NABP’s 103rd Annual Meeting Provides Timely CE and Opportunity for Attendees to Network During Special Programming

February 15, 2007 12:00 AM

Attendees of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy^®’s (NABP^®) 103rd Annual Meeting do not have to climb Mount Hood as they will be “Reaching New Heights to Make a Difference” when they convene May 19-22, 2007, at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower in Portland, OR. At the meeting, board of pharmacy members and others in the pharmacy profession may earn up to five hours of continuing education (CE) while networking with peers. In addition, attendees will have the chance to attend important NABP business sessions, during which delegates will be able to participate in the election of new Executive Committee officers and members and vote on amendments to the NABP Constitution and Bylaws.

Continuing Education
CE designed to address current issues affecting the regulation of pharmacy practice will be available to attendees of the Annual Meeting. All Annual Meeting participants will have the opportunity to attend two joint programming sessions. In addition, there will be a special pre-meeting session geared for compliance staff as well as two sessions held concurrently: one geared for state board of pharmacy executive officers and members and the other for compliance staff.

The Pre-Meeting Compliance Officer Programming, “Inspecting Compounding Pharmacies: Beyond the Basics of USP 795 and 797,” will take place on Saturday, May 19, from 2 to 4 PM. The first Joint CE Programming session, “Legal Update,” will be held on Monday, May 21, from 8:15 to 10:15 AM and the second Joint CE Programming session, “Quality of Care: Do They Finally Get It? ISMP Talks,” will take place from 10:45 AM to 12:15 PM on Tuesday, May 22. The dual track session will take place on Tuesday, May 22, from 9 to 10:30 AM. Executive officers and board members will want to attend the session “Pedigrees Are Here to Stay!” A Compliance Officer Programming session, “Monitoring OTC Pseudoephedrine Sales: The Newest Tools,” is also scheduled.

Keynote Address
Captain Gerald Coffee, author and former Vietnam prisoner of war, will captivate attendees as he stresses the importance of communication, leadership, mastering change, teamwork, humor, and overcoming adversity in corporate and personal life. His motivational message focuses on the positive lessons he and other Americans learned while in captivity. Captain Coffee was captured in early 1966 when enemy fire downed his aircraft over North Vietnam. After spending seven years in the various prisons of Hanoi he was finally freed February 12, 1973. Faith in oneself, fellow man, and one’s country is what he believes to be the key to survival in any situation. Currently serving as a public affairs officer on the staff of the Commander, United States Pacific Fleet, Captain Coffee is the author of Beyond Survival: Building on Hard Times. He has received numerous military awards and decorations and has been recognized several times for his immense contribution to American interests and ideals through his public speaking. The keynote address, sponsored by Abbott Laboratories, will take place on Sunday, May 20, at 12:15 PM.

Special Programming
New this year, the Educational Poster Session and Hospitality Brunch, held on Sunday, May 20, from 8 to 11:30 AM, will offer attendees a chance to network and gain knowledge while enjoying a brunch buffet. The Fifth Annual Poster Session provides the opportunity to view member boards of pharmacy’s best or most noteworthy legislative issues, policy development, and disciplinary cases, while schools and colleges of pharmacy will present research results. In addition to the poster session, educational table top displays by NABP, federal regulatory agencies, and other organizations will highlight important issues and/or programs, and members of the Oregon State Board of Pharmacy will offer their local perspectives on the must-see sites. There is even a special spouse/guest meeting area where spouses and guests can network and pick up money-saving coupons for area attractions.

Board members who have recently been appointed to a board of pharmacy, or those attending their first NABP Annual Meeting, will want to attend the Annual Meeting Orientation on Saturday, May 19, from 5 to 6 PM. The program offers a look at the procedures followed during the Annual Meeting.

The President’s Welcome Reception will also take place on Saturday, May 19, from 7 to 10 PM. In addition to honoring NABP President Lawrence H. Mokhiber and his wife Katharine, the Welcome Reception offers attendees the opportunity to catch up with old friends and acquaintances.

Meeting participants are invited to attend the NABP/USP Breakfast, sponsored by the United States Pharmacopeia, Inc, held Monday, May 21, from 7 to 8 AM. On Tuesday, May 22, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) will sponsor the NABP/NACDS Reception from 5:45 to 6:45 PM.

The Association’s Annual Awards Dinner, also held on Tuesday, May 22, will conclude the Annual Meeting at 7 PM. The Awards Dinner honors those individuals who have contributed their time and talents to advancing the principles of NABP and the practice of pharmacy. This special evening recognizes the efforts of NABP’s chairman, president, and honorary president, and the recipients of NABP’s various awards. Semiformal attire is required.

For more information on the 103rd Annual Meeting, please contact the NABP Meetings Desk at
847/391-4406 or via e-mail at custserv@nabp.net. Information and registration forms may also be found on NABP’s Web site at www.nabp.net.

NABP and the NABP Foundation are approved by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as providers of continuing pharmacy education. ACPE Provider Number: 205. Participants may earn up to seven (7) contact hours (0.7 continuing education units) of ACPE-approved continuing education credit from NABP. Participants in continuing pharmacy education programs will receive credit by completing a “Statement of Continuing Pharmacy Education Participation” and submitting it to the NABP office. A validated Statement of Credit will be sent as proof of participation within approximately six weeks. Full attendance and completion of a program evaluation form for each session are required to receive continuing pharmacy education credit and a Statement of Credit.
NABP is the independent, international, and impartial Association that assists its member boards and jurisdictions in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards for the purpose of protecting the public health.

Larissa Doucette