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The Association of Black Health-System Pharmacists (ABHP) was founded in December 1978 in San Antonio, Texas as an outgrowth of the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists (ASHP). The original small group meetings were replete with discussions of the special needs and issues of common interest among Black pharmacists, most of who regularly attended the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meetings (MCM). These discussions led to the formation of a caucus that these pioneers named "The Black Pharmacists of ASHP" and the establishment of its Goal and Objectives. The Official Goals and Objectives of ABHP included:
Goal:
To facilitate communication between, provide a forum for, and to pool the resources of Black Hospital Pharmacists with the ASHP and throughout the country. Accomplishment of this goal will enhance the effectiveness of Black Hospital Pharmacists within the ASHP and the country as a whole.
Objectives
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To identify and address the particular problems of Black Hospital Pharmacists.
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To serve as an information source for the problems identified in Objective #1.
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To identify potential funding sources for Black pharmacy students and provide this information to such students.
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To serve as an information source for advanced positions, (faculty appointments, residencies, organizational leadership, etc...) in pharmacy and encourage Black pharmacists to seek such positions.
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To meet on an annual basis to assure accomplishment of these objectives.
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Annual Business Meeting and Luncheon
Las Vegas was the site of the 14th Annual ASHP MidYear Clinical Meeting in December 1979. The "Black Pharmacists of ASHP" then began a tradition of an annual business meeting and luncheon. The business meetings served as a forum for development of methods and strategies to achieve its goals and objectives, while the luncheon became a forum for addressing a variety of health-related issues peculiar to black hospital pharmacists.
At its second annual business meeting in 1979, two important events took place. The Caucus made decisions to (1) broaden and better refine its objectives to more clearly reflect the intent of its goal, and (2) to form itself into an independent national health care organization, especially since there were no provisions within the organizational structure of ASHP to accommodate such an organization. The new name of the organization would be "The Association Of Black Hospital Pharmacists", and its new Objectives were:
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To promote the professional development and enhance the effectiveness of Black hospital pharmacists;
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To support the educational development and enhance the opportunities of Black pharmacy students;
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To address the research, treatment, and prevention of diseases and health problems of particular interest to Black practitioners; and
· To identify and resolve the medical and health concerns of primarily Black populations and communities.
Over the next several years, ABHP attracted a number of nationally renowned authorities who participated in the annual Luncheon and addressed a variety of subjects, including organizational involvement, professional roles and development, business, health care awareness, governmental issues, educational issues, national and international networking, and many others.
At its 8th Annual Business Meeting held on December 10, 1985 in New Orleans, the Association created the following:
· Formation of a National Membership Committee.
· Formation of an Educational Affairs Committee.
· Creation of a National Fund Raising Project.
· Plans for a Caribbean Cancer Symposium.
· National Survey of Black Pharmacists
Also in 1985, the Association started the tradition of hosting an Annual Hospitality Reception.
At the 1996 Business Meeting, several significant decisions were made. While keeping pace with the ASHP name change, 1) the Association became the "The Association of Black Health-System Pharmacists." 2) a proposal for establishing regional chapters of ABHP was approved; 3) proposal to make pharmacy technicians Associate Members was approved; 4) plans for an Internet web site were approved; and 5) the objectives were further refined to include:
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Promote pharmaceutical care in society;
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Advocate the pharmacist’s value in assuring that appropriate clinical services and drug use control processes are applied to benefit patients;
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Provide a forum for meaningful dialogue and idea sharing among members;
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Promote and facilitate improving information exchange between the members, health care professionals, organizations, and the public;
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Develop and conduct education programs for maintaining and improving competence of pharmacists;
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Promote research activities by its members;
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Recognize professional achievements and contributions of members;
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Represent the membership to other professional, regulatory and legislative bodies, and health care groups.
In 1997, the Executive approves Pharmacy Technicians as Associate Members.
The Association continues to hold its annual Business Meetings and Luncheon at the ASHP Midyear Meeting and it continues to serve as a forum where member participation is welcome.
ABHP Newsletter
ABHP published its first NEWSLETTER in August of 1983. The publication was to be a quarterly to be sent to all "members" on ABHP rosters. The NEWSLETTER provided information about the organization's activities to those pharmacists and students who expressed an interest in ABHP but whom were unable to attend the ASHP-MCM. It also served as a means of announcing the availability of practice positions, and recognition for the pharmaceutical companies who supported ABHP's activities.
In 1985, the NEWSLETTER won the International Association of Business Communicators' (IABC) "Bronze Quill Award" of merit in the Newsletters for non-profit organizations category. The late Mr. Derek F. Thomas of Indianapolis, Indiana was the editor.
ABHP Awards Program
The Association began its award program by recognizing students and practitioners for meritorious services to the profession and the community. ABHP established the Student Achievement Award and the Practitioner of the Year Award 1983 and presented them to the first recipients on December 7, 1983. Criteria for the student award included: scholarship, community involvement, demonstrations of professionalism and potential to provide quality pharmaceutical care. Criteria for the Practitioner award included: Service to the community/profession, leadership, advancement of minority involvement in pharmacy, and contributions to institutional pharmacy or the literature. The awards include an inscribed plaque and cash award.
In 1989, ABHP teamed with Pfizer-Roerig Pharmaceuticals to recognize those pharmacists who were considered to be the "Grass Roots" practitioners on whom the departmental operations often depended. Quite often these individuals would not have an opportunity to attend the annual meetings of ABHP nor the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meetings. The grass roots award was named the "UNHERALDED PHARMACISTS AWARD" to be presented yearly at the Annual Luncheon of ABHP. It included an inscribed plaque and a cash award.
In 1996, ABHP Executive Committee approved the establishment of three additional awards as means of recognizing its members. The Wendell T. Hill Award was established in honor of the first African-American pharmacist to serve as president of the ASHP. The award is given to recognize and honor a pharmacist with many of the qualities exemplified by Wendell T. Hill and who, through their dedication and commitment, has made significant contributions to the profession of pharmacy. The Pharmaceutical Care Award was established to honor a practicing pharmacist routinely involved in providing direct and/or indirect patient care. The supporting criteria include patient concern, scope of practice, professional respect, pursuit of knowledge, and leadership. The Distinguished Service Award was established to recognize an individual, who gives significant sustained service to ABHP and is not an elected official of the Association.
At the December 2000 Annual Meeting, the Association presented the first Meritorious Service Award to Allen L. Brown. The Association also approved the establishment of a Research and Publication Achievement Award to recognize and encourage outstanding, meritorious achievement in the areas of basic pharmaceutical sciences, clinical pharmacy practice, and economic, social, and administrative sciences.
Educational Programs
In 1985, while affirming the importance of pharmacists as an integral part of the health care delivery system and recognizing the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving and the involvement of other health care specialties, ABHP decided to extend its forum beyond the confines of the MCM. The organization presented its first international, multidisciplinary symposium in April of 1986, with the assistance of Expand Associates of Silver Spring, Maryland. The symposium entitled, "New Horizons In Cancer Chemotherapy and Treatment: A Focus On Special Populations" was presented in Montego Bay, Jamaica. 150 health care professionals attended it from all over the United States and the Caribbean.
At its 1991 Annual Meeting, the membership of ABHP voted to extend its educational goals by instituting programs that would provide more educational program that deal with health issues that uniquely affect the Black and other minority Communities. In 1992, an Educational Administrator was appointed by the Executive Committee to oversee these efforts, and to work with the Educational Affairs Committee. One of the first tasks of the administrator was to help develop educational goals on a yearly basis, secure an American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) Provider Approval Number, and to ensure that standards of quality for the programs are maintained.
The Educational Affairs Committee, working in concert with the Meetings and Convention Arrangements Committee continue to provide the Issues forum that has become a tradition at the Annual Luncheon. In 1992, however, working in concert with an accredited College of Pharmacy, the Educational Affairs Committee presented its first pre-convention Health Awareness program on health problems that have a disproportionate adverse effect of the minority communities. The committee also coordinates planning for ABHP's proposed centennial international symposium.
ABHP held its first, of several regional continuing education programs planned throughout the country in Washington, D.C. on July 13, 1996. The program entitled "Diabetes: A Serious Disease" was well attended and the participants were treated to 6 hours of CE credits. On February 1, 1997, a second diabetes seminar entitled "Current Trends in Diabetes: Unique Opportunities for Pharmaceutical Care" took place in Miami, Florida. The Association came back to Washington, D.C. on September 20, 1997 to present another symposium on "Current Trends in the Treatment and Management of Asthma."
At the 2002 ASHP MidYear Clinical Meeting in Atlanta, ABHP presents first Allen L. Brown Memorial Cardiovascular Lecture Series. Named after one the admired charter member, the lecture series attempts to solicit recently completed research papers from pharmacy residents or undergraduate students focusing on healthcare disparities affecting minorities with emphasis on cardiovascular diseases.
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