JAPhA gets new editor-in-chief

I have been told it is traditional for a new editor-in-chief to write an editorial to be published in the first issue of their appointment. Never one to challenge tradition, here is mine. I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to serve the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and its members; to thank and enumerate some of the accomplishments of my predecessor, L. Michael Posey; and to outline some of my goals for the next 3 to 6 years. In 1978, Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association (JAPhA) was transformed into American Pharmacy. After a while, members of the APhA Academy of Pharmaceutical Research & Science (APhA–APRS) expressed the need for a venue to publish their technical or theoretical scientific work. American Pharmacy was an excellent communication tool for practitioners to describe advances in contemporary pharmacy practice. However, the scientists needed a pharmacy equivalent of the highly respected Journal of the American Medical Association. I still remember vividly a meeting during an APhA Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL, in the mid-1990s. A group of influential APhA–APRS leaders met with Dr. Lucinda Maine, who was APhA Senior Vice President for Policy, Planning and Communications. Meeting participants were Eleanor Perfetto, Earlene Lipowski, Joe Wiederholdt, Frank Ascione, David Kreling, myself, and others that I have surely forgotten. We lobbied Maine to resurrect JAPhA as the primary venue for publishing the APhA–APRS scientists’ work. She successfully lobbied then Executive Vice President John Gans and the Board of Trustees, and the Journal was resurrected in 1996. It was renamed the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association (2003) after the Association’s official name change. Soon after, Posey joined the team and met with Academy leaders to discuss our collective vision for the Journal. One of the offshoots of the meeting was an expansion of the number of pages in the Science & Practice Section of the Journal. The additional pages were allocated so that the APhA–APRS scientists would have a venue for publishing highly scientifically technical and/or theory-focused research. Posey challenged APhA–APRS scientists to play an active role in the production of the Journal and asked for someone to serve as an associate editor for the scientifically technical and theory-based manuscripts. I felt obligated to volunteer beginning in July 2004. I have not regretted the decision for a moment during the past 6 years. It has been one of the greatest growth experiences of my career. When Posey asked me to consider becoming editorin-chief, I was honored. When the Board of Trustees approved the appointment, I was humbled. And, as this issue prepares to go to press, the written word cannot truly express how grateful I am to APhA and to you for this opportunity. I would like to enumerate some of Posey’s many accomplishments since 1997 and to express my personal thanks for his guidance during the past 6 years. First, Posey played a vital role as the number of manuscript submissions to JAPhA rose from approximately 135 in 2005 to 235 in 2009. Posey spearheaded format and thematic changes throughout his stewardship of the Journal, including more color, addition of new sections (e.g., Science Snippets, Vaccine Update, Heroes of Pharmacy, Tools for Advancing Pharmacy Practice) and the theme issues on pharmacy-based practice networks, quality pharmacy care, and pharmacists’ roles in public health. JAPhA has made significant progress during Posey’s time as Editor, and I look forward to working with him in his new role of Executive Editor. Pharmacy is a science-based, evidence-based profession. This basic premise has served the Journal well for most of a century. The second premise is that JAPhA is the Association’s primary dissemination tool for the most up-to-date information about pharmacy practice and the pharmaceutical sciences. In coming months and years, I plan to work with the Associate Editors and Editorial Advisory Board to examine means of enhancing our ability to provide the most up-to-date, evidence-based information. A number of ways will be considered to speed up the time to publication, improve access to JAPhA, and increase its impact factor. Another goal is to increase the contributions of our colleagues in the clinical sciences. The Journal’s role in disseminating the results of high-quality clinical and outcome intervention studies to Association stakeholders is vital to providing the scientific evidence for medication therapy management, personalized and patient-centered health care, patient medical homes, pharmacogenomics, and other practice innovations. We will also reach out to disciplines outside pharmacy to contribute to the profession’s knowledge of the appropriate use of medications. Finally, JAPhA needs to become the publication of first choice for APhA members’ and scientists’ best work. All these steps are highly interrelated and vitally important to the Journal’s continued viability, growth, and scientific influence. High-quality articles will attract greater readership that will be more highly cited, resulting in more influence in the pharmacy/medical research community, which should increase the fiscal vitality of the Journal. I look forward to working on a plan to achieve these goals with the Associate Editors and the Journal’s Editorial Advisory Board. I pledge to do all that I can to make JAPhA the profession’s premiere journal and the first chosen by practitioners and scientists alike to share their professional contributions. The Journal represents the contributions of APhA membership, which has the broadest base of all of the professional organizations. There is a place for everyone to share their research and practice experiences through JAPhA. As Editor-in-Chief, I look forward to working with APhA, its volunteers, and staff.