Clinician's Roundtable

Why take two pills when you can just take one? Welcome to the latest phenomenon in healthcare: combination pills. Tim Walbert, president and chief executive officer of Horizon Therapeutics, tells host Bruce Japsen about the drug industry's push toward combining two or more treatments into one pill, and the potential benefits for us and for our patients.

We are getting our first in-depth look at some of the research behind raltegravir, a powerful therapy for multi-drug resistant HIV infection already approved by the FDA. How is this raltegravir data impacting current clinical strategies for attacking the virus in multi-drug resistant patients? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill probes this question and much more with Dr. Roy Steigbigel, professor of medicine and pathology, molecular genetics and microbiology, and pharmacological sciences, and founding director of the Comprehensive AIDS Center at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

In the quest to find therapies for multi-drug resistant HIV, researchers have zeroed in on raltegravir. The latest data indicates this potent agent provides the highest reported virologic suppression rate among multi-drug resistant patients. Is raltegravir proving more effective than antiretrovirals? Does it carry any prominent side effects? Dr. Roy Steigbigel, professor of medicine and pathology, molecular genetics and microbiology, and pharmacological sciences, and founding director of the Comprehensive AIDS Center at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, details his New England Journal of Medicine research on raltegravir therapy for multi-drug resistant HIV with host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill.

Surgical physician assistants are becoming an important part of the workflow of hospitals. Guest Robert Blumm, a practicing physician assistant since 1970 and president of the Association of Plastic Surgery Physician Assistants, outlines with host Lisa D'Andrea the capabilities and contributions of the surgical physician assistant in the hospital setting.

Guest Bob Blumm, MA, PA-C, DFAAPA, discusses how surgical physician assistants are contributing to the quality of care in hospitals throughout the country. In addition, Mr. Blumm outlines the training and credentials of surgical physician assistants.

The economic benefits of utilizing a physician assistant depend upon properly coding and billing the services performed by these providers. Emily Hill explains to host Lisa D'Andrea the most common coding mistakes made by practitioners when billing for services rendered by mid-level providers such as physician assistants. Ms. Hill provides suggestions to improve billing accuracy and to increase reimbursement for the practice.

Guest Emily Hill explains how to properly code the services performed by your physician assistant under the physician to obtain full reimbursement. After listening to this show, you will understand the rules and be able to maximize reimbursement for the services rendered by your physician assistant.

A new pharmacy robot at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, is designed to eliminate life-threatening human medication errors. Richard Ricker, administrative director of the pharmacy department at Loyola University Medical Center explains how the prescription filling-robot dispenses as many as 600 doses of medications each hour with an innovative system to safeguard against human errors. The robot, trademark-named PillPick, is manufactured by Swisslog Healthcare Solutions and is the first such system to be used in a Midwestern hospital.

Dr. Emile Allen, an urologist and founder of Practice Pearls, discusses the disabling injury he suffered while practicing medicine, and how his experience as a patient gave rise to his new career. Practice Pearls is a website that provides doctors strategies to improve and grow their practice. Dr. Allen informs host Dr. Larry Kaskel about other information available on the website, including advice to reduce one's malpractice exposure and risk of employee and partnership litigation.

Is there more cash in your practice than you know? Dr. Jeffrey Hausefeld, associate clinical professor of surgery at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and managing director of FMS Financial Solutions, shares with host Dr. Larry Kaskel, practical tips on how to find more cash in your practice. Learn to negotiate payment terms and drug return policies with suppliers. Consider implementing an inventory tracking system. Purchase supplies through a buying group. Negotiate bank rates and consider purchasing an automated teller machine. These tips alone can save a practice thousands of dollars a year.