Walgreens collaborates with NASP, ProCE on specialty pharmacist education
WASHINGTON — At the first full day of the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy’s Annual Meeting & Expo, Walgreens announced a collaboration with NASP and continuing pharmacy and medical education company ProCE on a web-based continuing education (CE) center for Walgreens Specialty Pharmacists.
Walgreens will offer its specialty pharmacists on-demand and live education courses on many of the most prevalent specialty pharmacy-managed disease states, including oncology, fertility, hepatitis C, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis and chronic inflammatory/autoimmune diseases. The courses are provided by NASP, and Walgreens said the CE curriculum and portal will go live in January, powered by NASP’s existing virtual Center for Specialty Pharmacy Education, which is powered by ProCE.
“We’re proud to collaborate with NASP and ProCE, two highly-reputable, nationally recognized organizations which share our strong commitment to continuing education and patient care,” Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy group VP Gerald Gleeson said. “Ongoing education and training are critical to ensuring our pharmacists can provide the highest levels of care and service, while helping patients with complex conditions navigate the complexities of their treatment, and providing comprehensive support when and where they need it most.”
The Walgreens customized education portal features both aggregate and individual-level dashboard reports to track utilization and CE credits issued to Walgreens specialty pharmacists, and Walgreens will be able to assign enrolled pharmacist specific CE activities, and be able to track a pharmacist’s activity through course completion.
“In this exciting and ever-changing juncture in specialty pharmacy, pharmacist education is of utmost importance,” ProCE CEO Richard Lewis said. “ProCE’s proven technology platform and content expertise will ensure that the Walgreens online education offering stays fresh, timely and relevant while always reflecting the expertise and knowledge of a wide range of specialty pharmacy industry leaders.”
Walgreens specialty pharmacists who complete post-tests with instant grading can claim their Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) CPE credit through the national database CPE monitor, which allows pharmacists to track their credits and allows state boards of pharmacy to verify pharmacists have met CPE requirements for license renewal.
“Our virtual Center for Specialty Pharmacy Education is rapidly becoming the largest source of specialty pharmacy education available,” NASP president Burt Zweigenhaft said. “On behalf of the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy, we applaud Walgreens industry leadership and extraordinary commitment to continued education and advanced training of its specialty pharmacists to support the ever-growing needs of the patients they serve. Walgreens specialty pharmacists are not only taking the courses and getting CPE credit, they are also CSPE advisors, reviewers and faculty.”