Nan Davis reporting in on the IDAA 2006 Minneapolis experience August 2 to 6 ..

I was able to attend this year because Jeff Y of TX arranged an airfare buddy pass and because Jim and Barb A. shared their lovely home and friendly cats for the week.  A bus line with fifty cent fares to the hotel was an amazing bonus!  

CE credit courses were available at the same time as AA/Alanon meetings on some days and one could pick and choose among them.

IDAA.org offers free membership and web access.  Alanons have been welcomed for all of IDAAs  57 years..  Convention scholarships are offered, especially for newcomers and their families in need,  via convention profits and donations.  Around 150 newcomers introduced themselves at the Thursday banquet, including JimA, Kathryn and Angie.  We think the most numerous specialty might be a tie between anesthesiologists and psychiatrists! 

Jim Al of MN . set up and led this year’s Pharmacist Breakout meeting.   KathrynR and AngieB  attend the weekly Minneapolis Pharmacist meeting Jim founded 25 years ago. Each brought a daughter for the fantastic children’s track of alatots, aladudes, alateens, alatwentys.

SuzanneB of MI shared her experience attending IDAA annually since 1987. Her local weekly health professionals meeting is Caduceus.  Suzanne’s son kept in touch with IDAA friends between meetings, and two traveled toattend each other’s high school graduation in Maryland and Michigan.   NancyH of WA,MA  & husband had also attended IDAA in previous years

A highlight  for us: LeClair B. (CD available) spoke of her 54 years in sobriety and IDAA activity.  She helped start a number of “special needs” groups including IPA which started in 1987 with a letter to 37 pharmacists she interviewed for her APhA study with Ron Williams. These were joined by more than a thousand others worldwide by the time Nan turned over the mailing list.

JimA asked Gordi how many pharmacists are among 4700 current IDAA members..  It’s 47 With doctorate and 40 RPh. All of us are now “grandfathered” because all our “new kids” are PharmD.  There have always been pharmacist members in IDAA who had PhD and PharmD.  There had also been 15 RPh who first came with friends in local “mixed professionals” meetings. I enjoyed pharmacist breakout meetings from the time our family first attended Scotsdale 1993 with Alanon PhD, MDiv spouse. (now ex spouse!)

I’m especially grateful to locate “mixed professional” local groups on the IDAA website because this snowbird had found no current local pharmacist meetings in NJ or AZ..

PRN regional meetings with evening IPA meetings have been envied by the other professions we meet at Hazelden and at AA Internationals.  IDAA simply provides a new opportunity for pharmacists AND our families to share special concerns, and to carry the message of recovery to more  pharmacists and pharmacy students. 

I already signed up for IDAA in Boston August 1 to 6 2007,  at the Park Plaza and Towers Hotel. I hear a rumor that one speaker is to be my absolute favorite writer!

TimG of NY (who worked on several NEPRN weekends from'84 on.) happened to call JimA on Sunday before I left Mpls.  He promises to meet us in Boston.

            Love to all O.D.A.T. from NanDRx@earthlink.net (908)391 2673.