5/19/19
I am back in Washington D.C. for the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) Compounders on Capitol Hill (CCH) Fly In. This event draws pharmacists specializing in compounding from across the country to advocate for the profession, and I am one of 6 students attending (the others are from the University of South Carolina, and 2 received a grant to come).
Last night was the kick off, and there was a fun reception in the exposition hall. Today started with a continental breakfast in the exhibition hall, and then the day of sessions began.
First, there was an IACP update. EVP Scott Brunner, President Jennifer Burch, and President-Elect Shawn Hodges gave us an update on what is going on within IACP currently. There will be a change in the membership structure and increased partnerships with other organizations and social media presence.
Erin Michael also gave an update on the Foundation, which provides student grants.
Steven Snow then gave an update on behalf of the legislative committee about the stateside initiative that will aim to educate the state boards of pharmacy on important federal information about the field by asking members to attend the BOP meetings.
Then Jeff Bray, a IACP Board member, gave an update on the CompPAC which helps to build relationships with legislators who support the priorities of compounding pharmacists. During CCH there will be several current and former legislators visiting for receptions, Chris Stewart, Diana Degette, Henry Cuellar, and Jim Turner.
Then 2 new IACP fellows were inducted, a huge honor within the profession. Both were from Tennessee!
We then heard from Bryan Prince with LAB-RED about workflow strategies for dealing with hazardous drugs. He explained that there is an opportunity for contamination and personnel exposure everywhere, so the creation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) is essential.
We then took a break for lunch, and I went to Taco Bamba with the Innovation Compounding pharmacists from Georgia.
After lunch, we had a session led by Brenda Jensen on Quality Assurance to meet FDA, USP, and State requirements. She explain the 4 steps to assuring quality: Adhering to SOPs, preventing and detecting errors, evaluating complaints and adverse events, and investigations/corrections.
Next, AJ Day from PCCA spoke about the FDA Guidance Documents (also known as GFIs–guidance for industry). These are meant to explain the FDA’s thinking on a topic. We discussed the prescription requirements, essential copies, insanitary conditions, and substances for compounding use.
We then listened to a panel discussion on the public policy priorities in compounding led by Aaron Lopez, David Pore, Jim Rock, and Amy Shank. The 4 main priorities include the FDA MOU (memorandum of understanding), FDA bulk substance list, compounding pharmacist representation on PCAC, and HR 1959.
We finished the sessions with a panel with Lisa Ashworth, Brenda Jensen, and Jon Pritchett on USP compliance as the new USP 795, 797, and 800 will be published June 1, and be enforceable on December 1, 2019. This is going to be a huge change for many compounding pharmacies and it is essential to be in compliance with these.
I then took a quick walk in Chinatown to a restaurant called Matchbox to meet up with one of my favorite Mercer alumni and local resident, Allie Jo Shipman. We had dinner and caught up on everything going on each other’s lives.
We rounded out the night with the Rx Mixer to benefit the IACP Foundation. I was lucky enough to be given a ticket by Letco, and enjoyed a super fun live auction and everyone’s creative Derby outfits to fit the theme. What a fun first day!
