College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists

CPNP was honored to present the Saklad Memorial Award at the April 2010 CPNP Annual Meeting for the thirteenth time. This award celebrates the life and work of the late Judith J. Saklad. Dr. Saklad was a founding member of CPNP and nationally recognized as an innovator of pharmaceutical care to children and adults with serious mental disorders, developmental disabilities and mental retardation.

The Health Care Bill, signed into law by the president on Tuesday, includes several pharmacy-related provisions. CPNP worked as part of the Health Care Reform Pharmacy Stakeholders Group with other major pharmacy organizations to support the medication therapy management (MTM) provisions contained in the bill.

Although it will take some time before the full impact of the bill is understood, several provisions could have a significant impact on pharmacist-provided MTM for our patients.

These include provisions that:

CPNP is one of many national associations to sign on in support of ENHANCED Act S. 1857 seeking to establish a network of centers of excellence for depression. This bill would establish a national network of centers of excellence for the treatment of depressive disorders. The goal of the bill is to increase the number of people with depressive disorders who receive appropriate and evidence-based treatment, and to establish a national resource to develop and disseminate evidence-based interventions, provide public and professional education, and eradicate the stigma associated with depressive disorders.

The pharmacy profession, as represented by the organizations listed below, welcomes the inclusion of medication therapy management (MTM) services in The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), sponsored by Congressman John Dingell (D-MI), that would enhance medication use in our health care system.

Specifically, the bill would establish a program to provide grants to eligible entities to implement MTM services provided by licensed pharmacists, as a part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary, interprofessional approach to the treatment of chronic diseases – such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes – for targeted individuals.