Tag: Pharmacy

We Use Too Many Medications: Be Very Afraid of Interactions

Oct 21, 2021

By HANS DUVEFELT

I happened to read about the pharmacodynamics of parenteral versus oral furosemide when I came across a unique interaction between this commonest of diuretics and risperidone: Elderly dementia patients on risperidone have twice their expected mortality if also given furosemide. I knew that all atypical antipsychotics can double mortality in elderly dementia patients, but was unaware of the additional risperidone-furosemide risk. Epocrates only has a nonspecific warning to monitor blood pressure when prescribing both drugs.

This is only today’s example of an interaction I didn’t have at my fingertips. I very often check Epocrates on my iPhone for interactions before prescribing, because – quite frankly – my EMR always gives me an entire screen of fine print idiotic kindergarten warnings nobody ever has time to read in a real clinical situation. (In my case provided by the otherwise decent makers of UpToDate.)

I keep coming back in my thoughts and blogging about drug interactions. And every time I run into one that surprised me or caused harm, I think of the inherent, exponential risks of polypharmacy and the virtues of oligopharmacy.

David Medvedeff, CEO Aspen RxHealth, talks about his new model for pharmacists

Feb 3, 2021• 0

By MATTHEW HOLT

David Medvedeff, CEO Aspen RxHealth, tells me about the new role of pharmacists in managing chronically ill patients. Aspen RxHealth has put together a network of independent pharmacists and a tool that allows them to select patients, call them and consult with them for their pharmacy issues. It’s kinda like the original Teladoc model but for pharmacists, while the clients are health plans keen for their patients to avoid problems with polypharmacy. They’ll be doing 200K+ consults this year and just raised $23m.

A Hospital Chief Pharmacy Officer on Innovation Needs | Jennifer Tryon, Wake Forest Baptist Health

Feb 6, 2020• 0

By JESSICA DaMASSA, WTF HEALTH

Health system pharmacists are frustrated with the lack of time they spend connecting with patients. Why? Jennifer Tryon, Chief Pharmacy Officer for Wake Forest Baptist Health breaks it down for us by talking specifics about the outdated processes and old-school tech that are underpinning many health systems’ medication management programs — and holding back their pharmacists as a result. When she’s sourcing innovative new solutions for her pharmacy at Wake Forest Baptist Health, what are the pressing priorities that are getting her attention (and her budget)? Jennifer’s description of the challenges and opportunities for innovation in the health system pharmacy and medication management space is a MUST watch for anyone looking to learn more about taking their tech into this space.

Filmed at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting in Las Vegas, December 2019.

Autonomous Pharmacy: An Industry Movement to Free Hospital Pharmacists | Randy Lipps, CEO, Omnicell

Feb 3, 2020• 0

By JESSICA DaMASSA, WTF HEALTH

From the point at which a medication arrives at a hospital’s receiving dock to the time it’s given to a patient, Omnicell systems are relied on to “store it, package it, barcode it, order it, issue it, and charge it.” Now, CEO Randy Lipps wants to automate ALL OF IT — getting medications from dockside to bedside, without the help of human hands. The Autonomous Pharmacy is not only Omnicell’s bold vision for the future of medication management for hospitals that brings in robotics and software to improve the safety and accuracy of every aspect of the drug delivery process, but as Randy says, it’s an “industry movement” to free the hospital pharmacist from the “basement pharmacy” and allow them to truly practice at the top of their license. Although integrating new tech into healthcare systems is never easy, this CEO says that it’s less the tech — and more the lack of urgency in shifting our mindset as an industry — that’s slowing us down. What exactly needs to change? Bold visions require big plans…

Filmed at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting in Las Vegas, December 2019.

CVS Health: Breathing a Little Easier and Holding Our Breath

Sep 11, 2014• 2

William G. Shadel

Well, it’s official: CVS has stopped selling cigarettes and other tobacco products.

The sales ban will cost the multi-billion dollar pharmacy chain about $2 billion a year in profits. But the hope is that the move will provide a more consistent health promotion message to consumers (it has changed its corporate name to CVS Health) and lead to new business (for example, through visits to its in-store health clinics).

But will this move have any effect on smoking in the population? It’s difficult to say at this point.

The impact of the ban on overall tobacco sales nationwide will probably be negligible. Only a very small percentage of consumers buy their tobacco at pharmacies and there are plenty of retail options available beyond the local pharmacy.

CVS is also banning the sale of electronic or e-cigarettes. Advocates from this industry are predictably agitated: “It’s smoking that causes all the health problems, not the smokeless alternatives.” Others argue that e-cigarettes and other smokeless alternatives are effective aids for those wishing to quit-smoking.

Interview with Alex Savic, CEO of Alensa Next Widgets

Mar 29, 2010• 0

By INDU SUBAIYA

Alex Savic is CEO of Alensa NextWidgets, based in Zurich, Switzerland. Alex is a repeat presenter at Health 2.0 and will be presenting an update on the NextWidgets platform at Health 2.0 Europe in Paris April 6-7, 2010. NextWidgets allows pharmacies to sell their products online directly to consumers through widgets placed on relevant content publisher websites.

Indu Subaiya: Alex, tell us a bit about yourself and our background, and what Alensa is all about.

Alex Savic: I’ve been working in the generics industry since 2000, traveling a lot to India and Eastern Europe to meet with manufacturers and inspect manufacturing facilities. Alensa was mostly in the API and finished formulations business then. So to branch out, in 2006 we started working on an e-commerce platform for pharmacies which has since evolved into the NextWidgets platform.Continue reading…