ACP council has incorporated more long-term (10 years and beyond) and strategic (3-5 years) discussions into its annual business cycle, and has therefore increased the frequency of meetings. Council met on February 25 and 26; most of the discussion was dedicated to identifying strategic goals for the next 3-5 years. Guided by its strategic direction document adopted in 2011, critical questions council explored included, but were not limited to:
- How can we enhance the public’s understanding and expectations about what pharmacists do?
- How can we improve the consistency of quality pharmacy practice across Alberta?
- How can we improve the quality of patient assessments performed by pharmacists prior to making drug use decisions (for dispensing, prescribing, or injecting purposes)?
- How can we enhance the use of pharmacy human resources; and specifically, how can pharmacy technicians be more effectively incorporated into practice?
From these discussions, council will approve strategic goals to serve as the foundation for ACP’s priorities and business plan development over the next 3-5 years.
During this meeting, council also:
- received results from ACP’s recent pharmacy technician survey;
- had a discussion with Val Grdisa (Senior Nursing Officer) and Denise Perret (ADM Strategic Planning and Policy Development) to explore strategic considerations for healthcare delivery in Alberta;
- approved amendments to the ACP Bylaws, which remove the requirement for an annual general meeting, in lieu of council’s commitment to enhance other opportunities for engagement with members;
- considered an initial DRAFT of rules for inviting and receiving resolutions from members, based on the amended bylaws. Council provided direction for additional amendments; these to be considered again at council’s next meeting;
- delegated responsibility to the Executive Committee to adjudicate applications from students entering their third or fourth year of study who apply for the college’s new Leadership Development Award; and,
- appointed Anjli Acharya to a second, three-year term, as ACP’s appointee to the NAPRA Board of Directors.
