Fellows and Members

Special Benefit for New Members

2023-09-19T14:10:39-05:00July 6th, 2023|Categories: Continuing Education, Fellows and Members, Member Benefits|Tags: , , , , |

The ACA New Member Bundle is accredited for 3.0 contact hours (0.3 CEUs) of continuing education credit for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

  • Opportunities in Wellness: Integrating Advanced Point of Sale Functional Testing in Community Pharmacy — Hillary Howell, PharmD, CCN, FACA / 1 CE
  • Long Walk Out of the Woods: A Physician’s Story of Addiction, Depression, Hope, and Recovery — Adam Hill, MD / 1 CE
  • Safeguard Your Compounding Pharmacy: Quality Control Tests for Dosage Forms and Common Pitfalls — Thomas C. Kupiec, PhD / 1 CE

Shortly after joining ACA, new members will receive a “Welcome Email” with a code to receive the ACA New Member Bundle at no cost*. Current members and non-members can purchase the bundle here: https://www.lecturepanda.com/a/NewMember

ACA New Member Bundle

*does not apply to Student Pharmacist Members

Our Speakers:

Dr. Hillary Howell, PharmD, FACA, CCN worked as a pharmacy technician until graduating high school in 1998. Her passion for medicine led her to enroll in the Doctor of Pharmacy program at Ferris State University and graduated in 2004. Shortly after graduating, she married her high school sweetheart and took a position as a retail staff pharmacist at a local pharmacy chain. This ultimately led to a manager position with the same company.

Hillary has two children, Hunter and Tanner, which she adores. 10 years into her position as a manager, her husband James was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, leiomyosarcoma of the prostate. During his journey, the family decided to look into alternative treatments using both conventional and alternative therapies. Sadly, James’ journey ended 18 months later.

As a single mother, Hillary decided to take her career in a new direction. She opened Michigan’s first integrative cash based pharmacy, Apothecary & Co, in 2019, focusing on helping others to find their root cause instead of applying a “bandaid”. Apothecary & Co proudly specializes in compounding, point of care testing, and functional medicine consulting. Since opening in 2019, Hillary received her Certified Clinical Nutrition designation in 2021. She is currently pursuing a certification program through the Institute for Functional Medicine. Besides the love for functional medicine, her other passion is medicinal herbalism leading her to complete coursework through Rosemary Gladstar’s The Science of Art and Herbalism program.

Dr. Adam B. Hill, MD is a palliative care physician at Riley Hospital for Children. He is a proud Hoosier, a Butler Bulldog, and an IUSM graduate. He completed his pediatric residency training at St. Louis University, a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at Duke University, and a palliative medicine fellowship at IUSM. His work in palliative care is focused on allowing patients to live the best quality of life possible in the midst of chronic, life-limiting, and/or life-threatening medical conditions.

In addition to palliative care, Dr. Hill is passionate about physician wellness/self-care, physician education, and international medical work. His international work has allowed him to work in Belize, Mexico, Kenya, Tanzania, and Australia over the past several years. In addition, as part of his work in palliative care, he serves as the medical director for a week-long summer camp for children affected by childhood cancer.

Dr. Thomas C. Kupiec, PhD is the CEO of ARL Bio Pharma and DNA Solutions Inc. Dr. Kupiec received his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Pharmacy. He currently serves as a graduate faculty member at the OU Health Sciences Center and has held teaching appointments at several universities. He has published numerous articles and abstracts in a variety of fields including pharmaceutical sciences, forensic sciences, and pharmacogenomics. Dr. Kupiec is often requested as a speaker at national pharmaceutical conferences and has spoken at ASHP, IACP, ACA, and state pharmaceutical associations.

Dr. Kupiec’s vision of entrepreneurial research is manifested by his responsibilities at DNA Solutions and ARL, which include supplying technical expertise and business development in the pharmaceutical and forensic fields. Additionally, Dr. Kupiec offers consultation services for a variety of pharmacy-related fields as well as expert witness testimony in the fields of forensic toxicology and pharmaceutical sciences. He has testified in over a hundred cases, both civil and criminal, in federal, state, and municipal courts.

His professional experience includes various appointments at Northwest Toxicology Inc. (NWT), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Dr. Kupiec is affiliated with numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the Society of Forensic Toxicologists, and Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society.

Three Questions With . . . Eddie Lau, PharmD, FACA, FACVP

2021-01-03T19:14:38-06:00January 3rd, 2021|Categories: Fellows and Members|

1) What drew you to independent pharmacy?

I always envisioned owning my own business and when I graduated from pharmacy school in 2010, that was my long term goal.

I really enjoyed my compounding rotation in 2009 and decided that’s exactly what I wanted to focus on. Luckily, my preceptor (and fellow independent pharmacy owner) sat down and asked me what my career goals were. When I told him I wanted to open a compounding pharmacy just like his, he took a real interest in teaching me the business side of things. During that rotation, I was blessed with the opportunity to not just learn how to compound medications, but also how to start a business. I believed in creating a business in my own community where you can really make a difference. Every decision I make has a real impact on how healthcare is done in my small town and I think that is a really great thing. It has been the best decision I made in my professional career.

2) Can you tell us one thing about yourself that would surprise your pharmacy colleagues?

I am proud to say I am a sudden cardiac arrest survivor. It feels surreal to even say those words but this is something I get the craziest looks when I mention it. I was training to run my first half marathon in 2017 so I signed up for a smaller 10k run first. Towards the end of the race, I saw the finish line approaching and was enjoying the scenery. The next thing I knew, I woke up from what I thought was a long nap not knowing where I was. I was in shock when my wife told me what happened. In the end, I needed heart surgery to fix a rare congenital heart mutation and I am back to 100%. My wife and I are so grateful for my 2nd chance at life and that contributes to my positive attitude when I go into work everyday.

3) What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I ever received was to do things the right way and not cut corners. This advice can apply to all aspects of life, but it is definitely helpful in my pharmacy. We always invest in staff training and new pharmacy equipment so our compounded medications will be the best quality possible. In the end, your patients will have better outcomes and the great feedback will eventually get back to their doctors.

Eddie Lau

Eddie Lau, PharmD, FACA, FACVP
Feel Good Compounders
Pacifica, CA
Region 7

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