The summer is drawing to an end. The kids are heading back to school. It is also time for WMSHP to return from its summer break. The next meeting will be held in Kalamazoo on Thursday, September 13th. Check out the website, www.wmshp.net, for more details and to RSVP.

While we were on our summer recess, ASHP held the House of Delegates meeting. One of the hottest topics at this year's meeting was should residency training be required for new pharmacy graduates to provide direct patient care. After much discussion, they resolved the following:

To support the position that by the year 2020, the completion of an ASHP-accredited postgraduate-year-one residency should be a requirement for all new college of pharmacy graduates who will be providing direct patient care.

I am sure that this resolution, as well as, other new professional policies will be discussed at MSHP's annual board retreat this September. I will keep you posted on highlights.

In addition to our upcoming meeting, I would like to remind you of some other important upcoming dates. First, National Pharmacy Week this year is October 21-27. Information and planning resources can be found at the MPA website, www.michiganpharmacists.org. MSHP's annual meeting is Friday, November 2nd, at the Lansing Center. Registration forms for this meeting will be available at our September and October meetings. Finally, ASHP's 42nd Midyear Clinical Meeting will convene December 2 - 6 in Las Vegas, NV. Reserve your hotel now.