NCPA Establishes Awards to Recognize Pharmacists' Efforts

Stressing the importance of recognizing pharmacists who provide outstanding medication adherence services to patients, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) has established 2 awards that will be presented annually beginning in 2012.

The Outstanding Adherence Practitioner Award will recognize a community pharmacist who demonstrates a commitment to improving medication adherence and improving patient outcomes in a community pharmacy setting. The Outstanding Adherence Educator Award will acknowledge a pharmacy educator who makes a significant contribution to the education of students in the area of medication adherence.

According to the New England Health Institute, up to $290 billion a year is wasted on the improper use of medication. Community pharmacists are well-equipped to help address this problem with their clinical and medication expertise and focus on patient care through programs like medication therapy management.

"Community pharmacists provide outstanding levels of patient care services related to improving medication adherence, while the profession's educators ensure the next generation of pharmacists are properly trained practitioners in this invaluable service," said Lonny Wilson, DPh, NCPA president and an independent community pharmacy owner. "In recognition of these unsung efforts, NCPA is establishing these awards to create broad awareness of these best practices and promote further adoption of medication adherence programs among community pharmacists—present and future."

Nominees for the Outstanding Adherence Practitioner Award will be judged on:

• Demonstration of a continuous commitment to patient adherence services;
• Implementation of coordinated adherence services involving other health care professionals;
• Documentation of increased patient medication adherence; and
• Promotion of availability and value of pharmacy-based adherence services.

Nominees for the Outstanding Adherence Educator Award will be judged on:

• Development of innovative course content or teaching tools on medication adherence;
• Integration of active learning techniques on medication adherence throughout the PharmD curriculum and experiential education;
• Provision of regular feedback, encouragement, and support to students who participate in medication adherence-related activities; and
• Development of unique teaching strategies to improve medication adherence in pharmacy practice.

The awards are part of NCPA's commitment to advancing adherence as a core competency of the pharmacy profession by 2015. Nomination forms for both awards will be available on the NCPA Web site on March 1, 2012, and applications will be accepted until July 31, 2012. The winners will be announced at next year's 114th NCPA Annual Convention and Trade Exposition in San Diego.