Alaska Pharmacy Association - AKPhA

07/27/2025

Up next for our Alaska pharmacy resident spotlight is Emily Bennett, PharmD! She successfully completed her residency at South Central Foundation (SCF) in Anchorage, Alaska. Way to go Emily!

Pictured is Emily is at ASHP convention presenting her poster "Impact of Standardized, Guideline-Driven Instructions and Assessing Provider Prescribing Barriers for Budesonide/Formoterol in Asthma Management: A Quality Improvement Initiative within the Nuka System of Care"​. Also pictured is her Residency Director, Mike Beiergrohslein. Post residency she will be staffing at the central pharmacy at SCF, and her clinical interests are in psychology and substance use disorders.

07/22/2025

In the next several posts we will be highlighting residents who have completed a pharmacy practice residency in one of our esteemed Alaska programs! Alaska Pharmacy Association is excited to celebrate these milestones and extends a job well done to the residents. Best of luck to all in their next steps!

Providence Alaska Medical Center
- Kaylee Koh has accepted clinical pharmacist positions at PAMC.
- Amity Winborg has accepted clinical pharmacist positions at PAMC.
- Paul Kibe matched with a PGY-2 residency in Oncology at Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit.

07/03/2025

Legislative Fly-In recap for 2025:
It was a tremendous success! AKPhA interns Sam Buck and Kaitlyn Gray organized this successful event. We met with 59 out of 60 legislators—an incredible show of engagement and support for pharmacy in Alaska. Every one of our participants was formally introduced on both the House and Senate floors. One of the highlights? Our 10 student pharmacists, supported through our joint advocacy fund with the L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy at Idaho State University, shared why they want to become pharmacists during their introductions—and their answers were moving, inspiring, and a powerful reminder of the future of our profession. A huge thank you to all who contributed to the joint advocacy fund and helped make this experience possible. Your support ensures the next generation of pharmacist advocates is equipped, empowered, and ready to lead!

07/02/2025

Check out the Alaska Pharmacy Newsletter from AKPhA, quarter 2 newsletter of 2025! This is a strategic plan edition that includes a president's message from Brittany L. Keener, PharmD, MPH, BCPS, FAKPhA as 2025-2026 AKPhA President, and an executive director's message from Brandy Seignemartin, PharmD, Executive Director. Additionally, published is a legislative session recap and an unveiling of AKPhA's new misison, vision, and a bold strategic plan for 2025–2028!

Link:https://alaskapharmacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/25.Q2-Newsletter-Draft.pdf

AKPhA Vision: Quality pharmacy care from one Alaskan to another.

AKPhA Mission: To empower and engage a united pharmacy profession to elevate the health of Alaskans.

06/27/2025

Get your early bird tickets for the 2025 Health Systems Pharmacy & Leadership Conference before August 18, 2025! Registration is now open.

Taking place September 18-20, 2025, at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska, this conference brings together pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, student pharmacists, and industry leaders for an immersive experience in networking, leadership development, and the latest advancements in health-system pharmacy.

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with experts, explore practice or regulatory updates, and participate in interactive continuing education (CE) sessions and workshops designed to enhance pharmacy practice. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Event registration:
https://www.lecturepanda.com/v2/register/ag1zfnJ4Y2V0cmFja2VychMLEgZDRVVzZXIYgICgk-O03gsM/ag1zfnJ4Y2V0cmFja2VycicLEgZDRVVzZXIYgICgk-O03gsMCxIHTGVjdHVyZRiAgOjP04GfCgw/new

Alyeska Resort booking:
https://res.windsurfercrs.com/ibe/details.aspx?propertyid=17002&nights=1&checkin=9/18/2025&group=APA0918&lang=en-us

Exhibitor and sponsor registration:
https://alaskapharmacy.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/alaskapharmacy/event.jsp?event=86

06/12/2025

Thank you to Karina Stark and Shawna King for serving in the House of Delegates at the ASHP Pharmacy Futures meeting in Charlotte! We appreciate you representing the voice of health system pharmacy in Alaska in shaping the future of pharmacy!

06/07/2025

🍩 Today, our executive director, Brandy Seignemartin, set her alarm early extra early and lined up at one of Alaska’s best donut shops —Jason's Donuts— where the magic starts daily 5am until they sell out. Why? Because it’s National Donut Day!

To celebrate, AKPhA picked up 8 dozen donuts and hit the road to deliver sweet thanks to pharmacy professionals from Anchorage to Palmer. Yum!

Pharmacy teams are the unsung heroes of our healthcare system—working tirelessly every day to care for our communities. Today was just one small way to show our appreciation. Thank you for all you do! 💙

06/06/2025

Members of the Alaska Pharmacy Association had a fantastic time at the Northwest Pharmacy Convention this past weekend in beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho!

Executive Director Brandy Seignemartin delivered a Federal Pharmacy Law Update, Health-System Academy Chair Ballard Saul challenged attendees to rethink norms in internal medicine, and Karina Stark inspired with her presentation on dispensing culturally competent care.

And a special shoutout to Teresa Hall and her team for taking home the win at the scholarship golf scramble! 🏆⛳️

We’re proud to see Alaskan pharmacy leaders represented on the regional stage and grateful for the opportunity to learn, connect, and grow with colleagues from across the Northwest.

05/27/2025

Get your early bird tickets for the 2025 Health Systems Pharmacy & Leadership Conference before August 18, 2025! Registration is now open.

Taking place September 18-20, 2025, at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska, this conference brings together pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, student pharmacists, and industry leaders for an immersive experience in networking, leadership development, and the latest advancements in health-system pharmacy.

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with experts, explore practice or regulatory updates, and participate in interactive continuing education (CE) sessions and workshops designed to enhance pharmacy practice. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Event registration:
https://www.lecturepanda.com/v2/register/ag1zfnJ4Y2V0cmFja2VychMLEgZDRVVzZXIYgICgk-O03gsM/ag1zfnJ4Y2V0cmFja2VycicLEgZDRVVzZXIYgICgk-O03gsMCxIHTGVjdHVyZRiAgOjP04GfCgw/new

Alyeska Resort booking:
https://res.windsurfercrs.com/ibe/details.aspx?propertyid=17002&nights=1&checkin=9/18/2025&group=APA0918&lang=en-us

Exhibitor and sponsor registration:
https://alaskapharmacy.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/alaskapharmacy/event.jsp?event=86&

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

05/25/2025

JOB ALERT!
Check out the latest Alaska pharmacy position postings! One for a technician at Bernie's Pharmacy in Anchorage and one for a pharmacist with CRNA. Job descriptions, eligibility and contact information can be found on the AKPhA website at their respective links below!

- Full-time Technician at Bernie's Pharmacy
https://alaskapharmacy.org/2025/05/newpharmacy-technician-full-time-bernies-pharmacy/

- Full-time Pharmacist at Copper River Native Association
https://alaskapharmacy.org/2025/05/new-pharmacist-position-at-copper-river-native-association-crna/

Pharmacy Technician (Full-Time) – Bernie’s Pharmacy Bernie’s Pharmacy has an opening for a full-time pharmacy technician. Bernie’s Pharmacy is a locally owned community retail pharmacy that has been operating in Anchorage for over 40 years. The position is normal business hours only with one...

05/20/2025

AKPhA was proud to be represented at the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) Conference by Executive Director Brandy Seignemartin and President Brittany Keener! Thank you to Pharmacy Mutual Insurance Company for sponsoring this important gathering of pharmacy leaders from across the nation. We’re bringing back inspiration, ideas, and energy to keep advancing pharmacy in Alaska!

05/14/2025

Via an Executive Order (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/delivering-most-favored-nation-prescription-drug-pricing-to-american-patients/) released on May 12, 2025, President Trump has directed the Department of Health and Human Services to secure for U.S. patients the lowest price a drug manufacturer offers in any comparable nation, referred to as the “most-favored-nation” (MFN) price. Within 30 days, HHS must tell each manufacturer what that MFN price looks like. If companies do not move promptly toward those targets, the agency is instructed to prepare a rule that would impose MFN pricing, consider certifying large-scale drug importation under section 804 of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and coordinate antitrust enforcement with the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission.

The order also asks HHS to create pathways for manufacturers to sell directly to American patients at MFN prices. That provision could shift some prescription volume away from community pharmacies and reduce opportunities for patients to access critical pharmacist-provided patient care services.

If implemented, three issues stand out for pharmacists to consider:

1. Channel changes. Direct-to-consumer sales or expanded personal-import programs could alter traditional dispensing patterns.

2. Contract adjustments. Lower list prices would ripple through reimbursement formulas based on WAC, AWP, or AMP.

3. Supply-chain logistics. Any certification of broad medication importation will have important effects on pharmacies and the security of the drug supply chain.

AKPhA will continue to track next steps related to this executive order and share updates affecting pharmacy operations and patient care!

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose.