CMS has decided pull $8 million dollars from funding of pharmacy speciality residency. for more infomation please follow the link below

http://www.ashp.org/gad/pac3.cfm?cfid=19385765&CFToken=10676110

ASHP is urging the members to write to CMS to prevent this from taking place. Please help ASHP and fellow future pharmacy specialists by writing a letter to CMS informing them what a stupid idea this is.

APhA's take on it

http://capwiz.com/aphanet/issues/alert/?alertid=7598806&type=CU

Also, I am attaching the template letter apha is giving out

Do I hear crickets or does nobody give a crap?

do you guys realize how serious this is? if you remotely care about future of pharmacy, you should follow though with this. this could be the frist step of government's long list of cuts in field of pharmacy. they will cut the funding of second year residency, then first, then we have nothing, then we will lose funding for MTM. if you want this to continue and if you want to enjoy your high salaries, please please take some time to write to CMS.

Thanks for posting the template w/the address. I'll write a letter and send it off ASAP.

i just sent my comments electronically. i plan on sending one every day!

Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention and posting the template, C-ject! I'll start sending letters out shortly.

However, CMS has a responsibility to fund Medicare services first. Specialty residencies (except maybe geriatrics and DI) don't really have a place for funding there.

Also, most residencies in other fields pay for themselves in the grunt work that the residents do for the institution. Maybe that will be the way specialty residencies will fund in the future.

I guess I don't really understand why specialty residencies need funding. They get a 100% comitted student (ok, graduate) who has full license, and capabilities of a pharmacist, and they pay about 30k/year for 40-60 hour weeks for a year. Seems like that's almost getting something for free to me... Anyone want to work as a fill-in pharmacist "resident" for me for 30k/year? PM me. :)

I guess I don't really understand why specialty residencies need funding. They get a 100% comitted student (ok, graduate) who has full license, and capabilities of a pharmacist, and they pay about 30k/year for 40-60 hour weeks for a year. Seems like that's almost getting something for free to me... Anyone want to work as a fill-in pharmacist "resident" for me for 30k/year? PM me. :)
Are you ASHP accredited? :laugh: