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Talk to Your Pharmacist is a podcast for pharmacists, student pharmacists, and others across the country to hear from industry leaders about their leadership stories and current healthcare topics. The Talk to Your Pharmacist podcast was founded and hosted by pharmacist, Dr. Hillary Blackburn.
In this episode on Easter Sunday, we have a fireside chat with podcast host, Hillary Blackburn. Great article: HBR’s What Will U.S. Health Care Look Like After the Pandemic? Robert S. Huckman https://hbr.org/2020/04/what-will-u-s-health-care-look-like-after-the-pandemic?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_weekly&utm_campaign=insider_activesubs&utm_content=signinnudge&referral=03551&deliveryName=DM76157 We’ve been talking about redesigning healthcare for a while now, and there’s nothing like a pandemic to accelerate it into a recreate mode. Crisis has increased demand for healthcare workers due to increasing cases and hospitalizations. To meet that demand, healthcare staff have been redirected from elective treatments (scheduled surgeries, etc) to care for COVID-19 pts. In some states, like NY, they’ve even allowed 4th year med students to graduate early to meet the frontline demand. We’re also seeing regulations loosened to allow for expanded scope of practice. States are allowing professionals to practice across state lines to meet the demand. Many regulations have been eased or suspended to improve patient care. For instance in TN: Pharmacist: tech ratio 90 day supplies without authorization Remote verification of prescriptions Authorization for telehealth *this is not federal since they still require PartB providers Pharmacists are stepping up across the country playing an invaluable role in getting patients their medications, navigating new COVID-19 treatment options, and managing drug shortages. There are multiple reliable sources of information for COVID-19 including our associations - APhA even has CE, ASHP has drug shortage and treatment updatse IDSA Infectious Disease Society of America released practice guidelines for COVID-19 on April 11 Agreed on 7 treatment options and that patients should be recruited into existing clinical trials to Many of the treatments have additional safety concerns and should be individualized based on symptoms and underlying health conditions. For patients who have been admitted to the hospital and in the context of a clinical trial: hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine + azithromycin (however, this combo increases the risk of QT prolongation and should really be reserved for those patients with bacterial pneumonia) Kaletra (ritonavir/lopinavir) AGAINST the use of corticosteroids UNLESS with ARDS Tocilizumab Convalescent plasma APhA and other pharmacy associations have put together policy recommendations including: Test and treatment of infectious diseases, such as flu, strep and COVID-19. Including allowing immunizations across all states HHS has issued guidance to allow pharmacists to order and administer COVID-19 diagnostic tests. CVS and Walgreens have ramped up testing sites. Ease operational workflows including allowing pharmacists to participate in telehealth and across state lines Allow therapeutic substitutions for drug shortages Reimburse for services provided within the scope There has been a shortage of primary care workers for years, particularly as the Boomer generation continues to age. How can we continue to utilize nonphysicians - like pharmacists and others to fill in these gaps on this crisis is over? What are some other ways that you think things will change in healthcare delivery once COVID-19 is resolved? Join the discussion on @talktoyourpharmacist FB page!
In this episode, our guest is Carly Stockdale, who is a partner at The Pharmary, a compounding pharmacy and consumer products company focusing on women and men navigating menopause and andropause, sexual health, thyroid dysfunction and other common issues through midlife. She currently advises and invests in digital health companies as an angel investor, and was previously a medical records startup entrepreneur, management consultant and healthcare administrator. We discuss: - Why did you invest in pharmacy? - How do you choose in which pharmacy businesses invest? - How pharmacy supports women's and men's health Host: Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA @TalktoYourPharmacist
In this episode, our guest is Dalton Fabian, PharmD, RPh who is a pharmacist with a passion for technology and data science. Some of the topics covered include: Some topics to cover – feel free to pick whichever are personally interesting to you, let me know if you want any more detail on any of these if it helps you plan the episode or build up questions beforehand: - Future of AI - how it will be complementary rather than replace clinicians – it will automate routine parts of clinician’s jobs to allow for more/different patient care services - Data science will likely be the next informatics in the pharmacy world - Networking to find your next job opportunity (especially non-traditional pharmacy jobs) - Operational data science (automating administrative parts of clinicians jobs with AI as the background – ex. Identifying which patients are most likely to go to the hospital in the next year and serving clinicians patients at risk in a good looking, easy to use tool) making a significant impact in healthcare - How to get into data science as a pharmacist Guest: Dalton Fabian, PharmD, RPh Host - Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist for Instagram and Facebook @HillBlackburn Twitter
In this episode, Dr. Christina Madison, PharmD, FCCP, AAHIVP joins us to cover some topics as public health is top of mind right now in midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Some topics covered – - How did you develop an interest in public health? - What do you see as pharmacists’ role? - The importance of accurate information - Possible Treatments - Convalescent plasma - recovered from patients virus and using for treatment and protection has been used for novel viruses where there was no immunity to it. Using convalescent plasma is best option in lieu of effective treatment or vaccine where patient develops antibodies themselves. - Remdesivir - compassionate use. Started use for SARS but ended in Phase 3 trials because no other patients Using some older drugs - Hydroxychloroquine - Trying to limit the use of drug for COVID-19 patients only - Kaletra - older Pharmacy practice is changing with more telehealth and telepharmacy. Guest: Dr. Christina Madison, PharmD, FCCP, AAHIVP Website: ThePublicHealthPharmacist.com Social Media: @ThePublicHealthPharmacist (Facebook/Instagram) @PublicHealthRx (Twitter) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drchristinamadisonthepublichealthpharmacist Host - Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist for Instagram and Facebook @HillBlackburn Twitter
In this episode, our guest is a pharmacy innovator and entrepreneur, Kevin P. Boesen, PharmD, who serves as Chief Sales Officer for Tabula Rasa HealthCare. Dr. Boesen was previously the founder and CEO of SinfoníaRx, now a subsidiary of Tabula Rasa HealthCare. Prior to joining SinfoníaRx, Dr. Boesen founded the Medication Management Center (the predecessor of SinfoníaRx) while serving as a faculty member at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. He is a leader in the field of pharmacy and medication therapy management. Dr. Boesen served as the President of the Arizona Pharmacy Association and received numerous awards including the 2013 American Pharmacists Association Foundation Pinnacle Award, the 2009 and 2006 Arizona Pharmacy Association Innovative Practice Awards, 2009 Tucson's 40 under 40, and the 2011 National Community Pharmacists Association's Pharmacy Leadership Award. In addition to his positions at SinfoníaRx and the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, Dr. Boesen has worked in a variety of pharmacy, sales and management positions. His experience includes positions in hospital pharmacy, retail pharmacy, the pharmaceutical industry and the medical device industry. He also serves his community through a number of volunteer positions including his role on the Salpointe Catholic High School Education Foundation Board and STEM advisory committee. A few of the topics that Kevin will cover: Topics: - Pharmacy careers: While I have had a few non-traditional ones, I also have 6 pharmacists in my immediate family. We have all had diverse careers with really no overlap. - Entrepreneurship in pharmacy - Improvisation: While not on my bio, I was trained in Improv at the Second City in Chicago and use those skills quite a bit. I've even help incorporate Improv training into the pharmacy school curriculum at the University of Arizona through our communications course for first years.
In this episode, we talk with Griffin Budde who is a 4th year pharmacy student at the University of Wisconsin and Co-Founder/CEO of Pegasus Health Applications. He shares his thoughts on the following: - Background on Pegasus. How it got started. How will it help patients. Future direction - Pros and Cons of being a student and an entrepreneur - What I think other students could do to make themselves stand out/prepare themselves for the tough job market that lays ahead - Where I see pharmacy practice going Griffin Budde SOCIAL MEDIA: -LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/griffinbudde/ -Instagram: griffin_budde Griffin loves to connect with anyone and everyone. He also enjoy helping people achieve their goals. So, feel free to reach out to him if you have questions, thoughts, etc. Host - Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist for Instagram and Facebook @HillBlackburn Twitter
In this episode, our guest shares on topics related to the ever growing field of functional medicine. Topics include: 1. What is FM and FMPhA? 2. The role of the pharmacist in FM: it's a spectrum 3. How to get involved in FMPhA: symposium was in Indy 9/6-7 and we will be planning for 2020, online CE event 2/29 with FxMedCE.com (use code FMPhA for 10% off), grassroots efforts in other FM and pharmacy organizations, new membership website coming soon! Lauren Castle, PharmD, MS is the founder of the Functional Medicine Pharmacists Alliance at www.FMPhA.org, whose mission is to integrate pharmacists into the practice of Functional Medicine, and Functional Medicine into the profession of pharmacy. She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy from Ohio Northern University and her Masters of Science in Functional Medicine and Human Nutrition from the University of Western States. Lauren also works as a Market Health and Wellness Director for Walmart and serves as a social media influencer as @DrLaurenCastle on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
In this episode, our guest is Rosemary Gibson, author of ChinaRx, senior advisor at the Hastings Center, and recipient of a 2019 Pinnacle Award for career achievement from the American Pharmacists Association Foundation. We discuss: - Why she wrote the book? Most Americans taking prescriptions or OTC meds have no idea where there medication came from or why that might be a concern. - How did she research this topic? even pharmacy leaders are in here - Lucinda Maine of AACP - Two major concerns in book: 1) risky for US to become dependent on any one country 2) lapses in safety standards and quality control - We're already starting to see more and more drug recalls - valsartan, ranitidine - Concerns about the Coronavirus and the supply chain - What are her hopes that the US will takeaway from your book? The US House has held Congressional hearings on the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain. Janet Woodcock, director of CDER, and others were key experts. Check out this episode to learn more Behind ChinaRx with Author Rosemary Gibson Host - Hillary Blackburn, PharmD www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist for Instagram and Facebook @HillBlackburn Twitter
In this episode, Dr. Justin Gatwood, who is a health services researcher and Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in Nashville, TN, shares about a new national initiative between UTCOP and Kroger to help increase shingles vaccine rates. Two shingles vaccines are licensed and recommended in the United States. Zoster vaccine live (ZVL, Zostavax) has been used since 2006, and recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix), has been used since 2017, and is recommended as the preferred shingles vaccine. Discussion points · Overview of the Kroger/UT vaccine program that focuses on Shingrix dose completion: justification, approach, and expected impact · How this project contributes to the larger role of pharmacy and pharmacists in providing public health services · Parallel projects at UT focusing on improving vaccination rates in adults by leveraging community pharmacists · Lessons learned from addressing and expected challenges of expanding vaccination in community pharmacies Host - Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist for Instagram and Facebook @HillBlackburn Twitter
In this episode, we have our first guest from Canada who shares about pharmacist prescribing. Follow Dr. Arden Barry on Twitter for more content and check out this episode where he discusses: There is variable prescriptive authority for pharmacists across Canada: Like how pharmacy laws can differ from state-to-state, there is different legislation across the provinces in Canada for pharmacist prescribing. However, most provinces allow for some type of pharmacist prescribing. Only one province (Alberta) allows pharmacists to prescribe independently. There is currently an advocacy campaign by the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (which is similar to ASHP) British Columbia Branch aimed to allow pharmacists who practice in hospitals or other health care-related settings to prescribe. 2. Pharmacists should have the authority to prescribe: Pharmacists are the medication experts and already play a significant role in ensuring patients receive safe and optimal medication therapy. Pharmacists are capable of accepting the increased accountability and responsibility for prescribing in the delivery of patient-centered care. Pharmacists bring a unique perspective to prescribing given their knowledge of evidence-based medicine, safety, and drug interactions that is different than other health care professionals (e.g., nurse practitioners, physician assistants). Many pharmacists already prescribe in some form (e.g. over-the-counter medications). 3. Pharmacists in other parts of the world have the authority to prescribe: Pharmacists in the United Kingdom have had the ability to prescribe since 2006. Pharmacists who had completed a prescribing course in New Zealand were granted prescribing authority 2013. Work is being done in Australia to allow pharmacists to prescribe. 4. There is evidence that pharmacist prescribing improves patient outcomes: There is a growing body of evidence from Canada that shows that pharmacist prescribing benefits patients. Pharmacist prescribing has demonstrated improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, improved BP control in patients with hypertension, and lower LDL-C in patients with dyslipidemia. One Canadian study demonstrated that pharmacist-led care, as compared to nurse-led care, showed improved BP and cholesterol levels in patients with a previous stroke. A recent study called RxEACH that was published in JACC (2016;67:2846-54) showed lower overall cardiovascular risk (lower LDL-C, BP, and A1c as well as higher smoking cessation) in patients at risk of CVD with a community pharmacy-based intervention vs usual care. Another recent Canadian study showed that pharmacists were able to effectively and safely treat uncomplicated UTIs in a community pharmacy setting. This study won the Canadian Pharmacists Journal’s Best Paper of the Year in 2018. Guest - Dr. Arden Barry, BSc, BSc(Pharm), PharmD, ACPR Clinical Pharmacy and Research Specialist | Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services Assistant Professor (Partner) | Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Associate Member | Department of Family Practice | Faculty of Medicine The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus Twitter: @ArdenBarry | @ubcpharmacy www.pharmsci.ubc.ca | www.facebook.com/ubcpharmacy Host - Hillary Blackburn, PharmD www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist for Instagram and Facebook @HillBlackburn Twitter
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