In this special episode of Public Health Matters, Dr. Christina Madison and special guest, Dr. Jose Cucalon Calderon emphasize the steps that need to be made in improving both language and cultural competency in health care. They also discuss Dr. Cucalon Calderon’s advocacy work—particularly in vaccine advocacy—in public health, preventative health services, and health equities in underserved communities.

Jose Cucalon Calderon MD FAAP is a Board-Certified Pediatrician practicing as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics for the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine after training in General Pediatrics at the University of South Alabama followed by working in Rural Alabama. Currently sited at Renown Children’s in Reno, Nevada, Dr. Cucalon Calderon is a well-known anti-tobacco and e-cigarette, preventive health services, minority health and health care access advocate both in his state of practice, at the national and international level. He serves as the Nevada Chapter of the AAP’s E-cigarette Chapter Champion and Vaccination representative as well as in multiple advisory and academic roles across our state.

Being a native of Ecuador, Dr. Cucalon Calderon has experience on connecting non-English speaking families to preventive health services and among his special interests are tobacco related health care disparities, ethnic minority over representation of tobacco product use, chronic disease prevention, mental health destigmatization, mentorship and cultural humility in patient care and medical education.

This podcast episode provided an oncology news roundup focusing on 4 updates related to non-small cell lung cancer treatment. It discussed the role of pharmacists in chemotherapy management for NSCLC patients and barriers like insurance coverage. It also reviewed two recent FDA drug approvals for advanced NSCLC and results from a phase 3 trial that did not meet its primary endpoint. The podcast aimed to break down the latest news in the oncology pharmacy space for listeners.

This podcast episode discusses addressing social determinants of health through pharmacy practice with guest speaker, Amanda Ryan from the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA). She provides an overview of PQA's third edition Social Determinants of Health Guide and how it can help pharmacists and pharmacies address social determinants of health (SDOH) barriers in their communities. The discussion covers topics like the role of pharmacists in nutrition education and food insecurity screening, as well as strategies for developing comprehensive SDOH programs through collaboration with other health care professionals and community organizations.

Amanda Ryan, PharmD, serves as the Director of Education for the Pharmacy Quality Alliance where she leads the strategic direction of PQA’s educational activities. She is responsible for developing strategies, theme and topic ideation, and creating and managing program content, which is delivered through PQA’s Annual Meeting, Leadership Summit, Quality Forum Webinar series, continuing education programs, and other events.

Links Mentioned

SDOH Guide: https://www.pqaalliance.org/sdoh-resource-guide

March Quality Forum Webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_m1xqv0EuSBeZgfJOYlBojw

1. Pharmacists can leverage PQA's SDOH Guide to improve medication use quality and address social needs through screening, referrals, and community partnerships.

2. Addressing social determinants of health requires a holistic approach involving training, targeted screening tools, data insights, and cultural competency.

3. Pharmacists play a supportive role in nutrition education by screening for food insecurity and referring patients to assistance programs.

4. Collaboration with other healthcare sectors and community organizations is essential for developing comprehensive strategies to address social determinants of health barriers.

5. Upcoming initiatives from PQA include training resources on SDOH screening and a webinar featuring nutrition/food security interventions from the SDOH Guide.

In this episode, we discuss 3 new pharmacy policies and initiatives across the United States as part of a new "RX rundown" format. First, California enacted the Stop Dangerous Pharmacies Act to improve patient safety through mandatory error reporting, minimum staffing, and expanded technician roles. Then, E-prescribing was discussed as a way to enhance accuracy, safety, and reduce costs and errors, though national standards and privacy issues present challenges. Lastly, New Jersey is piloting anonymous dispensing of opioid antidotes from pharmacies under standing orders from health officials to help address the opioid crisis, with pharmacist education requirements.

1. California enacted the Stop Dangerous Pharmacies Act to mandate medication error reporting, minimum staffing requirements, and expand pharmacy technician roles like administering vaccines.

2. E-prescribing can improve accuracy, safety, and reduce costs by reducing errors and combating forged prescriptions while improving pharmacy workflow. However, it faces challenges around national standards and security/privacy.  

3. New Jersey launched a pilot program allowing anonymous dispensing of opioid antidotes from pharmacies with standing orders from health officials, and pharmacists must provide overdose prevention education.

In this special episode of Public Health Matters for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Dr. Christina Madison and special guest Alsean Bryant discuss Bryant's work in addressing health and racial disparities within the HIV community. They also highlight Bryant’s journey to becoming a PrEP provider as well as the intersection of pharmacy, public health, and music in his life and career.

On this month's episode, Pharmacy Times provides a recap of the latest advancements in hematology and breast cancer, shared at the 2023 American Society of Hematology conference and the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium conference.

In this special edition of Public Health Matters, your host, Dr. Christina Madison, takes you on an exciting journey through the wonders of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024. As a public health pharmacist, Dr. Madison explores the cutting-edge developments in health tech, wearable devices, and artificial intelligence showcased at CES.

Check out the video here.

Vivoo: An at-home urine test kit allowing users to test for various conditions, providing color-coded results for easy interpretation.

MyHixel: AI-assisted technology addressing male sexual health, offering an app and personal lubricant for climax control.

Neurologic: A video-based health and wellness measurement solution enabling virtual health monitoring and data transmission to health care professionals.

Bodylog: An award-winning wearable tech monitoring EKG and heart health, with a unique capability to record pre-and post-fall data for better emergency response.

WIM Robotics: A Korean-developed exoskeleton assisting people with limited mobility, enabling walking, climbing stairs, and resistance training.

LetinAR Wearable Glasses: A revolutionary device offering augmented reality capabilities, particularly in medical imaging. Dr. Madison shares her experience of viewing EKGs, chest X-rays, and CT scans through these wearable glasses.

Germ Pass: A company specializing in rapid germ-killing solutions, particularly targeting the virus causing COVID-19.

HyperVSN: Known for 3D holograms, adding a futuristic touch to personal and business presentations.

Automotive Innovations: Dr. Madison explores the safety features and AI integration in the automotive sector, highlighting Mercedes Benz's internal assistant and Hyundai's flying car.

On this episode, Dae Lee, Pharm.D., Esq., CPBS , and Harini Bupathi, Esq, attorneys at Frier Levitt, engage in a thought-provoking conversation on the evolving landscape of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) audit strategies, regulations, and enforcement. The discussion covers notable trends in PBM audit strategies, challenges and opportunities for pharmacies in 2024.

Anaïs Webster Mennuti, PharmD and Kristin Speer, PharmD, BCPS, discuss their new documentary that highlights the understaffed and overwhelmed reality of retail pharmacy. 

In this episode of Pharmacy Focus, Deeb Eid, PharmD, RPh, founder and host of the RxPOSED podcast, discusses a comprehensive overview of independent pharmacists prescribing. As we step into 2024, Eid shares insights into the current landscape, the anticipated developments, and the evolving responsibilities and challenges that pharmacists may encounter due to updated state laws and regulations.

Deeb D. Eid, PharmD, RPh currently serves as the founder and host of the RxPOSED podcast and a senior advisor of regulatory affairs working on regulatory and legislative efforts throughout the country. In 2024, Deeb will be enrolled in the Michigan Political Leadership Program (MPLP) yearlong fellowship to learn about practical politics, policy analysis, and effective governance. He formerly served as faculty at Ferris State College of Pharmacy and completed an executive residency with PTCB in Washington DC. Deeb also serves as the District IV NABP-AACP executive secretary & treasurer, maintaining a yearly budget and assisting with annual conference planning. He has served on various national, regional, and local boards, working on pharmacy law, public policy, volunteering for political campaigns, and conducting research to advance pharmacy practice. His focus areas include pharmacy team role advancements and evidence-based law-making.