This podcast episode features an interview with Russell Phillips, Amie Pollack, and Dru Ricci from the Center for Primary Care at Harvard Medical School and authors of the Primary Care Investment Guide, with special guest, Todd Sorensen from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. The Primary Care Investment Guide advocates for the integration of clinical pharmacists into primary care teams. The authors explain that their research used a mixed-methods approach, interviewing healthcare leaders from five states and conducting literature reviews, to identify sustainable strategies in primary care settings that enhance patient outcomes and reduce costs. Their findings highlight that clinical pharmacists provide a significant return on investment by managing chronic diseases, optimizing medications, improving medication access, and decreasing hospitalizations. The discussion emphasizes that successful integration can be facilitated by payment reform, moving away from fee-for-service models toward capitated payments and other alternative payment models that support optimal care delivery by primary care teams. Ultimately, the Guide provides a strategic framework for healthcare leaders and policymakers to justify and implement the provision of high-value services in primary care settings. 

Funding for the Primary Care Investment Guide was provided by The Commonwealth Fund and the California Health Care Foundation.  You can download the Primary Care Investment Guide here:  https://thepcc.org/reports/2025-primary-care-investment-guide/  

In this episode of the Pharmacotherapy Podcast, host Dr. Lindsay DeVane speaks with Dr. William Baker and Dr. Alexandre Chan, guest editors of a themed issue on artificial intelligence (AI) in pharmacotherapy. The discussion explores how AI—particularly machine learning and large language models—isbeing used to predict drug response, improve safety, and streamline research and clinical workflows across diverse therapeutic areas. The guests address common concerns about trust, transparency, and clinician autonomy, emphasizingAI’s role as a supportive “copilot” rather than a replacement for clinical judgment. They also highlight current gaps and future opportunities, including pharmacogenomics, imaging data, and patient-reported outcomes, and offer practical advice for trainees and researchers seeking to build AI literacy through a combination of conceptual understanding, short courses, andcollaborative learning. Read the themed issue at: https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1002/(ISSN)1875-9114.Enhancing-Pharmacotherapy-Through-AI

Today we're discussing a medical writing rotation that achieved an impressive 87.5% publication success rate for its residents. Whether you’re a practitioner, faculty member, or program director looking to boost scholarship of residency projects or a resident who wants to gain valuable skills and make a lasting mark on medical literature, we’re going to talk about a strategy to turn that hard work into published impact. Read the full manuscript at: https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jac5.70157

In this episode of the JACCP podcast, Dr. Stuart Haines talks with Dr. Denise Rhoney and Dr. Aleda Chen about their provocative editorial, "Thinking Like Tree Farmers, Not Muffin Makers". The group critiques the traditional "baker" model of pharmacy education, which relies on standardized time-based ingredients like credit hours and fixed-length residencies. They argue for a shift to Competency-Based Education (CBE), a learner-centered approach in which progression is determined by demonstrated ability rather than by the clock. By comparing educators to tree farmers who must nurture individual growth through longitudinal assessment and feedback, the group explains how this philosophical shift can improve public accountability and ensure every pharmacist is truly ready for practice.

In this episode, Stuart Haines and Jennifer Cocohoba discussed the "unmet needs" of HIV care with Radhika Polisetty and Kristy Shaeer, the lead authors of the HIV PRN Opinion paper published in JACCP. The success of antiretroviral therapy has led to an aging HIV population with multiple comorbidities and complex medication regimens. The guests outline a vision for a tiered competency-based education and training system and emphasize the pharmacist's vital role in education, research, and health policy. This episode serves as a powerful call for advocacy to ensure sustainable, pharmacist-provided HIV care and expanded access to therapies, like PrEP and injectable antiretrovirals.

Dr. Jason Yerke summarizes current evidence from clinical trials and comparative studies evaluating terlipressin continuous infusion versus intermittent bolus dosing strategies, with a focus on efficacy, safety, and operational considerations. Read the full-text manuscript: https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.70084.

In this episode of the JACCP Podcast, Drs. Alex Kim, Michael Behal, and Heather Blue discuss with host Stuart T. Haines how pharmacists are portrayed, or often not portrayed, in mass media like TV and movies. A recent study documented that between 2013 and 2023, pharmacist characters (47%) were negatively portrayed, and the majority (59%) had no significant impact on the plot. Furthermore, medical dramas often omit pharmacists from their cast of characters, despite their critical role in real-world settings. The guests argue that increased advocacy is needed to better inform the public and media about the diverse clinical roles that pharmacists play and the valuable contributions they make to patient care.

The mortality and economic burden of drug-induced acute kidney injury are substantial, emphasizing the need for prevention and optimal treatment. Dr. Sandra Kane-Gill provides perspective on novel kidney biomarkers and how they offer a missing piece of the assessment for early detection and management of drug-induced acute kidney injury. Read the full manuscript at: https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/phar.70071

Despite evidence that adverse drug events manifest with greater severity in pediatric populations than in adults, fewer than 50% of drugs have been systematically studied for pediatric use. The lack of robust drug safety data may result in suboptimal or harmful treatment strategies. Saurabh Rahurkar and Pallavi Jonnalagadda share their team's efforts to address this issue. This podcast and article specifically address the use of benzonatate in pediatric patients. Read the full text open access manuscript at: https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.70061.

Turning Curiosity into Research Ideas, Questions, and Aims

This episode of the JACCP Podcast, featuring Drs. Michael Ernst and Gary Cochran, breaks down the often-intimidating process of generating and refining research ideas. The experts stress that good research stems from curiosity and deep background knowledge. They recommend using a structured format, like the PICOT framework, to translate broad concepts into precise, researchable questions and testable aims. The discussion concludes with essential career advice: seeking out mentors, leveraging collaborative networks, and being purposeful in professional development. Read the full manuscript.

Key Issues Discussed

• Sources of Research Inspiration: Drawing ideas from clinical practice, intellectual curiosity, lectures/grand rounds, journal clubs, and informal "coffee rounds."
• The Importance of Background Work: Developing a deep knowledge of the literature to ensure the research idea is novel and adds value.
• Structuring the Research Question: Using frameworks (e.g., PICOT) to clearly define the population, intervention, comparator, and outcome.
• Refining Aims and Hypothesis: Keeping the number of aims simple and limited and understanding that a research question goes through an iterative refinement process.
• Advice for Junior Investigators: Identifying successful mentors, utilizing developmental programs (like ACCP’s FIT and MERIT), and building collaborative networks.