Ohio To Expand Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force

An executive order that expands Ohio’s role and establishes a more comprehensive, coordinated approach to combating prescription drug abuse in Ohio has been signed by Governor Ted Strickland. The order, according to an article in Ohio Pharmacist, official publication of the Ohio Pharmacists Association, establishes a task force that will “help unite the ongoing efforts at the federal, state and local levels, and build on their work to address this rising problem.” 

The Ohio Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force (OPDATF) will be charged with “researching the issue and identifying public health, law enforcement, legislative and additional strategies to reduce the danger of prescription drug abuse in Ohio.” 

Officials from public safety and public health, from medical and pharmacy backgrounds, and from local, state and federal government will be included in the task force. George Maier, Ohio Department of Public Safety assistant director, will chair the task force and Alvin Jackson, Ohio Department of Health director, will be vice chair. 

07/17/10

Lipsyc Receives Distinguished Alumnus Award

Nat Lipsyc, RPh, Pepper Pike, Ohio, has been awarded a Distinguished Alumnus Award by the University of Toledo College of Pharmacy for “outstanding career achievements.” 

Lipsyc graduated in 1959 and opened his first pharmacy which grew into the 32-store Medic Drug chain. A past member of the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy, he currently operates Medic Home Health Care in northeastern Ohio.

07/17/10

Nebraska Board of Pharmacy

Patricia Gollner, PharmD, has been appointed a member of the Nebraska Board of Pharmacy. Her appointment will end November 1, 2014. 

Richard Zarek, RP, has been elected chairperson of the Nebraska board. Kevin Borcher, RP, was elected vice president and Thomas Walsh, secretary.

07/17/10

Walgreens Restructures Health Care Divisions

Walgreens has announced a strategic restructuring of its health care divisions to enable the company to offer integrated “Pharmacy, Health and Wellness Solutions” to employers, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers and government clients. 

Walgreens Health Services (WHS) Division’s specialty pharmacy, infusion pharmacy, mail service pharmacy, medical campus pharmacies, long-term care pharmacy and home care services will move to the company’s core Pharmacy Division, which is led by executive vice president Kermit R. Crawford. 

Joe Terrion, currently chief client officer responsible for the company’s Health and Wellness Division sales and client services organization, will now lead the new, combined “Pharmacy, Health and Wellness Solutions” sales and client services organization. Terrion will continue to report to Hal F. Rosenbluth, Walgreens senior vice president and president of the Health and Wellness Division. 

The WHS pharmacy benefit solutions group (Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc.) will become the responsibility of Peter Hotz, Walgreens vice president and president of Take Care Health Employer Solutions group, who also will continue to report to Rosenbluth. 

Through more than 8,000 points of care, Walgreens “Pharmacy, Health and Wellness Solutions” will combine pharmacy services (including more than 7,100 retail drugstores, over 100 medical campus pharmacies, specialty and infusion pharmacy service, mail service pharmacy and long-term care pharmacy), preventive health and wellness services (including retail and worksite health centers and immunization services, home medical equipment and supplies, respiratory services and chronic care management), and pharmacy benefit administrative services (including integrated reporting and outcomes analysis).

The company also said that Stanley B. Blaylock, Walgreens senior vice president and president of Walgreens Health Services, left the company in April after a transition period. Blaylock was a co-founder and CEO of Medmark Specialty Pharmacy Solutions before the company was acquired by Walgreens in 2006. He intends to pursue new entrepreneurial opportunities in the health care field.

7/17/10