Incoming President’s Message, or “Sandy: The Sequel”
Happy New Year!
Like all good Vermonters, the VPA diligently recycles, so here I am again, back as president. In case
you’ve forgotten, I was president during COVID so you are forgiven if you’ve forgotten there even was a
VPA during that year!
We were lucky to have had Amy Yanicak Stoll to lead us out of the pandemic and breathe new life into
the VPA. Under her leadership, VPA was able to work with the Board of Pharmacy to provide protocols
that allow pharmacists to use their expertise in an enlarged scope of practice to better serve our
patients. In addition to enabling better patient outcomes, this also helps relieve the burden of other
health care professional at a time where stress and burnout are impacting the ability of ALL health care
professional to provide the best possible care. Kudos to all you frontline pharmacists and technicians
who, through their ability to “step up” to pandemic challenges, have shone a light on the value of the
pharmacy profession.
The theme for this year is MOVING FORxWARD. I am excited about our future. The VT Board of
Pharmacy is rewriting the administrative rules to reflect “standard of practice” rather than the
micromanagement of pharmacy operations (mandating 200 sq. ft. of space for each pharmacist-
really!?!) VPA is attending BOP meetings and we will let you all know what the changes are and when
the comment period is. Your input is vital so the rules can reflect true practice experience. Do not
hesitate to let us (or the BOP) know your thoughts.
This is especially needed as they rewrite technician responsibilities. They provide the support that allows
pharmacists to take care of patients. Due to the unfortunate closing of the Vermont campus of ACPHS,
there are no more interns available to work in pharmacies around the state. Interns have had (and still
have) expanded responsibilities that ease the workload in the pharmacy. Now that being a pharmacy
technician is no longer “just a job’ but a career choice with opportunities for advancement, we need to
advocate for an enhanced scope of practice for techs. Encourage your technicians to join us so that we
can present a united front for pharmacy. We are pleased to have Amber Cooper, a technician at UVM,
on our Board. We look forward to hearing how we can advocate for ALL members!
To achieve all of this we have embarked on an impressive education program. Our Fall meeting in
October was our best yet, offering timely information on topics needed to meet the state licensing
requirements and provide up to the minute information on the challenges facing pharmacy. (Loved the
Monkey pox, or now Mpoxx CE!) Rest assured that future programs will maintain the same high quality
as past-president Amy Stoll is at the helm of the Education Committee! Our Spring Meeting is March 19 th
at the Mountain Top Inn in Chittenden; be there or be square! (OK, so I am a little older than I appear!)
Look for more information in your e-mail, on our website (vtpharmacists.com), and on our Facebook and
Instagram pages.
As always, we are in this together and I encourage you to contact us at vpamanager@gmail.com, or my
personal e-mail: swrosa@gmail.com.
MOVING FORxWARD in 2023!
Sandy Rosa, President