-
How would BCRA impact jobs in healthcare?
Seth Sandronsky Healthcare AdministrationA week ago, the Senate unveiled their version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) that the House passed — the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BRCA). Since then, several Republican Senators have said they would not vote for the bill in its current form, which forced Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to delay a vote on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal until after the July 4 recess.
-
Disney and your pharmacy’s priorities
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalWhat would happen if Disney ran your pharmacy? No, I’m not talking about dressing up like Goofy, Mickey Mouse or Cinderella to impress the kids. Rather, I’m talking about the day-to-day priorities that their employees embrace as part of their job. In his highly acclaimed 2004 book "If Disney Ran Your Hospital," Fred Lee talks about the priorities that are instilled into the mind of everyone who works for this $5 billion per year company. He then shows how they would transform the hospital industry. I think they would transform the pharmacy industry as well.
-
Insurer exits leave holes in the marketplace as uncertainty spreads
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationAnthem health insurance plans will not be serving Ohio residents through the Affordable Care Act in 2018, the company recently announced. As a result, 10,500 Ohioans will lose their plans. According to reports, residents in 20 mostly rural counties will be without an option for buying individual coverage on the exchange unless another insurer decides to offer plans there in the coming months. The news might be tough to take for citizens in these rural areas, which already traditionally lack proper access to care.
-
Biosimilars are on the way in America
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalThe general public may not fully understand the importance and potential benefits of biosimilars, but this class of agents are slowly gaining attention as therapeutic options for chronic or life-threatening conditions and disease states.
-
Lucrative innovation: How tamper-proof design is defining packaging
Delany Martinez ManufacturingWhen even a single damaged or compromised package could put an entire brand's perception at risk, keeping packages safe and sealed has become an important facet of manufacturing in certain sectors. While, say, a flashlight can't carry much liability if its packaging is tampered with, a food or drink item could carry harmful mold or bacteria, and an exposed pharmaceutical item could prove to be life-threatening. That important distinction has led to a number of impressive tamper-evident breakthroughs recently in the packaging sphere.
-
Surviving a board of pharmacy inspection
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalCommunity pharmacy is stressful, even on our best days. There is the pressure to fill more prescriptions, check for drug interactions and answer questions at an increasingly faster pace. But maybe nothing — except possibly dealing with a prescription error — is more stressful than getting a surprise inspection from your state board of pharmacy (BOP). I have been managing pharmacies for enough years to have experienced plenty of such inspections, and I'm happy to share some advice with the next generation of pharmacists.
-
NSAID use connected to increased risk of heart attack
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareSome people take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) every day either for chronic pain, inflammation, or both. A survey of medication use in the United States showed that ibuprofen was taken by 17 percent of adults, aspirin by 17 percent and naproxen by 3.5 percent of adults in the preceding week.
-
Dear Amazon, please stay out of pharmacy
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalI'm a big fan of Amazon. Their huge selection of new and used books, convenient shopping platform and unbeatable prices make me a regular customer. But when I read news that the online superstore founded by Jeff Bezos in Seattle in 1994 was looking to get into the mail-order pharmacy market, it made my stomach turn a bit.
-
How can pharmacists help combat high drug prices?
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalThe increasing cost of prescriptions in the U.S. is an ongoing source of concern for patients, prescribers, payers and even policymakers. The cost of prescription drugs for millions of Americans went up about $2 billion in 2015, and signs indicate that this will continue to rise.
-
Opioids and the proper treatment of mu receptor pain
David M. Heckman PharmaceuticalThe topic of opioid misadventures has received a significant amount of attention in both the healthcare media and national political talking points. Traditional solutions focus on reducing the availability of opioids. However, the mistreatment of patients with chronic mu receptor pain represents a major preventable vector to this healthcare crisis. Our efforts may be better applied by addressing the proper treatment of mu receptor pain.
All Pharmaceutical Articles