Dr. Vaughn Frigon, chief medical officer of Tennessee Health Care Finance and Administration, presented a lecture to Nashville area pharmacists for the College of Pharmacy’s first continuing education on Dec. 3 in the Massey Performing Arts Center.

“We are so glad to be able to offer continuing education credit to pharmacists in the community, especially our alumni, faculty and affiliate faculty. It is important to us to offer programs that are relevant and will make a difference in the everyday practice of our pharmacists who attend,” said College of Pharmacy Continuing Education Coordinator Virginia Walczak.

Frigon, who oversees TennCare, explained the state’s medical program and discussed opportunities and challenges for pharmacists who provide care under the program. In light of the Affordable Care Act, the event was helpful for pharmacists needing a greater understanding of how the state and federal medical laws and programs affect their patients as well as how to best serve them. Frigon supervises the medical, dental, and pharmacy programs for the state and is involved now with issues of healthcare expansion and payment reform that will significantly shape the way care is delivered in the future. TennCare is the State of Tennessee’s Medicaid program that currently provides health care for 1.2 million Tennesseans and operates with an annual $9 billion budget.

The College of Pharmacy plans to host another continuing education event on Feb. 8 to draw alumni pharmacist back to campus during Belmont’s homecoming week. The college is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.