Medication Experts Available for Interviews at ASHP Summer Meeting in San Francisco

Newswise — Who: Pharmacists and other health care professionals discuss latest developments in pharmacy practice at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) 2007 Summer Meeting.

When: June 24-27, 2007

Where: Moscone West Convention Center

What: The educational agenda will provide an in-depth look at key issues affecting pharmacy including:

"¢Medication errors "¢Adverse drug event reporting"¢Pain management and palliative care"¢Dosing practices and guidelines"¢Updates on current practice trends"¢Emergency preparedness "¢Medication therapy management

Featured sessions include:

"¢100 Top Hospitals: Are Top Benchmarkers Really Best?Monday, June 25, 8-10 am The pharmacists' changing role in today's healthcare setting will be examined. Publication of information on healthcare provider performance is debunking certain myths about the quality of care in the United States. Healthcare leaders are coming to sense that doing the right thing at the right time for patients is measurable. With the release of Core Measure performance information, pharmacists are particularly in the spotlight.

"¢New Drugs in Primary CareMonday, June 25, 8-10 am Pharmacists are often called upon for facts and opinions about recently introduced drugs. Because new drugs are introduced at a rate that exceeds the reading time of many busy practitioners, this presentation will provide a broad-based discussion and objective information about new drug options, including inhaled insulin, human papillomavirus vaccine, ranolazine, lubiprostone, varenicline, rasagiline, etonogestral implant, herpes zoster vaccine and ranibizumab.

"¢Tools for Developing an Emergency Pharmacist Program and Measuring its EffectivenessMonday, June 25, 2-5 pmThis presentation will describe a model emergency pharmacist (EPh) program and explore how such a program can be developed and supported. The preliminary results of a large clinical study measuring the impact of an emergency pharmacist will be presented, including a discussion of medication-related quality measures for evaluating the success of such programs. Breakout sessions will identify barriers as well as solutions to implementation of EPh programs.

"¢The Future of Pharmacy " Key Technologies and TrendsTuesday, June 26, 8-10 amThis session will explore key technologies and trends in pharmacy, including robotics, remote dispensing, and future implications of genetic testing. Topics will include the expected impacts to workforce, operations, and facilities resulting from these technologies.

To Register: All press must register to gain access to the meeting. Advance registration is recommended.

For more than 60 years, ASHP has helped pharmacists who practice in hospitals and health systems improve medication use and enhance patient safety. The Society's 30,000 members include pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who practice in inpatient, outpatient, home-care, and long-term-care settings, as well as pharmacy students. For more information about the wide array of ASHP activities and the many ways in which pharmacists help people make the best use of medicines, visit ASHP's Web site, www.ashp.org, or its consumer Web site, www.SafeMedication.com.