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Sixty-five Kansas law enforcement agencies will host DEA-sponsored Drug Take Back Days to provide a safe, anonymous collection of controlled and non-controlled substances on Oct. 23. Additionally, the Kansas Board of Pharmacy offers the Kansas Medication Collection & Disposal Program improves patient safety by providing convenient, safe and environmentally responsible options for disposing of unused and expired medications throughout the year.

Proper disposal reduces medication accumulation in the home and the subsequent risk of unintentional poisoning, drug abuse and diversion. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in 2019. The survey also showed that a majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

Find a DEA National Drug Take Back site near you at https://takebackday.dea.gov.

To find a Kansas Board of Pharmacy-authorized collection site or to become a collector, visit https://pharmacy.ks.gov/k-tracs/pharmacists/medication-collection-disposal. Authorized collectors must have a Kansas Board of Pharmacy registration to possess Schedule II controlled substances and a corresponding DEA permit.

KPhA recently awarded 13 members for their contributions to pharmacy and their communities over the last year, including bestowing the first-ever Vaccinators of the Year award. During the awards ceremony, which took place in conjunction with the 2021 KPhA Annual Meeting and Trade Show in Dodge City, 10 pharmacists were recognized for reaching 50 years of dedicated service. Additionally, Brian Caswell, owner and co-owner of four pharmacies in Kansas and Missouri, was recognized for the special role he has played in pharmacy for the last two years.

Brian is a past president of the Kansas Pharmacists Association, board representative for the NCPA Innovation Center, Lead Luminary for Kansas CPESN®, board member of the Kansas Pharmacy Foundation, and a member of the KU School of Pharmacy Advisory Council. He enjoys being active in state and federal legislative affairs along with finding new ways to practice to the top of his license. Brian has served as the President of the National Community Pharmacists Association for the last two years. A few of the interesting facts about Brian’s time as President are that he is the first pharmacist from Kansas to serve in that role, and he had the unique opportunity to serve for two years instead of the standard one-year term due to COVID. Thus, he has been the President during a time of unprecedented opportunity, stress, and reward for community pharmacy resulting from the reliance on pharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. During it all, Brian led NCPA with great humility, passion, and presence.

Award recipients included:

Bowl of Hygeia: Doug Funk, Doug Funk, retired pharmacist and former owner of Funk Pharmacy in Concordia
The Bowl of Hygeiais the most prestigious award in all of pharmacy. Established in 1958, the Bowl of Hygeia Award recognizes pharmacists who possess outstanding records of civic leadership in their communities and encourages pharmacists to take active roles in their communities. Doug currently lives in Lawrence, but practiced for most of his professional career in Concordia where he dedicated the majority of his adult life to bettering his community and pharmacy profession. Doug is a mentor, friend, leader, and tireless champion. During his pharmacy career, our recipient has taken on several leadership roles in pharmacy and community based organizations, including:
•    The Cloud County Community College Scholarship Foundation Board
•    Cloud County Health Center Board of Trustees
•    Past KPhA President
•    Past KPF President
•    Chamber of Commerce Member
•    Chamber Business and Businessman of the Year
•    Founding Member for Cloud Corporation - which is an economic development entity for Cloud County and North Central Kansas
•    Board of Directors for KU. School of Business Red Tire Program
•    Member of the Deans Club at KU. School of Pharmacy
•    Founding Member of Cloud County Community Foundation founded in 2002. The foundation has over $9 million, which assists non-profit groups in Cloud County.

Vaccinators of the Year Award: Dared and Renee Price, owners, Price Pharmacies
COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on pharmacies in the last year and a half. And during this time, pharmacies rose to the occasion. Among all of our regular responsibilities and in the middle of figuring out how to provide services to our patients safely, at the beginning of 2021, we provided new, life-saving COVID-19 vaccines at unprecedented rates. Through your actions, more of your friends, family, patients, and community members are alive today because of your efforts. In light of this impact, the KPhA Board decided to present a new award this year - the Kansas Vaccinator of the Year. Dared and Renee Price own six pharmacies in Southcentral Kansas. In 2021, Dared and Renee excelled at providing COVID-19 vaccinations to those in their communities. To date, their staff have administered 19,000 COVID-19 vaccinations. They have done this through in-store vaccinations and have held over 60 offsite clinics, including clinics at various municipalities, police departments, school districts, colleges, and private businesses. These clinics consisted of groups as small as 10 employees and as large as 800. For their collaboration with Creekstone Farms, they were featured by KAKE TV locally and Bloomberg News nationally. To ensure they had the staff to vaccinate at this scale, Dared and Renee empowered 25 of their pharmacy technicians by sending them through vaccination training, allowing them to administer vaccine to patients.

Pharmacist of the Year: Joe Heidrick, assistant dean, KU School of Pharmacy, Lawrence
Joe coordinates the school’s experiential education program, placing pharmacy students in various Kansas and United States professional practice settings. In addition to his regular duties at KU, in 2021, Joe has volunteered hundreds of hours to the Douglas County COVID-19 vaccination effort. He has single-handedly organized community vaccination efforts in the Kansas City area, including community businesses, churches, and other areas of need. He has organized thousands of dose preparations and organized multiple volunteers over the past four months. Without his efforts, the COVID vaccination rates for the state of Kansas would be noticeably lower.

Outstanding Pharmacy Technician: Ashley Guinn, CPhT, Hesston Pharmacy and Harvey Drug
Ashley has been the Advanced Lead Pharmacy Technician at Harvey Drug for the past three years and brings many years of patient care experience and has a creative, infectious energy that allows her to connect with both patients and other healthcare providers. Ashley manages a robust patient packaging program that includes; initial consultations to onboard patients and their families, continuous communication with providers, makes adjustments when necessary, and ensures patients receive their medications packs. In addition, she never tires of caring for patients. Ashley also works with the local behavioral health facility to optimize their sample program and in-patient dispensing for the hospital. During COVID-19, Ashley stepped up and became a certified immunizer. In addition, she worked many, many extra hours helping with community COVID-19 clinics.

Pharmacists Mutual Distinguished Young Pharmacists Award: Erica Wilkinson, pharmacist, Salina Regional Health Center Outpatient Pharmacy
Erica received her Doctor of Pharmacy in 2017 from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy and completed a PGY-1 Community Residency with Dillons Pharmacy/University of Kansas School of Pharmacy in Wichita. Since graduation, Erica has continued to be an engaged member of the Kansas Pharmacists Association and Kansas Council of Health-System Pharmacy as a new practitioner. Over the last year as a member of the KNPN Member Engagement Subcommittee, she brought life to their “Phone a Pharmacist” social media campaign. Erica re-imagined the idea for a spin-off launched in March that has highlighted the accomplishments of Kansas New Practitioners. In addition to her work in the pharmacy and mentoring IPPE and APPE students and PGY-1 residents, Erica has been an advocate for expanding the role of the pharmacist in her health system and is actively contributing to building a proposal to add a pharmacist into the outpatient clinics. Erica also serves as the co-primary mentor to the Diabetes Support Group, a program run by the pharmacy residents.

Champion of Pharmacy Award: Matt Morrison, owner, Gibson's Pharmacy, Dodge City
Matt has been integral in the development of KPhA relationships with legislative leadership over the last three years. He has dedicated countless hours to educating legislators and other influential policymakers in Kansas regarding PBM activities and our bills to address those activities. He has done all this, largely face-to-face, while living and working in Dodge City.

NASPA Excellence in Innovation Award: Larry Davidow, clinical assistant profressor and clinical coordinator for the Pharmacy Skills Lab, KU School of Pharmacy, Lawrence
Larry is known for his innovative and unique approach to learning and has earned various awards and honors for his continued contributions to the profession. Although busy with the transition to virtual learning at the School of Pharmacy, Larry did not stop asking where he could help.  Larry offered his knowledge and services to the KPhA to quickly and efficiently coordinate APhA Certification Training, Pharmacy Technician Training, and Pharmacist Refresher Training.  In the end, 286 technicians and pharmacists were empowered with the knowledge and skills to play a crucial role in the COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Kansas.  The supportive role of technicians was invaluable in expanding the pharmacy vaccination workforce and an essential contribution to the successful vaccination of our communities.  For this, we would like to recognize Larry’s leadership and impact in rising to the challenge to innovate and design effective and efficient training for our technicians when Kansas pharmacies needed him most. He showed up with a generous heart and, as always, some anticdotal stories!

Board Member of the Year Award: Tessa Schnelle, lead clinical pharmacist and clinical coordinator, Osawatomie State Hospital; and clinical pharmacist, Olather Health System
Tessa attended the MidAmerica Nazarene University, where she earned a BA in Psychology. Afterward, Tessa spent a decade working in Human Resources for Target Corporation, where she met her husband, Deric. In 2020 she graduated with her PharmD from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy. Tessa serves as the KPhA - Kansas New Practitioners Network director, is a New Practitioner Mentor for the University of Kansas APhA-ASP Chapter, is a committee member for Phi Lamba Sigma - Pharmacy Leadership Society, and is on the Staff Parish Relations Committee for the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood. Tessa and Deric live in Louisburg with their three children Dayton, Denver, and Dallas.

Board of Directors Award: Matt Morrison, owner, Gibson's Pharmacy, Dodge City
This award recognizes an individual who has provided exemplary service for one or more years to KPhA. This year, the board chose Matt Morrison for the award. Matt is a 2009 graduate of the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy who returned to his hometown of Dodge City to practice pharmacy at Gibson’s Pharmacy. In 2015, Matt and his wife Krista purchased Gibson’s Pharmacy from his father, Mike. Matt served as the President of KPhA in 2020. Additionally, he serves on the Compliant Pharmacy Alliance Regional Advisory board and on the Technology Steering Committee for the National Community Pharmacy Association. In his spare time, Matt enjoys watching his two sons’ athletics endeavors, flying, and traveling with his family.

KPhA President’s Award: Nate Rockers, owner, Rockers Pharmacy, Paola; 2020-2021 KPhA President
This award is presented to the KPhA member who has devoted a year or more to KPhA as Association President. They have the vital role of providing leadership and vision for the future of KPhA. Nate received his Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kansas in 2002. Since graduation, he has practiced in Miami County, Kansas. In 2009 Nate purchased an independent pharmacy in Paola. He expanded in 2012 with another store in Miami County, and in 2016 opened a third location in Linn County. Nate currently sits on various community, national and professional boards, and committees. Nate enjoys spending time with his family and friends at the lake, managing his cattle operation on his farm, as well as golfing.

NCPA Leadership Award: Kristen Powell, manager of pharmacy practice, Genoa Healthcare; 2021-2022 KPhA President
This award goes to the KPhA member who assumes the role of providing leadership for our organization by serving as President. Kristen earned a BA in Psychology from Washburn University and a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy. She is currently the Manager of Pharmacy Practice for Genoa Healthcare. Before that, she was Genoa’s site manager at Family Service and Guidance Center in Topeka. She previously was Genoa's site manager at Family Service and Guidance Center in Topeka. In service to the profession, Kristen sits on the Rural Nursing/Rx Technician Task Force with the Kansas Board of Pharmacy. Kristen is married and has two girls, ages 3 and 7. Volunteering is a large part of Kristen’s life. She donates a significant amount of her time to Christian Challenge at Washburn University, New Hope Food Pantry in Topeka, various events for Kansas Ballet Company, and her church.

The following KPhA members also were recognized for reaching 50 years of service as pharmacists:

• Max Heidrick
• Merlin McFarland
• Leland Hansen
• Randy Hilgers
• Don Hill
• Terry Kepka
• John Lowdermilk
• Stephen Mayo
• William Milligan
• Michael Preston

During the awards ceremony at the 2021 KPhA Annual Meeting and Trade Show in Dodge City, 10 pharmacists were recognized for reaching 50 years of dedicated service to the profession and their communities.

• Max Heidrick
  
• Merlin McFarland
  
• Leland Hansen
  
• Randy Hilgers
  
• Don Hill
  
• Terry Kepka
  
• John Lowdermilk
  
• Stephen Mayo
  
• William Milligan
  
• Michael Preston

The Kansas Pharmacists Association and Kansas Pharmacy Foundation congratulate these pharmacists for reaching this milestone!

The Kansas Pharmacists Association recently announced a new partnership with Medosi Health, a hemp-derived CBD company based in Louisville, KY. Medosi’s portfolio of top-notch CBD products include full spectrum and THC-free hemp-derived CBD solutions.  

“KPhA is proud to partner with Medosi Health,” said Aaron Dunkel, KPhA’s Executive Director. "While researching Medosi it became obvious that they provide a best-in-class product and exceed the industry standards in testing and reporting."

Medosi is focused on the health care channel and serves independent pharmacies, regional chains, and other health care professionals with an interest in providing their patients access to high-quality, affordable CBD products and wellness education. It does not sell its products in gas stations, dispensaries, or convenience stores.

“Medosi believes pharmacies are well-positioned to take a leadership position in this emerging health care niche,” said Mark Overdyk, Medosi’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are excited to be partnering with KPhA to enhance our presence in Kansas and provide KPhA members and their patients access to high-quality CBD products at best-in-class prices.”

Medosi’s products are legally compliant, physician-formulated, non-GMO, all natural and organically grown on farms in the United States. Its product portfolio includes tinctures, soft-gel capsules, gummies, pain relief topicals, a sublingual energy spray, and a sublingual weight-loss spray. Each product comes with a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis performed by an independent, third-party, ISO/IEC certified laboratory.

Underscoring its commitment to educating pharmacists, their teams and their patients, Medosi offers a robust educational platform and materials that enable pharmacists to identify patients who may benefit from a Medosi product and help facilitate CBD education to those patients.

Stay tuned - KPhA and Medosi shortly will announce a date and time for a KPhA-members only webinar to introduce Medosi’s products and services.  

To learn more, visit www.medosi.com.

Doug Funk, retired pharmacist and former owner of Funk Pharmacy in Concordia, was named today as the 2021 Kansas recipient of the Bowl of Hygeia.

The Bowl of Hygeia is the most prestigious award in all of pharmacy. Established in 1958, the Bowl of Hygeia Award recognizes pharmacists who possess outstanding records of civic leadership in their communities and encourages pharmacists to take active roles in their communities.

Funk currently lives in Lawrence, but practiced for most of his professional career in Concordia where he dedicated the majority of his adult life to bettering his community and pharmacy profession. Funk is a mentor, friend, leader, and tireless champion. During his pharmacy career, he took on several leadership roles in pharmacy- and community-based organizations, including:

• The Cloud County Community College Scholarship Foundation Board
• Cloud County Health Center Board of Trustees
• Past KPhA President
• Past KPF President
• Chamber of Commerce Member
• Chamber Business and Businessman of the Year
• Founding Member for Cloud Corporation - which is an economic development entity for Cloud County and North Central Kansas
• Board of Directors for KU. School of Business Red Tire Program
• Member of the Deans Club at KU. School of Pharmacy
• Founding Member of Cloud County Community Foundation founded in 2002. The foundation has over $9 million, which assists non-profit groups in Cloud County.

Funk was introduced by Robb Rosenbaum, who purchased Funk Pharmacy from him.

With 2021 KPhA Annual Meeting & Trade Show on Sept. 24-26 getting back to its roots as an in-person event, it's time to get to know the amazing line-up of speakers who will present engaging and informative classes during the conference.

Register Today!           See full bios

Saturday, Sept. 25

Sunday, Sept. 26

By Trenton Thiede, PharmD, MBA
PAAS National

PAAS National is once again seeing recoupment on audits when a pharmacy bills the wrong NDC for the product dispensed. Unit-of-use packages like test strips, inhalers, and topical medications tend to have the most errors and are easily targeted on audits.

If the quantity billed does not match the product size indicated by the NDC, some PBMs will charge back the entire claim! This can be true whether billing 45g on a topical that come as a 50g tube or billing the NDC for 50-count test strips and dispensing the 100-count package size (potentially leading to invoice audit errors or additional cost to plan). PBMs go after the latter when the cost of dispensing the larger package size is less than the cost for two smaller size packages. The pharmacy is expected to dispense the package size that costs less for the plan.

PAAS Tips:

• Implement barcode scanner technology for product verification to prevent misfills
• Dispense the correct package size, closest to what the prescriber indicated, without going over the written quantity
• For topical medications, ensure the quantity billed matches tube size dispensed
  • For example, do not submit the NDC for a 28 g tube but bill for 30g
  • Often, the last 2 digits of the NDC match the package size
• Contact the prescriber to confirm changing the quantity to the accurate manufacturer package size, especially if that package size is larger than originally prescribed
• If you need to dispense two smaller package sizes because the larger package size is backordered (e.g., dispensing two 15g tubes instead of a 30g tube), document this and print proof from your wholesaler that the larger package size was unavailable and attach it to the prescription
• If you are out of stock on the quantity prescribed but can order it from your wholesaler, do so if the patient can wait for it to come in
  • If the patient cannot wait due to a true clinical need, document this on the hard copy
• Consider flagging shelves containing high risk items for package size errors to remind staff to doublecheck

Trenton Thiede is president of PAAS National, an expert third-party audit assistance and FWA/HIPAA compliance. PAAS National is committed to serving community pharmacies and helping keep hard-earned money where it belongs. Contact us today at (608) 873-1342 or info@paasnational.com to see why membership might be right for you.

©2021 PAAS National® LLC All Rights Reserved

By Don R. McGuire Jr., R.Ph., J.D.
Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company

As a young pharmacist, I experienced my first recall when the drug Oraflex (benoxaprofen) was taken off the market in 1982. The drug was effective in treating arthritis, but had some serious side effects. What I remember were patients telling us this was the only drug that worked for them and asking us to sell it to them rather than returning the drug to the manufacturer. Ultimately, we decided to send it back to the manufacturer. The recent recall of ranitidine and other products for nitrosamine impurities caused me to reflect on how little I understood recalls in 1982.

Drug recalls are voluntary actions taken by a manufacturer to remove a defective product from the marketplace. A recall can be initiated by the manufacturer or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can request a recall. Recalls are almost always voluntary by the manufacturer and FDA rarely requests a recall. FDA's role in a drug recall is the same as in the recall of other FDA regulated products; e.g. medical devices, cosmetics, food, etc. The agency's role is to classify the recall, to oversee the manufacturer's strategy, and assess the adequacy of the recall.

Recalls are classified by their severity. Class I recalls involve a dangerous or defective product that could cause serious health problems or death. Class II recalls involve products that could cause a temporary health problem or a slight threat of serious harm. Products involved in Class III recalls are unlikely to cause adverse health reactions, but the products violate labeling or manufacturing laws. You will not hear about every recall on the news. Public notification of a recall usually occurs when the product has been widely distributed or poses a serious health hazard, such as in a Class I recall. However, all recalls are posted weekly on the FDA website through their Enforcement Reports page.

You can also register to receive email notifications of new and updated recalls. Familiarizing yourself with current recalls will be beneficial when your patients contact you with a question about a recall. FDA recommends patients talk to their pharmacists about recalled medications. Class I recalls generally provide information specifically for patients, but other Class recalls do not. Being informed about current recalls will assist you in helping your patients get replacement therapies.

The ranitidine recall applied to both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) versions of the drug. The recall notice advised patients to stop taking OTC ranitidine immediately, but to consult with their health care professional about other treatment options before discontinuing prescription ranitidine. These types of instruction will generate questions from your patients. Besides being aware of the recommendations for your patients, the recall notice will advise the pharmacy on the removal of the drug from stock and the return procedures.

From a liability perspective, you should follow the procedures outlined in the recall notice. Remove items from stock as instructed. Some recalls will advise you to contact patients currently taking a prescription product. Verify that you have or had the affected lots and notify your patients who received the affected lots as soon as practical. Keeping your computer system updated with current lot numbers and expiration dates of prescription products is crucial to being able to identify those who have received the recalled product. If you receive a new prescription after the recall notice, use the opportunity to help educate prescribers in your area. Be ready to suggest alternatives that are not affected by the recall. Needless to say, it is not a good idea to sell or dispense recalled products at the patient's request instead of following the return process in the recall notice. Another bad idea is compounding the recalled medication when the manufactured product isn't available due to a recall.

Rather than being a passive recipient of information, going online to regularly review recall notices will allow you to be proactive with you patients' therapies. Your patients will see you as a trusted partner in their healthcare. Follow the recall procedures, make sound professional judgments when necessary, and your patients will value your services even more.

©Don R. McGuire Jr., R.Ph., J.D., is General Counsel, Senior Vice President, Risk Management & Compliance at Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company.

This article discusses general principles of law and risk management. It is not intended as legal advice. Pharmacists should consult their own attorneys and insurance companies for specific advice. Pharmacists should be familiar with policies and procedures of their employers and insurance companies, and act accordingly.

Don't miss out on discounted rates for the 2021 KPhA Annual Meeting and Trade Show! Early Bird pricing ends July 31. Standard rates run through the end of August.

The Kansas Pharmacists Association will RECONNECT Sept. 24-26 in Dodge City for a three-day IN-PERSON event with fellow KPhA members from across the state and network with industry professionals and the next generation of pharmacy leaders.

What can you expect?

9.24 // Get back into the swing of things on Friday morning with the Kansas Pharmacy Foundation Golf Tournament. If golf isn't your thing, enjoy an art class at the Carnegie Center for the arts and lunch in downtown Dodge City before taking in the history of the area. That evening, connect with industry-leading professionals during the trade show and dinner.

9.25 // The education program covers two full days of learning and features speakers from APhA and NCPA, as well as topics ranging from telepharmacy, profit-building strategies, and CBD to antibiotic resistance, genomics, and much more! See a variety show performance before we take an after-hours tour the newly renovated Boot Hill Museum.

9.26 // Don't miss the annual pharmacy law update from the Kansas Board of Pharmacy. The Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet highlights the day as we pay tribute to deserving Kansas pharmacy leaders. The Self Care Challenge also makes its return with the ever popular students vs. pharmacists OTC trivia competition.

Don't wait -- register today!

As essential businesses on the front lines, pharmacies have continued to demonstrate their value during the pandemic by remaining open to the community for vital prescription services, evolving into COVID-19 point-of-care testing sites, and becoming COVID-19 vaccine administration sites. Pharmacies are essential in achieving the end goal of herd immunity2 in the global battle against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Now pharmacies will have the opportunity to take the lessons learned during the COVID-19 vaccination rollout to prepare for the 2021-2022 influenza season.

Continue reading at Pharmacy Times.