Society of Air Force Pharmacy

1999-2008

 

 

 

Jet Line

 

 

The Air Force Pharmacy SIGs provide a valuable mechanism to exchange information and establish unparalleled pharmacy practice parameters in support of the Air Force Medical Service vision. The re-establishment of these SIGs will ensure that AF Pharmacy maintains the high level of excellence and efficiency required to support the war fighter and maintain the “human weapon system” at peak performance levels. All AF Pharmacy personnel are expected to be actively engaged in one or more SIGs, and the SIG leaders will be directly responsible to the Pharmacy Associate Corps Chief for the operation of his or her SIG. While not all-inclusive, primary responsibilities of the SIGs are outlined as follows: 

ALL SIGs will:

-         Meet formally at least once yearly, usually during the Combined Forces Pharmacy Seminar

-         Provide annual update on programs/projects and progress made to career field

-         Develop talks, papers, etc. to be used for presentations at the CFPS and regional seminars

-         Act as consultants and subject matter experts to the Associate Corps Chief and Career Field Manager

-         Serve as a clearinghouse for ideas from the field. The SIG will then select appropriate suggestions that are determined worthy of AF-wide implementation, and develop them for presentation to the Associate Corps Chief/CFM

-         Function as “think tanks” for their respective issues

-         Ensure current and relevant information, pertinent to the specific SIG, is available on the SAFP website in a timely manner

-         Serve as points of contact for questions from the field appropriate to the SIG

-         Be responsible for writing articles for publication in the Journal of Air Force Pharmacy   

     In addition, specific outcomes of individual SIGs will include, but are not limited to: 

READINESS

-         Develop and update an RSVP Training Guide for 43P and 4P0X1

-         Standardize, as much as possible, readiness training for pharmacy personnel

-         Collect and disseminate lessons learned from those pharmacy personnel who have been deployed

-         Develop a Deployment Booklet based on lessons learned, for distribution to all pharmacies

-         Keep the field apprised of any changes in fitness issues, as well as offer suggestions for fitness program implementation

-         Disseminate info regarding such deployment issues as smallpox/anthrax vaccine issues, etc.

-         Advise and help develop pharmacy role in Homeland Defense and National Pharmaceutical Stockpile 

CLINICAL

-         Review and/or develop appropriate clinical practice guidelines for AF-wide implementation

-         Assist pharmacy personnel enrolled in residencies, masters, and PharmD programs. Ensure these personnel write and submit an article for publication in the Journal

-         Develop and standardize (as much as possible) practice and procedure manuals for pharmacist-run clinics

-         Develop programs for use through out the AF pharmacy community which will capitalize on the skill of our technician staff in counseling and screening patients

-         Validate and develop specific clinical pharmacy positions

-         Advise the Associate Corps Chief with assignments to ensure clinical pharmacists are placed in appropriate clinical settings

-         Develop and deploy clinical technicians for working clinical administrative tasks such as Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee preparation and minutes and other pure clinical pharmacy administrative tasks 

PHARMACY PRACTICE

-         Keep abreast of, and disseminate any pertinent changes to JCAHO and/or HSI standards

-         Publish annually either through the Pharmacy Practice Manual or Journal of Air Force Pharmacy, a comprehensive review and/or checklist of both JCAHO manuals and the IG standards

-         Serve as editor for Pharmacy Practice Manual on pertinent areas

-         Develop, coordinate and publish on the AF Society website a basic set of Pharmacy Operating Instructions and Medical Group Instructions for a small clinic, large clinic, small hospital and large hospital (this will be worked jointly with Pharmacy Administration)

-         Ensure pharmacy best practices are disseminated throughout the field

-         Develop procedures to optimize prescription recapture within the MTFs

-         Review and suggest adoption of relevant staffing, workload, and funding models

-         Develop standard procedures to optimize PharmAssist and/or other technologies

-         Promote community provider outreach programs 

ADMINISTRATION

-         Keep field abreast of any changes in pharmacy law, AFIs and Health Affairs/SG Policy

-         Develop OPR/EPR/PRF writing manuals and/or workshops

-         Produce a standard record-keeping guide for all pharmacies

-         Provide ethical guidance and direction to the field

-         Coordinate AF-level workload and cost reports

-         Develop, coordinate and publish on the AF Society website a basic set of Pharmacy Operating Instructions and Medical Group Instructions for a small clinic, large clinic, small hospital and large hospital (this will be worked jointly with Pharmacy Practice)

-         Develop standardized templates for meeting minutes  

EDUCATION & TRAINING

-         Partner with SAFP to ensure accredited CE included in each Journal issue

-         Create electronic 6-part education and training folder.

-         Develop Training Workshop to increase understanding of supervisory responsibilities and simplify training documentation. (web based)

-         Update and publish, in conjunction with other SIGs, the Pharmacy Practice Manual

-         Lead AF pharmacy in advancing the understanding, use and functionality of CHCS AdHoc reports (this will be in coordination with the Advancing Technology SIG)

-         Review and suggest appropriate military, leadership, and pharmacy books, periodicals, and articles to the field, somewhat similar to the CSAF Reading List

-         Track number of technicians PTCB certified by base/MAJCOM.  Publicize registration and testing dates.   

ADVANCING TECHNOLOGIES

-         Serve as points of contact for PharmAssist operations, updates, and issues

-         Serve as points of contact for CHCS issues, report generation, etc.

o       Lead AF pharmacy in advancing the understanding, use and functionality of CHCS AdHoc reports (this will be in coordination with the Ed/Trng SIG)

-         Advise/assist with ALTHA.

-         Lead AF in search, evaluation and recommendation for inpatient automation for presentation to AF SG.  Once approved, develop deployment strategy

      -    Review/evaluate new technologies as they become available

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