Spring, a time of new beginnings! At ACCP, we are anticipating a season of changes moving us toward a future of inclusion. Your commitment over the past year has improved access to care, sustained hope for our patients, and supported the goals of health care teams. Dedicated frontline pharmacists in the community, ambulatory, acute care, and emergency department settings have supplied vaccines, testing, and advice as our nation battles COVID-19, medical misinformation, disparities, and trust issues. Clinical pharmacists are positioned and equipped to improve health and medication outcomes for all patients. Creating change is our mantra.

ACCP’s mission is to “drive positive changes in health care as the professional organization most influential in advancing clinical pharmacist roles and responsibilities to optimize pharmacotherapy.”¹ Our members are transforming practice through scientific panels, guideline development, and expanded telehealth initiatives. ACCP’s contributions to the Get the Medications Right Institute are strengthening the message, consistency, and evidence that comprehensive medication management improves team-based care and medication outcomes.^2,3 Voices from our membership have stimulated a national dialogue addressing harassment, intimidation, and abuse of power within our profession.⁴ The ACCP leadership team is listening – we know that driving change can expand opportunities for all clinical pharmacists.

ACCP thrives when we commit to our shared core values. Beginning in 2021, the Board of Regents (BOR) authorized steps to implement an ACCP Code of Conduct. This reminder of our collective expectations for respectful professionalism and accountability will empower individual members. By signing ACCP’s attestation statement, we confirm our individual responsibility to create a culture of inclusion, respect, and belonging. Furthermore, the College is leading a charge in “Increasing Awareness and Accountability to End Harassment, Intimidation, Abuse of Power, Position or Authority in Pharmacy Practice” through submission of a new business item for consideration this month by the 2021 APhA House of Delegates.⁵ ACCP has outlined steps for interorganizational leadership to end the persistence of harassment within our profession.

ACCP committees have also been hard at work. Members can anticipate publications examining the impact of remote/virtual transitions on practice, education, member engagement, and health disparities. Identifying and utilizing quality measures are another key priority this year. Expect to see later this year an ACCP committee paper addressing inpatient/acute care quality measures for clinical pharmacy services. On a related front, the 2021 ACCP Presidential Task Force will provide insight on strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in clinical pharmacy practice metrics across all settings. Updates to ACCP papers on therapeutic interchange and the optimal research curriculum for Doctor of Pharmacy degree Programs are also under way. Publication of ACCP papers remains a foundational step toward transforming future clinical pharmacy practice.

When considering future transformations, it is so refreshing to see the enthusiastic ideas from our National Student Network Advisory Committee and National Resident Advisory Committee. The perspectives of these volunteers are invaluable. Their work improves on and expands ACCP’s messaging to students and trainees. Their innovative ideas and communication models help us identify and address the needs of our future members.

Dedicated, consistent, often less-visible work is routinely conducted by our Awards, Nominations, Organizational Affairs, and Research Fellowship Program Review committees. Members serving on these committees spend many hours reviewing CVs, applications, and other materials. These teams sustain our efforts to recognize members who lead by professional example. Throughout the past year, items showcasing our members in meeting the challenges of COVID-19 have inspired us. The Member Relations Committee will continue to produce the “Member Spotlight” series, encouraging individuals to submit their stories of creative changes and actions in building health equity. This year, the Credentials: FCCP Committee will create a webinar and live roundtable session to expand our communications with prospective fellow applicants. Programming committees are preparing for the 2021 Annual Meeting and 2022 Global Conference. The work of these committees positions us to enhance the visibility and recognition of ACCP members who are creating positive changes in health care. The BOR appreciates the willingness of committee members to accept the shared responsibility of maintaining our core values when spotlighting members, inviting speakers, and selecting honorees for ACCP recognition.

As an organization, we will continue to seek input on best practices embracing diversity as inclusive leaders to build health equity. The BOR is participating in professional development activities to strengthen our inclusive leadership skills.^6,7 Input from the ACCP Advisory Panel on Community Clinical Pharmacist Engagement will inform our steps in advancing clinical pharmacy roles in communities. As we move through 2021, opportunities for ACCP’s commitment to integrate inclusion, diversity, and equity will be increasingly evident.

The ACCP staff, BOR, Foundation Board of Trustees, and Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc. Board of Directors are working together, implementing changes that align with our values and strategic plan. We are stronger because of our unity in purpose. As we emerge from the relative isolation imposed by COVID-19, let’s identify opportunities to create sustainable, positive changes as we seek to achieve our vision of accessible and equitable care for all.

References

1. American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). The Strategic Plan of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Available at https://www.accp.com/docs/about/ACCP_Strategic_Plan.pdf. Accessed March 8, 2021.
2. Get the Medications Right Institute (GTMRx Institute). Get the Medications Right: A Blueprint for Change, July 2020. Available at https://16bvl028dn7zhgp35k7rzh5c-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GTMR-Blueprint-FINAL-WEB.v3.pdf. Accessed March 8, 2021.
3. Get the Medications Right Institute (GTMRx Institute). The Outcomes of Implementing and Integrative Comprehensive Medication Management in Team-Based Care: A Review of the Evidence on Quality, Access and Costs, October 2020. Available at https://16bvl028dn7zhgp35k7rzh5c-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/The-Outcomes-of-Implementing-and-Integrating-CMM-in-Team-Based-Care-A-Review-of-the-Evidence-on-Quality-Access-and-Costs-11252020.pdf. Accessed March 8, 2021.
4. Helium Radio Network; Eury T. Sexual Harassment in Pharmacy: Transforming a Nation, October 4, 2020. Available at https://heliumradio.com/podcast/sexual-harassment-in-pharmacy-transforming-a-nation/. Accessed March 8, 2021.
5. American Pharmacists Association (APhA). House of Delegates – March 15, 2021. Increasing Awareness and Accountability to End Harassment, Intimidation, Abuse of Power, Position or Authority in Pharmacy Practice. Available at https://www.pharmacist.com/sites/default/files/audience/NBI%20%233%20-%20Increasing%20Awareness%20and%20Accountability%20-%20ACCP_3.pdf. Accessed March 8, 2021.
6. Brown J. Jennifer Brown Speaks. Available at https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/inclusive-leader-book/assessment/#jump_trgt. Accessed March 8, 2021.
7. Brown J. How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive. Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler, 2019.