From APC’s President

Divided we stand, together we rise

Dear A4PC,

Michael Blaire, RPh, FIACP
APC President

A certain father had a family of sons, who were forever quarreling among themselves. No words he could say did the least good, so he cast about in his mind for some very striking example that should make them see that discord would lead them to misfortune.

One day when the quarreling had been much more violent than usual and each of the sons was moping in a surly manner, he asked one of them to bring him a bundle of sticks. Then handing the bundle to each of his sons in turn he told them to try to break it. But although each one tried his best, none was able to do so. The father then untied the bundle and gave the sticks to his sons to break one by one. This they did very easily.

"My sons," said the father, "do you not see how certain it is that if you agree with each other and help each other, it will be impossible for your enemies to injure you? But if you are divided among yourselves, you will be no stronger than a single stick in that bundle."

Aesop wrote the above fable more than 2,500 years ago, yet to this day it remains the simplest, most concrete example of the fact that in unity there is strength. When people unite behind a common ideal or purpose, they are unstoppable. Unfortunately, this concept has always seemed to elude the pharmacy profession.

Perhaps this is because historically pharmacists were viewed as business owners selling a product rather than knowledgeable health professionals. Many pharmacists themselves viewed each other as competitors rather than colleagues. It was not uncommon for independent or community pharmacists to trash chain store pharmacists, and hospital pharmacists threw everybody under the bus.

APC (then IACP) was a refuge from the quarreling. Whether you compounded in a community setting or a hospital, whether you compounded for humans or for animals, and whether you compounded for your patients in your neighborhood or patients across the country, you were a compounding pharmacist, and your problems were everybody's problems. So it is surprising to hear that there are compounders that believe that APC only represents 503A pharmacies and has nothing to offer 503B outsourcing facilities.

Granted, APC members predominantly come from 503A pharmacies, but we have many members from 503B outsourcing facilities who fully support APC's mission and who are committed to the organization. APC's advocacy efforts are on behalf of all compounders, and our educational programs are designed to offer relevant information for all practice settings.

At the onset of the Covid pandemic, APC worked with FDA and state boards of pharmacy to help craft guidance for both 503B OFs and 503A pharmacies to supply hand sanitizer and drugs in short supply to hospitals and other facilities in need. Recently APC collaborated with the Outsourcing Facilities Association (OFA) on a letter to FDA requesting a listening session regarding compounding HCG, an issue affecting members in both 503A and 503B facilities. With the release of FDA's latest preliminary assessment on five bulk drug substances for use by outsourcing facilities, it’s likely APC will file comments.

The practice of prescription compounding predates Aesop and his fables. By working together, we can ensure that we do not become ancient history.

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Michael Blaire is APC’s president, but his day job is vice president for government and regulatory affairs at Wedgewood Pharmacy in Scottsdale, Arizona. You can reach him at mblaire@wedgewoodpharmacy.com.

NEW cBHT Media Campaign fundraising brochure

You know by now about APC's upcoming and much-awaited cBHT media campaign, set to launch in early April. We're putting the finishing touches on the website, the photography, the digital ads, and the materials we'll be providing to compounders like you to inform patients and prescribers about the effort.

But then there's the matter of funding it all. As of today, we've raised just north of $800,000 of the $1.5 million we need to fund the media campaign. All those ads, all those photos, all that video ... well, it's no good if it's not out in public.

Yes, we are beginning outreach to vendors and institutions. And yes, we're hoping our members will commit to a monthly investment in the campaign (say, one percent of your cBHT revenue (to protect the other 99 percent)).

But here's another way to help: a four-page cBHT campaign fundraising piece.

We need you to share this with the vendors and prescribers you work with. "Do you know what's happening with compounded hormones...?"

Those four pages explain why cBHT is under threat, how that will hurt their patients, and how APC plans to protect it. And it urges them to contribute to the effort.

Yes, we're halfway home — and that's great. We're counting on you to help us go the rest of the way. Thank you for your support!

Owner Summit opens on Jekyll Island

APC's first annual Owner Summit was just getting rolling at press time, but we've got some photos of the welcome reception and the first morning's meetings....

Congressman Buddy Carter chats with APC Board Chair Shawn Hodges,
President Michael Blaire, and Mike's wife, Dorothy

The opening welcome session

StoryMiners’ Mike Wittenstein delivers his keynote

APC CEO Scott Brunner in the exhibit hall with Topi-Click's Tim Phipps

Briefing on PCF's independent NASEM analysis

The Pharmacy Compounding Foundation will be holding a briefing on the newly completed independent analysis of the NASEM cBHT report:

Tuesday, April 20 at 3:00pm EDT
Open to all. Details coming soon.

That independent report is the latest reason to support the Pharmacy Compounding Foundation: A detailed, critical analysis of the NASEM cBHT report (with, you know, actual data) is due out soon — with the cost of that analysis covered by the foundation.

Funding that report is just one way the foundation works to elevate pharmacy compounding practice. Your practice. And you can support its efforts. Learn more — and GIVE.

503B (and HCQ) news of note

FDA has made a preliminary decision about five substances that could be added to the 503B bulks list. Only one has made the cut onto the positives list: quinacrine. The agency is poised to add the others to the negative list: bromfenac sodium, mitomycin–C, nepafenac ... and hydroxychloroquine sulfate.

That's right, HCQ is off the list. After all the hype last summer ... well, if you feel a bit of whiplash, you're not alone.

EduCon: Don't miss your chance

Good news: Yes, you can still take advantage of all the EduCon 2021 session content; it's all there, on demand, at A4PC.org/educon. And yes, that includes all the CE credit, too.

Bad news: You only have until April 4. That's the rule from ACPE, which accredited those courses. That's only about eight days! Head over to A4PC.org/educon, register, and check out those great sessions ... while you still can!

April 6, 7, 8 — USP webinars on chapters <797>, <800>, and <795>, respectively

April 13; 2:00-3:00pm EDT — CE webinar: "Pharmacy Fulfillment for Consumer-Focused Telehealth Platforms"

June 10–11, 2021 — PCCA Act Conference (virtual)

June 16–17, 2021 — Compounding Pharmacy Compliance Virtual (APC members: Use code APC10 for 10% off registration!)

September 14–15, 2021 — Compounders on Capitol Hill (mark your calendars!)

September 22–24, 2021 — Compounding Pharmacy Compliance East

Marketers are noticing pharmacists. There’s been lots of talk about the new, expanded role pharmacists are (finally!) playing, thanks to the pandemic. But most of the talk has been about how the government sees you. In fact, marketers are well aware of how pharmacists' roles are expanding. It's a long read, but worth it: "Flashpoint of Care: The new role of pharmacists."

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Alexa, buy yourself something nice. Being trapped in CovidLand™ has apparently made people realize how dependent they are on machines — keeping in touch, doing their work, or just escaping their drab, wretched lives. And that — say USC researchers — has made them nicer to machines. "[W]hen people are distracted by something distressing, they treat machines socially like they would treat other people."

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Did you explain the side effects? UCLA researchers found that many people, if not specifically informed by their prescribers, assume their new meds have no side effects. They are often unpleasantly surprised. One of the biggest reasons: Physicians who don't actually use the phrase “side effects.”

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Don't forget to download, print, and display the new APC Compounder’s Code of Ethics at A4PC.org/downloadthecode.

And don't forget to share with your team Jon Pritchett’s powerful video, "The APC Code of Ethics: Ensuring Your Reputation and Legal Standing" on APC’s updated Code of Ethics page.