Academies Bring Forth a Unified Voice During House Proceedings

Abstract

“In an unprecedented spirit of bipartisanship, the House passed several policies that all parties had agreed upon.” If only that statement could apply to national or state legislators as it did for the House of Delegates at APhA2005, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. Several policies brought before the House were jointly crafted and agreed upon in working groups by members of APhA’s Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA–APPM) and Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science (APhA–APRS). The positive outcomes achieved when pharmacy science and pharmacy practice unite highlighted House of Delegate activities this year. Three policies were adopted that came to life through this process. The first policy, “Public Access to Clinical Trials Data,” supports access by health professionals and the public to all clinical trial data derived from scientifically valid studies. APhA supports the establishment of a single, independent, publicly accessible clinical trials database that includes, but is not limited to, several components that are delineated in the policy. Although APhA is totally supportive of this concept, whether it will come to fruition is anybody’s bet—and one that I’m not willing to make. Although burdensome to administer, it would be beneficial to have a centralized database for clinical trial data. The second policy, “Compounding with MultiComponent Vehicles,” highlighted APhA’s continuing concern with the safety and efficacy of components pharmacists use in compounding practice. APhA believes it is incumbent on manufacturers of multicomponent vehicles to restrict claims about these vehicles to structure and function of the ingredients unless clinical evidence exists to support more specific claims. The third policy, “Efforts to Limit Methamphetamine Access,” has aspects that some people believe will turn pharmacists into “meth policemen.” I guess to some extent that is the case. However, living in Kentucky, where methamphetamine abuse is Academies Bring Forth a Unified Voice During House Proceedings rampant, I must say that pharmacists are the most logical point in the health care system to try and stem this tide. Pharmacists are educated about drug diversion as well as drug abuse and its prevention. They are readily available for patient education. They routinely provide employee education and are active in community organizations that would be involved in this battle. From my point of view, I am glad APhA has taken a public stand: everyone must understand this monumental problem facing the country and that pharmacists are willing and able to be part of the solution.