APhA’s Self-Care Institute: Preparing for the future of health care

Abstract

Self-care faculty from schools and colleges of pharmacy, along with nursing and physician assistant schools, journeyed to Washington, DC, this spring for the 11th annual Self-Care Institute (SCI), a 3-day educational conference developed by APhA and supported by McNeil Consumer Healthcare. Self-care is a key component of the successful management of many medical conditions, from heart disease and diabetes to the common cold, as well as the promotion of wellness. The selfcare arena provides numerous opportunities to help patients make accurate and safe decisions regarding their use of nonprescription medications and dietary supplements in addition to prescription medications. Self-care also includes pharmacists supporting patients in managing chronic conditions and making healthful lifestyle modifi cations to optimize outcomes. SCI 2013, held June 13 to 16, was designed to help educators prepare their students for the future of health care in the United States. More than two dozen experts presented on topics such as the latest self-care therapeutic information, educational best practices, and methods of training students to promote healthy self-care behaviors. The meeting was attended by 100 pharmacy faculty as well as 11 physician assistant faculty and 7 nurse practitioner faculty.