As I wrote in my July 3 blog post, there’s a lot of momentum around getting pharmacists on the team. The U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) ceremony I’ll describe below was symbolic of the strong coordination that occurs among the many federal agencies and “categories” of service, which work quite well together as teams.

This short video posted to YouTube of the recent USPHS Commissioned Corps Change of Command and Flag Promotion Ceremony gives us a glimpse of federal pharmacy at its best. For those of you who wonder what federal pharmacy is like, as well as those who are proud federal pharmacists, this 4:31 slideshow of photos with captions—set to the stirring sounds of the USPHS March—depicts RADM Scott Giberson, BSPharm, PhC, NCPS-PP, MPH, relinquishing his authority as the USPHS Chief Pharmacy Officer to newly promoted RADM Pam Schweitzer, PharmD, BCACP, at FDA in Silver Spring, MD, on July 1. Congratulations!

Speakers at the ceremony included Acting U.S. Surgeon General Boris Lushniak, MD; RADM Richard Church (Ret.), PharmD; RADM Chris Bina, PharmD; me (I’ve linked to my remarks); National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations Executive Vice President and CEO Becky Snead, BSPharm; California Pharmacists Association CEO Jon Roth; RADM Giberson; Jessica Kahn, Data and Group Director for CMS; and RADM Schweitzer.

The ceremony is a big deal because the Chief Pharmacy Officer is the pharmacy spokesperson for the entire agency or service, and typically is in that position for 3 to 4 years. In this case, RADM Giberson, who continues to be the Acting Deputy Surgeon General of the United States, handed over command to RADM Schweitzer, who received the 2014 APhA Distinguished Federal Pharmacist Award. Many of you are aware of RADM Giberson’s work with former U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, on the Improving Patient and Health System Outcomes through Advanced Pharmacy Practice: A Report to the U.S. Surgeon General 2011.

Take 4 minutes and watch the show. It will make you proud!