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Barbara G. Wells, PharmD, FASHP, FCCP
CPNP Foundation President

Be a part of extending the reach of psychiatric and neurologic pharmacy. By making a generous contribution to the CPNP Foundation Annual Fund Campaign, you will help patients with psychiatric and neurologic disorders have greater access to evidence-based care.

I am continuously inspired by the commitment and passion of CPNP members to better serve their individual patients and also large populations of patients who live with neuropsychiatric illness. At CPNP Annual Meetings, in Board meetings, and in committee and task force meetings, the discussions always center on how to better meet the many challenging and often complex needs of our patients and how to place them at the center of the patient care decision making process.

The Foundation’s mission focuses on the needs of individuals living with psychiatric and neurologic disorders, their families, and health professionals in general practice settings to further evidence-based treatment. With your support, Foundation Board members have made great progress on the initiatives and action plans described in our 2014-2016 Strategic Plan. We have completed a resource entitled “What You Should Expect from Your Pharmacist: A Guide for Patients and Families.” This resource elevates the expectations of patients and caregivers about what they should expect of their pharmacists. In addition, the Mental Health Pharmacy Directory (mentalhealthpharmacies.com) has launched and is currently recruiting pharmacies to join the directory. The search feature will be live by the end of this year. We also launched the Defining the Future Research Grant Program and awarded 4 grants totaling $5,375 to residents and students. In 2015 and 2016, the Foundation is partnering with colleagues at Duquesne University Mylan School of Pharmacy to conduct research to help us to better understand stigma toward mental illness as it manifests in community pharmacies. At the 2015 Annual Meeting, the Foundation supported programing entitled “Stigma and Psychiatric Disorders: Understanding and Managing Personal Biases." That program is now available to all CPNP members for ACPE credit through December in CPNP University (without charge) and will permanently reside on the Foundation website under Initiatives as a resource for all healthcare practitioners. With the help of the Past Presidents' Destiny Fund, the Foundation will once again be providing partial support to 20 students to attend the 2016 Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs. In 2016, we will focus on developing education and training opportunities, tools, and resources for generalist pharmacists to help them to better meet the needs of their patients with neuropsychiatric disorders and to reduce stigma.

The Foundation envisions a world in which individuals with psychiatric and neurologic disorders receive optimal treatment, live free of stigma, and achieve their full potential. We must all pull together and work as a cohesive team to achieve this lofty vision. The Foundation Board is asking all CPNP members and supporters to step up and give generously to support the vision and strategic initiatives. Your gift truly can assist us in creating a better tomorrow for our patients, their families, and caregivers – a world where the stigma of mental illness is replaced with understanding and compassion. You can visit cpnpf.org/pledge to make your donation or pledge online or print off a donation form to complete and return by mail.

Please make your contribution now, so your gift will be recorded for the current fiscal year and will support the important work of the Foundation in 2016. I am sincerely grateful for your continued support.

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