2023 APhA House of Delegates to Vote March 27 on ACVP New Business Proposal

ACVP needs your help in creating veterinary pharmacy training opportunities in pharmacy schools.

What’s Happening:

The vote for ACVP’s New Business Item Proposal for the 2023 APhA House of Delegates will occur on March 27, 2023. ACVP needs support from every House of Delegate member possible.

New Business Item #1 (submitted by ACVP Delegates Gigi Davidson, Brenda Jensen, Natalie Young) – Development of veterinary pharmacy curricular opportunities in schools and colleges of pharmacy and pharmacy technology

  1. APhA encourages schools and colleges of pharmacy and pharmacy technology to develop curricular opportunities for student pharmacists to attain competencies in the principles of veterinary pharmacotherapy.
  2. APhA encourages training of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the principles of veterinary pharmacotherapy.

What you can do to help:

If you know any of APhA HoD members, please reach out to them and ask them to support ACVP in this initiative. We need every vote.

Background:

  • 2021: ACVP successfully introduced a new policy to change the APhA definition of “patient” to include both human and non-human patients
  • 2017: 77% of pharmacists surveyed report filling prescriptions for non-human patients
  • 2021: Only 21% of pharmacy schools surveyed offer any veterinary pharmacy training opportunities
  • Today: Three out of 4 practicing pharmacists fill prescriptions for animals; 3 out of 4 pharmacy schools do NOT offer veterinary pharmacy training opportunities
    As a result, veterinarians have little confidence in pharmacist competency

Talking Points (Click here for printable copy):

  • Pharmacists are the ONLY health care professionals legally allowed and expected by society to provide care for ALL species
  • APhA Policy has included non-humans in the definition of patient since 2021
  • The Oath of a Pharmacist states: “I will apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for all patients.”
  • One Health Medicine is firmly grounded in collaborative care of both human and non-human patients
  • 3 out of 4 pharmacists have filled prescriptions for animal patients
  • 3 out of 4 pharmacy schools do NOT offer any veterinary pharmacy training opportunities
  • Veterinarians have little confidence in pharmacist competency in caring for non-human patients
  • This is NOT a mandate for adding veterinary pharmacy to core pharmacy curricula
  • ACVP IS asking APhA to encourage pharmacy schools to consider making veterinary pharmacy training opportunities available
  • Opportunities for veterinary pharmacy training include:
    • Guest lecturers in existing courses that can provide comparative veterinary disease state management
    • Veterinary pharmacotherapy elective courses
    • Incorporation of veterinary compounding into existing compounding courses
    • IPPE rotations in veterinary pharmacies and veterinary school hospitals
    • APPE rotations in veterinary pharmacies, veterinary teaching hospitals, veterinary practices, zoos, aquariums, FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, etc.

Thank you for helping ACVP and APhA encourage pre-graduate pharmacy training opportunities that optimize medication use and improve population health outcomes in non-human patients.

Old Dog With Medicine