Ross

Some occurrences are so impactful that we vividly remember the details of the moment. I can think of several in my life, both happy and sad. This week marked one of those occasions when I heard of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. I have watched intently as a country mourned the loss of its longstanding leader. I have always been intrigued with the British monarchy and the corgis, having read many books about them over the years and more recently watched episodes of The Crown and similar programs. How incredible to consider that she served as the steadfast leader of her country for 70 years! Former President George W. Bush commented, "She led England through dark moments with confidence in her people and a vision for a brighter tomorrow. Our world benefited from her steady resolve."

In this, he describes what textbooks teach us about courageous leadership. Although this day was inevitable, it remains a solemn and memorable time in which we reflect on her life, leadership, and legacy. The coming weeks will be filled with remembrances and celebrations of her many accomplishments. They will also be filled with conversations about the future and how the monarchy will embrace change in the modern era. Indeed, this is a time of very visible transition. As the Queen herself noted upon the passing of her husband, Prince Philip: "Life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings."

Less significant transitions occur for each of us on a routine basis. ACCP is approaching its annual transition in leadership among the Board of Regents, PRN officers, and committee chairs/members, which will provide a time to reflect on the dedicated work of so many volunteers and the collective activities that are moving us forward. I hope we will use this time to review and applaud their work, recognize and celebrate their accomplishments, envision the future, and move forward to achieve meaningful progress.

The ACCP “highlight reel” this year includes successful implementation of key initiatives in the 2020 ACCP Strategic Plan, including:

• Establishment of two new Practice and Research Networks (PRNs): the Community-Based PRN, chaired by Dr. Margie Snyder, and the Health Equity PRN, chaired by Dr. Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir, which are already advancing our work in these areas of emphasis (ACCP PRN Information)
• Approval of new 3-year strategic plans for both the ACCP Foundation (ACCP Foundation Strategic Plan) and Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc. (PPI Strategic Plan), which complement and enhance the existing ACCP Strategic Plan
• Creation of the Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM) Implementation Academy, designed to provide clinical pharmacists and administrators with resources to help implement, enhance, or expand CMM services through on-demand modules, live consultancy sessions, and mentorship from CMM experts. Program registration is still open, and more information is available at ACCP CMM Implementation Academy.
• Development of a new Professional Leadership Program, designed to prepare clinical pharmacy’s “leaders of tomorrow” to serve both ACCP and the pharmacy profession, which launches next month in San Francisco at the ACCP Global Conference on Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP Professional Leadership Program Information)
• Creation of the ACCP Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) in professional leadership focused on developing student leadership, which completed its pilot phase of rotations earlier this year and now has a full cadre of students scheduled for the 2022–2023 academic year (see ACCP Professional Leadership APPE Information)
• Pharmacotherapy’s achievement of a 6.251 impact factor, the highest in the journal’s history. Congratulations to Editor-in-Chief Lindsay DeVane, the PPI Board of Directors, ACCP and PPI staff, journal editors, editorial board members, authors, and reviewers on this significant achievement!
• Tremendous growth of the Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (JACCP) since its launch, which continues to address important issues in clinical pharmacy

This year’s theme has been Advocacy to Advance Our Profession: A Piece of Cake! We began this focus on advocacy at the 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting, using the BAKING acronym to highlight the similarities between our advocacy efforts and cake baking, a recently adopted hobby of mine, and its application to our ACCP work: Beginning with a vision and recipe to get there; Assuring different ingredients are included and valued; Keeping the focus on progress and adjusting as necessary; Incorporating patience and time to assess and prepare for the next steps, Never forgetting the icing; and Going forth and sharing with others. We have remained true to this baking recipe throughout the year, and I am very proud of our many accomplishments.

The ACCP Professional and Government Affairs staff have worked tirelessly to advance clinical pharmacy via legislative initiatives and promote health care reform and medication optimization together with other organizations and coalitions. Although not a comprehensive list, key professional and government affairs activities this year have included:

• Launching the new Advocacy in Action quarterly newsletter (ACCP Advocacy in Action Newsletter) and the ACCP Advocacy Miniseries (ACCP Advocacy Miniseries), both providing excellent opportunities for members to stay informed and engaged in the College’s advocacy work
• Joining pharmacy colleagues from across the profession to support the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act, which would enable Medicare patients to receive timely and consistent treatment from pharmacists for pandemic-related health services and facilitate pharmacist response to current and future threats to public health
• Uniting with 13 other pharmacy organizations to submit a letter to President Joe Biden, urging the administration to remove barriers preventing pharmacists from ordering oral antivirals and expand patient access to the “Test to Treat” initiative announced in the White House National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan
• Joining 28 other state and national pharmacy organizations to request that Congress immediately take action to fully fund the Health Resources & Services Administration COVID-19 Uninsured Program and provide clarification that any currently unpaid claims will receive priority for reimbursement
• Actively supporting the “Cures 2.0” legislation (HR 6000), which includes a provision to cover payment for qualified clinical pharmacists delivering “pharmacogenetic consultations.” More information on how ACCP members can engage in this advocacy initiative is available at Advocacy - Cures 2.0.
• Engaging with the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners, which represents 13 national stakeholder associations across the pharmacy profession and seeks to determine consensus directions for the profession
• Participating as an active member of the board of directors for the AACP Pharmacy Workforce Center, a coalition providing critical information on the magnitude, demography, and functions of the pharmacy workforce
• Partnering to develop consensus statements guiding practice, including a recent joint effort with the National Community Pharmacists Association Innovation Center and the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) USA to provide a framework for collaborations between clinic- and community-based pharmacists to achieve medication optimization in line with our strategic priorities in this area
• Participating as a member of the Academia-CPESN Transformation (ACT) Task Force work. Dr. Amie Brooks, director of Strategic Initiatives, and I continue to engage regularly with ACT colleagues.
• Participating in the AACP Bridging Pharmacy Education and Practice Summit in June, which will further inform ACCP initiatives focused on advancing and positioning clinical pharmacists for the future
• Renewing our commitment as a founding member of the Get the Medications Right (GTMRx) Institute and continuing to work through this coalition to advance CMM. In June, ACCP members participated with physician colleagues in a GTMRx webinar, “Building, Managing, and Sustaining Your CMM Practice,” to showcase the initial findings of the GTMRx National Registry of Comprehensive Medication Management Practices and discuss CMM in organizations at various stages of maturity, highlighting the benefits and challenges encountered in successful CMM implementation.
• Continuing to work with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services/Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to advance care delivery models that are consistent with alternative payment regulations and incentives for providers and systems to transition from fee-for-service to value-based reimbursement

One eye-opening aspect of serving as an ACCP presidential officer has been my firsthand view of the tremendous work behind the scenes within our committee and task force structures and the high level of commitment by those who lead and participate in this work. Thank you to everyone involved in these efforts! Your dedication to clinical pharmacy and moving the College forward in achieving specific strategic areas of its mission is commendable.

I want to recognize two groups in particular this year that provided outstanding contributions. The Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), chaired by Dr. Mary Lee, was charged with providing input to the Board of Regents on implementation of its DEI plan, including internal and external communications, PRN engagement, and analysis and interpretation of member survey data. One specific example of this work is a proposed revision to the ACCP bylaws, now placed before the ACCP voting membership for approval. ACCP’s DEI plan includes a goal to create and sustain an inclusive culture within the organization, and this proposed revision to the bylaws is intended to provide a clear statement indicating ACCP’s commitment to embracing DEI. A more comprehensive report of DEI activities over the past 2 years can be found in the August ACCP Report (ACCP Report: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at ACCP).

We continue to balance the sense of urgency to move our organization toward optimally modeling inclusivity; reflecting diversity in our leadership, award recipients, and membership; and ensuring equitable practices in all aspects of our operations while recognizing the importance of patience as we work to achieve meaningful DEI outcomes. I encourage you to review the ACCP DEI plan and identify ways to engage in these efforts in the coming year.

A second committee that deserves accolades for extraordinary work is the ACCP Awards Committee. This committee, chaired by Dr. Kristi Kelley, worked diligently to review nominations for each award under the committee’s purview and did a remarkable job of ensuring a fair and equitable process to provide thoughtful recommendations in recognizing deserving individuals. A comprehensive report of all ACCP committee and task force work this year and deliverables will be provided in October at the ACCP Global Conference.

The ACCP Global Conference on Clinical Pharmacy is almost here! What an exciting opportunity to reconnect with colleagues in San Francisco, October 15–18, 2022! Early registration is available through September 19, and I hope many of you will plan to attend (see 2022 ACCP Global Conference Information). We look forward to joining together in person for networking, educational programming, and celebrating the many accomplishments of our members. I recently had the opportunity to facilitate leadership discussions with students and residents and to hear Dr. Robert Smith, director of ACCP’s Leadership and Management Academy, speak on leadership development. These discussions, which focused on the characteristics of “great” leaders – courage, vision, humility – made me think of many ACCP colleagues, spanning from current and former students to longtime mentors who embody these qualities.

We have great leaders at every level within the College and hence a bright tomorrow! I look forward to celebrating many of these leaders as we induct the 2022 ACCP Fellows and provide well-deserved member-specific honors at the Global Conference. As ACCP continues its strategic focus on leadership development through the Professional Leadership Program, the Leadership APPE, and the ACCP Academy Leadership and Management Certificate Program, our leadership pipeline continues to grow. We look forward to hearing about the high-quality practice, research, and education generated by our members and to celebrating their accomplishments in the years ahead.

With the upcoming leadership transition next month, this is my final ACCP presidential column. Thank you for the opportunity to serve in this capacity – it has been a true honor. I am amazed on a daily basis by the level of commitment and humble leadership demonstrated by ACCP colleagues and staff. Our members are among the very best in clinical pharmacy and give willingly in service to this organization.

During this transition, I hope you will find confidence in the College’s strategic direction and in those working with steady resolve at all levels within the College to set the stage for a bright future for clinical pharmacy. I will end with another quote from the Queen that I believe is pertinent to our work in ACCP: "It’s worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change."

We continue to strive for giant leaps but hold fast to our belief that each strategic goal achieved will move us toward a future in which all clinical pharmacists are practicing at the height of their training, providing meaningful interventions, and striving each day to better the lives of others, particularly our patients. I encourage each of us to be courageous leaders and to maintain the focus on our responsibilities to others in each step we take to advance our profession. I am grateful for all that you do for ACCP and for the opportunity to have served with you in this leadership role. Thank you!