Highlights from American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Annual Meeting 2022

Sidney Keisner, PharmD, BCOP
Associate Professor/Clinical Pharmacist
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy
Little Rock, AR

AACP (American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy), the organization representing pharmacy education, held its 2022 Annual Meeting July 23 to July 27 in Grapevine, Texas. This was the first in-person annual meeting since 2019 which generated much excitement as attendees gathered and reconnected with their colleagues. In addition to informative educational sessions and networking events, the meeting offered an Admissions Workshop, a Teachers Seminar, poster sessions, and two House of Delegates sessions.

The conference kicked off with the opening general session where Stefanie Johnson, PhD, (Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado-Boulder) discussed steps to be more inclusive which included making people feel unique and have a sense of belonging. AACP President, Stuart T. Haines, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, also shared insights on the work of AACP and presented the Robert K. Chalmers Distinguished Pharmacy Educator Award to Cynthia J. Boyle, PharmD, of the University of Maryland, and the Lawrence C. Weaver Transformative Community Service Award to East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy.

The second general session focused on commitment to heath equity and was led by Anne Lin, PharmD, AACP Immediate Past President, and Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, FASA, a Presidential Fellow and the Executive Director of Purdue University’s Health Equity Initiatives. They identified strategies to achieve goals related to health equity at all levels of application. AACP President-elect Russ B. Melchert, PhD, also presented the Paul R. Dawson Award for Excellence in Patient Care Research to Rajender R. Aparasu, PhD, of the University of Houston and the Volwiler Research Achievement Award to Marilyn E. Morris, PhD, of the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.

In the final general session, Lucinda Maine, PhD, RPh, and Lee Vermeulen Jr, BS, MS, discussed AACP’s history and future including a CEO transition, the Center to Accelerate Pharmacy Practice Transformation and Academic Innovation, the 2021–2024 AACP strategic plan, and new initiatives to better support members. Also recognized were Marilyn K. Speedie, PhD, the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Hope E. Campbell, PharmD, Angela M. Hagan, PhD, and Caroline A. Gaither, PhD, recipients of the Rufus A. Lyman Award.

Among the many educational sessions offered, several may be of particular interest to HOPA members:

• “What is Special About Specialty Pharmaceuticals? Integrating Biologics and Specialty Pharmaceuticals into the PharmD Curriculum”
  • With the rapid growth of new biologics and specialty pharmaceuticals, speakers discussed science and learning outcomes related to biologics and specialty drugs and provided examples of how these topics have been incorporated in the PharmD curriculum. One institution has created a specialty pharmacy workshop module within a P3 Pharmacy Management and Skills lab course which included a lecture, pre-lab assignment and lab activity. The workshop exposed students to all aspects of specialty pharmacy accreditation, operations, and clinical activities.
  • Speakers:
    • Karen M. Nagel-Edwards, PhD, Associate Professor, Midwestern University-College of Pharmacy
    • Sun Lee, PharmD, Assistant Professor, High Point University
    • Ava M. Vargason, PhD, Project Manager, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
• “Square Pegs in Round Holes: Overcoming Barriers to Promotion and Tenure for Experiential Education Faculty”
  • For experiential faculty, the promotion and tenure (P&T) process can be challenging given the variety of job duties that may not clearly fit in P&T guidelines. Strategies were presented that may assist experiential faculty with the P&T process including self advocacy, how to get scholarship done “when everything’s on fire,” aligning work responsibilities with P&T criteria, finding mentors and example dossiers, and presenting evidence of administrative work.   
  • Speakers:
    • Lisa M. Richter, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, FASHP, Director of Experiential Outreach & Assessment/Assistant Professor of Practice, North Dakota State University
    • Kate Newman, PharmD, Director of Experiential Education and Clinical Associate Professor, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    • Jennifer Danielson, PharmD, MBA., CDECS, Assistant Dean and Associate Professor, University of Washington
    • Lisa M. Meny, PharmD, Professor, Accreditation and Assessment Coordinator, Ferris State University
• “Let's Talk About Death”
  • Discussion of death in the pharmacy curriculum is typically limited. This session focused on tools that may be used to engage students in discussions about death. Examples of such methods include Death Over Dinner (deathoverdinner.org), The Conversation Project (theconversationproject.org), the Go Wish card game (http://www.gowish.org/article.php/how_to_play), The Death Deck (https://thedeathdeck.com/), and several books. Speakers presented their experiences implementing these methods in several settings.
  • Speakers:
    • Rebecca J. Mahan, PharmD, BCGP, BCACP, FASCP, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
    • Meredith L. Howard, PharmD, BCPS, Associate Professor and Chair, University of North Texas Health Science Center
    • Trista Bailey, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP, FASCP, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice- Geriatrics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Jerry H Hodge School of Pharmacy

In conjunction with the Annual Meeting, the National Community Oncology Dispensing Association (NCODA) offered a focus group for AACP attendees. The session highlighted the efforts of NCODA to support future pharmacists. Opportunities presented included NCODA’s Oncology Association Management APPE, post-graduate fellowships in Oncology Association Management and Oncology Advocacy, Health Policy and Equity, and NCODA student chapters (Professional Student Organizations [PSOs]). Attendees also discussed challenges surrounding selection of appropriate volume and level of oncology content within the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum given the growth of oncology pharmaceuticals in the current market.

Save the Date: AACP’s 2023 annual meeting will be held in Aurora, CO July 22-26; More information is available at https://www.aacp.org/.