Political Pharmacist Podcast

Gabriel Levitt, President of PharmacyChecker.com, joins the podcast to discusses recently proposed legislation and how it could impact prescription drug importation from other countries and medication prices.

You can find the article Mr. Levitt wrote for The Hill here: https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/3607840-murrays-drug-bill-includes-a-poison-pill-for-prescription-imports/

The bill referenced here: https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-lands-historic-bipartisan-agreement-to-allow-drug-importation-from-canada/

Pharmacy Checker: https://www.pharmacychecker.com/

Gabriel Levitt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellevitt/

Prescription Justice: https://prescriptionjustice.org/

Have you ever noticed that many chain pharmacies look like fast food restaurants?

Well, the pharmacist behind the counter probably feels the same way.

Dr. Anaïs Mennuti and Kim Kessler are launching a documentary to show the world just what community pharmacy working conditions are like. These to amazing women are about to set the pharmacy world on fire with this and wholeheartedly have this podcast's support!

Watch this then use the links below: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qsy6blbv4qDFW5GP8ufHDrPqhShVn2rg/view?ts=62bd0177

Help FUND them here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/shots-with-that

Find them at the links below!

Website: https://www.wouldyoulikeshotswiththat.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shotswiththat

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShotsWithThat (@ShotsWithThat)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shotswiththat/?hl=en

Cabenuva seemed to be a cure for adherence issues while treating HIV, so why is accessing it so hard?

Dr. Carly Floyd joins the podcast to discuss issues with Cabenuva billing that has negatively impacted many patients, providers and clinics around the US. What seems like it should be simple approval process has turned into a medical billing nightmare that limits patients access, costs some clinics to lose money and has been a major issue with how we treat HIV. Increased opacity is never good in healthcare billing.

Join AAHIVM here:

https://aahivm.org/

Read more on Cabenuva issues here:

https://aahivm.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Long-Acting-ARVs-_Final-2-25-21_PDF.pdf

https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/aids/adap/_documents/FINAL5BarrierstoLA-ARVsResourceSheetforProviders.pdf

http://aidsnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/3-cabenuva-nov-19-2021-version.pdf

Reach out to Dr. Floyd here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlycloudfloyd/

Do you know what the Right Drug Dose Now Act is?

ASHP Strategic Initiatives Associate Dr. Bayli Larson joins the podcast to discuss HR 6875, also known as the Right Drug Dose Now Act, which was introduced by Representatives Eric Swalwell from California and Tom Emmer of Minnesota. This bill can help save patients and clinicians the time, energy and money it takes to get patients on more accurate doses of their medications sooner by using pharmacogenomics.

You can read the bill itself here:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6875/text?r=1&s=1

Here is another brief and easier to read overview here: https://www.insideprecisionmedicine.com/topics/precision-medicine-topic/policy-legislation/right-drug-dose-now-act-should-help-implement-better-precision-medicine/

ASHP shares their stance here:

https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/advocacy-issues/docs/GRD-GTMRx-Letter-of-Support-Right-Drug-Dose-Now-Act.pdf

Find your representative here:

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Editor for this episode: Keaton Higgins

Empowering women at work is important, especially in pharmacy where it is majority women.

Dr. Jerrica Dodd, Founder of PharmaSis Magazine, joins the podcast to discuss her magazine endeavor and why she is so passionate about focusing on women in pharmacy. Her passion and knowledge of the issues is unrivaled and worth the listen!

PharmaSis Magazine: https://www.pharmasismag.com/

PharmaSis Magazine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pharmasismagazine

Connect with Dr. Dodd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjdodd/

Ever wonder why compounding prescription have so many regulations?

This is in large part no thanks to the issues that arose from the New England Compounding Center. Dr. Peter Koshland and Jim Hrncir, specialized compounding pharmacy owners, speak to some of these major issues and what has arisen out of the regulations put in place by the FDA that may actually limit patient care.

This is a great deep dive episode in a specialized niche of pharmacy that all pharmacists are trained on in school, but many never took the extra step with. Jim and Peter share some great concerns and bring up great questions about where and who should be regulating the specialized and important niche of compounding pharmacy.

FDA Laws: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/compounding-laws-and-policies

Good Compounding info and site: https://compounding.com/

Dr. Koshland's pharmacy: https://www.koshlandpharm.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterkoshland/

Jim's Pharmacy: https://lascolinaspharmacy.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-hrncir-rph-8564711a/

"The physician is going in my little black book of people I'd never let treat me!"

What pharmacist hasn't said this before? Professional shaming at it's finest! Well this episode we discuss why that leads to bad healthcare and a toxic environment with Brandon Dyson of tl;dr Pharmacy.

You might think why is this on a politics podcast? Well if we want to expand scope of adequate providers with an aging population (eyes AMA) then we need to have better respect and understanding for what we all do, know our own limits and practice to them.

You can find tl;dr pharmacy here:

https://www.tldrpharmacy.com/

Connect with Dr. Dyson here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-dyson-pharmd-bcop-bcps-3aa89633/

Read the article that prompted this here:

https://www.tldrpharmacy.com/content/the-epidemic-of-professional-shaming?utm_sq=gou3b31v27&utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Brandon+Dyson&utm_content=Own+Blog+Posts

President Biden wants to expand the role of pharmacists to help combat the pandemic, and possibly going forward.

The American Medical Association opposes anything that doesn't drive revenue to their pockets and thus opposes better access to healthcare for all Americans.

Gerald Harmon, please learn what pharmacists do and how we can help.

Biden administration test-to-treat plan:

https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/03/08/fact-sheet-biden-administration-launches-nationwide-test-treat-initiative-ensuring-rapid-on-spot-access-lifesaving-covid-treatments.html

AMA Statement:

https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-statement-administration-s-test-treat-covid-19-plan

APhA Statement:

https://www.pharmacist.com/About/Newsroom/apha-house-of-delegates-calls-for-removal-of-barriers-to-access-to-pharmacist-provided-patient-care-services

NACDS statement:

https://www.nacds.org/news/nacds-statement-on-ama-criticism-of-pharmacys-role-in-covid-antivirals/

ASHP applauding Biden's plan:

https://www.ashp.org/news/2022/03/07/ashp-applauds-administrations-focus-on-covid-test-to-treat-opioid-treatment-in-state-of-the-union

CATO institute statement:

https://www.cato.org/blog/ama-statement-test-treat-does-not-align-well-patients-interests

IDSE Statement:

https://www.idse.net/Covid-19/Article/07-20/AMA-PharmDs-Face-Off-Over-Test-to-Treat/66440

Proof that the AMA does trust pharmacists to handle medications and provide guidance:

https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/policy-guidelines/docs/endorsed-documents/endorsed-documents-AMA-APhA-ASHP-COVID-19.pdf

Ever wonder why certain prescriptions are branded and brought to market the way they are?

Janice MacLennan joins the podcast to share some of her insight from years of working with big pharmaceutical companies and helping them bring new medications to market. With her book titled, "Brand Planning for the Pharmaceutical Industry" MacLennan has proven her expertise in this field and literally written the book on it.

You can find her book here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31870055-brand-planning-for-the-pharmaceutical-industry

Have you ever wondered why Medicare Part D has so many clawbacks?

Say no more! The amazing folks at 3 Axis Advisors put together an amazing study that highlights this, how to fix it and do it with some amazingly easy to understand graphics! Dr. Ben Link and Dr. Matthew Wine are amazing guests and researchers on this episode who will give you the quick and dirty on their latest major report AND some actionable steps to fix it. What's the point of bringing problems to light if you don't have solutions?

Link to the study discussed in most of the podcast:

https://www.3axisadvisors.com/projects/2022/3/7/deserving-of-better-how-american-seniors-are-paying-for-misaligned-incentives-within-medicare-part-d-3aa

Link to other 3 Axis Advisors work:

https://www.3axisadvisors.com/projects

Link to the 46 Brooklyn podcast:

https://www.46brooklyn.com/podcast

Where to find Dr. Link and Dr. Wine, personally:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminjslink/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-wine-pharmd-mba-96092944/

Medicare Part D Explainer from Kaiser Family Foundation:

https://www.kff.org/medicare/fact-sheet/an-overview-of-the-medicare-part-d-prescription-drug-benefit/

The 46 Brooklyn Copaxone study:

https://www.46brooklyn.com/research/2020/8/12/copaxone

Orange book:

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/index.cfm