Drug diversion threatens patient and staff safety—and preventing it requires a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach. In this episode, Dr. Ruth Igwegbe and Shealee Mitchell of JPS Health Network join host Carolyn Liptak to share how their organization transformed a fragmented diversion process into a high-functioning, collaborative program. From building trust with frontline teams to using AI software and proactive data monitoring, Ruth and Shealee highlight how culture, consistency, and communication are essential to effective diversion prevention. Tune in for actionable strategies that elevate both patient safety and professional accountability.

Guest speakers: 

Dr. Ruth Igwegbe PharmD, MBA,

Pharmacy medication safety officer

JPS Health Network

Shealee Mitchell, BS, RN, MJur

Pharmacy medication safety officer

JPS Health Network

Host: 

Carolyn Liptak, BS Pharm, MBA  

Vizient

Show Notes: 

[01:02-02:32] Ruth and Shealee Backgrounds

[02:33-04:46] Background on diversion detection and prevention program at JPS

[04:47-06:55] Shealee's clinical background and how it shaped how she works with teams across the organization

[06:56-09:20] How the JPS diversion response team evolved

[09:21-13:55] Advice to our listeners to strengthen their own diversion prevention programs

[13:56-16:03] Where our listeners should go to get more information about drug diversion prevention and detection programs

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The Vizient Summer 2025 Spend Management Outlook (SMO) provides an integrated perspective on trends, factors and future expenses providers will face across the various dimensions of healthcare. In this episode, Dr. Carina Dolan and Dr. Jeni Hayes join host Carolyn Liptak to discuss pharmacy insights from the SMO including declining drug price inflation and how autoimmune conditions have surpassed oncology in total pharmacy costs. They also touch on pediatric spend drivers, biosimilar competition, and the impact of novel therapies. Tune in to VerifiedRx for practical insights to help pharmacy leaders plan for what’s ahead.

Guest speakers: 

Carina Dolan, Pharm. D., MS Pharm, BCOP  

Show Notes: 

[01:13-02:41]  Key pharmacy trends emerging from the Summer SMO

[02:42-04:00] Current pharmacy trends

[04:01-05:55]  Pharmacy spend for autoimmune conditions has exceeded that of oncology

[05:56-07:36] Key takeaways

[07:37-08:47] Significant trends in this latest therapeutic insights update

[08:48-10:04] Challenges in gene and cell therapy space

[10:05-11:33] The Therapeutic Insights webpage for pediatrics

[11:34-13:41] Other reflections from the SMO

[13:42-14:49]  How to locate the SMO

Links | Resources: 

Vizient Spend Management Outlook

Vizient Therapeutic class insights

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Drug shortages continue to be a significant issue in the healthcare system, affecting various aspects of patient care and imposing substantial costs on hospitals and health systems. According to Vizient's 2024 drug shortages survey, U.S. hospitals are spending approximately 20 million hours annually managing these shortages, resulting in nearly $900 million in associated labor costs. The survey highlights that 74% of facilities reported exceeding their pharmacy budgets due to drug shortages, with pediatric facilities facing particularly significant financial and labor strain.

Kyle Hoelting, director of pharmacy supply assurance and stewardship and Nikola Markoski, director of pharmacy sourcing strategic solutions and analytics join host Katie Korte, vice president Vizient Reserve to delve into the results of Vizient’s 2024 drug shortage survey.

Guest speakers: 

Kyle Hoelting, Pharm.D, BCPS

Director, Pharmacy Supply Assurance & Stewardship

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

Nikola Markoski, Pharm.D, MBA

Director, Pharmacy Sourcing Strategic Solutions & Analytics

Vizient

Host: 

Katie Kortie, Pharm.D, MHA, BCPS, BCCCP

Vice President, Strategy & Program Lead, Vizient Reserve

Vizient

Show Notes:

[00:47-01:14] Kyle and Niko Backgrounds

[01:15-05:04] What's different about this year's survey and what made 2023 a critical year in the drug shortage landscape

[05:05-08:27] How data was collected, what did the mix of information tells us and the biggest insights or patterns that surfaced in the survey

[08:28-12:25] What Vizient’s built or enabled that’s made a difference in this space

[12:26-15:55] How best to prepare for and respond to shortages from an inventory perspective

Links | Resources: 

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We all know that clinician burnout negatively impacts the quality of patient care. That's why pharmacy residency accrediting bodies now emphasize resident well-being and professional sustainability as core components of residency training earlier in clinician careers. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Accreditation Standards for PGY1 and PGY2 Pharmacy Residencies include a formal requirement for programs to address resilience, well-being, and burnout prevention, reflecting the increasing recognition of burnout in healthcare. Joining us to talk that out are Tony Huke, Senior Pharmacy Executive Director with Vizient Pharmacy Advisory Solutions and Kendra Gage, Inpatient Clinical Pharmacist and the PGY 1 Residency Program Director at UCHealth, University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Colorado.

Guest speakers: 

Tony Huke, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP

Senior Pharmacy Executive Director

Vizient Pharmacy Advisory Solutions

Kendra Gage, PharmD, BCPS

Inpatient Clinical Pharmacist

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director

UCHealth

Host: 

Kerry Schwarz, PharmD, MPH 

Senior Clinical Manager, Evidence-Based Medicine and Outcomes

Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence (CPPE)

Show Notes: 

[01:11-03:25] What’s new at the national level in terms of pharmacy resident resiliency and well-being

[03:26-03:56] The intentionality of well-being in pharmacy residency programs

[03:57-05:12] Examples from Kendra’s program

[05:13-06:40]  Program expectations to address resilience

[06:41-08:33]  Assessment and potential metrics of resiliency programs

[08:34-11:06]  The role of pharmacy leadership and residency program directors in resiliency

[11:07-12:34] Impact of resiliency programs so far

Links | Resources:

Accreditation Standards for PGY1 and PGY2 Pharmacy Residencies

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Information on COVID vaccines is moving fast. On May 27th, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that COVID vaccines will no longer be universally recommended for healthy children or healthy pregnant women. That's a big shift, and understandably, it's raised a lot of questions. We're going to cut through the noise and take a look at where things really stand, who's getting vaccinated, how current guidance is evolving, and what this means for both children and adults as we look ahead to the next respiratory season.  Joining us to help sort it all out is Dr. John Schoen, Senior Clinical Manager of Drug Information at Vizient.

Guest speakers: 

John Schoen, PharmD, BCPS 

Senior Clinical Manager of Drug Information  

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence 

Host: 

Stacy Lauderdale, PharmD, BCPS 

Associate Vice President

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence 

Show Notes: 

[01:38-05:32] What changed in the recent CDC update for healthy children

[05:33-09:32] Discussion of COVID-19 outcomes and vaccination in children

[09:33-11:47] Specific risk factors for pediatric patients

[11:48-12:47] Is the US an outlier for not universally recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and making no recommendation in healthy pregnant women?

[12:48-14:03] The FDA’s proposed regulatory framework for COVID-19 vaccine approval

[14:04-15:18] FDA’s approach to implementing revised requirements for randomized controlled trials

[15:19-16:57] Key discussion points from the May meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee

[17:00-18:27] Topics requiring further clarification about COVID-19 vaccine

Links | Resources:

Vizient resources:

Additional resources:

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Pharmacy reverse distributors play a key role in making pharmaceutical returns more efficient, helping with processing, financial settlements and delivering helpful data. They're in a unique spot to support efforts to prevent diversion, speed up inventory returns, and even contribute to sustainability goals. Kyle Hoelting, director of pharmacy supply assurance and stewardship at Vizient, along with Paige Ivey, senior national accounts director, and Houston Blankinship, senior director of customer experience for healthcare product operations at Inmar Intelligence join host Carolyn Liptak, pharmacy executive director in Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence and host for today's conversation.

Guest speakers: 

Kyle Hoelting, Pharm.D, BCPS 

Paige Ivey

Houston Blankenship

Host: 

Show Notes: 

[01:05-03:33] Background for Kyle, Paige, Houston

Links | Resources:

Drug shortage stewardship: A novel solution for an old problem

Vizient Essential Medications List

Vizient Key performance indicators for the management of drug shortages

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Recently, there has been a lot of interest generated by a new FDA approval. Suzetrigine (Journavx) was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the management of pain. Although there is a lot of excitement about having a new tool in the toolbox, there are certain limitations that are important to consider. In this episode of Verified Rx, Dave Peterson, pharmacist and drug information specialist for the University of Utah Health joins us to discuss this exciting new non opioid medication.

Guest speaker: 

Dave Peterson, PharmD, BCPS

Drug Information Specialist

University of Utah Drug Information Service

Host: 

Kerry Schwarz, PharmD, MPH

Senior Clinical Manager, Evidence-Based Medicine and Outcomes

Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence (CPPE)

Show Notes: 

[00:54-02:24] Information about Suzetrigine

[02:25-04:06] What distinguishes suzetrigine from other non-opioid analgesics

[04:07-05:09] What suzetrigine is indicated for

[05:10-06:14] How suzetrigine is being studied

[06:15-08:40] Surgical models and the endpoints that we commonly see in these studies

[08:41-10:25] Making sense of discordant study results

[10:26-12:02] Moving beyond the evidence to real world utilization of suzetrigine

[12:03-14:03] How cost factors into real-world utilization

[14:04-16:21] What Dave is keeping his eye on in terms of clinical concerns

[16:22-17:28] What Dave is excited about with the advent of suzetrigine

Links | Resources:

No pain, much gain?

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The 340B program has been active for over 30 years and is dynamic and evolving. Dr. Greg Medley, Senior Director, 340B Drug Pricing Program Services at Vizient joins host Carolyn Liptak, Pharmacy Executive Director with the Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence to discuss the impact of the most recent executive order on the 340b program. 

Guest speakers: 

Greg Medley, PharmD

Senior Director, 340B Drug Pricing Program Services

Vizient

Host: 

Carolyn Liptak, MBA, , BS Pharm

Pharmacy Executive Director, Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

Vizient

Show Notes:

[00:53-01:26] Dr. Medley background information 

[01:27-03:17] What is outlined in the executive order

[03:18-05:27] Basics of how 340B works and why its under fire

[05:28-09:36] How this new executive order pertains to the 340B program 

[09:37-13:01] What is learned from the comments on these changes

[13:02-14:07] Where can listeners go now to get more information?

Links | Resources:

JAMA article Click Here

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Announces Actions to Lower Prescription Drug Prices  Click Here

Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First  Click Here

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Traditional drug spending in the U.S. has surpassed specialty drug spending, and the primary force behind this trend is GLP-1 receptor agonists. These incretin-based therapies are transforming both the clinical and economic landscapes, from diabetes to obesity.

In this episode of the Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence’s VerifiedRx podcast, host Tori Richie, Senior Consulting Director of Intelligence at Sg2 is joined by Vizient colleagues Stacy Lauderdale, AVP of Evidence-Based Medicine, Heather Pace, Senior Clinical Manager of Ambulatory Care, and Emily Fitt, Intelligence Consultant at Sg2. They delve into a comprehensive discussion on GLP-1s, covering topics from telehealth services and patient management strategies to the unique attributes that set these therapies apart.

Grab your coffee and get comfortable. This isn’t just a conversation; it’s a front-row seat to how GLP-1s are reshaping the future of obesity management.

Guest speakers: 

Stacy Lauderdale, Pharm.D, BCPS

Associate Vice President

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

VerifiedRx Host

Heather Pace, Pharm.D

Sr. Clinical Manager of Ambulatory Care,

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

Emily Fitt, MHA, MPH

Consultant

Sg2

Host: 

Tori Richie

Senior Consulting Director, Intelligence

Sg2

Sg2 Perspectives Host

Show Notes: 

[02:24-04:50] How GLP-1 medications differ from traditional treatments and shift from use in diabetes to obesity management

[04:51-05:54] The most common side effects of GLP-1 therapies and how clinicians can effectively manage patients

[05:55-08:49] Treatment teams for obesity management and the role of the pharmacist in the management of GLP-1 medications

[08:50-10:51] Challenges providers face integrating GLP-1 medications into practice

[10:16-13:20] Quality or outcome concerns with individuals who receive GLP-1 medications from telehealth providers

[13:21-15:01] Trends shaping this landscape

[15:02-21:14] Best practices that providers should deploy

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Widespread vaccination efforts declared measles eliminated in the United States in 2000. However, recent outbreaks have reignited public health concerns. The country is experiencing a growing number of measles cases with clusters reported in several states. A highly contagious virus, measles, poses serious risks, especially to unvaccinated individuals and vulnerable patient populations. Dr. John Schoen, Senior Clinical Manager of Drug Information at the Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence, discusses the current outbreak, measles vaccine strategies, and answers questions about prevention and public health impact with Stacy Lauderdale, Associate Vice President at the Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence and your VerifiedRx program host.

Guest speakers: 

John Schoen, Pharm.D, BCPS

Senior Clinical Manager of Drug Information

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

Host: 

Stacy Lauderdale, Pharm.D, BCPS

Associate Vice President

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

Show Notes: 

[01:12-03:30] Are we in an unprecedented situation in the United States?

[03:31-05:49] A brief overview about measles

[05:50-08:03] Overview of the MMR vaccine

[08:04-10:15] MMR vaccination rate in the United States

[10:16-12:27] Is there a link between autism and MMR vaccine

[12:28-14:47] Does the MMR vaccine cause measles?

[14:48-18:04] 1 vs. 2 doses of the MMR vaccine in adults

[18:05-21:25] Measles postexposure prophylaxis

[21:26-23:40] Vitamin A and measles

Links | Resources: 

Vizient Resources

Evidence Bites: 2025 Measles Outbreak

Resources

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