A minute with...
Gretchen K. Garofoli, PharmD, BCACP, CTTS, FAPhA
Clinical Associate Professor and Managing Network Facilitator, CPESN WV, West Virginia University School
of Pharmacy, Morgantown, WV
Member since 2005
“I’ve been involved with APhA since I was a first-year student pharmacist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and have gained a lot through my involvement. As a community pharmacy practice resident, I spent 2 weeks on rotation at APhA headquarters and learned so much about association management and made connections with many leaders in our profession. I even had the honor and privilege of staffing the 2010 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition in Washington, DC. It was amazing to see all that goes into planning and executing a successful annual meeting! Through my continued involvement with the New Practitioner Advisory Committee and then the Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management, I’ve met and learned from many amazing pharmacists in APhA–APPM who are working tirelessly to advance our profession and inspire me every day.”
How has APhA helped you establish meaningful connections?
I’ve met so many innovators in the profession of pharmacy through my involvement with APhA. Annual meetings provide a wonderful opportunity to interact with pharmacists and student pharmacists from across the country and even the world, so I would encourage all pharmacists and student pharmacists at APhA meetings to introduce themselves to someone they’ve never met before to learn their story and potentially make a lifelong connection in the profession. I’ve served in leadership roles through APhA and have met amazing pharmacists with whom I’ve continued to collaborate on projects within and outside APhA that have helped benefit our fellow pharmacists, student pharmacists, and the patients we serve.
How does APhA help you thrive in your everyday practice?
APhA provides many excellent resources that have helped me throughout my career, from Peripheral Brain for the Pharmacist while on rotation to the NAPLEX prep book to study for my exam to the amazing COVID-19 resources that have helped me immensely over the course of the past 3 years. APhA’s resources are easy to use, which is extremely valuable in our fast-paced profession.
What excites you about the profession of pharmacy?
I’m very excited about the evolution of our profession. I think the COVID-19 pandemic has really shown all that pharmacists can do to help our communities. It’s extremely important to get payors on board so pharmacists can get properly reimbursed and be engaged to our fullest potential taking care of patients.
Can you share a meaningful story about a time you interacted with a patient? Perhaps a time you felt like you really made a difference for them?
One patient, who suffers from a severe neurological condition, was due for his COVID-19 booster, but could not find a location that would administer the booster curbside, and his wife was concerned with his instability and having to get him into and out of a pharmacy location. I told his wife that I would be happy to administer the vaccine and set up a time that was convenient for them. I met the patient and his wife outside when they arrived and administered the vaccine to him while he was comfortably and safely seated in the car. His wife was extremely appreciative and thanked me multiple times for ensuring that her husband was fully protected. ■
Get involved
Interested in patient-centered care? The Medical Home/ACO Special Interest Group (SIG) offers a way to get involved with a network of practitioners, administrators, and educators who share a passion for the development, implementation, and information-sharing regarding new models for patient care, specifically the patient-centered medical home and accountable care organizations (ACOs). APhA–APPM Medical Home/ACO SIG provides members a professional community of pharmacists involved in all aspects of patient-centered care.
“I joined the Medical Home/ACO SIG so I could learn from and with other pharmacists practicing in patient-centered medical homes or ACOs,” said Amy N. Thompson, PharmD, SIG coordinator. “It has been so great to learn about different models across the nation. Our SIG is an amazing group and I’ve loved being a part of this team!”
Don’t miss the Learn The Lingo: Key Terms for Navigating the Value-Based Care World practice resource (www.pharmacist.com/Practice/Practice-Resources/Learn-the-Lingo), which helps pharmacists speak the same language regarding value-based care. Visit www.pharmacist.com/volunteer for more information. ■
Get published
APhA annually publishes between 10 and 15 professional references for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and student pharmacists in print and digital formats. APhA titles include
- Krinsky et al., Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs: An Interactive Approach to Self-Care
- Franks, The APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy
- Allen, The Art, Science, and Technology of Pharmaceutical Compounding
- Cohen, Medication Errors
- Kowalsky, Weatherman, Radiopharmaceuticals in Nuclear Pharmacy and Nuclear Medicine
- Trissel, Trissel’s Stability of Compounded Formulations
APhA Books and Digital Publishing has an open call for proposals. Whether you are a veteran published author or an aspiring writer, you are invited to submit a book proposal.
Visit our book publishing website at www.pharmacist.com/Publications/Books to learn more and to download the book proposal form. ■
Left to right: Doug Hoey, NCPA CEO; Paul Abramowitz, ASHP CEO; Michael Hogue, APhA CEO; and Steve Anderson, NACDS CEO.
Pharmacists are stronger together
On July 18, 2023, Michael D. Hogue, PharmD, FAPhA, FNAP, FFIP, executive vice president and CEO of APhA, met with senior officials from the Biden Administration and HHS at the White House on the key role our nation’s pharmacists play in helping patients understand their new prescription drug benefits and how those medicines can improve patient health. APhA collaborated with leaders from several health care partners—including the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the National Community Pharmacists Association, and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores—at a roundtable discussion about how pharmacies and the government can educate consumers about the new Medicare prescription drug benefits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The administration is looking to the pharmacy community to educate and help patients take advantage of the new benefits, including caps on insulin copays and out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors and eliminating out-of-pocket costs for Medicare vaccines.
“Pharmacists are essential to achieving access to care and health care equity as part of our public health infrastructure,” said Hogue. “We’ve found the most effective strategy for educating patients is person-to-person discussions—particularly in underserved communities. That’s where the administration should focus. We are hopeful the administration will provide consumer education on drug costs so that pharmacists can continue to keep their focus on patient care.”
APhA has created flyers, available at apha.us/nocopay, to help patients 65 years and older understand the vaccines they are eligible to receive with no copay.
“The IRA is a great start to improving patients’ access to medications. However, further reforms are urgently needed. APhA urges HHS to use its authorities to provide coverage for pharmacist-provided care under Medicare Part B. Affordability plus patient care equals positive outcomes,” said Hogue. ■
