5 Key Takeaways from ASHP Midyear 2022

The American Society of Health System Pharmacist (ASHP) Midyear meeting returned in-person in 2022, back to Las Vegas where it was when we last left off prior to the COVID pause. While the usual rodeo fans were present – we also got a heavy dose of football fans with a Sunday home game. Visante’s top 5 hard hitting topics coming out of ASHP Midyear 2022 are:

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – It was clear this was a focus for presenters and for attendees through the conference as many seek to grow personally and invest organizationally. Sessions ranged from creating affirming environments within your organization to individuals’ personal journeys to and culturally effective care. It was clear that there was intentionality not only to focus on racial diversity, but to include additional areas such as disability and LGBTQ+ as well.

Drug Diversion – In another significant change from previous years, there was several sessions focused on drug diversion. Often only considered after a major event, the significant investments needed to tackle this complex problem were highlighted across multiple sessions. These focused not only on advanced software, but the policy and governance structures needed to support a comprehensive program.

Technician Workforce – Workforce challenges remained a hot topic, with a much more positive tone compared to recent ASHP conferences where the focus seemed more on the opportunity in front of us. Several presentations highlighted successes in improving the technician pipeline through establishing training programs, novel residency programs focused on growing future technician leaders and developing advanced technician roles in areas such as informatics.

Employee Retention – The pharmacy workforce is clearly in transition and was the talk not only in sessions but in the hallways. Attendees in new roles has always been a topic, and it seemed at a higher level in 2022. Unsurprisingly, this carried over to the sessions, with a number on growing resilience – including in leaders – to practical solutions like skip level meetings and employee recognition programs to redesigning work itself in work from home models. It is clear ASHP members are working hard to keep their greatest assets, their team members.

Health Care Finance – Lastly, it is clear ASHP members wanted to “follow the money” as there were significantly more financial literacy sessions. Focused sessions on payment models in healthcare and upcoming payment changes in 2023 stood out. As health system pharmacy departments are leaned on more than ever before for entrepreneurial ideas – and given the financial pressures on health systems across the country, this was unsurprising.

Visante team members thank all the colleagues they were able to connect with for their time during ASHP Midyear. It was great to see you all and look forward to connecting again soon!

Here at Visante, we help hospitals and health systems to make the most of their programs and optimize savings. Contact us at solutions@visanteinc.com to talk to one of our team members.

Replacing Lost Revenue During the Pandemic

Visante was featured in the Pharmacy Practice News article, “Replacing Lost Revenue During the Pandemic.” Jim Jorgenson and Steve Rough explain how high-performing pharmacy can be a financial game-changer for hospitals and health systems.

Join Joe Cesarz, as he discusses why you should focus on pharmacy revenue cycles.