Pharmacy Podcast Network

Good things are happening in pharmacy.  That is the core message of this podcast.  Becky Snead and Garth Reynolds discuss how the scope of practice is expanding as more pharmacists are being granted provider status and the authority to diagnose and prescribe for common ailments.  Reynolds explains that Illinois has recently passed legislation allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control pills.  Snead shares how many states now allow pharmacist to test-&-treat for ailments such as strep throat, flu and, COVID.   On the PBM front Reynolds explains that legislative and judicial wins are helping to reign in big PBM abuses.  More work needs to be done and both guests make their case for how and why more pharmacists should join and become more active in their state pharmacist association.   Bruce Kneeland welcomes Rebecca (Becky) Snead, EVP & CEO, The National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) and Garth Reynolds, Executive Director, Illinois Pharmacists Association See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Future of Pharmacy: The future of pharmacy is being disrupted & we see the creation of transformative opportunities but with great challenges. How will the future of pharmacy take shape? As innovations in life sciences and new technology disrupt the health care value chain, consumers are increasingly focused on well-being, demanding greater health care access, convenience, and customized products. In this environment, exciting opportunities emerge for pharmacists to evolve and expand their role. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/life-sciences-and-health-care/articles/future-of-pharmacy-disruption-opportunities-challenges.html George Van Antwerp Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting LLP  https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanantwerp/ George Van Antwerp is a leader in Deloitte Consulting’s Health Plan and Pharmacy practice where he works with clients on insights and analysis to improve their competitive positioning. Prior to joining Deloitte, George worked with inVentiv Health in their Medical Management business, and he led the pharmacy business for Silverlink Communications.  George also worked at Express Scripts where he focused on their consumer engagement solutions.  George holds an MBA and MA from Washington University in St. Louis and received his BS from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Discussion references: Community-Based Pharmacy Practice Innovation and the Role of the Community-Based Pharmacist Practitioner in the United States https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6789634/ Medical at Home: A Game-changing Opportunity for Long-Term Care With 10,000 Americans aging into Medicare daily, some pharmacies have grown their market share by offering medical-at-home services to keep patients who might otherwise be in a nursing home in the familiarity of their homes longer. https://ncpa.org/newsroom/qam/2021/06/08/qam-ed-medical-home-game-changing-opportunity-long-term-care Thank you RxSafe for sponsoring this episode! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can we leverage pharmacists to help patients transition better and also allow the providers use the expertise of pharmacists? According to the peer review journal JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association), to improve care when patients transition from a facility such as a hospital to their home, Medicare started reimbursing for what is called the Transition of Care in 2013. It still has a low adoption because the reimbursement is not as high and also takes resources such as staffing.  Link to article mentioned: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2719292  Dr. Chinki Bhatia completed her Master of Pharmacy from University of Sydney with a specialization in in-vitro fertilization. She was then awarded a scholarship from the University of Florida to complete her Ph.D. in Neuroscience. She acquired her Ph.D. while working on multiple projects and writing her dissertation on the role of cannabinoids in short-term memory. After seeing a need for personalized medicine, Dr. Bhatia added a pharmacogenomics certification to her educational resume in 2020. She Co-Founded her company Core Care Rx where she provides pharmacogenomics consultations, value based care services such as chronic care management along with Ayurvedic wellness consultations. She also serves as a preceptor to pharmacy students in Pharmacogenomics.  Dipal Soni, PharmD, BCACP attended Ernest Mario School Of Pharmacy, Rutgers University and graduated with highest distinction. She pursued one year of pharmacy practice residency at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in NJ. During this time she worked alongside physicians in ambulatory clinics where she managed complex medications. Dr.Soni is a board certified ambulatory care pharmacist with major focus on transitions of care and counseling patents. Dr. Soni provided evidence driven recommendations and optimized pharmacotherapy. She was also a speaker in various support groups at the community hospital. Thanks to Rx Safe for sponsoring this episode! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sue Paul is a pharmacist, entrepreneur and small business owner with over 20 years of experience in the industry.After journeying through the traditional pharmacy avenues of retail, nursing home consulting, and hospital, she founded SyneRxgy (pronounced si·nr·jee) Consulting LLC, a concierge pharmacy service that is registered as a Limited Category 2 Pharmacy in the State of Ohio. SyneRxgy assists patients and physicians in managing chronic disease states including medication adjustments and education, implementing and analyzing pharmacogenomic and nutrigenomic testing for patients, and compiling/reviewing current medication lists for patients. She enjoys educating clients on all aspects of medication to empower them to take control of their health. Current worksites include physician offices, employer worksites, and in-home patient visits. In 2018, Sue co-founded PGx101 LLC, along with Dan Krinsky, RPh, MS, which offers pharmacists 20 hours of ACPE approved continuing education and a certificate in Pharmacogenomics (PGx). She has been using PGx in her clinic and with home patients to implement patient-centered medication modification in conjunction with their providers since 2016. Sue is Co-Founder, along with Michelle Fritsch, PharmD, BCP, BCACP of Medipreneurs LLC, an international conference and community for pharmacy entrepreneurs. After a 2020 detour, planning is underway for their 3rd annual conference which will be held in Cincinnati, Oh October 2021. She gets a kick out of empowering other pharmacists to dream about how they would practice if there weren’t any barriers. She is active in local, state and national professional organizations including board member and Vice President of the Ohio Pharmacists Foundation. Recent awards include • 2017 SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) Client of the Year Award • 2019 Top 25 Women Pharmacists of the Year according to Talk to Your Pharmacist Pharmacy Advisory Group • 2020 Upsher-Smith Excellence in Innovation Award by the Ohio Pharmacists Association Social Media Handles and Contact Information www.linkedin.com/in/sue-paulrph @PGx101 @Medipreneurs https://www.facebook.com/synerxgyconsulting/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Advances in research have led to increased interest in the properties and potential of cannabis to treat many illnesses that have alluded modern medicine. Now, practitioners and consumers turn their attention to the role that it may play in the treatment of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Special guests: Jason Nelson | Senior Vice President, Horticulture Marion McNabb, DrPH, MPH Founder and President Cannabis Center of Excellence, INC The focus has been on the immune modulation and vascular effects of cannabis.1,2 As with any pharmacological treatment, the effects will depend on patient specifics and the stage of disease. To grasp the current state of research, CRx evaluates the weight of evidence and speaks with experts in the field of medicinal cannabis. When working with medicinal cannabis in the age of COVID-19, it may help to think in wo separate categories: COVID-19 naïve (cannabis use in a population that is not and has no record of having been infected by COVID-19) and acute COVID-19. Can Using Cannabis Make People More Susceptible to COVID-19 Infection? David Bearman, MD, executive vice president of the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine and a certified cannabinoid medicine specialist, notes that it’s important to distinguish between adult and medicinal cannabis use. Concerning adult use, Bearman would err on the side of caution and recommends people “take an herbal vacation until they’ve been successfully vaccinated.” If a person is using cannabis to relieve symptoms of a serious illness, such as cancer or epilepsy, Bearman believes it may be beneficial for some patients to continue treatment but makes it clear that “risk assessment for cannabis during the COVID-19 pandemic needs to be made in conjunction with the health care provider on a case-by-case basis.” The intent is to ensure that potential benefits outweigh the risks. Bearman also emphasizes that any inhalation—whether via smoking or vaporizing—increases a person’s risk of COVID-19 because the respiratory route of cannabis increases both sputum and bronchial irritation, making a person more susceptible to infection. Essentially, if cannabis is being used medicinally, clinicians should discuss the immune modulation effects and route of administration with patients. Reference Links: COVID study data will be released in August 2021 when the study is completed Cannabis and COVID Research Event held by COE in Dec 2020 with 6 COVID and Cannabis Researchers Link to sign up If companies are interested in partnering on the Healthcare provider medical cannabis study this year with COE and Medicinal Genomics https://www.cannacenterofexcellence.org/CCOE on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Space travel is nothing new, but so few people have traveled beyond the reaches of our atmosphere that we still don't really know what happens to the body in space. For decades scientists and researchers have investigated the effects of zero gravity on the heart, eyes, gastrointestinal system, and more. Joined again by Kelly Kerr, our hosts dive in and discuss what we've learned over the past 60 years. This is NOT your physician's podcast. Hosts Shane Garrettson and Cal Vandergrift dive into the pharmacy world with fun, interesting, and downright weird topics! Tune in for NEW episodes, available on Spotify, Apple, Anchor, and more! Check out our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages at Let's Pharmonize to view videos and images relevant to every episode! If you have any questions, comments, or even corrections, e-mail us at pharmonization@gmail.com. PLEASE READ: Shane, Kelly and Cal are NOT medical professionals. DO NOT USE the information presented in this podcast to aid in your own personal health or medicinal benefit. This is a light-hearted podcast that should not be taken with the same seriousness as your own personal health. A special thanks to Kelly Kerr for creating the music used in the intro and outro. Additional music and sound by Fesliyan Studios. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month’s episode is focused on pharmacy cash flow. Cortland Data Partner and pharmacy industry expert Craig Robinson joins Brad for part 1 of our cash flow series, focused on the rebate vs. non rebate models and how changing from a rebate model can help to improve cash flow. Then, Dr. Lisa Faast, PharmD looks at cash flow from a different perspective and shares 5 quick financial management tips for better cash flow and discusses revenue stream and cash flow improvement opportunities.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashlee Hayes, PharmD, MHA, known as RxAshlee, RETURNS to the Pharmacy Podcast Network for a special discussion:  The Great Pharmacy Resignation is propelled by three forces: 1. The changing generation – different expectations and different needs, goals, and desires 2. The economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic 3. And, the realization people have had that they can have a different social contract, spending more time with family when they work remote and skip the commute. RxAshlee Blog: https://www.rxashlee.com/blog/the-great-resignation  We’re on the brink of a disruption as great as last year’s sudden shift to remote work: the move to hybrid work — a blended model where some employees return to the workplace and others continue to work from homeWe’re on the brink of a disruption as great as last year’s sudden shift to remote work: the move to hybrid work — a blended model where some employees return to the workplace and others continue to work from home. We’re experiencing this at Microsoft, and today we shared how we’re evolving our own hybrid work strategy for our 160,000+ employees around the world. (Microsoft blog: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work)  We’re all learning as we go, but we know two things for sure: flexible work is here to stay, and the talent landscape has fundamentally shifted. Remote work has created new job opportunities for some, offered more family time, and provided options for whether or when to commute. But there are also challenges ahead. Teams have become more siloed this year and digital exhaustion is a real and unsustainable threat. BELOW ARE TOP 10 TIPS FOR NAVIGATING YOUR EXIT STRATEGY: 1.     Make sure your contract is signed (in pen, not pencil!) with your new role before you say ANYTHING to your current employer. A promise is not a contract, so make sure you have this solidified before you talk to your current employer about quitting. 2.     Keep everything positive. I am optimist at heart, so I recognize this style might not be popular. However, in order to maintain your professional presence, network, and personal brand, just stay focused on your next steps. You might have had a terrible experience at your role, but lucky for you – that is ALL behind you. Remember, your personal brand is what people say about you when you are no longer in the room. 3.     Communicate your learning experiences directly to your coworkers. Express gratitude for what you learned in your current role. If possible, connect with the top 5-10 people (depending upon your company size, maybe more) and articulate what they taught you while you are at the company. Make people feel special. Make them feel like they positively contributed to your career & your life. Trust me: this is important! 4.     KEEP IT BRIEF. Have you heard the term “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” If not, now you have! There is absolutely no need to go into details about: why you are leaving, when you start your new role, what your new title, company, salary, etc. is in your next endeavors. When in doubt, go back to #2. You can say “I am ready for a change.” That is it! 5.     Be ready to GTFO. Some employers might want you to stay longer than you want to. Ideally, between you leaving this role and beginning your next role, you will take some time off, so USE that time off to be OFF – do not work anymore then you absolutely have to. 6.     Consider freelancing or consulting. If they are really struggling to see you go AND you have a desire to support the company continuously, pitch them your freelance & consultation rate. Since you have an area of expertise that they will now have a shortage in, see what they say. 7.     Meet with your boss via Zoom or in person. Unless there are extreme circumstances, tell your manager face to face or over a call. This shows that you are bold, direct, and honest with conducting your professional presence. Have the hard conversation and move on. 8.     Exit interviews are not absolute. Unless you signed a contract that requires you to have an exit interview, if you do not feel comfortable having one, then do not do it. 9.     Give adequate leave time. The standard resignation time is 2-weeks. However, many of my clients go much beyond the two weeks notice because they are in the middle of projects or overseeing clients. This is up to you on the time you feel comfortable leaving, but I would not stay longer than 4-weeks. It is time to move, so just put your foot down and give a specific timeline. Set the expectations appropriately, you are the leader in this transition. Give yourself ample time in between finish date and start date so you can be refreshed for your next role too. 10.  Write the letter of resignation. A resignation letter is a document that notifies your employer that you are leaving your job. It formalizes your departure from your current employment and can be written as a printed letter or an email message. Thanks RxSafe for Sponsoring this episode:  RxSafe.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pharmacy Owners are facing a lot of challenges. The cost of inventory, the threat of competing with the pharmacies on every other corner, and the difficulty to get new customers and retain your current ones. The Profit Summit LIVE Event was in Dallas, Texas on July 23 - 24, 2021 The live event was designed to help pharmacists overcome many common operational & insurer payment problems by showing them how they can beat their competition with simple strategies that anyone can implement right away. Participants of the Summit learned how to build their practice on a foundation of ease, profit and momentum so that you're not stuck running around like a chicken without its head trying to solve all your problems at once. You'll come home with proven solutions for each area in your business including patient acquisition and retention; marketing; cash consultation; revenue diversification; cash flow management; time management and more! Our host & founder of DiversifyRx is Dr. Lisa Faast, PharmD. Our special guests are listed as they appear within the episode: Brad Jones - RMS | CLIMB Nick Davis - Cypher’s Compounding Pharmacy Dr. Mansi Shah - CoFounder of the Functional Wellness Network Dr. Ken Patel - RightWay Pharmacy Dr. Adam Robinson - Save Rite Drugs Vince Leonard - Liberty Pharmacy Software See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Jessica Whelan has extensive experience in the mental health field and has served as a speaker and advisory board member in many areas including psychopharmacology and pharmacogenomics. Dr. Whelan is the CEO of a national network of clinicians with Holon Inclusive Health System and adjunct faculty at Maryville University. She supports multiple universities to provide clinical mentorship for medical and nurse practitioner students. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes Jewish College in St. Louis. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri Columbia and her Doctorate in Nursing Practice at the University of Missouri St. Louis.  She is brilliant in how her mind works around PGx and routinely uses personalized medicine to evaluate complex patients who have exhausted all other options of treatment. She is definitely one of the most PGx experts of all time. She had me at COMT gene!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices