Pharmacy Podcast Network

In the fight against COVID-19, frontline health workers have been vital to keeping the pandemic at bay, but recognition of individual professions’ efforts have been inconsistent at all levels. Pharmacists around the world have continued to provide direct patient care and perform frontline duties for their communities during this pandemic, but are often relegated to the background and overlooked when frontline workers are heralded. Community pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare practitioners, which is further proven during the pandemic as they continued to provide direct patient care despite restrictions imposed by the government due to the pandemic. Due to the inaccessibility of other healthcare practitioners during this time, community pharmacists have reduced the burden on the healthcare system by diverting the influx of patients away from hospitals through triaging and screening patients.

Community pharmacists have played various roles in supporting the healthcare system during COVID-19: delivering medications to patients, educating patients on telehealth services, assessing patients for renewal of chronic medications, performing consultations on minor ailments, clarifying misconceptions about COVID-19 treatments, and contributing to COVID-19 screening. Alongside ICU nurses, physicians, and respiratory therapists, hospital pharmacists have been part of the COVID-19 efforts and their roles include management of drug shortages, development of treatment protocols, participation of patient rounds, interpretation of lab results for COVID-19, participant recruitment for clinical trials, exploration of new drugs, medication management advice, and antimicrobial stewardship. Further support from pharmacists will be needed once a vaccine is launched in order to reach population-wide coverage. Amid COVID-19, pharmacists have not stopped working as frontline workers and they should be recognized as such.

Special Guests:

Tara Pfund, PharmD – Product Manager – AssureCare

Paige Clark, RPh – VP Of Pharmacy Program and Policy – Prescryptive

Kevin Russell, RPH, MBA, BCACP – Director of Pharmacy: Clinical Operations – Prescryptive

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According to American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, there are over 100 pharmacy schools and less than 30% offer an APPE rotation focused on pharmacogenomics (PGx). We need more pharmacists that are practicing PGx in the field to become preceptors to pharmacy students. My two amazing students on their first virtual PGx rotation with me speak about their experience. Noel Tint, BSPS, and Erica Feith are both PharmD candidates 2022 from Saint Louis College of Pharmacy at the University of Health System and Pharmacy.

Link: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7779881/

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On this episode of @darshantalks, we had discussed Evolving Trademarking with guest Christiane Campbell. Christiane Campbell, Cannabis and Luxury Branding Attorney, Partner at Duane Morris LLP (https://www.duanemorris.com/), had spoken about the recent boom in cannabis litigation, catalysed by the New Jersey effect.

The legalisation of cannabis in New Jersey significantly impacted the tri-State area and the Midwest parts of the US. The pharma bills recently passed include the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use as well, which is evidence of FDA approval. Doctors have started prescribing doses of cannabis to their patients for medical use, but if they get the specifications wrong, it can lead to a consumer issue.

Disputes related to false advertising are coming up, where companies are falsely claiming that their product is of higher quality and concentration. In case of trademark disputes, the client usually wants to know if the label is appropriate to avoid litigation or being sued by the USPTO and is the least bothered about whether the percentages of constituents of cannabis are correct.

Trademark lawyers need to look at the issues with respect to the use and registration of the client's brand. More than looking at a trademark specifically, it is crucial to look at what brand it is about and whether the celebrity fits the associated messaging. Sometimes, if a star says something in an advertisement that was thoroughly vetted but still not sufficient, the FDA states that it is a false advertisement, and thus it should be replaced with a corrective ad.

Usually, these kinds of circumstances are accounted for in the contract negotiated by the brand against the talent.

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What Does Public Health Mean to you? 

Public health (pharmacy) means improving the health of the population through the use of medicines and - more importantly - pharmacy services.

Bio

Helen E. McKnight graduated from University of Florida with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at University of Maryland Medical System. She has been a pharmacist for 25+ years. Her current role is Director of Pharmacy Services at Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Prior to moving to Alabama, Dr. McKnight practiced Pharmacy in South Florida and Upstate New York. She has been fortunate to be part of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists “Leading Edge” and ASHP Foundation “Pharmacy Leadership Academy” programs. In 2016, Dr. McKnight completed her MBA with an emphasis in Healthcare Management from New England College in New Hampshire. In 2019, Dr McKnight became the first Alabama pharmacist to pass the Board of Pharmacy Specialties-Compounded Sterile Preparations exam. Dr. McKnight enjoys traveling with her husband and teenage son.

Social Media

LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-mcknight-pharmd-mba-bcscp-b0a930bb/

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On this episode of the PGx for Pharmacists Podcast, Dr. Codi Peterson, a Doctor of Clinical Pharmacy and pediatric pharmacist, and discusses what was once a taboo subject for pharmacists and that is cannabis. We will explore how pharmacy has and hasn’t progressed in its acceptance of cannabis over the years, what roles Codi plays in the cannabis industry, how he has often had to make clinical decisions with limited pediatric data and how he applies the same logic to evaluate cannabinoid- based therapies. As well, we will discuss the pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of cannabis.

On This Episode We Discuss:

· Codi’s education (Brief)

· Codi’s non-cannabis PharmD work experience (Brief)

· What sparked Codi’s interest in cannabis?

· Cannabis’ mechanism of action and possible reasons why it isn’t yet a standard medication

· Codi’s PGx cannabis work experience

· PGx of Cannabis

Guest and Contact Info: Codi Peterson, PharmD, RPh [email protected]

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Amina Abubakar, PharmD, AAHIVP

CEO of Avant Pharmacy & Wellness Center

President of Avant Institute

Amina Abubakar graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy

University of the Sciences in 2005. She is the owner and manager of

Avant Pharmacy & Wellness Center formerly known as Rx Clinic Pharmacy in

Charlotte, NC, and the founder of the Avant Institute.

She is an internationally recognized award-winning clinical pharmacist, Certified

HIV Specialty Pharmacist, a preceptor to UNC Chapel Hill residents and students

from several schools of pharmacy. Recently, Amina was bestowed the honor by

the National Community Pharmacists Association as 2020’s Independent

Pharmacist of the Year and also received the 2020 Bowl of Hygeia from the North

Carolina Association of Pharmacists for outstanding service to the community.

She has fostered an environment that showcases the impact of community

pharmacists on patient care by collaborating with medical providers and

expanding pharmacist-led clinical services in her community. Her desire to help

others advance the pharmacy profession inspired her to found the Avant Institute

to offer training to pharmacies across the country on the practical application of

clinical pharmacy services through developing sustainable physician

collaborations.

Pharmacogenomics in a community pharmacy: ACT now

Pharmacists practicing in community pharmacy are accustomed to optimizing drug therapy through various medication therapy management programs. They use patient-specific information obtained from the patient and their prescribers to cater patient-specific drug regimens. Pharmacogenomics is rapidly evolving, and this field can help optimize medication therapy using an individual's genetic code to identify opportunities for increased or decreased adverse effects or changes in efficacy. Pharmacogenomic testing technology has made conducting pharmacogenomic testing in community pharmacies possible. Pharmacists must arm themselves with the knowledge and skills specific to pharmacogenomics in order to fully integrate this expanding area into patient care and turn this into a great opportunity.

[Advocacy] Currently, she shares her passion for pharmacy advancements with

pharmacists, patients and policy makers all over the country through

Pharmacogenomics. She was invited to the White House Office of Science and

Technology Policy and to the FDA to discuss the role of pharmacists in

pharmacogenomics.

This episode is sponsored by the Ultiguard Safe Pack. UltiGuard Safe Pack is the only pen needle product that comes with an all-in-one sharps container. Learn more about why UltiGuard Safe Pack is the best choice for your patients and your pharmacy., 

Learn more about the UltiGuard Safe Pack: 

https://www.ulticare.com/ultiguard-safe-pack/podcast

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Welcome to the Pennsylvania Pharmacist Association Annual Conference Summary Podcast. 

Throughout this COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen pharmacists Level Up, demonstrating innovation, resilience, and our collective power to be an integral part of the healthcare team. 

The PPA’s theme is all about Pennsylvania’s Pharmacists ability to LEVEL UP!! The Annual Conference took place on Friday, September 24th through Sunday, September 26th at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel - in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 

Dr. Isabelle Litvak, PharmD --the host of Beyond the Sig!

PGY1 Community-Based Resident Wilkes University/Weis Markets

Lambda Kappa Sigma, Alumni-Collegiate Ambassador 2020-2022

We are excited to be back in-person for the 2021 PPA Annual Conference at the Harrisburg Hilton. This year’s conference theme is Level Up, and this could not be more true over the past year for all involved in the pharmacy profession. We are excited to have our signature events return such as our Exhibit Hall, Student Diabetes and Lip Sync Competition, and our Annual Leadership and Awards Dinner.

We also will have continuing education sessions throughout the weekend in a variety of pharmacy topics. We hope you join us for our first live event back.

https://www.papharmacists.com/page/Annual

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Our special guest & newest host of the PGX for Pharmacists Podcast, Nancy Gadelsayed BS, RPh.

Nancy Graduated pharmacy school from Cairo university in 2005, top %10 of her class, with 3.9 GPA

She has been practicing as a pharmacist in the States since 2007, with passion for personalized medicine. She is currently a pharmacy manager at a big retail company and is also the founder and owner of Texas Pharmacogenomics Consulting LLC. And is a big advocate for pharmacists and their value in the healthcare team.

She has extensive experience in retail pharmacy management and inclusive leadership . Developed and trained teams and brought on board, she leads with passion. She mentors new pharmacists/practitioners and enjoys precepting pharmacy students. Nancy found her true calling in PGx, so she founded her PGx consulting company, Texas Pharmacogenomics Consulting LLC. She believes in giving back to her community, so she volunteers at a local non-profit organization for mental health services, she develops educational materials on mental health drugs for their staff to use in their daily work routine while they are serving patients. She also helps them develop tools and procedures to assist in patients' adherence and decrease their costs of services. texaspgx.com

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On this episode of @darshantalks, we had discussed Dos and Don'ts of Patient Centricity with guest Erica Devine. Erica Devine, Senior Manager, Patient Support Stakeholder Experience at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.) (https://www.otsuka-us.com/), had spoken to us about a multi-stakeholder angle of patient centricity, which impacts medical affairs, clinical research, pharmaceutical marketing etc.

The perceived trust from patients is not finite and keeps changing regularly, but it is crucial to maintain that trust. She had used an example of a map to explain the significance of patient centricity. The map is the artifact or visual representation of patient experience, which needs to be communicated as part of the company's target to all employees. The process that gets you there to create the artifact is more critical.

Similarly, the methodology used to gather research captures the end-user's needs better. Patient centricity used to be an ex-post tool, where companies try to fix patient's problems after it arises, but now due to machine learning and AI analytics, they can predict patient issues in advance. She highlighted the concept of "journey mapping" of patient information, from field forces, like clinicians who have met the patient in person for a consultation to legal, where they have never interacted with the patient, but they have signed some documents for treatment.

For this, discovering information and shifting through the data dump is required, which is time-consuming. This is worth it in the long run because it leads to a more comprehensive compilation of patient data, which can serve the client better and make more sales. Even though systems are in place, it is hard to know who to call to get resources such as insulin for diabetes. There is a need for a uniform structure or one place to go for resolving all healthcare queries. Example: Giving a list of resources patients can use for specific purposes. Rather than proving trustworthiness to the patient, addressing the places of concern, confusion and distrust would be a step in the right direction.

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Guests:

Diane DeNagel, PhD, CPhT

Instructor, Pharmacy Technology Program 

Foothill College 

RxBLU providing pharmacy education to future technicians.

#RxBLU

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