From the Desk of the ACCP President

April 13, 2021
Jimmi Hatton Kolpek, Pharm.D., FCCP, FCCM, FNAP

"Motion to Refer"

As an ACCP delegate to the APhA House of Delegates (HOD) last month, I had the privilege to represent the voices of those seeking support from pharmacy organizations to rectify processes that unintentionally empower those who harass, intimidate, and bully trainees/colleagues. In response to ACCP members and change.org petitioners who, in fall 2020, alerted all pharmacy organizations of these serious issues, ACCP introduced a new business item (NBI) for consideration during the 2021 APhA HOD:

Subject: Increasing Awareness and Accountability to End Harassment, Intimidation, Abuse of Power or Position in Pharmacy Practice

Motion:

1. APhA calls on all national and state pharmacy organizations, colleges and schools of pharmacy, and other stakeholders to support the development of a profession-wide effort to address harassment, intimidation, and abuse of power or position.
2. APhA supports the development of a profession-wide guideline on reporting harassment, intimidation, or abuse of power or position in their pharmacy education and training, professional practice, or volunteer service to pharmacy organizations.
3. APhA urges all pharmacy organizations to require individuals considered for any award, leadership position (including voluntary positions), fellowship recognition, or editorial board position to formally confirm that they have never been involved in any instances of harassment, intimidation, or abuse of power or abuse of authority.
4. APhA recommends that any individual who has been engaged in, or who falsely attests that they have never been involved in, any instances of harassment, intimidation or abuse be excluded from consideration for any award, leadership position (including voluntary positions), fellowship recognition, editorial board position, faculty/preceptor, or postgraduate training faculty/director position.
5. APhA recommends all pharmacy organizations incorporate harassment, intimidation, and abuse training in their member professional development and education activities.

Components of the NBI systematically addressed ACCP member concerns and were generated after discussions with ACCP’s legal counsel. In February, the ACCP Board of Regents (BOR) reviewed the proposed NBI and approved its submission to the APhA HOD. The ACCP NBI was one of eight presented during two webinars before the live, virtual HOD session. Through electronic vote, delegates voted to pass NBI statements 1, 2, and 5 above, and these now comprise official APhA policy. However, statement 3 (49.65% support) and statement 4 (48.61% support), which outlined specific accountability steps, failed by a very slim margin.

ACCP moved forward to amend the wording of statements 3 and 4 in an attempt to address delegate concerns and have the statements reconsidered during the HOD session. Before the virtual session, the APhA NBI committee reviewed feedback from the two webinars, comments submitted by delegates, and ACCP’s amended statements 3 and 4. After deliberating on the implications of the accountabilities outlined in statements 3 and 4, the committee proposed a single, more comprehensive statement. The committee also noted the importance of alignment with the APhA public statements addressing issues raised in the change.org petition.

Although the committee’s revised NBI statement was introduced for virtual HOD discussion, a caucus objecting to the statement swiftly rose to the microphone before any other delegates were able to speak and made a “motion to refer” (such a motion, according to Robert’s Rules of Order, refers the item under consideration to a committee or board and ends discussion of that item). Debate on this motion included representatives from ACCP, APhA leadership, and NBI committee members, each of whom spoke against referral. Nonetheless, a simple majority vote approved the motion to refer; hence, HOD consideration of the committee’s comprehensive statement was prohibited. These three words, “motion to refer,” silenced deliberation on the specific accountability steps critical to addressing this issue – an issue submitted on behalf of more than 3750 petitioners seeking protection from harassment/discrimination/bullying and asking for steps to be taken to hold accountable those who abuse power or position. ACCP, APhA leadership, NBI committee members, and others who supported these views were also prevented from engaging in HOD debate on this issue.

So, why am I sharing these details with you? Last fall, three national organizations (ACCP, APhA, and ASHP – see NBI background information) released public statements in response to the issues raised in the change.org petition. Accordingly, last month’s HOD session was a national opportunity to send a timely, strong, profession-wide message articulating needed actions to address the petitioners’ concerns. But this effort was unsuccessful because of the “political mechanics” of the APhA HOD.

Conversely, ACCP’s governance allows more rapid, directed responses to member-driven concerns. Through the College’s elected BOR, ACCP member voices are not constricted by political jockeying for power among various organizational factions or special interest groups. Indeed, the harassment, bullying, and intimidation issues raised by the petitioners in September 2020 were carefully considered both before and during the October 2020 BOR meeting, and an action plan was promptly initiated. This plan culminated in development of the new ACCP Code of Conduct, a companion member/stakeholder attestation statement, and submission of the APhA NBI. Unlike the APhA HOD, ACCP’s governance system yielded timely and meaningful action on an urgent and important issue. The BOR’s actions are guided by ACCP’s core values – values it seeks to consistently exemplify. In this case, I call your attention to one of the College’s core values: “Courage to lead while remaining responsive to the needs of members.” Perhaps this trait is not shared by everyone involved in decision-making on behalf of the profession.

I am grateful to serve an organization where voices are valued. “You ARE heard.”