The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) will host the 2019 Joint Federal Pharmacy Seminar (JFPS 2019) October 27–30, 2019 in Dallas. JFPS 2019 will focus its education and training sessions on health and readiness, with an emphasis on ensuring that service members are mentally and physically prepared to conduct all military operations.

JFPS 2019 will feature three general sessions for all attendees, highlighted by new Defense Health Agency (DHA) Director Lieutenant General Ronald Place, who will deliver an important keynote address on his vision of the future of federal pharmacy; insight into how his agency will achieve its top priority of ensuring that service members, retirees, and family members continue to receive high-quality health care; and he will provide an update on one of the largest organizational changes within the U.S. military—when military hospitals and clinics consolidate under DHA.

Other highlights of JFPS 2019 will include best practice updates and news on hot-button topics, such as

• A presentation by Rear Admiral Ty Bingham, Chief Pharmacy Officer, Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service on Tobacco Cessation: Be Fit, Be Healthy, Be Ready;
• A presentation by CAPT Ted Hall, Indian Health Service, focuses on the importance of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs for patients with opioid use disorder and explores the benefits and limitations of implementing MAT programs in federal health care systems; and
• A presentation by Rear Admiral Brandon Taylor, Indian Health Service, provides an overview of U.S. Public Health Service deployment missions, including preparedness and individual readiness expectations.

JFPS is the largest annual event for federal pharmacy. Since its inception in 1994, JFPS has become the premiere meeting for federal pharmacists and technicians, serving uniformed and civil-service pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health Service, and Department of Veterans Affairs.

Attendees learn and share solutions to challenges federal pharmacy professionals will face in today’s health care systems. The meeting offers Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)–certified continuing pharmacy education (CPE) and training programs, which are provided by APhA.

For additional information about the event, please visit the JFPS 2019 website.