Well, I guess we can say that winter is finally here. I hope you are all staying warm and safe on those icy Michigan roads. The results are in from our membership survey regarding the ACPE guidelines for standards for commercial support. The majority of our membership wish to continue with our current format of dinner and a live CE presentation. To accomplish this it is likely that the average meeting time will lengthen by about a half-hour.

As the WMSHP representative, I attended my first MSHP board meeting and committee day on January 17. MSHP has been working hard on the 2nd version of Changing Perceptions, a promotional brochure aimed at accurately presenting what clinical activities pharmacists do. Changing Perceptions is used to promote the profession of pharmacy to state and federal legislators as well as the general public. The initial version of Changing Perceptions is still available in pdf form on the MSHP website at http://www.michiganpharmacists.org/pharm_prof/changing_perceptions.htm.

The new version will be available sometime in the next few months. I encourage all of you to get involved and join a MSHP committee. What a great way to positively affect our profession and network with other pharmacists from across the state of Michigan.

Don't forget to attend the 2008 MPA Annual Convention and Exposition February 29-March 2 in Dearborn. Registration information can be found on MPA's website at www.michiganpharmacists.org .

Coming soon: Please note that our next meeting will be held on February 21, 2008 at the Sol World Cafe in Kalamazoo. Dr. Kahn Nedd will be discussing the use of beta blockers in hypertension.