Maps/Directions:
Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy 3200 S. University Drive Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328
Phone: (954) 262-1300 or
Toll Free: 800-356-0026 Ext. 21300
Email: PharmCE@nova.edu
The 32nd NSU Fall Classic Conference was designed with a common theme that challenged its speakers to address their subject matter to challenge pharmacists to consider the great opportunity to become the ultimate “patient advocate.” Could the pharmacist seek developing a career in one of the most sought-after needs of the healthcare consumer? Could one of the most trusted professionals be trusted to guide the consumer’s loved ones through the unfamiliar and complex healthcare system?
The ultimate patient advocate has not been created yet. But by challenging one of the most trusted professionals, who has a baseline knowledge of comprehensive therapeutics and by enhancing their knowledge and skills, could you establish a new career path, the patient care advocate – the pharmacist? If so, we could build the academic credential.
In addressing this “Patient Advocate” question the conference defines the current roles of patient advocates and then projects what the speakers feel an idea patient advocate should know within their specialty areas.
Specialty areas as cancer, pain management, nutrition, immunity, addiction, and stroke care were chosen as the first areas to offer these enhancements. In time drug induced diseases, health insurance, durable medical equipment, business acumen, and several therapeutic subjects would be added to strengthen the position of the advocate. If pharmacists see value in achieving an educational status a specialty certificate or Board would be designed and offered to the entrepreneurs who want to take the profession to another level.
Dr. Barry Bleidt will get the audience in focus with defining the patient advocate with his regular manner of being both relevant and engaging to our pharmacy practitioners.
Dr. Mitch Ghen will bring his magic in being relevant and engaging as well in an area where pharmacists need to know the non-traditional alternatives to cancer therapies to collaborate with patients, physicians and even friends and relatives. This adjunct to current cancer therapy is must knowledge for any pharmacist advocate. Patients or consumers need to know alternatives and will pay for those who offer them. It is about having the strength of knowledge and knowing how to use it.
Even this year’s Annual Patient Safety Award is dedicated to recipients that are considered by most to be the best “Patient Advocates” in drug therapy in the World. These recipients bring a list of enormous contributions over four decades of consumer protection in our professional world of medicine. You do not want to miss their 1:00 pm award presentation and lecture to follow.
This year the legendary pharmacist patient advocates from the Peoples Pharmacy, Joe and Teresa Graedon will be honored.
In the afternoon Dr. Stuart Shipe reviews that Medicare just approved acupuncture for lower back pain this year to help reduce opiate use. Dr. Shipe will introduce the skill set and knowledge base that a strong patient advocate needs in the sharing of alternative pain management therapies.
With the Ketamine rehab clinics getting out of control, people are in dire need for a pharmacist advocate to navigate this booming industry with it’s numerous treatment options. As patients are taking more drugs or given drugs because insurance pays, patients need to have relationships with counselors they trust and who know the best therapies. He will discuss options as the Acupuncture Detox Protocols from N.A.D.A national acupuncture detox association(note, the good advocate must know the options, but need not practice all of them).
Dr. Shipe also brings the cutting-edge idea for the new pharmacist patient advocate, the “Pharmacist Care Plan.” Most health professionals (RN, PT, OT, ST, DC, Social services, Case Managers, etc) create care plans to structure their clients future care defined by goals. His vision of a pharmacist advocate is a planner that focuses on creating, implementing, and re-assessing wellness and self-help strategies.
The living proof of an effective Patient Advocate – the Pharmacist starts the morning off with Dr. Angela Pressman sharing her pharmacist knowledge and skills as she navigated her father through a week of training nurses and physicians. This is one of those “don’t want to be late on this one” presentations. Dr. Pressman is a highly skilled and knowledgeable community advocate.
Staci Shacter, R.D. brings her world of nutrition to the needed skills of the Patient Advocate. What are the markers of a good immune system? What non-traditional labs does a career advocate order to achieve an immune system? What foods does an advocate offer their client/patient that can enhance their immunity to survive a challenging viral environment?
Dr. Tracy Faulkner will propose baseline post stroke duties that a professional patient advocate should enforce with their new clients. She will explore essential preventative recurrent measures and share a treasure of information that only a patient in need of services would know.
The last speaker of the day, Dr. Mary Van will take on the challenges of addiction by employing nutrition as the number one issue that the patient advocate should demand before traditional therapy begins. She will discuss in many several studies her take on nutritional lab markers that will have to be achieved prior to treatment. This too is one of those lectures you do not want to miss if you are related to the 1 out of every 10 people who have an addiction.
Note that all registered participants to NSU November and May programs that license required courses Florida Med Error (for technicians & pharmacists) and Validation of Prescription Controlled Substances (for pharmacists) will be offered as home study courses when they are up-dated. We offer them to our registrants at no charge.
Consultant pharmacists can earn up to 12 hours of recertification credits with courses being offered six hours on each day.
Nova Southeastern University admits students of any race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying disability, religion or creed, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school, and does not discriminate in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
Recipients: Joe & Teresa GraedonPresentation: Consistency in Protecting Patient Care Quality