DISRxUPT

By nature of their training, pharmacists are uniquely qualified to serve as society's drug experts. This expertise translates well to roles within the pharmaceutical industry, including the position of medical science liaison (MSL). What is an MSL and what does this role entail? What additional training is needed for a pharmacist to serve in an MSL position? What other opportunities are there for pharmacists to leverage their unique skill sets and training within the pharmaceutical industry? Dr. Stephanie Wu, Medical Science Liaison in Allergy & Respiratory at Sanofi, joins us on the podcast to discuss these topics and more. Listen as she describes her role as an MSL and highlights the growing opportunity for pharmacists in the field. 

Disasters are often catastrophic, in part because they are both rare and unpredictable. Whether it be a natural disaster such as a hurricane, a mass casualty event, or a global pandemic, having highly trained and qualified healthcare teams ready to deploy at a moment's notice is a key strategy to meet the medical needs of those affected. Today's pharmacists are well-trained to serve a key role on these rapid response teams. What does the pharmacist's role look like when responding to disasters? Dr. Shannon Manzi answers this question and many more related to disaster medical response. She currently serves as the Director of Safety & Quality for the Department of Pharmacy at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is also an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and serves as Lead Pharmacist for the MA-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) as part of the National Disaster Medical System, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Listen as she describes her role in disaster medical assistance teams and calls other pharmacists to action in this vital role. 

When you go to see a doctor, nurse practitioner, physical therapist, or one of many other healthcare professionals, your health information is typically stored in a secure electronic patient chart. This allows for the collection of comprehensive health information and continuity of care for each patient. However, pharmacists in community pharmacies typically do not have access to this information and rely heavily on prescription fill histories. With the advanced training pharmacists receive today, can this critical information be shared with pharmacists in a way that protects private health information while also enhancing the services that a pharmacist is trained to provide? In this episode of DISRxUPT, Dr. Cathy Kuhn, manager of clinical programs for Custom Health, joins us to discuss how health information exchanges (HIEs) may be a solution that provides pharmacists with all the health information needed to provide advanced clinical services, including chronic disease state management, test-to-treat services, and many others. Listen as we discuss how HIEs can enhance the role of the pharmacist as part of the interprofessional care team for patients.

For many, community pharmacy is primarily known for prescription drug services. Payment for prescriptions is provided by insurance companies through pharmacy benefits managers. These prescription drugs include many low-cost generic medications taken every day for the maintenance of health. But is this the best model? What if prescription benefits were only accessed for high-cost medications? Could healthcare cost savings for individuals and the system be realized with a more simplistic and transparent approach? Might clinical services and patient experience be enhanced if some pharmacies embraced a new way? In this episode of DISRxUPT, Dr. Kyle McCormick, president of Blueberry Pharmacy, joins us to discuss the work that he and his team are doing to realize this vision at Blueberry Pharmacy. Listen as we discuss how cost-plus, memberships, and other pharmacy models might be just what the profession and our patients need today.

There is a growing body of research supporting how pharmacists improve patient outcomes and population health. However, some of these interventions are not adopted more widely within the modern healthcare system. Multiple barriers can stifle innovation and uptake of new services that are clearly beneficial to patients. So how can change be catalyzed? In this episode of DISRxUPT, Dr. Denise Rhoney, who serves as the Ron and Nancy McFarlane Distinguished Professor in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education at the University of North Carolina’s Eshelman School of Pharmacy, joins us to discuss this topic of implementation science. Listen as we discuss how implementation science can be used as a key tool to foster innovation in healthcare today.

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly changed pharmacy practice, including the pharmacist's role in testing for various conditions and diseases. In some parts of the country, pharmacists can go to another level when an illness is discovered by providing appropriate treatment. In this episode of DISRxUPT, Dr. Justin Coby, Director of Cedar Care Village Pharmacy in Cedarville, Ohio, joins us to discuss this topic. Listen as we peel back the layers of test-to-treat protocols in pharmacies today.

Joe D'Silva, founder, CEO, and CSO of Patient & Consumers (P&C) Pharma, has always had an eye toward developing high-quality pharmaceutical products. Driven by a passion for enhancing personalized patient care and a vision to take the technology used in the pharmaceutical industry into the pharmacy itself, Joe left roles in the pharmaceutical industry to found P&C Pharma. Through this work, Joe developed QuartetRx, a first-in-class oral liquid compounding device that leverages wet milling technology to produce consistent oral liquid medications without the need for manual compounding. In this episode of DISRxUPT, Will Boyko, consultant pharmacist with P&C Pharma, along with Joe D'Silva, join us to discuss their journey of taking QuartetRx from a dream to a reality and the ways in which this technology can benefit both patients and pharmacists. We will also discuss how current and future pharmacists can be change agents in the profession.

Sue Paul is a pharmacist who sees and seizes every opportunity. Energized through her experiences in various pharmacy settings and driven to provide better care for patients, Sue went on to become president and founder of SyneRxgy Consulting, co-founder of Medipreneurs, and co-founder of PGx101. In this episode of DISRxUPT, Sue joins us to discuss her unique experiences as a pharmacy entrepreneur, the many people who supported her along the way, and her passion for connecting other pharmacy innovators with one another to foster change in the profession.

Innovation in the pharmacy space sometimes comes in unexpected forms. Based on his own journey facing student loan debt after pharmacy school, Dr. Tim Ulbrich saw a need to empower other pharmacists to achieve financial freedom. This led to the creation of Your Financial Pharmacist (YFP). In a few short years, Tim and the rest of his team have taken YFP from an idea to a thriving business that has supported thousands of pharmacists and pharmacy students around the US on their path toward financial independence. In this episode of DISRxUPT, Tim joins us to discuss his journey as co-founder and CEO of Your Financial Pharmacist along with some lessons learned as an entrepreneur and leader.

Smoking continues to be a public health concern in the United States. Despite clear data on the negative health implications of smoking, 14% of adults in the US are current smokers. Pharmacists, with accessibility in underserved communities and unique knowledge regarding nicotine replacement products, are uniquely positioned to assist individuals interested in smoking cessation. In this episode of DISRxUPT, Dr. Myriam Shaw-Ojeda, assistant professor for pharmacy practice at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and Director of Pharmacy Extension and Public Health at the Ohio Pharmacists Association and The Ohio State University Extension, and Dr. Andrew Straw, assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Cedarville University, join us to discuss this topic. Listen as we describe the unique work that the Ohio Pharmacists Association has done to provide training for pharmacists interested in providing smoking cessation services, including the opportunity to manage nicotine replacement therapy and be reimbursed for these services in the state of Ohio.