstracts are limited to 300 words. Details of the abstract categories and submission formatting can be found in the “2023 Submit a Poster Abstract” form below. Encore presentations are welcome and may be accepted! The online submission process is open now and will remain open until the deadline of Friday, February 10, 2023. 



Call for Board Nominations 2023 - 2025
POSTED ON FEBRUARY 2, 2023

NOMINATION REQUIREMENTS: (1) You MUST ask your fellow HPhA Member if he/she is willing to serve before submitting his/her name. (2) Nominees do not have to be HPhA members to be nominated; however, must be an active HPhA member upon election/acceptance of the position. (3) Email nominations will not be accepted. (4) Deadline to submit nominations is February 28, 2023. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. Thank you for taking the time to submit a nomination. -Scholarship & Awards Committee

 

2022 HPhA Award Voting Now Open

POSTED ON AUGUST 25, 2022
Voting in now open until September 4, 2022 to select the recipients for Pharmacists of the Year and Outstanding COVID-19 Care Award. You must be an active HPhA member to vote and you may only vote for one person per award category. Email votes will not be accepted. Please review the description of each nominee prior to submitting a vote. Descriptions of the nominees were provided to HPhA by the nominator. Awards will be presented at the HPhA General Membership Meeting on September 30, 2022 at the Deck Waikiki at the Queen Kapiolani Hotel. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. -Scholarship & Awards Committee

 

Call for Award Nominations

POSTED ON AUGUST 5, 2022
Nominees do not have to be HPhA members to be nominated for an award; however, must be an active HPhA member to be included on the voting ballot. Deadline to submit nominations is August 19, 2022. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. Thank you for taking the time to submit a nomination. -Scholarship & Awards Committee



Membership Discounts Now Available!
POSTED ON APRIL 18, 2022

NEW discounts available for members only! Become a member to take advantage of these offers. 

  • HPhA is excited to announce the NASPA Pharmacy-Based Point-of-Care Test & Treat National Certificate Program on May 26, 2022. This program will be virtual. Point-of-care testing empowers clinicians to use effective, fast technology to aid their decision making at the “point-of-care” to improve patient health. Pharmacy-based point-of-care testing utilizes CLIA-waived (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments -waived) tests that offer near immediate results in non-laboratory settings. Pharmacists and pharmacies are increasingly offering this public health service to promote prevention, early detection, and disease management.

  • HPhA is excited to offer TRC's RxAdvanced Pharmacist Programs at a discounted rate. Available programs include: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Anticoagulation Management, Hazardous Drugs in partnership with CriticalPoint, Sterile Compound in partnership with CriticalPoint, Opioid Stewardship, Guide to Natural Medicines, and Leadership & Communication. 

POSTED IN MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTS

  
10th Annual Poster Presentation Session - Call for Poster Abstracts
POSTED ON FEBRUARY 23, 2022

Abstracts can be submitted in one of three categories: Original Research, Practice Insights, or Therapeutic Case Report. Abstracts are limited to 300 words. Details of the abstract categories and submission formatting can be found in the “2022 Submit a Poster Abstract” form below. Encore presentations are welcome and may be accepted! The online submission process is open now and will remain open until the deadline of Friday, February 25, 2022. 



Call for Board Nominations

POSTED ON FEBRUARY 11, 2022
NOMINATION REQUIREMENTS: (1) You MUST ask your fellow HPhA Member if he/she is willing to serve before submitting his/her name. (2) Nominees do not have to be HPhA members to be nominated; however, must be an active HPhA member upon election/acceptance of the position. (3) Email nominations will not be accepted. (4) Deadline to submit nominations is February 28, 2022. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. Thank you for taking the time to submit a nomination. -Scholarship & Awards Committee

 
 
Call for Award Nominations
POSTED ON FEBRUARY 11, 2022

Nominees do not have to be HPhA members to be nominated for an award; however, must be an active HPhA member to be included on the voting ballot. Deadline to submit nominations is February 28, 2022. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. Thank you for taking the time to submit a nomination. -Scholarship & Awards Committee

 

Save the Date - Annual Meeting (in person event)
POSTED ON FEBRUARY 11, 2022

We are back for our 1st LIVE event post COVID-19. This year's annual meeting will be held on April 23, 2022 at the Oahu Country Club in Honolulu Hawaii. CEs will be offered. We will be inducting our new board members and providing a legislative update. Come join us!