Thomas R. Clark, RPh, MHS, will join the ASCP Foundation as director of clinical affairs, a new position, January 1. Mr. Clark has been affiliated with the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists since 1994 and is a nationally recognized authority on consultant pharmacy, long-term care, and the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003. In addition, he has developed clinical products and resources that were regarded as cutting-edge when they were introduced and are still in use today. The announcement was made by Frank Cirillo, RPh, FASCP, chair of the ASCP Foundation Board of Trustees, and Robert J. Miller, RPh, FASCP, immediate past president and chairman of the board of ASCP. 

Mr. Cirillo said Mr. Clark will develop new programs and projects focusing on caregivers and the general public, which is a new strategic direction for the Foundation. "His wide ranging experience in education, product development, and policy, and his extensive clinical background will help the Foundation achieve the goals and objectives it has set for the future," Mr. Cirillo added. 

Mr. Clark first joined ASCP as director of education and professional affairs in 1994. He coordinated a project to develop Standards of Practice for Long-Term Care Pharmacy that happened about the same time as the Joint Commission created an accreditation program for long-term care pharmacists. Mr. Clark was also instrumental in developing a certification program in geriatric pharmacy, which led to the formation of the Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy (CCGP). 

During his tenure as director of professional affairs, he created a number of products and resources for members including the popular clinical reference card series ASCP Nursing Home Survey Procedures and Interpretive Guidelines, Medication Guide for the Long-Term Care Nurse, and the Consultant Pharmacist Handbook. In addition, he was a regular contributor to ASCP's journal The Consultant Pharmacist.Just as the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) was being finalized in 2003, ASCP's Professional Affairs and Government Affairs Departments were merged into what is now the Policy and Advocacy Department. As director of policy and advocacy, Mr. Clark's primary focus has been on helping to shape policies related to Medicare Part D and long-term care and assisting ASCP members with the transition into the new era for long-term care pharmacy. During this time, he became recognized as a leading expert regarding long-term care issues and the MMA.

The ASCP Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary at the ASCP Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Philadelphia, November 14 through 17. The ASCP Foundation's activities at the Annual Meeting include the following: 

Advanced Workshop on Parkinson's Disease Pharmacotherapy

Alumni of the Foundation's Parkinson's Disease Pharmacotherapy Traineeship will participate in an interactive advanced training session on November 13 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. The program will provide an update on pharmacotherapy for Parkinson's disease, including medications in development, review of cases provided by the faculty and workshop attendees, and a discussion of collaborative working relationships between pharmacists and physicians for the care of patients with Parkinson's disease. 

The workshop will be led by Jack J. Chen, PharmD, BCPS, CGP, associate professor of neurology, and David M. Swope, MD, associate professor of neurology at the Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California. The workshop is supported by an educational grant from Teva Neuroscience. 

Sign the Wall of Caring

Visit the Johnson & Johnson booth in the exhibit hall and sign the "Signatures that Care" wall. For each signature, the Johnson & Johnson Long Term Care Group will give $5 to the ASCP Foundation. 

Stepping Out Under the Stars

You don't want to miss this year's special event at the fabulous Fels Planetarium in the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia's nationally recognized science museum. "Stepping Out Under the Stars" will be held on November 15 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. A few tickets are still available. 

This festive evening will include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres with entertainment by ASCP member and pianist Lou Czechowski, followed by a three-course dinner, dancing, and one of the planetarium's renowned audiovisual presentations. In addition, there will be a live auction of a photograph by ASCP President Joseph Gruber. Part of his "Beach Series" body of work, it is the first print in a limited print series and is hand signed by Joseph. It is beautifully matted and framed with archival materials and ready to hang. In addition, Joseph has inscribed the reverse of the piece and attached his artist statement and a copy of his profile article in The Consultant Pharmacist.

Raffle Prize on Display in Exhibit Hall

We know you'll want to stop by the Foundation's booth in the exhibit hall and check out the hot car you could win in our 2007 raffle. But remember, this year the grand prize winner gets to choose their vehicle . . . a car, truck, motorcycle, boat . . . You tell us what you want. Check it out and buy your tickets! When 1,000 tickets have been purchased, we'll pick the winners. 

When you buy a raffle ticket, not only do you have the chance to win a great prize, but you also support our mission. As the saying goes, "You've got to play to win." It's easy ~ just click here: I want to win!

Katherine J. Anderson, PharmD, is the recipient of the ASCP Foundation 2007 Practice Innovation Award for development of "Medi-Cog", an assessment tool that identifies patients at risk for medication mismanagement by evaluating for cognitive decline and skills in filling a pillbox. The Medi-Cog, which assists pharmacists to identify patients who might benefit from pillbox education, is easy to administer and adaptable to various settings; administration requires approximately seven minutes. 

To address the problem of unidentified cognitive deficit and provide measurable outcomes on accuracy in filling a pillbox, the Medi-Cog was developed and evaluated in a pilot study at the Boise Veterans Administration Medical Center. It combines two instruments: 

• The Mini-Cog, a three-minute instrument to screen for cognitive impairment in older adults, which detects many people with mild cognitive impairment (cognitive impairment too mild to meet diagnostic criteria for dementia)1
• The Medication Transfer Screen (MTS), which was developed for the pilot study and designed to determine a person's ability to read prescription labels and decipher how medication should be loaded in a pillbox.

The ASCP Foundation's 2007 online auction has begun! As always, the auction features paintings featured on the cover of The Consultant Pharmacist. Framed and ready to hang, these original works of art will make wonderful gifts or beautiful additions to your home or office. 

This year we've added other items to the auction, including jewelry, getaways and vacations, fine wines, and adventures such as hot air balloon and glider rides. Since the auction is online, that means everyone has an opportunity to bid, not just those attending the ASCP Annual Meeting. 

So, browse the items in our auction catalog and start bidding! Proceeds of the auction support the research and education programs of the Foundation.

Avoid the crowds in the stores and do all your holiday shopping online at Giveline, a revolutionary online store where every transaction generates a financial contribution to the ASCP Foundation at no additional cost to you. You can do all your shopping in one place and make a contribution to the Foundation at the same time! 

There's something for everyone on your list. Shopping categories include: 

• Books 
• Movies
• Music
• Video Games
• Electronics
• Home & Kitchen
• Gifts & Wine
• Travel       

Start shopping!

Just in time for the holiday season and your seasonal displays, the ASCP Foundation is offering "Main Street Pharmacy," a collectible ceramic piece depicting a small town pharmacy decorated for the winter holidays. Part of the Original Snow Village series produced by Department 56, this piece was first introduced in December 2006. 

Click here for additional information and to purchase.