PharmacyNow

Our host Scott Vondeylen is joined by Chief Scientific Officer for Tabula Rasa HealthCare (TRHC), Jacques Turgeon, BPharm, PhD to discuss how MedWise® Science is empowering pharmacists to impact patient outcomes—now and in the future. MedWise Science, TRHC's proprietary technology, is a clinical decision support system that provides pharmacists—and other health professionals—with highly valuable information that helps them make the proper decisions for the pharmacotherapy of their patients. Beyond ensuring patients receive the proper medication for a particular disease state, MedWise Science also helps ensure that the combination of drugs prescribed—the patient's drug regimen—is optimal. This is critical because when patients have several conditions, they are often required to take multiple medications, which can put a patient's health at risk by significantly increasing the risk of an Adverse Drug Event (ADE), the 4th leading cause of death in the United States. Preventing and decreasing ADEs is important for multiple reasons. When patients start to experience side effects, they may stop taking the medication, which means patients are no longer receiving the intended benefit of their medication. Further, non-adherence leads to poor outcomes, an increase in doctor and emergency room visits, and an increase in medical expenditure—it's all linked.Utilizing decision support tools backed by science in conjunction with taking a holistic view of drug regimens can have a major impact on the way pharmacists deliver care to improve medication safety and patient outcomes. To that end, MedWise Science utilizes a one-of-a-kind algorithm to establish the MedWise Risk Level and to cumulatively compare how patients' medications interact together, all at the same time.Pharmacists can leverage the MedWise Risk Level to determine a patient's risk for experiencing an ADE, and then be properly alerted to intervene and recommend a Medication Safety Review™ to address concerns and improve medication efficacy. TRHC provides training to ensure that pharmacists can properly use the MedWise decision support tools to conduct Medication Safety Reviews in the pharmacy, as well as offering telephonic support via its national clinical contact centers. The value of MedWise Science has been proven and now there is scientific data to show an association between the level of risk and outcomes. As a patient's MedWise Risk Level increases, so does their risk of experiencing an ADE, which ultimately leads to an increase in medical expenditure. In fact, TRHC's Precision Pharmacotherapy Research and Development Institute recently conducted a study in conjunction with DARTNet Institute and found a correlation between risk of premature death and higher medication risk scores, affirming that the appropriate use of medications is critical to avoid harm. The current use and value of the MedWise technology is clear, but that begs the question: What's next? According to Dr. Turgeon, it appears the future value of MedWise Science could be virtual. Imagine being able to virtually add different medications to a patient's regimen and then conduct simulations to determine how the MedWise Risk Level may change, altering ADE risk and subsequently impacting outcomes. Well, this is exactly how Dr. Turgeon and his team have already utilized the MedWise technology in two studies—one with elderly patients and another with Medicare patients. By continuing to generate data in large cohorts with multiple disease states, who are managing various drug regimens, can ultimately become a tool for the pharmaceutical industry to test the impact of a new medication coming on the market. Imagine being able to know in advance if and how a medication could change a patient's MedWise Risk Level. In this scenario, prescribers would have a good idea of potential risk factors, pre-identify populations for ADEs, and be able to limit exposing patients to unwanted side effects. The MedWise Risk Level is now available in the PrescribeWellness Patient Engagement Center at no cost. Interested in learning more? Listen to our latest PharmacyNow Podcast: Precision Pharmacotherapy through MedWise®, or contact us today.

In our 9th episode of the PharmacyNow podcast, our host Scott Vondeylen is joined by Kevin Boesen, PharmD, Chief Sales Officer at Tabula Rasa HealthCare, to discuss how new technology is enhancing medication safety and empowering pharmacists with tools to make a more meaningful impact on patient health – regardless of the setting.More medications = more healthcare costsNumerous studies show that the more medications a patient takes, the more money is spent on the problems they cause. Due to unintended consequences of adverse drug events, the majority of these costs are related to ER visits and hospitalizations, as well as prescribing cascades as a result of the need for additional medications to help alleviate side effects. As a result, medication safety is a $500 billion problem in this country.Current medication safety technology isn’t cutting itToday’s patients are taking more medications than ever before, and the current systems pharmacists use are no longer appropriate for preventing drug interactions. It’s impossible for pharmacists to quickly see how multiple medications are impacting the body on a molecular level. It takes research to understand the potential accumulative effects of multiple medications or look into all the pathways that a patients’ drugs and supplements take. For patients 65 years and over and for those with chronic conditions, this can be a particularly dangerous scenario.MedWiseTM: a new medication safety technologyScott and Kevin discuss MedWise, a new pharmacist software that can assess and predict a patient’s potential medication interactions. This technology provides a matrix that empowers pharmacists with a view that never existed before – it gives a unique look into how patients’ drugs compete and delivers a personalized risk score. Rather than shifting through pages of data, this tool empowers pharmacists to quickly understand a patient’s potential risk. MedWise analyzes the cumulative risk of prescribed medications, as well as over-the-counter drugs and supplements.The future of pharmacyKevin predicts a greater role for pharmacists as primary healthcare providers. Currently, our country has a void for healthcare specialists, and pharmacists will fill that void – helping patients with general assessments and ongoing monitoring, particularly for those with chronic conditions. The pharmacist’s role is already changing and growing, especially as they continue to embrace emerging technologies and the popularity and convenience of telehealth.

In our first episode of 2021, we are joined by Kevin Boesen, PharmD, Chief Sales Officer at Tabula Rasa HealthCare to discuss how new technology is enhancing medication safety and empowering pharmacists with tools to make a more meaningful impact on patient health – regardless of the setting.

Marketing your pharmacy is often overlooked but is essential to remaining competitive in the marketplace. Join us as we sit down with a veteran of independent pharmacy with almost 50 years in the industry, Bruce Kneeland. We discuss the important role of social media, guerrilla marketing strategies and new patient acquisition. Bruce also walks us through some of the imminent challenges facing pharmacy owners today and how adopting new clinical services is an absolute must for pharmacy owners.

In our 7th episode of the PharmacyNow podcast, our host Scott Vondeylen is joined by Tracy Tran PharmD, MBA, Director of Pharmacy Clinical Operations at EPIC Pharmacies, Inc. to discuss how clinical services are shaping the future of pharmacy. Read below for our top 3 takeaways: 1. Get involved in clinical servicesOne of the greatest challenges for pharmacists is achieving proper recognition as healthcare providers in the retail setting. Providing enhanced clinical services presents many opportunities for pharmacists to engage with their patients and to create additional revenue for their pharmacy. To expand the role of the pharmacist, enhanced clinical services, beyond dispensing, must be implemented. Health plans are beginning to recognize the impact that pharmacists can make in the overall health of patients, such as the pharmacist’s role in point-of-care testing. Dr. Tran comments that the industry is seeing health plans begin to reimburse for CLIA waived tests like strep or flu, both of which are extremely attractive to patients. Some states are also allowing collaborative practice agreements to occur between pharmacies and physicians, which enable pharmacies to prescribe antibiotics or antivirals for patients who render a positive result through point-of-care testing.Incorporating clinical services into a pharmacy workflow is critical, yet challenging. According to Dr. Tran, in order to drive results, pharmacists must leverage top performing staff, empower technicians to assume different roles and responsibilities, and champion a med sync or an immunization program. The key to a successful clinical program is total team engagement. With competition from large industry players, it is imperative for community pharmacists to get involved in order to remain competitive. Thankfully, clinical services are just one method for pharmacists to continue to receive due recognition, and reimbursement.2. Document! Document! Document!Unlike physicians, pharmacists may not always be in the habit of documenting encounters. Think about visits to primary care physicians – they are constantly documenting everything that a patient reports, and everything they plan to do in response. Pharmacists must understand the importance of documenting their clinical practices, as proper documentation not only gets them paid for services provided, it may also help to identify additional avenues of care for patients served.Whether you are providing a consultation for adherence, smoking cessation, or hormonal contraceptives, documentation is key. For instance, it was only recently that health plans began recognizing the impact that pharmacists had in the reduction of risks related to opioid overdose. Reimbursement for pharmacists soon followed. It is critical that this pattern of documentation continues, as pharmacists are positioned to impact the health of the patient in many ways, thus additional opportunities for recognition may follow.3. Collaborate with physiciansOne of the most under-utilized opportunities for pharmacists is collaboration with physicians. For example, if a pharmacist has in place a collaborative practice agreement, or standing order with a physician, there are certain criteria that the pharmacist must follow. However, with the agreement in place, pharmacists could perform physician-related activities, in collaboration with the physician, and be able to bill as a medical service, instead of a pharmacy service. A closer collaboration between physicians and pharmacists is key to holistically servicing the needs of the patient.

To remain competitive in the pharmacy marketplace, pharmacists need to embrace clinical services. Joining Scott this week is Tracy Tran, Director of Pharmacy Clinical Operations at EPIC Pharmacies. Listen in as we discuss the pharmacy landscape amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, how pharmacies can embrace enhanced clinical services in their own unique workflow, and most importantly, get paid for them.

Join our special guest, Jonathan Marquess, as we discuss his experience testing for coronavirus at two of his pharmacy locations. We'll dig into the logistics of hosting a testing clinic and what it means for your staff and for your business. Dr. Marquess also provides key insights into how COVID-19 is shaping the future of pharmacy and the rest of 2020.

The pharmacy landscape is evolving faster than ever before. Join us as we sit down with Sandra Leal to discuss some of the current challenges facing pharmacies in the wake of the coronavirus. We'll be discussing some of the new legislation for prescribing authority, testing opportunities for pharmacies, and deciphering the gaps in state and federal regulations.

PharmacyNow is excited to invite a very special guest, Rear Admiral Pamela Schweitzer, PharmD. As the former Assistant Surgeon General and Chief Pharmacy Officer of the United States, Rear Admiral Schweitzer brings a unique perspective to the current pharmacy landscape.

The novel Coronavirus continues to impact communities and pharmacies all over the world. Join our special guest, Steve Hoffart, as we discuss how community pharmacists can get creative during these challenging times. From compounding hand sanitizer for first responders to taking extra steps to protect his own employees, Steve has transformed his pharmacy and his workflow to serve the needs of his community.

The novel Coronavirus. It's plaguing communities all across America and the world. Join our special guest, Richard O. Schamp, MD, Chief Medical Officer, as we dive deep into the science of the virus and the effect it is having on our healthcare system.

Pharmacist and Pharmacy Owner, Chris Antypas, breaks down some of the current challenges facing community pharmacy and what the future holds for the industry.