Pharmacy Podcast Network

Pharmacies in Pennsylvania and across the country are transforming their care delivery model and documenting the care provided to patients to express their value to payers.  This transformation is setting them up to sustain and thrive in a new era of healthcare with value-based payment models.  In this episode of Beyond the Sig, we talk to one pharmacist who started his pharmacy with this care delivery model in mind and is expressing his value to a payer often forgotten in health care – the patient.  Kyle McCormick, PharmDis the owner of Blueberry Pharmacy in Westview, Pennsylvania, a different kind of pharmacy that sets itself apart from the rest by providing access to low-cost medications without the need for insurance.  With optional membership programs available to fit patients’ needs, the savings people see on their medications are substantial.  Kyle offers his insight on how pharmacists can provide care and value directly to patients. www.blueberrypharmacy.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

William Amarquaye, PharmD is a Clinical Pharmacist at Brandon Regional Hospital returns to the Pharmacy Podcast Nation to share his knowledge on the sickle cell disease state.  Via Sickle Cell 101 Sickle cell is a blood disorder passed down from parents to children. It is characterized by sickle or crescent-shaped red blood cells that are unable to carry oxygen sufficiently through the body, causing a range of complications. Sickle cell is caused by certain changes in the DNA code or a mutation. All people with sickle cell disease inherited a specific mutation that changes the way some of their blood cells function. Normally, red blood cells are round and flexible and can travel easily through blood vessels; however, in people with sickle cell disease, their red blood cells transform into brittle, sticky and crescent (or sickle) shaped cells called sickle cells. Due to their shape and consistency, sickle cells become unable to move freely through small blood vessels, which can block or slow down blood flow to all of the tissues beyond that point, this is called vaso-occlusion, or a vaso-occlusive pain crisis. Your blood flows all throughout the body, therefore any organ (like the kidneys) or tissue (like muscles) could be affected.  This loss of blood flow causes a shortage of oxygen to the affected body parts and organs. When the oxygen level is too low, injuries and even cell death occurs. This complication causes damage that builds up as time goes on. In addition to the loss of blood flow, sickle cells break down very easily and rapidly (called hemolysis) in the bloodstream, causing a shortage of blood cells, or anemia, and releasing content that can be toxic in high levels.  All of these events inside the body can cause extreme pain, damage to organs and several other complications that contribute to the negative impact of sickle cell disease. RESOURCES by Pharmacists on SICKLE CELL: READ TLDR Pharmacy Blog The Pharmacist's Guide to Sickle Cell Disease https://www.tldrpharmacy.com/content/the-pharmacists-guide-to-sickle-cell-disease  William Amarquaye, PharmD  Clinical Pharmacist at Brandon Regional Hospital Ghanaboy. PharmD Twitter: https://twitter.com/GhanaboyPharmd  https://www.youtube.com/c/GhanaboyPharmD/videos  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special Guest: Mona Ghattas Duran Central Pharmacy Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104 www.durancentralpharmacy.com I have been to your pharmacy twice and am intrigued by the physical layout of your pharmacy.  Tell us just a bit about where your pharmacy is and how your unique physical location provides both opportunities and challenges. So your pharmacy is attractive and the staff are all friendly.  Tell me, how does that happen?  How do you keep the staff motivated and the pharmacy looking so nice? So, we all know third party reimbursement is bad and getting worse.  What kinds of things are you doing to fend off the negative effects of that? As you mentioned some of your management techniques and professional services, I am reminded you are an active and fully engaged member of IPC – The Independent Pharmacy Cooperative, the New Mexico Pharmacist Associations – and active in other groups. Anything special you’d like to share with our listeners about how being active in pharmacy, business and other groups helps you provide more profitable clinical services?  (feel free to throw in a comment on WSPC as well) One of the things I have told pharmacy owners for 40 years is that to be successful you not only need to take good care of customers but you also need to get out of the pharmacy.  Do you have a comment on that philosophy?    You’ve done some interesting thing with flu shots – share a story or two about where you go and how those clinics came about. You have something like 60 employees, that is a good size operation. And, that means providing health insurance is a challenge.  But you told me about an insight you had about doctors and their problems with insurance that I think would be helpful for pharmacist to understand.  Doctors hate insurance too.  How has learning that helped you work better with prescribers in your area. I remember you showing me some spread sheets and sharing how you meld reports from your pharmacy system with your POS. Tell me more about how/why take the time to look at both front end sales and pharmacy sales in that manner So, time is about up – take a minute and share something you think other pharmacists could do better that would improve their practice – any advice for our listeners?  Bruce Kneeland, while not a pharmacist, has been in the industry for more than 40 years.  On the Pharmacy Crossroads series, Kneeland talks with amazing owners and gets them to share examples of management practices, marketing programs or clinical services they provide that can help other owners improve their practice as well.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New guidelines from American College of Physicians suggest that first-line treatment of non-low back musculoskeletal injuries are topical therapies. Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like diclofenac, are available as over-the-counter products in the US. Learn about the preferred route of care when treating pain. Additional Resource/Reference: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M19-3602  This episode is accredited for CPE. Subscribe at CEimpact (https://www.ceimpact.com/pharmacist) and claim your CE today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A History of Racial Diversity in Pharmacy with Special Guest Dr. Leonard Edloe Join PUTT in a frank conversation with special guest Dr. Leonard Edloe about the history of racial diversity in pharmacy, the challenges medical professions still face today, and how we as pharmacists and people can help our profession move forward towards more diversity and greater understanding. Hosts: Scott Newman, PUTT Board President & Lauren Young, PUTT Board Member Guest: Dr. Leonard Edloe, Chair of VPhA's Racial Diversity Task Force See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Georgia House of Representatives Earl L. “Buddy” Carter joins CEO of RxSafe Bill Holmes to summarize the The Supreme Court of The United States (SCOTUS) has rescheduled the Rutledge v. The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) hearing for October 6, 2020.1 The initial April hearing date had been postponed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (COVID-19) Rutledge v. PCMA revolves around whether states have the right to regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMS). Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has petitioned the court to overturn the US Court of Appeals for the Eight District’s earlier decision to maintain Arkansas’ statute regulating PBMs’ drug reimbursement rates. In a legal brief filed in February 2020, however, Rutledge argues the statute is preempted by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.3 At least 4 pharmacy groups, The American Pharmacists Association, The Arkansas Pharmacist Association, The National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, and the National Community Pharmacists Association have publicly expressed their support for states’ rights to regulate PBMs.3 According to an earlier report, these 4 groups have jointly argued that unregulated PBM business practices limits access to pharmacists care and prevents the optimal use of medications.3 In April 2020, the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) filed an amicus brief in support of the Eighth District’s decision.4 The brief argues that ruling in favor of Rutledge will drive up health care costs, and also will have a big effect on patients too by limiting their ability to access affordable medications, hindering health outcomes.4 The AMCP brief also argues that ruling in favor of Rutledge can lead to issues at the administrative level, and can lead to varying and possibly contradictory state laws as well.4 Supreme Court to hear Rutledge v. PCMA Oct. 6 The US Supreme Court has released its October 2020 oral argument calendar, with Rutledge v. PCMA now scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The case was originally scheduled to be argued in April but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rutledge v. PCMA is a landmark case on whether states can adopt meaningful regulations on pharmacy benefit managers. If you would like to contribute to the NCPA Legislative/Legal Defense Fund, your support would be much appreciated. Resources Brief of Arkansas Pharmacists Association, National Community Pharmacists Association, American Pharmacists Association, National Alliance Of State Pharmacy Associations, and Fifty-One Other Pharmacist Associations As Amici Curiae Supporting Petitioner Latest Information on Rutledge v. PCMA NCPA Analysis of Rutledge v. PCMA Rutledge v. PCMA: 15 Years in the Making See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Corepreneur Podcast, a show that will help you put burnout out of business and transform the way you re-power yourself as an entrepreneur. “Every hurt, every trauma, every setback becomes fuel for your story.” – Anne Arvizu Learn more about this episode of The Corepreneur with Anne Arvizu at www.annearvizu.com/01  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Richard Harris M.D., Pharm.D, MBA joins the 'Transforming the Nation' series to discuss the controversial topic of sharing your faith, being spiritual, and understanding the balance between science, medicine, and God. Dr. Harris is the founder of "Great Health & Wellness" and has his own podcast, here: https://www.theghwellness.com/  The technological advances of the past century tended to change the focus of medicine from a caring, service oriented model to a technological, cure-oriented model. Technology has led to phenomenal advances in medicine and has given us the ability to prolong life. However, in the past few decades physicians have attempted to balance their care by reclaiming medicine's more spiritual roots, recognizing that until modern times spirituality was often linked with health care. Spiritual or compassionate care involves serving the whole person—the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. Such service is inherently a spiritual activity. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, who has developed Commonweal retreats for people with cancer, described it well: Helping, fixing, and serving represent three different ways of seeing life. When you help, you see life as weak. When you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve, you see life as whole. Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul. Serving patients may involve spending time with them, holding their hands, and talking about what is important to them. Patients value these experiences with their physicians. In this article, I discuss elements of compassionate care, review some research on the role of spirituality in health care, highlight advantages of understanding patients' spirituality, explain ways to practice spiritual care, and summarize some national efforts to incorporate spirituality into medicine. References:  The role of spirituality in health care Christina M. Puchalski, MD, MS https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1305900/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20spirituality%20can%20be,of%20delivery%20of%20compassionate%20care  Sponsored by UltiGuard Safe Pack The UltiGuard Safe Pack is the only pen needle product that comes with an all-in-one sharps container. Learn more about why UltiGuard Safe Pack is the best choice for your patients and your pharmacy. Learn more UltiGuard Safe Pack https://www.ulticare.com/ultiguard-safe-pack/podcast  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Community Pharmacies are vital members of neighborhoods and the healthcare community. A major social determinant of health is access to healthcare - both providers and medications. Recently, Berenbrok and colleagues published research that showed community pharmacies are visited almost twice as much compared to primary care providers by Medicare beneficiaries annually. Guest Jake Galdo will be joining our host Geoff Wall to discuss how community pharmacists provide care. Additional Resource/Reference: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarUcle/2768247  This episode is accredited for CPE. Subscribe at CEimpact (https://www.ceimpact.com/pharmacist) and claim your CE today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pharmacists Focus on Mental Health | Podcast Series Special Guest Dr Monica Krishnan At the young age of 36, Dr Monica Krishnan lost her husband to brain cancer. She was abruptly faced with the responsibility of raising her two babies without a spouse. In 2012 she went through many stages of grief, including depression. As a clinical pharmacist, Monica was hesitant to start taking antidepressants, until one day she decided she needed the help. Almost 10 years later, Monica has become a huge advocate for mental health . She has personally experienced the horrible stigma against patients. As a clinical PharmD working for Walmart Health and Wellness she loves to spend time with patients and educating them on therapeutic and non therapeutic ways to help. Dr Monica feels so strongly in educating the world that Mental health is a real illness just like Diabetes or Cardiovascular disease.  Let’s start the conversation on mental health and smash the stigma- especially now as we are facing the largest mental health crisis due to COVID-19. Connect with Monica: @drmonicapharmd on IG & email mpatelpharm@yahoo.com References: Extreme marginalization: addiction and other mental health disorders, stigma, and imprisonment https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3716375/ How Missing Information in Diagnosis Can Lead to Disparities in the Clinical Encounter https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677445/ The Public Stigma of Mental Illness: What Do We Think; What Do We Know; What Can We Prove? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4437625/ INTRODUCTION sourced from CBS New York:  Pediatric Doctors Seek To Remove Stigma On Mental Health Issues  https://youtu.be/vWAiMt6d2FE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices