PodcastRx

Pharmacist Henry So from Diamond's OPTICS clinical team makes his first repeat visit to the show for a discussion of monkeypox. We go over its origins, symptoms, transmission, and even the reason behind its unusual name. We also talk about the available vaccines and antiviral treatment options and what OPTICS is doing to help educate correctional healthcare partners about monkeypox.

Recording Date: 8/18/22

OPTICS pharmacist Chris Bender is back for a rundown of a some timely COVID-19 clinical topics. We discuss the Novavax vaccine, the anticipated rollout of fall booster shots, the use(or underuse)of Evusheld, the Paxlovid rebound, and more. Chris also takes a moment thoroughly go over all the current clinical guidance for booster shots.

Recorded 8.12.2022

Link to CDC guidance for booster shots:

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html

On this episode, our very own Dr. Deborah Milito returns to talk her big election win as President Elect of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. We talk about Deborah’s history with the ASCP and senior care pharmacy, the many professional opportunities ASCP provides pharmacists, and a few of Deborah’s visions for the presidency. And we also take a brief digression to discuss the recent FDA authorization allowing pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid for COVID-19 patients.

Recording date: July 18, 2022

On June 23, 2022, Diamond Drugs CEO, President, and owner Mark Zilner will be inducted in the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame for his contributions to the local economy and leadership in business.

Since joining his parents’ company over 30 years ago, Mark has helped Diamond grow from a largely local business into the nation’s largest correctional pharmacy provider and one of Pennsylvania’s largest long-term care pharmacies, and as a result of that growth- one of Indiana County’s largest employers.

Mark has also been instrumental in the creation of Sapphire Health, an electronic health record and medical records developer; RemedyRepack, an FDA-registered drug repackager, and InnovaScript, a mail-order retail pharmacy.

Business achievements aside, the Hall of Fame induction is also a big deal for Mark as he joins his parents, Gilbert and Joan Zilner, who were enshrined in the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class back in 2015.

On the occasion of this induction, we wanted to talk with Mark about his road to success ---why he chose to be a pharmacist, why he joined the family business, what motivates him as an entrepreneur, his visions for the future, and of course, so much more.

Recorded 5.18.2022

On this episode, Chris Bender of the OPTICS clinical pharmacy team breaks down recent developments surrounding the pneumococcal, Hepatitis B, and Shingles vaccines. We discuss the impact of new vaccines on the market for pneumococcal and Hepatitis B and how they compare with what’s already available. We also talk about the updated CDC recommendations for all three vaccines.

Recorded 4.28.2022

Links mentioned in the show:

ACIP adult immunization schedule:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/adult/adult-combined-schedule.pdf

Pneumococcal vaccine timing for adults:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/pneumo/downloads/pneumo-vaccine-timing.pdf

PneumoRecs app:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/pneumo/hcp/pneumoapp.html

From a tender age, OPTICS pharmacist Henry So recognized the difference that patient advocacy and education could make in healthcare outcomes. As the child of an immigrant family, Henry watched his diabetic father grapple with language barriers, rigid prescription guidelines, and uncomfortable side effects from medication as he struggled with the disease. In these difficult moments, Henry could see the need for a supportive intermediary to bridge the gap between prescriber and patient, and who could take a more patient-centered approach. And thanks to a chance encounter at a career fair, Henry realized that being a pharmacist could fill that role.

Now a practicing ambulatory care pharmacist with Diamond’s OPTICS team, Henry is proud to be a both an educator and an advocate for many of Diamond’s institutional patients. In this episode, Henry talks about his personal and professional journey into pharmacy and how his current role at Diamond has brought that journey full circle. If you’re a pharmacy student or a pharmacist looking at a different career direction, we think you’ll enjoy what Henry had to share with us.

On this episode, Chris Bender, clinical pharmacist with Diamond’s OPTICS team, gives us a rundown on the latest oral therapies for COVID-19 patients: paxlovid and molnupiravir. We look at how these therapies work, how they compare to existing COVID therapies like monoclonal antibodies, and what side effects and safety considerations they carry. And we also talk with Chris about the overall accessibility of these medications and how he’s seeing them utilized in corrections and long-term care.

Recorded on 2/18/2022.

Links mentioned in the discussion:

Paxlovid FDA Fact Sheet for Providers: www.fda.gov/media/155050/download

Molnupiravir FDA Fact Sheet for Providers: www.fda.gov/media/155054/download

ASPR COVID-19 Therapeutics Locator:

https://covid-19-therapeutics-locator-dhhs.hub.arcgis.com

COVID-19 Drug Interaction Checker, University of Liverpool:

www.covid19-druginteractions.org

On this episode, it’s Part 2 of our roundtable discussion with the clinical pharmacists of Diamond’s Office of Pharmacy Therapeutics and Integrated Clinical Services, or OPTICS. On this side of the discussion, we get a bit personal to learn why the OPTICS team chose careers in clinical pharmacy and what OPTICS has done for their professional growth so far. And then we talk about the future of OPTICS and how the group plans to expand their clinical services and their reach overall.

Special thanks to the OPTICS team:

Zane Gray, Pharm. D., BCACP

Stephen Ford, Pharm. D., BCGP

Christopher Bender, Pharm. D., BCACP

Henry So, Pharm. D., BCPS, BCACP

Nancy Chia, Pharm. D., MBA

Learn more: www.diamondpharmacy.com/opticsteam

In late 2021, Diamond Pharmacy’s Drug Information Center was renamed the Office of Pharmacy Therapeutics and Integrated Clinical Services, or OPTICS. Since 2015, the clinical pharmacists of the Drug Information Center had been an invaluable resource to healthcare providers looking for answers to difficult medication questions.

But in recent times, it became clear that these pharmacists had more to offer than just drug information, and that they could play a vital role in active patient care for Diamond’s facilities. It was out of these realizations that OPTICS was born.

In December of 2021, we were lucky to get the clinical pharmacists of OPTICS in one room for a roundtable discussion about their mission, their history and their goals for transforming clinical pharmacy in a correctional setting. And we also got to talk about the many unique opportunities OPTICS has presented these pharmacists, both in terms of practice and professional growth.

For easier listening, we’ve broken this discussion into two episodes. In part 1, we cover the formation of OPTICS, how they’re moving into patient care, how they’re improving the perception of pharmacy, and how OPTICS is also making a difference internally at Diamond.

Special thanks to the OPTICS team:

Zane Gray, Pharm. D., BCACP

Stephen Ford, Pharm. D., BCGP

Christopher Bender, Pharm. D., BCACP

Henry So, Pharm. D., BCPS, BCACP

Nancy Chia, Pharm. D., MBA

Learn more: www.diamondpharmacy.com/opticsteam

PodcastRx listeners- we’d like to thank you all for another year of continued support. It’s very encouraging to see our listenership continue to grow. In fact, we’ve noticed people tuning in from new states and new countries with each episode. For this little show out of Indiana, Pennsylvania, that’s really exciting. And of course we hope that number and reach continues to go up in the coming year.

We’re in the midst of a holiday break now, but we’re anxious to bring you new episodes in 2022. If you really like what we do on this show, please make sure you leave us a rating and/or a review where you listen. And if you’d like to engage with us directly with your feedback or ideas for new episodes, feel free to email [email protected]

From all of us at Diamond Pharmacy Services, we wish you a happy, festive, and joyous holiday season and terrific start to 2022.