Message
from Mike
Staff growing to meet growing
membership needs
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I'm pleased to
announce our newest staff member Laird
Leavoy who joins the American Pharmacies staff
Thursday, July 1.
Most of you know Laird
from his 13 years with our wholesale partner
AmerisourceBergen. He will use his extensive
experience in the wholesale drug field, sales, and
team leadership in his new role as vice president
of Sales and Operation. We are counting on Laird
to help us reach even more potential members as
well as expand member services.
Laird will
remain in Euless. He can be reached at
lleavoy@aprx.org, 877.634.5445 or
817.296.2710.
Goals for the coming
year
The Board met last week in Austin with a
facilitator to set goals for the coming year. We
will report more about the outcomes in the next
newsletter.
Thank you!
A
big thanks to those of you who have shared your
photos of early pharmacies. We still are looking
for more photos to enlarge, frame, and hang in the
APRx office to display some of the history of our
stores. They can be exterior shots of old drug
stores, soda fountain, or interior shots. We would
really appreciate pictures from any time--they
don't have to date back to the earliest days. I'm
interested in any shot you are willing to share.
Early 50s could be cool as well.
If you
send one by mail, we will have a copy made and
return your photo to you. You can e-mail them to me or mail them
to:
American
Pharmacies
802 Carancahua St., Suite
1830
Corpus Christi, TX
78401
Continued
success,
Mike Gohlke
President,
American Pharmacies
P.S. Please vote when
you receive your ballot for the APRx board of
directors. These are highly responsible positions
that direct the future of your American
Pharmacies.
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American
Pharmacies will be closed Monday in honor of the
4th of July. We wish you and your family an
enjoyable and safe
holiday.
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Watch
for APRx Board of
Directors ballot
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American Pharmacies received four nominations
for three open seats on the Board of
Directors. Stockholders, watch your in-box
for the ballot with more information about each
candidate. It will be sent to you by July 2 and
your vote is due by 5 p.m. Friday, July
9.
The three candidates with the most votes
will be seated on the board.
The APRx Board
of Directors consists of elected volunteer
stockholders who make all decisions regarding
operating expenses and budget. The board strives
to deliver economic value, while providing a
broad-based, proactive, and effective grass roots
network that delivers rapid response to local,
state, and federal issues that can potentially
impact the future economic viability of our
members' businesses.
Our board also takes
an aggressive role to impact political,
legislative, and regulatory issues important to
independent community pharmacy
owners.
Nominees
are:
- Ray
Carvajal, RPh, is one of the original
board members of American Pharmacies and serves
on the Texas Pharmacy Business Council board of
directors. He is owner of Carvajal's Pharmacy in
San Antonio.
- Lynn
Everett, RPh, also is one of original
board members and is immediate past chairman of
the board. He is owner of Lynn's LaVega Pharmacy
in Waco.
- Stacy Smith,
RPh, is part owner and the full-time PIC
at Brown's Pharmacy in Irving. She and her
husband Bryan, also a pharmacist, purchased Big
State Pharmacy in Irving in 1992, and they are
part owners in three Dallas-area pharmacies.
- Dennis Song,
RPh, has served as a board director since
2004. This summer, he steps into the position of
president of the Texas Pharmacy Association. He
is owner of Flower Mound Herbal Pharmacy in
Flower Mound.
The ballot will contain
more information about each
candidate.
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| National
cost of dispensing study needed |
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The
National Community Pharmacists Association is
endorsing a Colorado senator's effort to direct
the federal government to conduct a national
Medicaid cost of dispensing study.
"It's
been over a decade since the federal government
studied the pharmacy's cost of dispensing,"
observed Bruce T. Roberts, RPh, NCPA executive
vice president and CEO. "In that time, the
dispensing fees paid to community pharmacies in
Medicaid and other government-sponsored health
plans have continued to decrease while the
pharmacy's cost of dispensing is on the rise.
"Private estimates have found the cost of
dispensing to be between $10.50 and $11. In
contrast, the aggregate average dispensing fee
paid by the states under Medicaid has been
estimated to be between $4.75 and $5.02 per
prescription."
Sen. Michael Bennet
(D-Colo.) has called for a study of the factors
that influence a pharmacy's cost of dispensing a
Medicaid prescription. The study would be
conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability
Office.
Senator Bennet tried to have the
study included as part of the health care reform
law. He now will offer it as an amendment to
pending legislation that would extend current
federal spending to states for Medicaid.
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| Crime-fighting
fog, camera mobiles to protect your pharmacy |
National
Community Pharmacists Association members can
receive discounts on the FlashFog alarm accessory
that stops smash-and-grab burglars by projecting
an incredibly thick "security fog" into the
controlled-substances area, making stealing so
difficult that thieves no longer challenge police
response time and flee.
In addition, NCPA
members can get free ceiling mobiles to draw
attention to security cameras in their stores,
which provide a visual deterrent and could help
discourage pharmacy crime. Also available are
discounts on products from Hamilton Safe, an
Ohio-based manufacturer of security and drive-up
equipment. As an added bonus, the "Protect Your
Pharmacy Now!" toolkit offers RxPATROL® training
videos on pharmacy crime, discounts on
closed-circuit TV cameras, recorders, and
surveillance equipment, and safety and security
tips from law enforcement professionals.
Contact Valerie Briggs at
NCPA for a free ceiling mobile or for more
information on FlashFog and other discounts.
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Members
only
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 Expert business advice for
APRx stockholders
- Medicaid
Integrity Program provider audits
- Complaints
made against you to the Texas State Board of
Pharmacy
- The
independent pharmacist's duty to warn
- Auditing
loopholes in Medicare Part D
- Safeguard
your business from employee fraud
- Hiring
and firing tips
- The
pharmacist's guide to on-site audits
- Contracting
tips for independent pharmacists
APRx members, go to Contact us
section of
APRx Web site. In the "comments" section, type in
your preferred
password.
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Dividends
&
Rebates
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If you would like
to become an American Pharmacies
stockholder to receive extra $$$,
contact an American Pharmacies business
development manager.
North
Texas
972.523.2064
ee
ee
aa
Kaye Stroud
South
Texas 512.623.9900
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| Your
APRx board |
|
Vance Oglesbee,
RPh
Chairman
Robert Kinsey,
RPh
Vice Chairman
Bruce Rogers,
RPh
Secretary/Treasurer
Lynn Everett,
RPh
Immediate Past Chairman
DIRECTORS
Ray Carvajal,
RPh
Buddy de la Rosa,
RPh
Alton Kanak,
RPh
Michael Muecke,
RPh
Dennis Song,
RPh
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