As we prepare to turn over a new year, I stand back and think how grateful I am to be part of this growing profession and organization. This year I am very thankful for the staff at CPNP who works tirelessly for us on so many issues and for all the volunteers who give their time and talent to push the envelope on psychiatric pharmacy.
Wow- what a busy and fruitful month November was for CPNP! The Board met in Washington DC for its annual strategic planning meeting. We were pleased to be able to utilize the offices of District Policy Group to be close to the Hill for visits. The Board was able to discuss many important issues, current and future, including a brainstorming session with Cindy Kirkwood, President of the CPNP Foundation. With the amazing efforts of our volunteers and staff, the Board was pleased to check off strategic plan goals such as MHC journal indexing, the launch of the USP 800 product, and our ramped up substance use disorder resources (cpnp.org/resources). However, there is much yet to be done and the Board is committed to moving the strategic plan and profession of psychiatric pharmacy forward.
The Board also completed Hill visits with many different members of Congress while in Washington DC. Working in 5 groups, we were able to visit nearly 30 offices that day where we dialoged with staffers on many different topics ranging from access to psychiatric care to the role of the psychiatric pharmacist in team based care. (Left: Board members Amy Werremeyer, Heidi Wehring, Deanna Kelly, Karen Moeller)
On the heels of strategic planning and Hill visits, CPNP Executive Director Brenda Schimenti and I participated in the November JCPP meeting. The agenda was packed with recaps of the mid-term elections, workforce stress and wellbeing research and action plans, medical marijuana discussions, and the Comprehensive Medication Management study results released from UNC/University of MN/AAFP. Membership in JCPP continues to provide CPNP the opportunity for exposure and the development of relationships with other pharmacy organizations.
As this letter goes to press, many of our members have just returned from ASHP Mid-Year hoping to recruit the best residency candidates for next year. I hope each of you are successful and we continue to train many more Psychiatric Pharmacists. I wish each of you the Happiest of Holidays and looking forward to our continued work in the New Year.