Pharmacy Edge

Pharmacy Edge e Magazin

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NINeteen

PharmaCon

Convention and Expo June 8-9 | Orlando, FL Where value meets affordability Golf Tournament on June 7th.

April - May 2018

Pharmacy Edge 2018

IT ’S TIME TO

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

Contents - April 2018

08 14 06

A message from our Vice President Nicholas Micciche

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Artificial Intelligence in Pharma

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What to look for in a Pharmaceutical Reverse Distributor

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Hard to Find Brand Name Drugs

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PioneerRx to Host the American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance (APPA) National Convention, PharmaCon Expo

28 22

CareMates Nitrile Medical Examination Gloves Offer Safest Consumer Protection from Fentanyl and Chemotherapy Drugs

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New Retail Pharmacist

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List of Job Opportunities for Pharmacy Professionals

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

Sponsors 4

Pharmacy Edge 2018

So what exactly is SureCost?®

SIMPLIFY Your Rx ORDERING Process with SureCost®

SureCost is not like any other service. It is a comparative purchasing and inventory management system that is helping many pharmacies improve their financials and gain control.

SureCost® is web based ordering system that allows you to evaluate and place orders to multiple vendors from one web site that is created specifically for your pharmacy. It enables purchases to your existing vendors, while providing wholesale contract management, cost auditing and optimal product selection in a real-time environment. SureCost® reviews each item selected for replenishment and directs the purchase to the best source. It drives purchases necessary to comply with the primary wholesaler contract and directs other opportunities to secondary sources. Pharmacies using SureCost® over existing applications and procedures have realized substantial savings.

Our customers typically yield a cost of goods savings from 1% 5% and most see a 7-30+x ROI when using SureCost.

Visit www.surecost.com and click on “request demo” and list APPA in the comments for a reduced monthly rate.

Telephone: (888) 363-7596 x 404 | Fax: (603) 447-3422 Website: www.surecost.com | Email: sales@surecost.com

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

Nicholas Micciche

A message from our vice President APPA President Brandon Welch’s new book, PBM Mafia, is coming out in May of 2018. This was done purposefully as PharmaCon’s focus this year is on PBMs and their deceitful practices.

Florida Pharmacy Association (FPA) Executive Vice President and CEO Michael Jackson helped get Florida to pass the PBM Transparency Bill (HB351) that goes into effect July 1, 2018. At PharmaCon, we will provide an update on what that means to independent pharmacy owners!

It is exciting news that at the very least ensures that PBMs update their MAC list every 7 days and also removes the gag order that PBMs placed on pharmacists that made pharmacists charge patients more for cheap generic medications.

This is great news and hopefully this enables pharmacy owners to regain some of the ground that PBMs have forcefully taken from them. This also opens the door for FPA President-Elect Dr. Angela Garcia, who takes over as President of FPA this summer, to combat the PBMs head-on.

This cannot be done alone, even someone described as a pitbull (Dr. Garcia) needs help, so pharmacists need to unite with the FPA, along with other various state and national pharmacist organizations, to assist in this effort. I am biased as I am from Florida but please consider joining FPA ( http://www.pharmview.com/ ) and being involved as a pharmacist. To assist in the efforts to combat PBMs, Brandon Welch has agreed to provide his PBM Mafia e-book to APPA members for free. This is a great educational tool to better understand the most despised 3-letter acronym in the pharmacy industry!

APPA President Brandon Welch’s new book, PBM Mafia, is coming out in May of 2018.

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PharmaCon is just around the corner and I am so thankful for Pioneer Rx for being the official event host and sponsor. I am sure you have heard of them by now since they are the fastest growing pharmacy software platform around but if not, they are a pharmacy software company that has all the features you can think of and then some. With a med sync program, and PoS and MTM-platform integration, Pioneer Rx is actually pioneering the industry. They are also constantly updating their software due to pharmacist requests unlike some companies where you are on the phone with trying to get something fixed.

They listen to their users which is a value APPA holds as well. And Pioneer Rx has made it easy to find a partner that we wanted to be the host as

they are also heavily involved in lobbying for our profession!

I also want to thank all of our gold sponsors (SureCost, Avella, SuiteRx, and Republic Pharmaceuticals) for their continued support and their dedication in helping APPA get the best of the best continuing education seminars and marketing classes for PharmaCon. This is going to provide enormous value and great insight for our attendees! We are making great progress and are almost sold out on exhibitor booths! We will have every booth sold, now we are just picking and choosing who to let attend as we want a diverse selection to provide independent pharmacy owners with what they need to expand their business and offer more services to their patients.

APPA’s new website is up and running and is much easier to navigate and also enables a better mobile experience. This will allow our users to better research our selection of products and services. Our group purchasing organization (GPO) is pleased and proud to work with HD Smith, Anda, and SureCost to help provide our members with discounted medications and increased profit margins.

I want to publicly recognize Ricky Hann, APPA’s new marketing director, for his motivation and innovation. Ricky has been instrumental in obtaining new clients, developing and implementing new marketing strategies, and assisting in the evolution of the overall PharmaCon experience.

Even though APPA offers marketing services, it does not mean that we have the perfect, timeless marketing strategy. Marketing is an ever-changing field and Ricky has helped tailor our marketing to reach more people and to provide tools that are actually useful for our members. Now I just have to get him to convert from being a Bengals fan and he will be an all-around winner!

These next few months are going to be busy for me. Not only am I coordinating all the CEs and educational seminars for PharmaCon, I am also welcoming a baby boy in April. I am very excited for the future both as a pharmacist and as a father and I intend on doing both to the best of my ability. I look forward to seeing everyone in June and brainstorming on how to improve the pharmacy profession together!

Silver Pharmacy Edge 2018

Sponsor

Why RXRS

We provide nationwide service to Pharmacies, Hospitals, Clinics and more Rx Returns is a government licensed organization fully compliant with leading regulation standards . Our team of return specialists are standing by to help you get started with your returns and maximize your refunds

TRADITIONAL RETURNS With this program, we will gladly receive your expired medication, do aggressive research and due diligence to obtain the highest possible return value for your obsolete products and process your return request with the right parties. We charge a small commission for our service and our rates are some of the most competitive in the industry “WE PAY PROGRAM” / “QUICK CASH” Our Quick Cash program is for qualified customers who would like to receive an expedited refund. Rx Return Services provides the customer with a detailed report, takes possession of the obsolete products and offers the customer a quick payment for their obsolete products prior to processing the returns with the final recipients.

DESTRUCTION PROGRAM With this option, RxRS takes the unusable items and destroys them in a safe and efficient way at a fully-compliant destruction site.

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EXPERIENCE Our team has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and a thorough understanding of the reverse distribution process and channel. We are experts at analyzing your requirements and tailoring a service for your specific needs.

CONSISTENT SAVINGS We have high success in identifying and getting our customers the value written on our report. The RxRS team is extremely persistent in recovering the maximum amount of cash credit and we have already increased our clients’ returns by thousands of dollars.

HASSLE-FREE PROCESS We are focused on making the returns process simple and cost-effective. We have built valuable partnerships in the industry that have enabled us to achieve fast turnaround times that meet and exceed the needs of our customers.

QUALITY OF SERVICE We offer outstanding service that is focused on getting customers the highest value possible for their expired products. Our honest, reliable and professional staff is always ready and available to work with you hand-in-hand and assist you through the process.

FULL COMPLIANCE Rx Return Services is fully compliant with regulatory requirements. We are licensed with the DEA and our approved facility is ready and equipped to receive, process and dispose of controlled substances (CII-CV).

TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM Our superior technology enables us to deliver tangible results for our customers. We effectively leverage digital innovation to simplify and expedite the returns process and keep costs low. RxRS is integrated with FedEx for efficient shipping. In addition, our comprehensive drug catalog utilizes big data drug pricing analytics from First Databank to ensure that we assess and collect the best value possible.

Phone: 727-754-7848 Email: rga@rxreturnservices.com

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

Artificial Intelligence in Pharma Darshan Kulkarni Pharm.D, MS, Esq and Christopher Makosiej (Expected PharmD in 2018)

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) predicts a surplus of 50,000 pharmacists in 2025, due to colleges overproducing pharmacists alone. This HRSA prediction supports that there is a bleak job market for current and future pharmacists. Unfortunately, artificial intelligence (AI) may further exacerbate the situation.

A prescriber is a healthcare professional who can write a prescription.

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What is Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence aims to enable the development of computers that are able to do things normally done by people. Such AI typically uses methodologies including fuzzy logic, neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, and swarm intelligence to achieve its goals. The question is, however: Can an artificial intelligence (AI) replace humans in healthcare in general and pharmacy in particular?

Who is a Healthcare Practitioner (HCP)?

To understand the potential roles that an AI can play, one must first evaluate the roles it may look to augment and replace in healthcare.

Healthcare practitioners (HCPs) may be divided into prescribers and dispensers.

A prescriber is a healthcare professional who can write a prescription. These prescribers are responsible for assessing a patient’s health and for making clinical decisions about how to manage the patient’s condition, including by prescribing medication.

Prescribers may include medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists and others.

In the context of medication therapy management, once the Prescriber places an order for medication the dispenser, in this case a pharmacist, is responsible for being the medication therapy expert and is therefore responsible

to review orders placed by Prescribers. The pharmacist is responsible to detect and evaluate potential therapeutic incompatibilities.

Other pharmacists may then be called on to dispense medications. These medications are appropriately compounded, packaged, and labeled to ensure that they are safely and correctly delivered to a patient. While an AI could certainly aid, and sometimes replace a Prescriber, this write-up focuses on AI in the context of a dispenser like a pharmacist.

Error Rate Unfortunately, the process of medical therapy management is fraught with errors.

According to the Institute of Medicine, between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths may result each year from medical errors in hospitals alone. Of these, more than 7,000 deaths are related to medications Medication errors can occur in determining the

Pharmacy Edge 2018

appropriate medicine and dosage regimen, creating the prescription, formulating the product, dispensing the formulation, administering or taking the medicine, and/ or monitoring therapy after the patient has received the Product. The pharmacist hence acts as a double check system that not only recommends better options but avoids bad decisions.

While pharmacists argue that patients are best helped by humans, some may reasonably assert that AI may soon be able to address these medication errors faster, cheaper and with fewer errors. The question one must ask, therefore, is if artificial intelligence can eventually replace pharmacists in their current role in the healthcare system?

Analysis Artificial intelligence replace pharmacists in their current role in the healthcare system if the AI is: (A) less error prone, and (B) likely to make clinical decisions faster, and

(C) likely to cost less than its human counterpart.

Error Prone Nearly 1 in 4 hospitalized patients or 1 in 5 nonhospitalized patients receiving medications have experienced an adverse drug reaction due to a prescribing/dispensing error. A 2016 analysis by Frost and Sullivan found that artificial intelligence “has the potential reduce medical errors by 30-40%�. These medical errors included medication errors. Advances in AI will allow it to discover trends not only at a population level, but also at the level of an individual Prescriber, patient and disease levels. Accordingly, variations on normal dosing practices for an individual patient, disease or prescriber would set of alerts that can be reviewed by the Prescriber in real time. Unfortunately, such real time trending is impossible for a human who would be impossibly outmatched. This contextualizing of errors would therefore eliminate the need for a second check by a

According to the Institute of Medicine, between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths may result each year from medical errors in hospitals alone

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

pharmacist since it would not only be inadequate, but also unnecessary.

Since AI is able to reduce the amount of time is takes to do tasks, be more precise, and cost less than their human counterpart, therefore they can replace pharmacists in their current role in the healthcare system.

Speed Artificial intelligence is significantly faster in its decision-making process. A dermatologist in full-time practice is expected to see about two hundred thousand cases during her lifetime.

On the other hand, AI being currently developed, has already analyzed over one hundred and twenty thousand cases in a three month time span. The AI was hence able to do accomplish half of a dermatologist’s life-time worth of work in that same period.

This ability to learn trends, identify discrepancies and learn from mistakes is likely to have as disruptive an effect in pharmacy as it has had in dermatology.

For illustrative purposes the Good Shepherd Medical Center, a 425-bed acute care community hospital, has already implemented an electronic clinical decision support system (CDSS). The

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CDSS is a rudimentary form of electronic assistance that can scarcely be compared to AI. Nevertheless, the system has helped pharmacists identify opportunities to help patients, notify caregivers and generally perform their daily responsibilities. This enabled the pharmacy to double the number of clinical interventions and therefore increase the quality of care provided to patients. Since a rudimentary AI can have such a significant impact, therefore it is expected that true AI will not only have a significant impact, but also replace the need for pharmacists.

Cost Medication errors cost Americans upwards of $136 billion yearly and account for 1 out of 4 injuries or deaths per year to hospitalized patients. These errors are reflected in various parts of the healthcare continuum and can effectively double mean length of stay, cost, and the impact on mortality. AI can dramatically impact the cost of care.

After implementing its rudimentary CDSS system, Good Shepherd Medical Center Pharmacy, actualized an annual estimated cost savings of $2,999,508. This represented a 96% increase in savings and translated into a $1,469,907 annual return on investment.� However, unlike labor costs which can continue to accrue every year, the cost to implement AI would constitute a one time capital expense. This one time expense would reflect not only in increased savings from patient care, but would eventually reduce the costs and numbers of pharmacists required. This would result in a bonanza for an increasingly financially squeezed healthcare industry.

Conclusion Since AI is able to reduce the amount of time is takes to do tasks, be more precise, and cost less than their human counterpart, therefore they can replace pharmacists in their current role in the healthcare system.

Pharmacy Edge 2018

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We partner with current and prospective pharmacy owners, pharmacy associations, buying groups, and pharmacy schools to help independent pharmacies continue to succeed and grow.

Visit RxOwnership.com or call 800.266.6781.

Join the conversation with us on Twitter @rxownership

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National

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Chris Cella, R.Ph. National Vice President 508.579.3230 christopher.cella@mckesson.com

Tammy McDonald Vice President 856.425.4392 tammy.mcdonald@mckesson.com

Cory Miller Regional Manager 619.807.9257 cory.miller2@mckesson.com

Jim Springer Vice President 863.616.2948 jim.springer@mckesson.com

Kim Diemand Vice President 612.819.9326 kim.diemand@mckesson.com

Ryan Riviello Regional Manager 817.975.6244 ryan.riviello@mckesson.com

Nick Secrest Regional Manager 630.618.6944 nicolas.secrest@mckesson.com

TWITTER, TWEET, RETWEET and the Twitter logo are trademarks of Twitter, Inc. or its affiliates. ©2017 McKesson Corporation. All rights reserved. RTL-167887-12-17

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

What to look for in a Pharmaceutical Reverse Distributor Do you have unsold or expired medications and drugs in your inventory?

Thanks to a reverse distributor for pharmaceutical products, unsold and expired drugs are not a total loss.

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You should send them to pharmaceutical reverse distribution companies to make money out of them. Even when you don’t get refunded for the full drug acquisition cost, the payment you receive will be enough to ease the pain and negative effects of a total business loss on your bottom line.

Thanks to a reverse distributor for pharmaceutical products, unsold and expired drugs are not a total loss. Not all pharmaceutical returns services are created equal, however, and some

companies may offer more by way of cash refunds than others.

Some pharmaceutical reverse distribution process is also easier and more convenient than others, thus, the need to find the right pharmaceutical returns companies. With all the service providers available, however, choosing the best one can be daunting.

But why not look for a pharmaceutical returns provider that offers quality services and cost savings? There are

Pharmacy Edge 2018

several factors that differentiate good pharmaceutical reverse distributors from the not.

Factors That Make a Reliable Pharmaceutical Reverse Distributor Efficient and straightforward services With all the confusing terms and processes in the pharmaceutical industry, the last thing you want is to try to navigate through a maze of pharmaceutical returns services.

There should be at least one simple and straightforward process in the pharmacy business, right?

There is if you can find a reverse distributor for pharmaceutical products with your convenience and benefits in mind.

Rx Return Services (RxRS), for example, keeps their services to just 3 – traditional pharmaceutical returns, quick cash program, and destruction program. The second option is the most convenient if you qualify for the program. Your refund will be expedited even before the obsolete products you returned are processed.

Consistent savings Look for a pharmaceutical reverse distributor with a high success rate of recovering the maximum amount of cash credit for pharmacies and drug retailers. The goal is to make money from products or processes that would have cost you nothing if not for the pharmaceutical returns industry.

This is why a guarantee of consistent savings is crucial when choosing a pharmaceutical product returns company.

Hassle-free process How does the returns process work? The answer should be easy, involves only a few steps, and quick to complete. For instance, a reverse distributor will receive and scan obsolete products to identify their return eligibility all in the first point of contact.

Your best choice is a company that has built valuable partnerships in the pharmaceutical returns industry, enabling them to achieve fast turnaround times without sacrificing quality of service and regulatory compliance.

Fully compliant quality service Look for a pharmaceutical reverse distributor that is DFEA licensed, fully compliant with regulatory requirements, and has a DFEA compliant and approved facility for processing and disposal of controlled substances and other obsolete pharmaceutical products.

You should also check if the staff who will receive, process, and dispose of pharmaceutical returns are honest, professional, and reliable as these indicate quality pharmaceutical returns services.

The best reverse distributor will find ways to expedite the pharmaceutical reverse distribution process by leveraging technological and digital advancement and innovation.

Technological tools and capabilities The best reverse distributor will find ways to expedite the pharmaceutical reverse distribution process by leveraging technological and digital advancement and innovation.

By using drug pricing analytics, database tools, logistics and transportations platform, and more returns processes are quicker and the costs low.

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

Hard to Find Brand Name Drugs Despite the growing number of pharmaceutical companies and drug manufacturers, there are still plenty of hard to find brand name drugs. There are plenty of reasons that some medications are in short supply, but one thing is for sure, it is causing a lot of problems. According to the news, drug shortage may be linked to cancer relapse in kids.

But how do you explain shortage of intravenous saline, which is supposed to be in abundant supply in hospitals?

Cancer specialists say that manufacturing problems that pharmaceutical plants are experiencing may cause shortage of critical cancer drugs.

Regardless, the problem is hitting cancer patient extra hard, especially because doctors have to substitute with more expensive alternatives.

According to FDA, in 2011, there were over 250 drugs that were in very short supply, over 120 in 2012, and over 300 in 2013.

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Medications that have become hard to find brand name drugs are forcing healthcare workers to make painful choices. In the case of cancer patients, specialists had to switch to chemotherapies that may be not as effective (http://www.usatoday. com/story/news/ nation/2013/06/03/ drug-shortages-cancerpatients/2382597/) as using hard to find brand name drugs. The problem also caused delays in treatment, giving cancer more time to spread.

Some of the hard to find brand name drugs are the following: Ultiva Ultiva is a narcotic pain reliever that is used to prevent and treat pain that occur during and after surgery and procedures. It dulls the pain perception center in the brain, increasing the patients’ threshold of pain. Because it has become a Bioniche product, along with changes in the packaging

and NDC, Ultiva has now become one of the hard to find brand name drugs. It is in short supply nationwide, this is why hospitals and physicians are looking for alternatives.

Unfortunately, Ultiva or remifentaril was also an alternative for other drugs, such as Pethidine that was used to relieve pain during birth.

Anectine Anectine is used to relax muscles during surgery or when using a ventilator.

It is also used to induce a similar effect of anesthesia when inserting a tube in the windpipe.

As a depolarizing muscle relaxant, it keeps the muscles from contracting, especially those in the face and those used for moving and breathing. Unfortunately, Anectine is now one of the hard to find brand name drugs. A lot of pharmacies and facilities are now searching for establishments that supply Anectine.

Unfortunately, this is

one of those hard to find brand name drugs that don’t have a generic version, at least there is none that is approved by FDA. Morphine Carpujects Morphine carpujects are basically morphine in a vial and syringe system.

They are easier to use because there will be no need to draw up morphine into a syringe. But these are only applicable to hospitals that allow the use of syringe smaller than 10cc on central lines.

The morphine (http:// www.drugs.com/ morphine.html) contained in carpujects is an opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to severe pain. Because of its short acting formulation it is only taken as needed. Use of morphine after surgery is not recommended unless morphine has already been taken before the surgery.

Unfortunately, this product has also become one of the hard to find brand name drugs.

Pharmacy Edge 2018

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

Press Release

PioneerRx to Host the American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance (APPA) National Convention, PharmaCon Expo Independent pharmacy owners and pharmacists to convene at the 2nd Annual APPA convention, where value meets affordability.

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News Flash! PioneerRx is the official event host for the 2nd annual American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance (APPA) national convention, PharmaCon Expo.

PioneerRx is a leading provider of pharmacy software whose ultimate goal of development is to help independent pharmacies make more money.

The conference will feature several activities among them an education day, an industry hospitality party, with several giveaways, raffles, and a grand prize.

PharmaCon Expo will be held in June 8-9, 2018 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, FL. The event will attract independent pharmacy owners, pharmacy buyers and pharmacists who will have the opportunity to enhance their company profile and increase visibility among the leaders in the pharmaceutical industry.

“PioneerRx’s management software is revolutionizing community pharmacy.

We are excited to be hosting this year’s PharmaCon Expo where we can equip community pharmacists with the resources and provide the support they need to expand their patient care services,” says Jeff Key, PioneerRx President.

In addition, APPA will host a golf tournament on Thursday, June 7th at Shingle Creek Golf Club.

“We will provide you with several excellent networking opportunities with your customers and prospects, including a golf tournament, closing reception, hospitality and an 80’s

PioneerRx is a leading provider of pharmacy software whose ultimate goal of development is to help independent pharmacies make more money.

Pharmacy Edge 2018

party.” says Brandon Welch, APPA President.

https://joinappa.com/ events

“Throw on your jeans and plan to sparkle at these fun-filled events!

Dazzle, dance, and network the night away,” Welch adds.

For more information about the golf tournament: https:// joinappa.com/GolfTournament

Key Note speakers at the PharmaCon will include Michael Castagna from Mannkind Corp, Larry Twersky from TimerCap & 1-800 Dentist founder, and Suzette DiMascio, CHE, CMCE, CPC, CEO of the CSI Specialty Group.

This year’s PharmaCon will provide quality education and networking for pharmaceutical professionals.

APPA Members will be able to contribute to the content, help plan the conference or attend to enhance their professional development.

“We contribute to strong advocacy programs centered on assuring that our voices are being heard,” Welch concludes.

For more information about PharmaCon go to:

In you are looking for effective and efficient pharmaceutical purchasing strategies that will conform to health care reforms and new hospital and health systems, then join APPA at: https://joinappa. com/Join-us About PioneerRx Developed with the experience of over 35 years of pharmacy software development and support, PioneerRx was built from scratch to provide the pharmacy community with a solution that can grow as the industry changes for the next 35 years. PioneerRx delivers weekly improvements and cutting edge features that are designed to provide speed, simplicity, consistency and flexibility, however, their ultimate goal of development is to help pharmacies make more money.

Leading the industry in first to market

functionality in one seamlessly integrated package, PioneerRx Pharmacy Software has become one of the most successful and frequently talked about pharmacy systems in the United States.

For more information please visit: http://www. pioneerrx.com About American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance The American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance is a leading pharmacy purchasing association dedicated to serving the needs of its members through education, networking, and the delivery of a unified voice for all participants in the pharmacy purchasing industry. Through ongoing collaboration, our alliance creates an environment that encourages the exchange of ideas and information, increases productivity through new technology, and furthers legislation designed to benefit our industry. For more information, visit: https://joinappa.com/

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IT ’S TIME TO

Pharmacy Edge 2018

Simplify

Your pharmacy software system is the foundation of your business. Is it working for you, or do you find yourself working for your software? Clear away the clutter of paper reminders, modules, fees, and costly third-party add-ons with PioneerRx’s all-in-one solution. Now is the time to simplify.

Now is the time for PioneerRx!

Schedule a demo to see how we can help YOU simplify!

(866)201-8958

pioneerrx.com 21

Pharmacy Edge 2018

Press Release

CareMates Nitrile Medical Examination Gloves Offer Safest Consumer Protection from Fentanyl and Chemotherapy Drugs CareMates Nitrile is Tested for Use with 15 Chemotherapy Drugs and Fentanyl, the Safest Examination Glove Available for Retail Consumers Shepard Medical Products announced today their newly formulated CareMates Nitrile Medical Examination Gloves were developed to protect patient caregivers from exposure to poisonous chemotherapy drugs and Fentanyl. CareMates Nitrile Gloves have been tested for use and meet ASTM Standard D6978 for Resistance to Permeation

by Hazardous Drugs for 15 different cytotoxic (chemotherapy and home infusion) drugs and the drug Fentanyl. Available through retail pharmacies and medical distributors, CareMates Nitrile is formulated to protect family members, medical staff, first responders, compounding pharmacies and lab technicians, and anyone who comes in contact with people going through chemotherapy treatment or who is exposed to Fentanyl.

CareMates Nitrile Examination Gloves are available in 10ct, 50ct

and 100ct packages, in a variety of sizes. CareMates Nitrile gloves feature a patented low-dermatitis formulation, have 0% viral penetration, 0% alcohol permeation, and meet the ASTM Standard for Infection Control. In addition to protection from chemotherapy and Fentanyl drugs, CareMates Nitrile gloves are also recommended for a wide variety of everyday infection protection needs like general health care, first aid, home infusion drugs, baby care, diabetes care, and more.

“Our reformulated CareMates Nitrile Medical Examination Glove is now the best Nitrile glove available only in the (INDEPENDENT) retail pharmacy market. Shepard Medical is committed to creating high quality products you can trust and that are very affordable,” said Chris Humbert, President of Shepard Medical Products.

Protection from exposure

to poisonous drugs is necessary for anyone who comes in contact with cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or Fentanyl drug users.

The danger of exposure to dangerous drugs includes cross-contamination through transfer of body fluids, touching patient’s skin, handling clothes, bed linens or towels, among many others.

According to OncoLink, “Acute exposure to body fluids or the chemotherapy drug itself can cause rash, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, headache, nasal sores and allergic reactions.

Exposure over a longer period of time (such as is seen with nurses and pharmacists) is thought to be associated with birth defects, reproductive losses and cancer later in life.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration says fentanyl is 30-50 times more potent than heroin and 50-100 times more

potent than morphine.

Fentanyl exposure may cause death.

About Shepard Medical Products and CareMates Since 1986, Shepard Medical Products has been an industry leader in the field of Infection Protection for healthcare, home and workplace.

Throughout the company’s history, Shepard has been committed to providing customers with the highest quality latex and synthetic gloves, protective masks, and related infection protection products.

Shepard Medical Products is committed ONLY to INDEPENDENT PHARMACY, never BigBox pharmacy! We have the commitment to finding solutions to customer needs that has led to products that exceed regulatory standards throughout the world, as well as the development of proprietary products, like the CareMates Infection Protection Line.

For more information, call (800) 354-5683, (630) 462-6720 or visit www.care-mates.com.

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®

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™

Exclusive Patented Technology!

Nitrile Examination Gloves

New Color & Improved Formulation!*

CareMates new Berryblue Nitrile™ formulation protects from more chemotherapy drugs than any other Nitrile glove on the market. Safe to use with 15 chemotherapy and home infusion drugs, providing your customers the protection they need.

Use for First Aid, Health Care, Chemotherapy, Home Infusion, Baby Care, Pet Care, Diabetes Care & more Low Dermatitis Potential Patented Technology Meets ASTM D6978 for Resistance to Permeation by 15 CHEMOTHERAPY DRUGS Tested for Use with 15 Chemotherapy Drugs vs.

Previous 7 Drug Formulation

Glove of Choice for Compounding Pharmacies Meets Resistance to Permeation by Hazardous Drug FENTANYL per ASTM D6978 0% Viral Penetration, 0% Alcohol Permeation (Tested for Viral Penetraion per ASTM F1671) Quality Alternative to Latex Gloves

Low Derma Formulation

Stay Safe with our New Nitrile Formulation!

Skin Sensitization Solution

* New CareMates Nitrile Examination Gloves now

UNCOMPROMISED PROTECTION

tested for use with 15 chemotherapy drugs vs. previous 7 chemotherapy drugs formula.

High performance product

PATENTED FORMULATION

Eliminates use of natural rubber

CHEMOTHERAPY DRUG PERMEATION RESISTANCE Chemical Tested

Tested per ASTM D6978.

Tested for use with 15 chemotherapy drugs.

Carmustine (BCNU) 3.3 mg/ml (3,300 ppm) Cisplatin 1.0 mg/ml (1,000 ppm) Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) 20 mg/ml (20,000 ppm) Cytarabine 100 mg/ml (100,000 ppm) Dacarbazine (DTIC) 10.0 mg/ml (10,000 ppm) Doxorubicin Hydrochloride 2.0 mg/ml (2,000 ppm) Etoposide (Toposar) 20.0 mg/ml (20,000 ppm) Fluorouracil 50.0 mg/ml (50,000 ppm) Ifosfamide 50.0 mg/ml (50,000 ppm) Methotrexate 25 mg/ml (25,000 ppm) Mitomycin C 0.5 mg/ml (500 ppm) Mitoxantrone 2.0 mg/ml (2,000ppm) Paclitaxel (Taxol) 6.0 mg/ml (6,000 ppm) Thiotepa 10.0 mg/ml (10,000 ppm) Vincristine Sulfate 1.0 mg/ml (1,000 ppm)

Average Normalized Breakthrough Time in Minutes

CLINICALLY PROVEN

With Modified Human Draize Test

Not recommended for use

> 240 > 240 > 240 > 240 > 240 > 240 > 240 > 240 > 240 > 240 > 240 > 240

REDUCED RISK

On Type I & Type IV Hypersensitivity

Not recommended for use

> 240

CareMates Nitrile Medical Examination Gloves - Wholesaler Product Numbers 100ct McKesson Cardinal Amerisource 50ct McKesson Cardinal Small Medium Large Extra Large

226-4042 226-4224 226-4307 226-4406

3961265 3961281 3961299 4763157

Shepard Medical Products

10100181 10100176 10100175 10183908

Small Medium Large Extra Large

128-8687 128-9362 128-9743

(800) 354-5683

4273280 4273306 4273314

Amerisource

10ct

10170159 10161463 10161427

One Size Fits Most Call for more info

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www.care-mates.com/nitrile

Pharmacy Edge 2018

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

Helping You Care For Your

Community H. D. Smith is a pharmaceutical wholesaler, dedicated to supporting the success and prosperity of community pharmacies with its complete line of products and a wide array of business solutions.

866.232.1222

I

hdsmith.com

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

New Retail Pharmacist or best practices based on your experience?

Being a retail pharmacist is one of the most common job opportunities for pharmacy professionals, especially because of the growing number of pharmacies all over the world. A retail pharmacist, however, does more than just dispense medicines and other healthcare products. They will be dealing with clients, after all, which is why they also need excellent communication skills.

If you are a brand new retail pharmacist, there are some things you need to remember.

DO keep track of significant events and any questions you might encounter on your first day You can keep a notebook and write down and the things that need to be clarified or dealt with. Do you need to research more on medicine, indications warnings, etc.?

Is there a need to improve Pharmacy purchasing policy 26

DON’T get stuck on the retail side of things Being a retail pharmacist should be a stepping stone to something greater, so make sure you don’t get stuck with just dispensing medications.

You should also take an interest in the business side, particularly the metrics essential to running a retail pharmacy business. Before you direct your attention in doing business, however, you should first familiarize and master retail pharmacy.

DO learn from the veterans You will learn plenty of things working as a retail pharmacist, but other pharmacists that have been in the business for a long time makes the best teachers. So get to know the veterans in the pharmacy you’re working in and spend time learning from them.

DON’T forget to follow up with some patients Your job as a retail pharmacist should not stop behind the counter. To develop your skills as a retail pharmacist, it is important that you follow up with some patients, especially when they start a new medication.

Even if this is not required of you, patients will surely appreciate your call.

DO master the steps involved in billing At some point in your career as a retail pharmacist, you might be required to handle billing, which can be quite complex. When given the opportunity, you should take advantage of it and write down all the things you need to remember, such as the BIN number, Medicare Part B bill for test strips, etc. If necessary, create a cheat sheet.

DON’T worry about keeping up It is normal to worry about the speed with which you take orders, dispense medication, and handle the rest of the process. During peak hours, your speed and skills will be sorely tested. However, keeping up is not about how quick you work, but how you complete a transaction available, software shortcuts, and protocols, among others.

DO keep learning To get things done right and fast, you should stock up on software, policy and customer knowledge, and other information relevant to your job as a retail pharmacist.

You should also develop your own DUR approach, one that you can easily remember and help you succeed with your work. You should also develop counseling habits, so you can provide excellent customer services.

Pharmacy Edge 2018

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Pharmacy Edge 2018

List of Job Opportunities for Pharmacy Professionals Most people believe that pharmacists only work behind the counter of a pharmacy. Little do they know, being a pharmacist is just one of the many job opportunities for pharmacy professionals. Depending on where they work, they can take on a wide range of roles.

Pharmacist The primary role of a pharmacist is to dispense medications, give advice on drugs, especially with regard to the side effects, interactions and other relevant information. This is why they need to learn more than just the medications. They also need to learn to engage with patients and clients. They’re also responsible for storing, formulating and providing correct dosage of medicines.

Pharmacist work in several different settings, such as retail, clinics, home health care facilities, home infusion facilities, armed services, public health service, internet companies, and other settings.

These provide plenty of job opportunities for pharmacy professionals.

Community Pharmacists Community pharmacists serve patients and clients within the community, providing them with information and advice, health medication and other associated services. The job description is

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basically the same as a regular pharmacist, except for their place of business. Some community pharmacists also specialize in the science and clinical use of medications.

Business Owner A lot of community pharmacists combine their professional talents and use it to build their own pharmacy. Some of them may start with a management position within a chain pharmacy practice and then move on to become owners, one of the job opportunities for pharmacy professionals that earn more. To succeed as a business owner, pharmacists must take advantage of management development programs offered by chain companies. These include marketing operations, third-party programs, pharmacy affairs, legal affairs and computerization.

Managed Care Pharmacist Managed care organizations offer job opportunities for pharmacy professionals.

The setting is designed to optimize patient care and outcomes, and pharmaceutical

Pharmacy Edge 2018

Pharmacy procurement also involves keeping accurate records of all the medicine in possession and other tasks related to inventory.

care helps improve access to primary and preventive care in the most appropriate and cost-effective manner. As managed care continues to grow and assumes a larger role in the healthcare system, job opportunities for pharmacy professionals also continue to grow.

Managed care pharmacists usually work directly with physicians and caregivers that give medical treatments, such as drug therapy. The task involves reviewing medical literature regularly and identifying the safest and most effective medications.

The work also includes creating care management programs.

Pharmacy Purchaser / Pharmacy Procurement Officer Job opportunities for pharmacy professionals don’t stop and start behind the counter. They can be purchasers and buyers as well. Pharmacy procurement facilitates purchasing of medicines that meet safety and health standards at a cost-effective price. The job begins with

a draft of purchase order, ensure that the order meets the allocated budget; reviews purchase orders, and provide necessary documentation. Pharmacy procurement also involves keeping accurate records of all the medicine in possession and other tasks related to inventory. In whatever they do, pharmacy purchaser must abide by the rules and regulations in place and ensure quality services.

Academy Pharmacy Colleges and schools of pharmacy also offer job opportunities for pharmacy professionals. In this setting, they work as full-time faculty members, teaching, researching and providing pointers on public service and patient care. To become an academic pharmacist or a member of a college or university faculty, an aspiring pharmacist is usually required to have postgraduate degree and training. If they meet a school’s requirements, they can choose from a wide range of job opportunities for pharmacy professionals in an academic setting.

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Texting for your existing business phone number I need a refill of my medication. Can I pick it up in an hour?

Adding texting to your landline, VoIP, or toll-free phone number helps you reach patients and eliminate hours of phone tag.

Your customers want to text you... let them! Keep the number your customers already know - incoming texts appear on your computer, tablet, or smart phone.

Mobile and multi-user accessible, Zipwhip texting is a seamless resource that can be used to boost your customer communication, taking your business to the next level.

A simple solution for pharmacies Adherence

Customer Service

Engage hard to reach populations.

Reach patients the way they want to communicate.

Profitability Attract new customers with an added communication channel.

Live two-way texting to coordinate refills faster

Schedule personalized med reminder texts in advance

Add ‘Click to Text’ to your website and increase inquiries

Set up auto replies to respond after hours

BCC group text by chronic disease state

Use keywords to promote specials and online reviews

Messages

Family Pharmacy

The response to texting has been so much better...Our patients even thank us for it.

Contact

Srinivas/Independent Pharmacy Owner La Plata Pharmacy, Maryland

Today 10:17 AM

Hello, we are working on your monthly refills. Is there anything you don’t need this month?

No changes! Can I pick them up tomorrow We’ll have them ready by 1 PM.

Jay Jung (206) 816-3531 jjung@zipwhip.com Zipwhip.com

The latest and the most significant industry-related news and trending stories.

This magazine is produced by APPA - American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance If you wish to submit an article-to Pharmacy Edge, or would like to request a media kit for sponsorship The latest and thesend most industry-related news opportunities, ansignificant email to info@joinappa.com. and trending stories.

This magazine is produced by APPA - American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance If you wish to submit an article-to Pharmacy Edge, or would like to request a media kit for sponsorship opportunities, send an email to info@joinappa.com.

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