NABP's 102nd Annual Meeting Provides an Opportunity to Discuss Regulatory Issues

February 3, 2006 12:00 AM

NABP's 102nd Annual Meeting Provides an Opportunity to Discuss Regulatory Issues

"Unifying Members, Candidates, and the Profession — A Journey to the Core of NABP" — the theme of The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy^®'s (NABP^®) 102nd Annual Meeting — underscores the important role that the Association and state boards of pharmacy serve in their efforts to protect the public health. During the Annual Meeting, to be held April 8-11, 2006, at the Westin St Francis in San Francisco, CA, NABP's member boards will select Executive Committee officers and members and discuss and vote on resolutions and other business matters that determine the direction NABP takes as an organization. In addition, attendees have the opportunity to earn up to 6.5 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)-approved continuing education (CE) credit hours by attending a variety of CE sessions on crucial topics from public policy to disaster preparedness. The 102nd Annual Meeting also offers several special programs that will provide attendees with plenty of opportunities to discuss the latest regulatory issues affecting the practice of pharmacy and the pharmacy profession.

Continuing Education Sessions

CE designed to address current issues affecting the pharmacy profession will also be available to attendees of the Annual Meeting. The sessions will be divided into three programming tracks for state board of pharmacy executive officers and members, compliance staff, and professional development. Three CE programs are also offered in the joint programming track, which is geared toward all Annual Meeting participants. Two Joint CE Programming sessions will be held on Monday, April 10: "Public Policy Decisions: An Analysis of Issues that Have Dramatically Changed Health Care in the United States" and "A Legislative Update for State Boards of Pharmacy," which will take place from 8:15 to 10:15 AM and 10:30 AM to noon, respectively. The third Joint CE Programming session, "Structuring an Effective Disaster Plan: Lessons Learned," will take place on Tuesday, April 11 from 10:45 to 12:30 PM. This session consists of two compelling topics: Part One will discuss "Rising to the Occasion: The State Boards of Pharmacy Vital to Hurricane Relief and Recovery Efforts," and Part Two will cover "Where Do We Go From Here? Open Forum and Panel Discussion on the State Boards of Pharmacy Role in Emergency Preparedness and Response," from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM. Three other concurrent CE sessions will take place on Tuesday, April 11, from 9 to 10:30 AM. Executive officers and board members will want to attend the session "Medical Gases: A Discussion with Food and Drug Administration." A Compliance Officer Programming session, "USP Chapter 797: Surveying for Sterile Compounding Compliance," and a Professional Development Programming session, "Effective Communication and Delivery of Board Policy in Public Meetings and with the Media," are also offered.

Keynote Address

"Adventure is a matter of attitude — not altitude," is explorer and cultural anthropologist Dr Jeff Salz's motto, and on Sunday, April 9, from 1:15 to 2 PM, Annual Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to hear how they can use the lessons that Dr Salz has learned in his wide-ranging adventures in their daily lives. He takes his audiences on a lively exploration of adventure and promotes its use as a strategy for increasing effectiveness on the job and in daily life; he explains that in order to make it through adverse and unexpected circumstances, an adventurer must be creative, and all of us must have this ability. Dr Salz will share his "Six Steps to the Top" during his thought-provoking address: (1) Leap Before You Look — risk-taking/action; (2) Keep on Your Bearing — compassion/empathy; (3) Aim High — envisioning/setting goals; (4) Give It All You Have Got — teamwork/generosity of spirit; (5) Work Some Magic — imagination/innovation; and (6) Enjoy the View — reflection/gratitude.

Special Programming

While viewing the Educational Presentation Area and Poster Session, meeting attendees will have an opportunity to relax in the Hospitality Suite, open Saturday, April 8, from 1 to 5 PM. The President's Welcome Reception also takes place on Saturday, from 7 to 10 PM at the Westin St Francis. The event will honor NABP President Dennis K. McAllister and his wife Cathy and will give attendees a chance 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, April 10, at 7 AM. On Tuesday, April 11, 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, April 11, 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 about the 102nd Annual Meeting, please contact the NABP Meetings Desk at 847/391-4406 or e-mail custserv@nabp.net. To register, or for more information, visit NABP's Web site at www.nabp.net.

Renee Renganathan