To Teach is to Learn Twice Over--Joseph Joubert
Many CPNP members serve as faculty members, preceptors, mentors, student advisors, residency directors and in roles that facilitate learning. A retired faculty colleague who was beloved by an entire generation of pharmacy students confided to me that he sometimes felt guilty getting paid to teach. He said that he benefitted more from the students than they learned from him. Almost all of us that fulfill these roles get a great deal from these interactions. I feel like I learn from my students (and patients) every day.
This month’s CPNP Perspective focuses on students including our student chapters, student activities at our Annual Meeting and unique student-faculty partnerships. In just a few short years, our student participation has mushroomed to over 400 student chapter members. Our student committee has done an incredible job guiding this effort. Meanwhile, the CPNP membership and CPNP Foundation have sponsored over 45 students with scholarships to attend our Annual Meeting. At our 2015 past presidents meeting, the past presidents challenged one another to make additional contributions towards these scholarships resulting in an additional 5 scholarships to students for a total of 20 student grants to the 2016 Annual Meeting. We applaud all CPNP members for their teaching, mentoring and advising efforts and invite you to join us in increasing student attendance at future meetings by contributing to this Foundation initiative.
As we prepare this month’s CPNP Perspective, there is also breaking news that impacts our members and many of the patients we serve. The FDA released their new REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) Program for clozapine on September 15. There will be changes in the clozapine registry system, new required pharmacy and prescriber certifications, changes in allowable hematology values, an acknowledgement of Benign Ethnic Neutropenia and the ability to rechallenge patients. As you read this, CPNP is assembling additional information to help you plan for the significant changes that will begin to take place on October 12. Stay tuned!
Finally, CPNP submitted comments this month on the new CMS regulations called the “Mega Rule.” The Mega Rule is a proposed reform of requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities. Chris Thomas led those working on the CPNP response. CPNP specifically opposed the portion of the rule that expanded the definition of psychotropic drug to include any drug that “affects brain activities associated with mental processes and behaviors,” fearing that this might adversely impact the treatment of neurologic disorders, chronic pain and the use of other medications that might cross the blood-brain barrier. CPNP also promoted CMM as the optimal model for delivery of patient care and supported pharmacist access to and use of the medical record in routine Drug Management Reviews.
Thank you to all who “teach”, all who serve and all who “teach us.”