National Association of Specialty Pharmacy 2023: NASP Conference Preview

This year’s National Association of Specialty Pharmacy conference takes place Sept. 18-21, 2023, at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.

The NASP conference will focus on providing information and insight into the CORE aspects of clinical pharmacy: Clinical, Operational, Regulatory and Experience. With over 40 education sessions, six workshops, and several outstanding keynote speakers, this conference promises to be a can’t miss event for everyone connected to the specialty pharmacy industry.

NASP – Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 18 and Sept. 19

This year’s National Association of Specialty Pharmacy conference offers something for everyone over its four-day run. “Simply put – it will be our biggest and best meeting to date,” says Sheila M. Arquette, president and CEO of NASP.

Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, begins with breakfast, followed by six conference workshops. These workshops offer live pharmacist continuing education credits, which can be used to meet most state’s annual CE requirements, according to the NASP Conference website. CE credits for nurses and pharmacy technicians are also available, along with continuing legal education (CLE) credits for attorneys.

The six conference workshops include studies in:

  • Accreditation.
  • Home Infusion (a half-day course).
  • Hospital and Health Systems Specialty Pharmacy.
  • Preparation for the Certified Specialty Pharmacist Exam.
  • Specialty Pharmacy Law.
  • Technology.

Workshop attendance can be secured by signing up for your chosen workshop and paying the additional workshop fee. Workshops are followed by a reception in the exhibit hall from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and the CE Satellite Symposia from 7:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 19, begins with breakfast in the exhibit hall, followed by an official welcome, keynote presentation, and the 2023 industry awards presented by noted musician and motivational speaker Mark Schulman.

At 9:50 a.m., the first round of breakout sessions begins. The morning includes a session in Texas Ballroom 4 titled “Impacting Rare Disease Patient Outcomes Through Innovation.” Here, experts Marc Miller, Tim Affeldt, Anna Thomas, Amber Skrtic and Stephen Cieplik lead attendees through real-world examples, sharing key insights from their work. This session, along with others presented at this time, offers CE credit for pharmacists.

After lunch at 2:30 p.m., join Tim L’Hommedieu of Atlas Health and Jennifer Noonan of Accessia Health for a session called “Patient Assistance Program Panel Discussion — Challenges and Opportunities for Specialty Pharmacies.” This session focuses on the complexities of the patient assistance market, breaking down challenges for patients and examining ways to use technology to improve patient access to medications.

Once sessions have concluded on Tuesday, relax at the Boots, BBQ and Bourbon Bash from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for a networking opportunity with a Texas flair.

NASP – Wednesday, Sept. 20

Start Wednesday off right with a hearty breakfast and a morning medication session before heading to the NASP Year in Review and Chair Remarks to learn more about the organization and its support for its members.

At 9:00 am, breakout sessions kick off once again. One notable session at this time covers “Reimagining Pharmacy Financing.” Join Joan Barrett of Axene Health Partners and Michael Einodshofer of Optum as they break down the details of a discussion at the Society of Actuaries’ Pharmacy Partnership Forum. Questions for discussion include how to define and measure the value of prescription drugs and how to scale and meaningfully apply the answers. This session also provides CE credit for pharmacists.

Choose among four additional sessions at 10:10 a.m., then finish the morning with insight into U.S. specialty pharmacy trends and industry outlooks. Beginning at 11:20 a.m. in Texas Ballroom A-B, IQVIA Vice President of Industry Relations Doug Long examines what’s coming next for the specialty pharmacy industry.

The lunch hour on Wednesday is packed with functions, from networking lunches to exhibit and poster hall events. A Q&A session with poster presenters will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. With our commitment to specialty pharmacy and patients, Claritas Rx is proud to have one of our abstracts showcased. Our team member, James Battaglia, will be presenting our poster, “Optimize your patient services to support the patient treatment journey.”

At 3:15 p.m., NASP attendees can reconvene for another round of breakout sessions. Join Katie Wenstrom of Meijer Specialty Pharmacy for a new drug update featuring information about recent FDA approvals. This session offers CE credits for nurses, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

Wednesday’s keynote speaker is the inspiring Joan Lunden. The longtime Good Morning America host, author and motivational speaker comes to NASP 2023 to share her wisdom and insights. Round the night off with networking while you continue to explore the exhibit and poster halls.

Professional audience applauding and smiling; National Association of Specialty Pharmacy Conference concept

NASP – Thursday, Sept. 21

Like the preceding days, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023 kicks off with breakfast and several wellness activities. At 8:00 a.m., the chair-elect of the NASP offers some remarks and presents poster awards and scholarships.

Thursday’s sessions start with four options at 9:10 a.m. We’re particularly intrigued by the event in Texas Ballroom 4. “Combating Health Inequities: How Specialty Pharmacies Can Address Social Determinants of Health” is being presented by Mackenzie Clark of UCSF Health, Heather Dalton and Kama Thomas of Froedtert Health, and Neesha Thakkar of Acentrus Specialty. This session offers ways pharmacists can leverage their unique connections with patients to spot and address social factors that affect patient health. Continuing education credit is available for pharmacists who attend this session.

A second round of breakout sessions fills out the afternoon. The exhibit and poster hall opens at 10:30 a.m. and remains open through the lunch period.

After lunch, breakout sessions resume at 12:30 p.m. Choose among three options for this round, including an event in Texas Ballroom 1 hosted by William Gatlin, chief clinical officer at ParcelShield. This session, titled “Pharmacy Reimbursement for Every Order and the Prevention of Costly Write-Offs,” focuses on key issues in the drug delivery and distribution chain, providing tips on how pharmacies can ensure patients and prescriptions do not fall through the cracks.

The final round of breakout sessions starts at 1:40 p.m. on Thursday. Topics include:

  • A focus on pricing for biosimilars.
  • How to use specialty pharmacy to improve population health.
  • A discussion on transplant issues.
  • An examination of using pharmacogenomics in precision medicine.

NASP’s goal is to serve all stakeholders within the sphere of specialty pharmacy, according to the organization’s website. To this end, the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy conference gathers experts on a range of topics. No matter how you’re connected to the specialty pharmacy industry, NASP offers learning, networking and growth opportunities.

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