On this late summer episode, Chris Bender of the OPTICS clinical pharmacy team sheds light - sunlight in particular - on drug-induced photosensitivity. He breaks down phototoxicity and photoallergy and how exactly the sun causes these conditions, cites the most common medications susceptible to photosensitivity, and talks about treatment. We also discuss the relationship between drugs and heat-related illness, how drugs impair thermoregulation, and what medications are prone to heat risk. Grab a cool beverage for this one.

Further Reading/Mentioned in the Show:

"The Sun and Your Medicine" - FDA

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/sun-and-your-medicine

"Heat-Related Illnesses" - American Family Physician

https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2019/0415/p482.html

On this episode, we're joined once again by Dr. Deborah Milito of Diamond's long-term care division, to discuss recent changes to the CMS State Operations Manual for long-term care facilities. We review a number of revisions and updates related to infection control, immunizations, medication stewardship, and more. It's an easy-listening regulatory roundup for any skilled care pharmacist or professional.

On this episode, pharmacist Henry So from the OPTICS team returns for a straightforward clinical discussion of bariatric surgery.  We talk about history of bariatric procedures, their efficacy, and the risks and downstream effects of surgery. We also cover what role pharmacists have in post-bariatric patient care and what Henry and his team have done to assist providers in this area.

On this bonus episode of PodcastRx, we're joined by Deborah Milito, Diamond’s director of clinical and consultant services for the long-term care division, for a quick and concise conversation about psychotropic stewardship. Deborah explains the CMS regulatory reasons behind her recent focus in this area, what psychotropic medications are of interest to CMS surveyors, and what ideal psychotropic stewardship looks like in the long-term care setting. We also talk about the strategies that Diamond consultant pharmacists use to promote effective psychotropic stewardship for client facilities.

With our many previous discussions about opioid-related topics on this show, it was given that OPTICS pharmacist Chris Bender would return to discuss the latest news surrounding the over-the-counter approval of Narcan nasal spray. We look at how naloxone products work, why 4 mg NARCAN nasal spray in particular was chosen for OTC status, concerns over costs and accessibility, and what the designation means for destigmatizing Narcan use. And we have some fun at the end by talking about what additional medications we’d like to see get the OTC treatment.

Mentioned in the Show/Further Reading:

Narcan Educational Resources:

https://www.narcan.com/healthcare-professionals/narcan-educational-kit-form/

https://www.narcan.com/public-service-educational-kit-form

Next Distro:

https://nextdistro.org/pachoice

"How Over-the-Counter Narcan Can Help Reverse Opioid Overdoses" - Scientific American

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-over-the-counter-narcan-can-help-reverse-opioid-overdoses/

"Emergent’s Statement on Over-the-Counter Access, Availability and Pricing of NARCAN® Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray 4 mg"

https://www.emergentbiosolutions.com/media-statement/emergents-statement-on-over-the-counter-access-availability-and-pricing-of-narcan-naloxone-hcl-nasal-spray-4-mg/

OPTICS clinical pharmacists Chris Bender and Nancy Chia stop by to give a sneak preview of their upcoming presentations at the NCCHC Spring Conference on correctional healthcare. We find out what topics they're focusing on, the novel ways they're presenting the information, and what they hope attendees will take away from the conference. We also discuss the opportunities that presenting at NCCHC provides for clinical pharmacists, and what Chris and Nancy are most looking forward to during their trip to New Orleans.

As heard in the show:

NCCHC Conference Information:

https://events.ncchc.org/spring-conference/2617224

Link to Chris and Nancy's Webinars:

www.diamondpharmacy.com/watch-full-optics-webinars-for-ncchc/

Before John Crupie became a pharmacist supervisor for Diamond, he spent nearly 30 years ascending the heights of retail pharmacy management with Kmart. With his many years working for a big chain, John was the perfect guest to discuss the ongoing pharmacist shortage plaguing retail pharmacies across the country. We get John’s thoughts on the systemic factors driving the phenomenon and what possibly can be done to keep pharmacists from fleeing retail positions. We also talk about John’s fascinating professional journey, how his current job compares to his old one, and the workplace factors that make Diamond a great destination for pharmacists.

Mentioned in the Show:

"American Pharmacists Association on move to cut pharmacy hours"

https://pharmacist.com/APhA-Press-Releases/american-pharmacists-association-on-move-to-cut-pharmacy-hours

On this special two-part episode, clinical pharmacist supervisor Zane Gray and pharmacist Chris Bender from the OPTICS team join us for a look at drug shortages and the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act.

In part 1, Zane discusses some of the current shortages of prescription and over the counter drugs affecting Diamond customers, the factors behind these shortages, and how Diamond ultimately helps clients and patients to work through them.

And in part 2, Chris lays out the tenets of the recently passed Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, how it changes buprenorphine prescribing for opioid use disorder, and what positive effects the act could have on medication assisted treatment programs in the correctional environment.

Recording Dates: 1/30 and 1/31/2023

Mentioned in the Show/Further Reading:

"The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act: A historic reform."

www.endsud.org/mat-act-history

"NCCHC Hails Passage of MAT Act to Prevent Overdoses and Support Recovery"

www.ncchc.org/ncchc-hails-passage-of-mat-act-to-prevent-overdoses-and-support-recovery/

"Maine’s Prisons Taught Washington a Crucial Lesson in Fighting Opioids"

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/01/08/maines-prisons-opioids-00076822?_ga=2.63826730.486483318.1673281616-1414629604.1579021963

"Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population"

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED509000.pdf

"Study Shows Easing Access to Methadone Helps Patients with Opioid Use Disorder"

www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2023/01/12/study-shows-easing-access-to-methadone-helps-patients-with-opioid-use-disorder

On this episode, we welcome SapphireHealth Sales and Implementation Coordinator Nikki Tuskey and Lead Architect and developer Geff Caruso. When Diamond Pharmacy decided to develop corrections-focused eMAR and EHR software over a decade ago, Nikki and Geff were there at the ground level. Our conversation goes back to those early days to learn about the people and processes instrumental in building Sapphire into a reliable and trusted tool of correctional health professionals. We also discuss the impact that Sapphire can have on a facility’s healthcare program and why an effective EHR is much more than just the software.

Learn more at www.sapphire-health.com.

We welcome back OPTICS clinical pharmacist Christopher Bender to talk about the rising popularity of GLP-1 agonists - semaglutide in particular. We talk about these drugs profound impact on diabetes and weight loss management and how drugs like Ozempic have become in-demand among celebrities and social media influencers. Of course, we also cover the basics: How they work, safety concerns, prescribing guidelines and much more. And along the way, we also uncover a surprising connection to Gila Monster venom.

Recording Date: December 21, 2022