Podcasts about rph

On this exciting episode of the IPhO Podcast, we're shining a spotlight on the unique experiences of fellows working in one of the most critical phases of drug development: late-stage clinical development! Joining us are three fellows from the Merck Late Stage Clinical Development Fellowship Program: Vivian Tran, PharmD, Late Stage Clinical Development, General and Specialty Medicine; Lauren Dougherty, PharmD, Late Stage Clinical Development, Oncology; and Shakhzoda Rakhimova, PharmD, RPh, Late Stage Clinical Development, ID/Vaccines. In this conversation with their co-fellow and host, Alena Abraham, PharmD, they share their personal journeys into clinical development, what guided them toward their specific therapeutic areas, and how they've tackled common challenges, such as steep learning curves and navigating collaboration difficulties. They also highlight the key skills that have helped them thrive in their roles and offer valuable advice for students considering a similar path. Whether you're exploring fellowship options or have a strong interest in clinical development, this episode offers insider insight you won't want to miss!

It was truly an honor and a great pleasure to talk to a well-respected colleague and friend about his experience as both a pharmacist and an expert in the natural products field. He is a true embodiment of the Myth, Man and Legend. Tune in to learn more about filling in the gaps in the current healthcare climate by utilizing evidence-backed nutraceuticals. Dr. Jeffery A. Johnson, ND, PharmD, RPh, MBA is a dedicated healthcare professional and 30-year combat veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces (USAF). A graduate of Purdue University (BS-Pharm, 1978), he later earned his Doctor of Naturopathy (2000), Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Kansas (2003), and an MBA. Throughout his career, Dr. Johnson has spent over three decades educating and consulting with healthcare professionals and clients on the integration of nutraceuticals into personal healthcare practices—highlighting both their benefits and potential challenges. Since retiring from active military service in 2017, he has continued his mission of promoting informed, holistic healthcare practices. He currently works part-time as a self-employed Consultant Pharmacist, offering expert guidance on nutraceuticals and overall wellness strategies. Connect with Jeffery via: Email: ntrxpathconsultants@outlook.com Linked In: Dr Jeffery A (Doc Pappy J) Johnson Visit https://marinabuksov.com for more holistic content. Music from https://www.purple-planet.com. Disclaimer: Statements herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.

It's estimated that nearly 38 percent of the U.S. population is prediabetic, yet many of those people don't know it and are unaware of the potential health consequences that can result.    Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, joins us to delve into this critical topic and its implications for health, including the various conditions it can lead to, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and Alzheimer's and dementia. He explains the factors that contribute to insulin resistance, how to measure and monitor blood sugar, and the habits we can adopt to manage blood sugar effectively.    This episode of Life Time Talks is part of our series on Performance and Longevity with MIORA.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/breaking-insulin-resistance-your-guide-to-blood-sugar-mastery-performance-longevity-series   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at lttalks@lt.life — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program. 

Inflammation is an essential function of the body, but chronic inflammation can have adverse health consequences, especially when it comes to the aging process. In this episode, Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, joins us to explore the concept of metabolic inflammation, or “metaflammation,” and how it can silently affect our metabolism, leading to accelerated aging, or “inflammaging.” He shares insights around identifying and managing chronic inflammation, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle choices and comprehensive lab testing.   This episode of Life Time Talks is part of our series on Performance and Longevity with MIORA.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/inflammation-and-aging-the-hidden-connection-performance-longevity-series   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at lttalks@lt.life — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program. 

Curious about peptides but unsure where to start?In this conversation, I speak with clinical pharmacist and author Jim LaValle about how specific peptides like BPC-157 and KPV can support gut health, reduce inflammation, and potentially accelerate healing in those with autoimmune thyroid conditions. He breaks down the mechanisms in layman's terms, including how gut permeability and chronic stress can feed into conditions like Hashimoto's and Graves'. We also explore the nuances around GLP-1 medications for weight loss, the role of peptides in hair loss recovery, and whether certain compounds are appropriate for long-term use. Throughout, we return to the theme that peptides are tools—not magic—and they're most effective when paired with foundational lifestyle shifts.Tune in to learn where peptides can fit into your thyroid or autoimmune healing journey!Episode Timeline: 00:00 – Episode Overview01:24 – Podcast Intro01:54 – Guest Intro: Who Is Jim LaValle?04:08 – How He Got Into Peptides08:16 – Peptides for Autoimmunity and Thyroid Health14:38 – Dosing Duration and Safety Considerations18:01 – Peptides and Thyroid Medications19:43 – GLP-1 Peptides and Weight Loss25:41 – Long-Term Use of GLP-1s: Is It Safe?27:32 – Peptides for Hair Regrowth31:42 – Stress, Cortisol, and Alopecia33:33 – Peptides That Support Sleep36:24 – What Peptides Jim LaValle Personally Uses39:39 – Longevity & Mitochondrial Peptides to Know39:39 – Where To Find Jim LaValle45:08 – Podcast Outro45:29 – Dr. Osansky's ReflectionsAbout Jim LaVelle: Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, is a clinical pharmacist, board-certified nutritionist, and author with 40+ years of experience. He specializes in precision and performance health, integrating metabolic-based care. Founder of Metabolic Code Enterprises, he has taught at institutions like the University of Cincinnati and George Washington School of Medicine. LaValle has worked with elite sports teams, military, and first responders, optimizing performance and recovery. He has authored 26 books, including Cracking the Metabolic Code, and over 200 articles. Currently, he serves as Chief Science Officer at Life Time, leading scientific initiatives for its longevity and performance program, MIORA.Connect with Jim Lavelle: Jim LaValle's InstagramJim Lavalle's WebsiteFree resources for your thyroid healthGet your FREE Thyroid and Immune Health Restoration Action Points Checklist at SaveMyThyroidChecklist.comHigh-Quality Nutritional Supplements For Hyperthyroidism and Hashimoto'sHave you checked out my new ThyroSave supplement line? These high-quality supplements can benefit those with hyperthyroidism and Hashimoto's, and you can receive special offers, along with 10% off your first order, by signing up for emails and text messages when you visit ThyroSave.com Do You Want Help Saving Your Thyroid? Access hundreds of free articles at www.NaturalEndocrineSolutions.com Visit Dr. Eric's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/NaturalThyroidDoctor/ To work with Dr. Eric, visit https://savemythyroid.com/work-with-dr-eric/

This is a follow up to episode 325, which was about pod-guesting best practices for first-timers for remote podcast interviews. Today's episode is about pod-guesting best practices for in-person podcast interviews.   The FULL show notes are on https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast.   If the interview is in-person, you'll probably sit across the table from someone. There are several ways to record a conversation in-person, like at the host's recording space, at your home, or at a neutral location.   No matter where you record, your goals are to sound good, have a conversation, and tell the audience what they need to hear (deliver value). These are the same three goals from my episode about remote pod-guesting best practices. The “how” is just a little different in-person. If you've been invited to be an in-person podcast guest, this episode might help you understand what to expect so you have have a good experience.    In the final few minutes of this episode, I talk about being a generous guest. For example, provide requested information on-time, help promote the episode, engage with social media posts, and say, “Thank You.”   If you know someone who needs these best practices, please share this episode with them. Subscribe for all future episodes. Popular links are below. ⬇️   Apple Podcasts   https://apple.co/42yqXOG  Spotify  https://spoti.fi/3qAk3uY  Amazon/Audible  https://adbl.co/43tM45P YouTube https://bit.ly/43Rnrjt   Websites mentioned in this episode The Perrysburg Podcast (my local podcast) https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com  The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 325 (Part 1 of this series) https://bit.ly/4jtVUMS  Mic check with Kim Newlove, RPh via Zoom (not recorded) $25/15 min https://calendly.com/kimnewlovevo/15minmicchecknotrecorded  Mic check with Kim Newlove, RPh via Zoom (RECORDED) $50/15 min https://calendly.com/kimnewlovevo/15minmiccheckrecorded    Visit Kim's websites and links! ✅ Guest Application Form (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast) https://bit.ly/41iGogX ✅ Monthly email newsletter sign-up link https://bit.ly/3AHJIaF  ✅ LinkedIn Newsletter link https://bit.ly/40VmV5B ✅ Business website https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com ✅ Get my FREE eBook and audiobook about podcasting ✅ The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast ✅ Drug pronunciation course https://www.kimnewlove.com  ✅ Podcasting course https://www.kimnewlove.com/podcasting  ✅ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnewlove ✅ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kim.newlove.96 ✅ Twitter https://twitter.com/KimNewloveVO ✅ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimnewlovevo/ ✅ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3UyhNBi9CCqIMP8t1wRZQ ✅ ACX (Audiobook Narrator Profile) https://www.acx.com/narrator?p=A10FSORRTANJ4Z ✅ Start a podcast with the same coach who helped me get started (Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting)! **Affiliate Link - NEW 9-8-23**      Thank you for listening to episode 338 of The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast.  If you know someone who would like this episode, please share it with them!

In this episode, host Sara Rubin is joined by Cheryl Allen, RPh, founding partner at Curatio Advisors, to explore how manufacturers can evolve their access strategies in response to the growing complexity of specialty-like therapies. With a career spanning specialty pharmacy, digital health innovation and commercialization strategy, Cheryl shares how reframing these products as “enhanced retail” can unlock smarter, patient-centered support models.The conversation highlights how patient voices are shaping the next generation of hub services, starter kits and adherence programs, and why a product's clinical and administrative profile should inform infrastructure decisions from day one. Cheryl offers actionable guidance on building programs that not only help patients start therapy, but support long-term persistence in a fragmented and demanding access environment.The views expressed in this podcast belong solely to the speakers and do not represent those of their organization. If you want access to more future-focused, actionable insights to help biopharmaceutical companies better execute and succeed in a constantly evolving environment, visit the Syneos Health Insights Hub. The perspectives you'll find there are driven by dynamic research and crafted by subject matter experts focused on real answers to help guide decision-making and investment. You can find it all at insightshub.health. Like what you're hearing? Be sure to rate and review us! We want to hear from you! If there's a topic you'd like us to cover on a future episode, contact us at podcast@syneoshealth.com.

Jon Easter, RPh, joined Over the Counter to discuss the main ideas of his presentation from the American Diabetes Association's 85th Scientific Sessions.

Exploring the Complexities of Pharma Rebates with Ann Lewandowski In this Summer Short episode of Relentless Health Value, host Stacey Richter converses again with Ann Lewandowski about the intricate dynamics of pharmaceutical rebates, or as Lewandowski prefers, post-sale concessions.  The discussion delves into the nuances of these rebates, the impact they have on drug costs, and the hidden consequences for patients and plan sponsors.  They highlight articles and insights by Austin Chelko and Peter Hayes, touching on how rebates can disadvantage the pursuit of lower-cost generics and biosimilars, and can obstruct pharmacogenetic testing that ensures drug efficacy and safety.  The conversation also critiques the opacity of rebates, deemed trade secrets by pharma and PBM companies, and underscores the ethical and financial dilemmas posed by the current rebate-driven system. === LINKS ===

Red Power Hour is back! RPH co-hosts Melanie Yazzie and Elena discuss Ryan Coogler's new horror film, Sinners (2025) Empower our work: GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/empower-red-medias-indigenous-content  Subscribe to The Red Nation Newsletter: https://www.therednation.org/ Patreon www.patreon.com/redmediapr

If you've ever downloaded a formula from the PCCA database and thought, “Wow, that was easy,” you're not wrong — but behind that single click is a mountain of work, innovation and science. In this episode of the Mortar & Pestle, PCCA Senior Formulation Specialist & Project Manager Stacey Lemus, BS, joins host Mike De Lisio and co-host Sebastian Denison, RPh, FAARM  (Candidate) to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the engine that drives PCCA's formulation development.

David Swenson, RPh, joined Over the Counter to discuss the new drug shortage technology, CCT Rx Shortage Solutions, his company is helping bring to pharmacies across the country.

In this episode of the Root Cause Medicine Podcast, Dr. Carrie Jones sits down with seasoned compounding pharmacist Sara Hover, RPh, to demystify the world of personalized medications. They dig into how compounding pharmacies offer tailored solutions for hormone therapy, acne, hair loss, weight loss, and more—and why this approach can be life-changing for patients who've hit dead ends with conventional medicine. Sarah shares eye-opening stories, from hormone creams and sublingual weight loss medications to pediatric popsicles and custom thyroid solutions, showing just how flexible and powerful compounding can be. What You'll Learn: - What compounding pharmacies actually do—and why it matters - Why the finished compounded meds aren't FDA-approved (and why that's okay) - How bioidentical hormone therapy transforms women's health - Solutions for allergies to common fillers like red dye or peanut oil - Fun and effective delivery forms: lozenges, topical creams, even popsicles - Hair loss, acne, eczema, and anti-aging compounding options - The surprising science behind sublingual GLP-1s for weight loss - How to find (or help your doctor become) a compound-friendly provider Sara Hover, RPh is a compounding pharmacist with 30 years of experience and a specialty in hormone replacement therapy. She serves as a lead educator at PCCA, where she trains pharmacists and providers on the latest in compounding innovations. Sarah is passionate about personalized, patient-centered care—and believes no one should be told they're "crazy" when a tailored medication might be the real solution. Order tests through Rupa Health, the BEST place to order functional medicine lab tests from 30+ labs - https://www.rupahealth.com/reference-guide

In this episode of The Dr. Terri Show, we welcome renowned clinician and health expert Jim LaValle, RPH, CCN, MT, DHM, DHPH, to shed light on the often-overlooked importance of sleep. Discover how to optimize your sleep for better health, energy, and overall well-being.' -- The Dr. Terri Show is presented by Evexias Health Solutions. For more, visit: https://www.evexias.com Connect more with Dr. Terri:

RPH is back! Cohosts Elena Ortiz and Melanie Yazzie do a very deep dive reading of Thunderheart (1992)  Watch the video edition on The Red Nation Podcast YouTube channel Empower our work: GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/empower-red-medias-indigenous-content  Subscribe to The Red Nation Newsletter: https://www.therednation.org/ Patreon www.patreon.com/redmediapr

Are you confused about the differences between Mebendazole and Fenbendazole? You're not alone. While both are anti-parasitic medications, Mebendazole is specifically designed and FDA-approved for human use, whereas Fenbendazole is intended for animals. Despite its growing popularity for off-label human use, Fenbendazole carries risks due to unregulated purity and potential contaminants and risks that are not present in compounded Mebendazole available at Physician's Preference Pharmacy.   In this episode, Bryana Gregory, PharmD, RPh, breaks down why choosing human-grade Mebendazole over its animal counterpart is the safer, smarter choice. Learn how Mebendazole's purity is tested rigorously, ensuring you get exactly what you're prescribed, free of harmful fillers and contaminants. She also discusses the growing interest in parasite cleanses and how regular use of Mebendazole may help address underlying parasitic infections that contribute to chronic inflammation, digestive issues, and even autoimmune conditions.   Discover the importance of quality and safety in your anti-parasitic treatments, and why Physician's Preference Pharmacy is committed to providing affordable, pure, and effective Mebendazole for their guests.   Watch now and subscribe to our podcasts at www.HotzePodcast.com. To receive a FREE copy of Dr. Hotze's best-selling book, Hormones, Health, and Happiness, call 281-698-8698 and mention this podcast. Includes free shipping!

Vet Watch: Where what you know today will protect everybody tomorrow. Join us for the premiere of Vet Watch—the new podcast from Dr. Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, designed to bring you real‑world clinical insight. In our first episode, Dr. Lee sits down with board‑certified dermatologist Dr. Alice Jeromin, DVM, RPh, DACVD, to explore how isoxazoline parasiticides have reshaped flea, tick, mite, and other ectoparasite control. Alice Jeromin, RPh, DACVD—Before earning her DVM degree from The Ohio State University, Jeromin graduated from the University of Toledo with a BS in Pharmacy and practiced as a hospital pharmacist. She completed her veterinary dermatology residency with Patrick Breen and dermatopathology training at Procter & Gamble, Miami Valley Labs, as well as a fellowship in human dermatology at Metro Health Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio with Bryan Davis. Jeromin is currently an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University, lecturer at Northeast Ohio College of Pharmacy, and former practice owner of Veterinary Allergy & Dermatology, Inc. She is a former member-at-large on AVMA's Council on Biologicals and Therapeutics as chairman of the supplements and compounding committees. Along with publishing in human and veterinary journals, she authored the dermatology chapter in “Pharmacotherapeutics for Veterinary Dispensing”. Her interests include human-animal comparative dermatology and skin lipid research with publications in both areas.  Because of her pharmacist background of counseling patients, she is a strong believer in client education and maintains her website, www.purrfectpet.com, for clients to be educated with evidence-based information as well as an upcoming podcast "Speaking of Pets" The podcast is geared toward pet owners of allergic pets to provide them with accurate, evidence-based information.

Why are so many people struggling in silence with low libido or sexual dysfunction issues, and how can we bring these conversations into the open? In this candid episode, Elaina Mango and Bryana Gregory, PharmD, RPh dive into a topic many hesitate to talk about. From hormone imbalances to the impact of chronic stress, they break down how physical and emotional health play a critical role in intimacy, and why you shouldn't just settle for a quick fix. The discussion covers practical solutions available through compounding pharmacy, including oxytocin nasal spray, tadalafil, sildenafil, and specialty formulas like Intensity Cream for women. While these treatments can provide immediate support, the ultimate goal is to uncover and resolve the root cause, often involving hormone depletion, adrenal fatigue, or lifestyle stressors. By approaching the issue holistically, couples can improve connection, communication, and long-term vitality. Watch now and subscribe to our podcasts at www.HotzePodcast.com. To receive a FREE copy of Dr. Hotze's best-selling book, “Hormones, Health, and Happiness,” call 281-698-8698 and mention this podcast. Includes free shipping!

What is long-term care pharmacy at home, and why is there a growing need for these services? Don't miss this valuable conversation with guests Susan Rhodus and Leanne Haley-Brown as they look into all things LTC at home. They also address what makes this a game-changing opportunity, why community pharmacies are perfectly positioned to lead this shift, and what to consider before getting started.    Guests:  Leanne Haley-Brown, BS Pharm, RPh, CPESN® pharmacy care at home and closed-door facility care lead  Susan Rhodus, BS Pharm, senior vice president, contracts and advocacy, GeriMed

Join Dr. Troy Spurrill and PA Richelle Voth with guest expert Bryanna Gregory, PharmD, RPh, for a focused discussion on the latest in mast cell and the Independent Medical Alliance (IMA). Explore Dr. Gregory's resources: https://www.bryanagregory.com/

Welcome to Part Three of our special APhA Spotlight Post Show series — where we bring you voices from across the pharmacy spectrum who are innovating, advocating, and pushing the profession forward. This episode features a powerhouse lineup of thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, and global pharmacy champions. Featured Guests: Dr. Marci Strauss, PharmD Alex Berg, Rx2Go, PharmaStaff Kelli Stovall, RPh, MBA, IPC Lari Harding, SVP, Industry Affairs & Strategic Partnerships, INMAR James Hunsinger & Stephanie Delman, Boehringer Ingelheim Brandon Welch, PharmD Catherine Duggan, FIP Marsha Millonig Dr. Blair Thielemier, PharmD

Today's episode is about remote podcast interview best practices for first-time guests. Pharmacists, students, techs, professors, etc get invited to be on podcast interviews all the time. Want advice from an experienced podcast host (and guest) about being a first-time podcast guest? You need to listen to this episode! I have published almost 200 remote podcast interviews and been a guest on at least 10 remote podcast interviews since 2019.    The FULL show notes (including all links) are on https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast.  Select episode 325.    If you know someone who needs these best practices, please share this episode with them. Subscribe for all future episodes. There will be a “Part 2” about in-person podcasting best practices for first-time guests later this year. Popular links are below. ⬇️   Apple Podcasts   https://apple.co/42yqXOG  Spotify  https://spoti.fi/3qAk3uY  Amazon/Audible  https://adbl.co/43tM45P YouTube https://bit.ly/43Rnrjt   3 goals: sound good, have a conversation, and deliver value.   10 best practices: Use a good microphone  Practice microphone technique Wear wired headphones Use a strong internet connection Minimize background noise Wear “quiet” clothing and jewelry Join/end on time so you can take care of pre-interview and post-interview stuff Know your key talking points Be a generous guest Misc best practices - follow host instructions, disconnect external hard drives, ask questions in advance, and have fun!   Websites mentioned in this episode The Perrysburg Podcast https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com  SquadCast is remote recording software https://squadcast.fm/  ATR2100X-USB microphone (not an affiliate link) https://amzn.to/4loVgBZ   Samson Q2U microphone (not an affiliate link) https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Q2UPack--samson-q2u-recording-and-podcasting-pack-usb-xlr-dynamic-microphone-with-accessories  Mic check with Kim Newlove, RPh via Zoom (not recorded) $25/15 min https://calendly.com/kimnewlovevo/15minmicchecknotrecorded  Mic check with Kim Newlove, RPh via Zoom (RECORDED) $50/15 min https://calendly.com/kimnewlovevo/15minmiccheckrecorded  Ohio Pharmacists Association https://ohiopharmacists.org/aws/OPA/pt/sp/home_page    Visit Kim's websites and links! ✅ Guest Application Form (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast) https://bit.ly/41iGogX ✅ Monthly email newsletter sign-up link https://bit.ly/3AHJIaF  ✅ LinkedIn Newsletter link https://bit.ly/40VmV5B ✅ Business website https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com ✅ Get my FREE eBook and audiobook about podcasting ✅ The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast ✅ Drug pronunciation course https://www.kimnewlove.com  ✅ Podcasting course https://www.kimnewlove.com/podcasting  ✅ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnewlove ✅ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kim.newlove.96 ✅ Twitter https://twitter.com/KimNewloveVO ✅ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimnewlovevo/ ✅ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3UyhNBi9CCqIMP8t1wRZQ ✅ ACX (Audiobook Narrator Profile) https://www.acx.com/narrator?p=A10FSORRTANJ4Z ✅ Start a podcast with the same coach who helped me get started (Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting)! **Affiliate Link - NEW 9-8-23**      Thank you for listening to episode 325 of The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast.  If you know someone who would like this episode, please share it with them!

Weight-loss drugs have been front and center in recent years, making headlines for both their helpful benefits and their harrowing side effects. Jim LaValle, RPh, joins us to talk about how short-term use of GLP-1s — when used in combination with intentional lifestyle changes — may be a healthier path toward long-term weight management and overall health and well-being.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/taking-a-balanced-approach-to-glp-1s   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at lttalks@lt.life — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program. 

Omar The Pharmacist, discusses pollen and allergies on the show. He emphasizes the importance of protecting the immune system and clarifies that allergies are not contagious. He highlights the role of healthy gut bacteria, which thrive on breast milk and provide beneficial probiotics. Rph Omar also addresses histamine intolerance, a condition that mimics allergy symptoms, including digestive and skin issues. While he mentions medications like Benadryl for symptom relief, he warns against overuse due to drowsiness. Additionally, he points out foods that may trigger allergic reactions, especially for those unaware of their allergies. Rph. Omar further explains culture tests, which help identify microorganisms in a lab setting, providing valuable insights for treatment. Lastly, he highlights that taking Cbd for pain should be approved by your doctor and that using the product acts as a blood thinner so to keep that in mind when using with other blood thinners.

Rachel Gainsbrugh, PharmD is the host of The Luxury Rental Doctor Show (Podcast). She is passionate about helping professionals create a life they don't need a vacation from through AirBNB investing. Click the link to listen today! https://www.shorttermgems.com/podcast    This is the 10th episode in the Pharmacist Podcasters Series. My guests and I talk about podcasting to inspire you to host a podcast, be a podcast guest, or use your voice in general. If you're interested in podcasting, pod-guesting, or public speaking, you'll like this episode. During our conversation, Dr. Rachel talks about how she started her podcast, what it's about, how she got into short-term rentals, her intended audience, advice for new podcasters, and more.    Thank you for listening to episode 323 of The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast!   To read the FULL show notes, visit https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast.  Select episode 323.   ✅ Guest Application Form (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast) https://bit.ly/41iGogX    If you need help starting your podcast, I can help. Get my FREE eBook (or audiobook version) on kimnewlove.com/podcasting. I also teach a self-paced, online course and work with clients by-the-hour. Listen to my episodes about podcasting in my back catalog on thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast.    Subscribe to or follow The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast to get each new episode delivered to your podcast player and YouTube every time a new one comes out!     Apple Podcasts   https://apple.co/42yqXOG  Spotify  https://spoti.fi/3qAk3uY  Amazon/Audible  https://adbl.co/43tM45P YouTube https://bit.ly/43Rnrjt   Bio - Rachel Gainsbrugh, PharmD (March 2025) Rachel was born in Haiti with a drive to make a difference and not take her parents' sacrifices for granted. She was raised in Miami, worked hard, became a doctor and was left with over $500K in student loans. So, she grinded hard to pay off her loans. When she found AirBNB investing, it became a game-changer for her where she was able to make 15X on short-term real estate rentals over long-term rentals. Now, she's a healthcare professional by day and a rental investor by night. She's the owner and manager of 18 luxury short-term rentals with a lucrative cash-flowing rental portfolio, mom, wife and real estate coach that was recently featured on a Netflix TV show showcasing one of her luxury rentals. Rachel is passionate about helping professionals create a life they don't need a vacation from through AirBNB investing.   The Luxury Rental Doctor Show Podcast description (March 2025, Apple Podcasts App) Ever wish you had a seasoned real estate mentor whispering success secrets in your ear? That's exactly what you'll get when you tune into the acclaimed “The Luxury Rental Doctor Show” with your host, Dr. Rachel Gainsbrugh. From inner-city Miami to luxury AirBNB investor, this retired pharmacist, best-selling author, and Netflix-featured personality brings you insights that transform challenges into profitable opportunities. Her specialty? Breaking down her journey and strategies into actionable steps designed to maximize your investment returns with minimal properties.   Tune in, get inspired, and get ready to discover why countless medical professionals and entrepreneurs turn to Dr. Rachel for guidance when it comes to luxury short-term and mid-term rentals. Whether you're a healthcare worker seeking financial freedom, a mom balancing life and investments, or a professional aiming to retire early, each episode is crafted to help you take immediate action on the most effective strategies for building your own profitable rental portfolio today. Join Dr. Rachel and learn how to leverage real estate for a life of less stress and more success.   Links from this episode Rachel's Podcast Link https://www.shorttermgems.com/podcast  Rachel's Business website https://www.shorttermgems.com/  Rachel on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rachel-gainsbrugh/  Rachel on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rachel.gainsbrugh/  Rachel on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@theluxuryrentaldoctorshow Rachel on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/short.term.gems  Rachel on X (Twitter) https://x.com/GratefulPharmD  Rachel on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/shorttermgems/  Rachel on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@luxury_str_doctor?lang=en  75 Gems Resource https://www.shorttermgems.com/75gems  Captivate is a media host https://www.captivate.fm/  Online course platform https://kajabi.com/    Pharmacist Podcasters Series Part 1 with Ola Latala, PharmD (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 248) Part 2 with Deeb Eid, PharmD (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 253) Part 3 with Justin Cole, PharmD (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 257) Part 4 with Christina Fontana, PharmD The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 262 Part 5 with Tony Dao, PharmD The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 266 Part 6 with Dr. H (Hussam Hamoush, PharmD) The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 275 Part 7 with Julie Doan, PharmD The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 297 Part 8 with Tim Ulbrich, PharmD The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 306  Part 9 with Zain Syed, PharmD The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 310  Part 10 with Rachel Gainsbrugh, PharmD (TODAY!)    Kim's websites and social media links: ✅ Guest Application Form (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast) https://bit.ly/41iGogX  ✅ Monthly email newsletter sign-up link https://bit.ly/3AHJIaF  ✅ LinkedIn Newsletter https://bit.ly/40VmV5B ✅ Business website https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com ✅ The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast ✅ Pronounce Drug Names Like a Pro © Online Course https://www.kimnewlove.com  ✅ FREE Podcasting eBook/audiobook combo https://www.kimnewlove.com/podcasting  ✅ Podcasting Online Course https://www.kimnewlove.com/podcasting  ✅ Private Podcasting Coaching or Consulting https://www.kimnewlove.com/private-coaching  ✅ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnewlove ✅ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kim.newlove.96 ✅ Twitter https://twitter.com/KimNewloveVO ✅ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimnewlovevo/ ✅ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3UyhNBi9CCqIMP8t1wRZQ ✅ ACX (Audiobook Narrator Profile) https://www.acx.com/narrator?p=A10FSORRTANJ4Z ✅ Start a podcast with the same coach who helped me get started (Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting)! **Affiliate Link - NEW 9-8-23**      Thank you for listening to episode 323 of The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast.  If you know someone who would like this episode, please share it with them!

Stephen B. Corn, MD and Meredith Fisher-Corn, MD interview Sang Choi, RPH, Research Scientist of the New York State Office of Cannabis Managment and discuss her path from pharmacist -in-charge at specialty pharmacies, to to Dispensary Director of a medical cannabis company to her current role at the New York State Department of Health. Dr. Choi highlights the details of their unique "Cannabis Research License" program. to find out more visit theanswerpage.com

Are you stuck with hormone therapy that doesn't feel quite right? Discover how bioidentical options can help you fine-tune your dosing with no surgery required! If you're tired of juggling frustrating hormone symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, hot flashes, or brain fog, this is the conversation for you. Learn why flexibility in dosing is so critical, especially when hormones can swing from day to day. Join Bryana Gregory, PharmD, RPH and Kimberly Bennett, RPH to learn how a high-quality compounding pharmacy goes beyond the minimum legal standards to ensure the purity and precision of every batch. These standards are an absolute must for narrow therapeutic medications like thyroid, testosterone, and other bioidentical hormones. If you've ever struggled with side effects, inconsistency, or simply felt “off,” Kim and Bryana explain how partnering with your doctor and a trusted compounding pharmacy may hold the key to feeling your best again. Watch now and subscribe to our podcasts at www.HotzePodcast.com. To receive a FREE copy of Dr. Hotze's best-selling book, “Hormones, Health, and Happiness,” call 281-698-8698 and mention this podcast. Includes free shipping!

Vic Johnson, RPh, BCNP, owner and Pharmacist in Charge, at Living Well Pharmacy in Augusta, GA, talks with the Quality Corner Show about how their pharmacy achieved the "Most Improved" APCI pharmacy from 2023 to 2024 in EQUIPP and receiving an inaugural Star Award.Host Brittany Boyd, Associate Director of Pharmacy Training and Support at PQS by Innovaccer asks Johnson about logging into EQUIPP and incorporating it into daily workflow processes. Johnson explains the ease-of-use of the platform and thanks his staff for their support in winning this first-time award.

In this episode of Voices of Otolaryngology, Rahul K. Shah, MD, MBA, AAO-HNS/F Executive Vice President and CEO, visits Eugene G. Brown III, MD, RPh, AAO-HNS/F President-elect at his practice, Charleston ENT & Allergy in Charleston, South Carolina. The two discuss Dr. Brown's unique journey to otolaryngology, the 2023 Otolaryngology Workforce Report, the trajectory of his practice's composition,  priorities for his upcoming term as President, and more! Also, in this episode, the interviewer becomes the interviewee as Dr. Brown turns the table, asking Dr. Shah about his experiences thus far as the new EVP/CEO.  Helpful Resource: Workforce Survey Report: www.entnet.org/workforce 

*Producer's note: This is only the first half of the conversation, which in total stretched almost 2.5 hours!  To listen to the second half, please sign up at Patreon.com/redmediapr or you can watch the full episode on our YouTube channel soon! RPH is back! Co-hosts Melanie Yazzie and Elena Ortiz are joined by TRN comrade Levi Harter to discuss James Cameron's mega-blockbuster (and also mega racist) Avatar series.  Video edition coming soon! Empower our work: GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/empower-red-medias-indigenous-content  Subscribe to The Red Nation Newsletter: https://www.therednation.org/ Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/redmediapr    

This is my annual Poison Prevention episode. The topic this year is Poison Prevention in Older Adults. My guests are poison prevention educators Angel Bivens, RPh (Maryland Poison Center) and Dr. Wendy Stephan (Florida Poison Information Center - Miami, Florida).    National Poison Prevention Week (in the United States) is March 16-22, 2025. The theme is, “When the unexpected happens, Poison Help is here for you.” America's Poison Centers and The Poison Help Line serve everyone in the US, especially vulnerable populations, like older adults.    The Poison Help Line number is 1-800-222-1222. Program it in your phone today, and share it with your patients, colleagues, friends, and family.   America's Poison Centers and The Poison Help Line are valuable resources that are supported (in part) by federal funds. Thank you, Poison Centers and Poison Help Line Workers, for the important work you do!   To read the FULL show notes, visit https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com.  Click the Podcast tab, and select episode 321.   Follow the podcast to get each new episode! Popular links are below.   Apple Podcasts   https://apple.co/42yqXOG  Spotify  https://spoti.fi/3qAk3uY  Amazon/Audible  https://adbl.co/43tM45P YouTube https://bit.ly/43Rnrjt   During our conversation today, Angel and Wendy… Define “older adults” Provide stats on United States poisonings [in older adults] Give examples of poisonings [among older adults] Discuss risk factors for poisonings [in older adults] Offer strategies to prevent poisonings [in older adults], including promoting the Poison Help Line as a resource Explain what pharmacists can do to help prevent poisonings in older adults Tell you when to call The Poison Help Line (and more!)    ✅ Click the link, and sign up for my monthly email newsletter! https://bit.ly/3AHJIaF   Mentioned in this episode The Poison Help Line 1-800-222-1222   Bio - Wendy Stephan, PhD (March 2025) Dr. Wendy Stephan is the educator and epidemiologist for the Florida Poison Information Center in Miami.  For the last 18 years, Wendy has promoted the use of poison control and worked to prevent poisonings of all kinds, including from medication, household chemicals, and environmental hazards. Wendy completed her PhD in Epidemiology and her Master of Public Health degree at the University of Miami and currently serves on the Board of Directors of America's Poison Centers.     Website www.floridapoisoncontrol.org LinkedIn for Wendy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-s-315b70178/ The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 27 featuring Dr. Wendy Stephan (July 2020) The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episodes 203, 204, 205, 206, and 207 (March 2023) The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 268 featuring Dr. Wendy Stephan (March 2024) Email: wstephan@med.miami.edu X (Twitter): @floridapoison https://x.com/FloridaPoison  Instagram @floridapoisoncontrol https://www.instagram.com/floridapoisoncontrol/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FloridasPCC/  Poison Help Line (Poison Control) 1-800-222-1222 poisoncenter@fpicn.org = Florida's Poison Information Center educators or call 1-800-222-1222.   Bio - Angel Bivens, RPh (March 2025) Angel Bivens is a pharmacist by training with experience in retail, hospital, home infusion, and mail order pharmacy, but her true passion is working at the Maryland Poison Center (MPC). She has been with the MPC for over 25 years, spending the first 8 years as a specialist in poison information managing poisoning and overdose cases from the public and healthcare professionals. She then spent the next 17 years in the role of public education coordinator, ensuring the more than 4 million Marylanders in the MPC service area know about their services and learn ways to keep their families safe from poison dangers in an around their home. Angel rose to assistant director, overseeing operations and public education in 2018. In this role she combines her love for educating the public with responsibilities that ensure there is always someone there to help with a poisoning or overdose 24/7/365. In May 2024, Angel was promoted to Managing Director for The Center.   Angel completed her BS in Pharmacy at Duquesne University (Pittsburgh PA) and her MBA at University of Baltimore (Baltimore MD). She also holds the designation of Certified Specialist in Poison Information (CSPI) after successfully completing the American Association of Poison Control Centers certification examination in 1990, 1998, 2005, 2012, and 2019.   Angel Bivens, RPh on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelbivens/  The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 87 featuring Angel Bivens (March 2021) The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 141 featuring Angel Bivens (March 2022) The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episodes 203, 204, 205, 206, and 207 (March 2023) The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 268 featuring Angel Bivens, RPh (March 2024) Maryland Poison Center website: https://www.mdpoison.com/  To find your local poison center: https://poisoncenters.org/  Poison Prevention Press: https://www.mdpoison.com/families/pppress.html (One-page, plain language e-newsletter published every other month on varying topics; all current and previous issues available Poison Prevention Press sign up: http://bit.ly/MPCSignUp) eAntidote Blog: blog.mdpoison.com  Facebook: MarylandPoisonCenter https://www.facebook.com/MarylandPoisonCenter  X (Twitter): @MDPoisonCtr https://x.com/MDPoisonCtr X (Twitter): @MPCToxtidbits https://x.com/MPCToxtidbits  Instagram: @MDPoisonCenter https://www.instagram.com/mdpoisoncenter/  YouTube: Maryland Poison Center https://www.youtube.com/@marylandpoisoncenter/videos  Resources with clinical information for pharmacists:  ToxTidbits:  http://bit.ly/ToxTidbits (One-page clinical e-newsletter published monthly on various toxicologic topics; all current and previous issues available ToxTidbits sign up: http://bit.ly/TTBSignUp)   Kim's websites and social media links: ✅ Monthly email newsletter sign-up link https://bit.ly/3AHJIaF  ✅ LinkedIn Newsletter link https://bit.ly/40VmV5B ✅ Business website https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com ✅ Get my FREE eBook and audiobook about podcasting ✅ The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast ✅ Drug pronunciation course https://www.kimnewlove.com  ✅ Podcasting course https://www.kimnewlove.com/podcasting  ✅ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnewlove ✅ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kim.newlove.96 ✅ Twitter https://twitter.com/KimNewloveVO ✅ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimnewlovevo/ ✅ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3UyhNBi9CCqIMP8t1wRZQ ✅ ACX (Audiobook Narrator Profile) https://www.acx.com/narrator?p=A10FSORRTANJ4Z ✅ Start a podcast with the same coach who helped me get started (Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting)! **Affiliate Link - NEW 9-8-23**      Thank you for listening to episode 321 of The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast.  If you know someone who would like this episode, please share it with them!

Featured Guests: Brigid Groves, PharmD, MS  Mitch Rothholz, RPh, MBA, FAPhA Lucas Berenbrok, PharmD, MS, BCACP, FAPhA  ·              Key Takeaway: Knowing where patients can find vaccines at pharmacies is crucial to increasing convenient access.  

In this episode of a Mortar and Pestle, Michael Strouse, firefighter for the Department of Defense, and Robyn Crow, RPh, Lead Pharmacist at Clarks RX Pharmacy, joins host Mike De Lisio and co-host Sebastian Denison, RPh, FAARM  (Candidate) to discuss how compounding saved Micheals life.

Get to know the AZ State Board of Pharmacy.  Join President Lorri Walmsley, RPh, FAzPA and Executive Director Kam Gandhi, PharmD as they share more about the role of the Board and key topics that are important to us all. 

·              Featured Guests: Brigid Groves, PharmD, MS  Mitch Rothholz, RPh, MBA, FAPhA Lucas Berenbrok, PharmD, MS, BCACP, FAPhA  ·              Key Takeaway: Knowing where patients can find vaccines at pharmacies is crucial to increasing convenient access.

**Warning: discussions of violence and abuse towards children** RPH is back! Red Power co-hosts Melanie Yazzie and Elena Ortiz are joined by TRN comrade Shelly to discuss the Academy Award-nominated documentary Sugarcane (2024) about an Indigenous community on the Williams Lake Indian Reservation in present-day British Columbia. Watch the video edition on The Red Nation Podcast YouTube channel Resources for self-care and trauma: https://boardingschoolhealing.org/self-care-resources  Empower our work:  GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/empower-red-medias-indigenous-content  Subscribe to The Red Nation Newsletter: https://www.therednation.org/ Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/redmediapr

In this Medical Affairs unscripted Podcast Byte, Peg Crowley-Nowick, PhD, MBA, President of Medical Affairs Consulting at Lumanity, discusses the recently released insights report: Expert Perspectives on the Use of Generative AI in Medical Publication with her colleague, Tim Becker, PharmD, RPh, EVP, Creative Scientific Solutions at Lumanity. Their discussion sheds light on the safe and proper use of Generative AI in medical publications, addressing key concerns such as hallucinations, data privacy, and the need for transparency and accountability. They also explore the future impact of Generative AI on medical communication agencies and their relationships with journals. Although Generative AI can accelerate the delivery of data to patients and healthcare providers, it will still require the careful oversight of trained professionals to ensure ethical and appropriate use. 

Objective: Discuss community-level strategies to engage individuals and special populations. ·              Topics Covered: o   Community outreach programs driven by pharmacists. ·              Unique to pharmacists and the pharmacy team is their ability to get outside of their 4 walls and bring vaccines and other healthcare services to where people are o   Central to many of these programs is support from government agencies and other payers – the availability of these resources in the future is unclear at this time. o   Utilization of Community Health Workers (CPESN/NCPA Health Care Worker / Technician program) §  There are pilots using codes that could be billed for this service.  Question is will money continue to be available §  Build on trust the public has with pharmacy team members – think about what other screening / preventive services you can incorporate with these trained individuals. - they can be ambassadors for your practice o   Addressing cultural and socioeconomic barriers to vaccine confidence. Connect with trusted community leaders Understand concerns from the populations your serve and who the influencers are with the community and family units Don't preach – provide credible information and let them process it o   Case studies of innovative engagement efforts, including partnerships with local organizations and faith-based groups. Offer to do talks Have discussion with organization leader and provide them with the facts they can use to reinforce messages o   How pharmacies can leverage their accessibility to serve as vaccination champions. Luke can talk about access; distance to pharmacies; pharmacy deserts Community health clinics, events, politicians events, etc. ·              Featured Guests: Brigid Groves, PharmD, MS  Mitch Rothholz, RPh, MBA, FAPhA Lucas Berenbrok, PharmD, MS, BCACP, FAPhA  ·              Key Takeaway: Collaboration with communi

Featured Guests Brigid Groves, PharmD, MS Mitch Rothholz, RPh, MBA, FAPhA Lucas Berenbrok, PharmD, MS, BCACP, FAPhA Key Takeaway Tools and techniques pharmacists can use to foster trust with patients regarding vaccines. CDC's "Vaccinate with Confidence" Initiative Protect Communities CDC is supporting partners to find and protect communities at risk through new investments and partnerships. Leverage CDC's Immunization and Vaccines for Children cooperative agreement to support efforts to identify and respond to areas with low vaccine coverage. Public trust in pharmacists and pharmacy teams helps reinforce vaccine messages. Collaboration with community leaders and influencers is crucial—messages must be evidence-based and credible. Best Practices for Pharmacists "Walk the talk"—if you or a family member received concomitant vaccines, share your experience. Example: "I received three vaccines at one visit (flu, COVID, and RSV), and I am here to talk about it (and I do)." Engage with patients by listening rather than lecturing. Acknowledge patient concerns and provide them with information to consider. Vaccine hesitancy is not the same as being anti-vaccine—many patients are "vaccine contemplators." Vaccine Effectiveness COVID-19 Vaccines Effectiveness Against Severe Outcomes Updated vaccines (September 2023 – January 2024) have been effective against XBB lineage and the new JN.1 variant. Waning Protection Booster doses are recommended as vaccine effectiveness declines over time. Population Variability Effectiveness varies based on age, underlying health conditions, and other factors (e.g., immunocompromised individuals may experience different levels of protection). General Vaccine Effectiveness Real-World Conditions Effectiveness is measured under real-world conditions, factoring in vaccine type, dosage, and timing. Monitoring & Updates The CDC continuously tracks vaccine effectiveness to adjust recommendations as needed. Impact of Vaccination Measles: Cases reduced from hundreds of thousands annually to only 49 in 2021. Polio: The U.S. has been polio-free since 1979. Hepatitis B: Routine vaccination significantly reduces liver cancer risk. Childhood Vaccinations: 100% reduction in cases of diphtheria, Hib, measles, mumps, polio, and rubella. Influenza incidence reduced by 17%. Overall Impact: Childhood immunizations have averted over 24 million cases of vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S. Between 1994-2013, vaccinations prevented: 322 million cases of disease 21 million hospitalizations 732,000 deaths Public Health Strategies Use immunization data to identify areas of low vaccine coverage. Engage with local health departments to monitor vaccine-preventable disease trends. Strengthen immunization programs to enhance outbreak response. Encourage collaboration among healthcare providers—it shouldn't matter who vaccinates, the goal is increasing immunization rates. Empowering Families CDC is partnering with key organizations to strengthen vaccine conversations between providers and parents. Strategies Start vaccine conversations early, targeting parents of infants and pregnant women. Reduce hesitancy and improve access in community health centers. Develop provider toolkits to address parental concerns during outbreaks. Combating Misinformation CDC is working with local messengers and partners to stop vaccine myths. Challenges & Key Messages New administration statements have increased vaccine doubts, making conversations harder. There is no link between vaccines and autism, diabetes, or other diseases. Investments in Public Trust: Work with social media companies to promote trustworthy vaccine information. Provide accessible, accurate vaccine data to policymakers. Engage state and local health officials to counter misinformation effectively. Priorities for 2020 and Beyond CDC aims to ensure that every community is protected through: Data-driven strategies to identify vulnerable populations. Expanding local resources to strengthen vaccination efforts. Building a culture of immunization in healthcare settings. Improving public communication on vaccines. Enhancing partnerships to promote immunization initiatives. Ten Key Messages for Pharmacists Engaging with Vaccine-Hesitant Individuals Vaccines Save Lives – They prevent serious diseases and save millions of lives each year. Rigorous Testing – Vaccines undergo extensive trials and continuous monitoring to ensure safety and effectiveness. Community Immunity – Vaccination protects those who cannot be vaccinated, such as infants and immunocompromised individuals. Combating Misinformation – Rely on credible sources for vaccine facts. Misinformation fuels fear and hesitation. Mild Side Effects – Most side effects (e.g., sore arm, mild fever) are temporary. Severe side effects are extremely rare. Consult Healthcare Providers – Encourage patients to ask healthcare professionals for reassurance. Vaccines and Fertility – There is no evidence that vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, affect fertility. Herd Immunity – High vaccination rates protect entire communities. Rapid Vaccine Development Explained – COVID-19 vaccines were developed quickly due to unprecedented funding and collaboration—without compromising safety. Long-Term Benefits – Vaccination prevents future outbreaks and contributes to long-term public health. Pharmacists' Role in Addressing Hesitancy Provide accurate, evidence-based information. Listen actively to patients' concerns. Engage with community health workers to strengthen local vaccination efforts.

Send us a textTurning a struggling pharmacy around...it takes strategy, infrastructure, and most importantly, strong

Understanding genuine health often requires us “looking under the hood,” so to speak. If we want to feel and function at our best for as long as we can and ward off chronic disease, there are certain areas of internal health that can be helpful to test and track to give us a clearer look at how our body is operating now.    In this episode, Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, and Cliff Edberg, RD, CPT, walk through eight factors that can help paint the picture of our current metabolic health status. For each, they explain why it's important for longevity and vitality, how you can measure it, and what optimal looks like.    Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/what-is-metabolic-health-anyway    Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at lttalks@lt.life — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program. 

In this episode of a Mortar and Pestle, PCCA's retired Clinical Compounding Pharmacist Bruce Biundo, RPh, FACA, joins host Mike De Lisio and co-host Sebastian Denison, RPh, FAARM  (Candidate) to discuss a new study about PSA numbers.

The "Pharmacy 50" Awards, recognizing the 50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy, have officially been announced for 2024! This prestigious honor celebrates the most inspiring, innovative, and impactful figures in pharmacy who are driving advancements in patient care, business development, and industry reform. Now in its fourth year, the Pharmacy 50 saw a record-breaking 30% increase in peer recognition, demonstrating the growing influence of pharmacists across multiple sectors, including Community Pharmacy, Long-Term Care, Specialty Pharmacy, Health System, Digital Health, and more. Voting took place between November 15 and December 20, 2024, and this year's winners include some of the most distinguished names in the industry, with returning honorees and new leaders making their mark on pharmacy's evolving landscape.   Pharmacy 50 Class of 2024 (Listed by most votes) Anthony V. Minniti, BScPharm, RPh, FACA Jay Phipps, PharmD, MBA, FACA, FACVP Dr. Nhu Truong, PharmD Jeff Harrell, PharmD Naveena Gorrepati, PharmD Jeremy Counts, PharmD Darshan Kulkarni, PharmD, Esq. Shahida Choudhry, PharmD** (4-time winner) April Nguyen, PharmD, RAC, MPH Robin Barrett, PharmD Cody R. Morcom, PharmD, BCPS, LSSGBC Ethan Melillo, PharmD, CDOE Randy McDonough, PharmD, MS, BCGP, BCPS, FAPhA Chelsea Hustad, PharmD, CSP Greg Reybold, Esq. Renee Malarbi Rayburg, BPharm Walter Oronsaye, PharmD, MS Chidimma Gold Eneyo, PharmD Jessica Beal-Stahl, PharmD Tamar K. Lawful, PharmD, APh, CNGS DeLon Canterbury, PharmD, BCGP Frank Harvey, MBA Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv Brent Edison, PharmD Aleata Postell Courtney B. Smith, PharmD, CSP, BCMTMS Jennifer Morrison, PharmD Katrina Azer, BPharm Josh Pirestani Bil Schmidtknecht Ultan McGlone, PharmD Katarina (Kati) Forbes, PharmD Christopher Bowens, PharmD Mahmoud Zegar, PharmD Alexandra (Ally) LaStella, PharmD Kunal Vyas Jenny Bingham, PharmD Shaun Jensen Fiona Sartoretto Verna Brandi Chane, PharmD Jonathan Ogurchak, PharmD, CSP, CPHIMS Jena Quinn, PharmD Jordan Smith, PharmD, AAHIVP, CPGx Chris Antypas, PharmD Lorneka Joseph, PharmD Derek Borkowski, PharmD Sue Ojageer, PharmD, CPGx Benjamin Jolley, PharmD Anisha Patel, BPharm Jeff Malone Pharmacy 50 Awards Ceremony - January 29, 2025 The official awards ceremony will be hosted at the Pharmacy Podcast Network headquarters in Brownsville, PA. The event will feature: A networking session at 2 PM ET The Pharmacy 50 LIVE Stream at 3 PM ET, where winners will be highlighted and interviewed Industry leaders, past winners, and special guests will be in attendance to celebrate the remarkable contributions of these pharmacy professionals. The Pharmacy 50 Awards were created to recognize individuals who are pushing the boundaries of pharmacy care. From technology and advocacy to clinical services and business innovation, this year's winners represent the best of the best across the pharmacy profession. "Each year, we see more pharmacists taking charge of their profession-leading change, innovating care models, and fighting for patient access. The Pharmacy 50 recognizes these change-makers and amplifies their voices," said Todd Eury, Founder of Pharmacy Podcast Network. This year's Pharmacy 50 Awards were proudly sponsored by RxInsider and Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC), whose ongoing support of the pharmacy industry continues to fuel growth and advocacy. "RXinsider is thrilled to support the Pharmacy Podcast Network's Pharmacy50 Awards, celebrating the outstanding leaders and innovators shaping pharmacy. As a company committed to advancing pharmacy through education and innovation, RXinsider is honored to join this prestigious initiative that recognizes excellence and inspires progress." stated Gregory Cianfarani RPh, CEO of RxInsider. "We're excited to celebrate the achievements of our peers and contribute to highlighting the individuals and organizations making a meaningful impact in the pharmacy community." For more details about the Pharmacy 50 Awards, visit Pharmacy50.us About Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN) Pharmacy Podcast Network is the leading media platform dedicated to pharmacy professionals, offering thought leadership, industry insights, and expert-driven content through podcasts, webinars, and live events. Since its founding in 2009, PPN has been the voice of pharmacy, covering community pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, digital health, advocacy, business development, and more.

In this episode, Dr. Schmidt interviews Thomas Viola, RPh, CCP, CDE, CPMP, about important perspectives on prescriptions and over-the-counter druges, supplements, and substances frequently used by patients and other medications used in the dental office. They also discuss best practices for prescribing and current protocols to follow. With over 30 years' experience as a board-certified pharmacist, clinical educator, professional speaker and published author, Viola has earned his national and international reputation as the go-to specialist for making pharmacology practical and useful for all members of the dental team. Viola has presented over 1,000 informative, humorous and engaging CE seminars and webinars to dental professionals internationally since 2001. He has several courses on the schedule for AGD's upcoming scientific session in Montréal. Learn more and register for the meeting which will take place July 9-12, 2025

In this episode of a Mortar and Pestle, Dr. Pamela Smith, M.D., MPH, MS, joins host Mike De Lisio and co-host Sebastian Denison, RPh, FAARM (Candidate) to use her perspective as a physician, discussing how to market to physicians.

There have been two episodes lately that have sent me down a rabbit hole that I wanted to bring to your attention. Now, disclaimer: I know you people; you're busy. You listen on average to, like, 26 minutes of any given episode. So, yeah … look at me being self-aware. I say all this to say welcome to this inbetweenisode, otherwise known as The Rabbit Hole. But it's like a 20-something-minute rabbit hole, not a day-and-a-half retreat; so just be kind if you email me and tell me I forgot something or failed to dredge into a nuance or a background point. It might be that I just could not manage to pack it in. For a full transcript of this episode, click here. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter to be a member of the Relentless Tribe. This rabbit hole really, really matters for anybody creating benefit design. It really matters for anybody trying to optimize the health that can be derived from said benefit design. It also probably matters for a whole lot of operational decisions involving patients or members, nothing for nothing. But it really matters for anybody trying not to, by accident, as an unintended consequence, hammer plan members or patients with some really blunt-force cost containment measures that do a lot of harm in the process of containing costs or, flip side, accidentally cost a whole lot but don't actually improve member health. Nina Lathia, RPh, MSc, PhD, kind of summed up this whole point or gave an adjacent thought really eloquently in episode 426. She said there's better or worse ways to do things and doing the worst kinds of cost containment may not actually contain costs. You squeeze a balloon, and that works great for some, like pharmacy vendors who don't really have any skin in the game. (See me using the “skin in the game” term for other people besides plan members? That's some really good foreshadowing right there, by the way.) So, squeezing the balloon works for some when they don't have skin in the game, in the place where the air goes when you squeeze the balloon—like a pharmacy vendor who makes it super unaffordable for patients to get meds so the patient doesn't take their meds and winds up in the ICU, or the patient's formerly controlled with meds condition that is now newly uncontrolled and requires all kinds of medical interventions to get said condition back under control. Like, these are the reasons and the why behind why some cost containment efforts don't actually contain costs at the plan level. But not at the vendor level. You see what I mean? Most pharmacy vendors don't get penalized if medical costs wind up going up. And I'm picking on pharmacy vendors a little bit here, but it's true for a lot of siloed entities. But, you know, balloon squeezing can also work, actually, at the plan level if where the air goes, it's to a place where the member or the patient has to pay themselves. Like, if there's a huge, I don't know, max out of pocket or deductible, does it really matter to a very mercenary plan that's running on a very short time horizon? Do they really care, that plan, if the patient's formerly controlled condition gets uncontrolled? Maybe not, I guess, as long as it doesn't cost more than the max out of pocket that the patient is on the hook for, for any given plan year. So, yeah … again, there are better or worse ways to do things; and a lot of questions kind of add up to, What kind of plan do we want to be? What are our values, and does the plan align with them? But that's not the rabbit hole I wanted to go down today—the aligning with our values rabbit hole—so let us move on. The Relentless Health Value episode that kicked off the rabbit hole for me on multiple levels was the show with Bill Sarraille (EP459) about co-pay maximizers and accumulators. And don't get me wrong, that is a complicated topic with lots of pros, lots of cons; and I am not weighing in on the inherent lawfulness or value of any of this. I am also not weighing in on the fact that there are forthright and well-run maximizers and really not good ones, which cause patients financial, for sure, and possibly clinical harm. But not talking about that right now at all. Go back and listen to the show with Bill Sarraille if you are interested. Where my “down the rabbit hole” spiral started was when I started noticing the very, very common main plan pushback that was given right out of the gate so often when talking about the problems that any given plan sponsor has with these pharma co-pay programs—that if these pharmacopeia card dollars count toward the plan deductibles, then the patient's deductible gets met and the plan member will then often overuse healthcare and cost the plan excessive dollars from that point forward. So again, if you ask any given plan sponsor what I was gonna say their main issue but a main issue that they have with these pharma co-pay programs, that's gonna be it—that if these pharma dollars count toward the plan deductible, then the patient's deductible is met and from that point henceforth, the patient goes nuts and overuses healthcare services and it costs the plan a lot of money. The second episode causing this rabbit hole to open up is the one coming up actually with Scott Conard, MD. So, check back in a couple of weeks for that one. But in the show with Dr. Conard, we get into the impact of high-deductible health plans or just big out of pockets, however they transpire in the benefit design. Both of these scenarios, by the way, the maximizer meets the deductible scenario and the very, very high-deductible plan scenario are to blame, in other words, for this rabbit hole of an inbetweenisode. So, let's do this thing. Let's talk about the moral hazard of insurance to start us off. In the context of health insurance, if you haven't heard that term moral hazard before, it's an economics term; and it is used to capture the idea that insurance coverage, by lowering the cost of care to the individual, because their plan is paying for part of said care, by lowering the cost of care to the individual, it increases healthcare use. So, you could see why this may be related to having a deductible fully paid or not. Pre-deductible, the plan is not paying for a part of said care or paying a much smaller part. And after the deductible is paid for, then the plan is paying for a much larger percentage of care. So, moral hazard kicks in bigger after the deductible is fully paid, when the plan is paying for a bigger percentage or a bigger part of the care. So, before I proceed, let me just offer again a disclaimer to the many economists who listen to this show that this is a short inbetweenisode; so I am 100% glossing over some of the points that, for sure, have a lot of nuance. For anyone who wants a thick pack of pages for background reading, I have included some links below. Because you see, a few weeks ago, my Sunday did not go as planned. And instead of running errands, I wound up reading eight papers on moral hazard. So, my lack of groceries is your gain. You're welcome. I am happy to send you these links if you really want to dig in hard on this. Okay … so, moral hazard is the concept that individuals have incentives to offer their behavior when their risk or cost is borne by others. That's the why with deductibles, actually. We gotta give patients skin in the game because once a member has their deductible paid, it's like member gone wild and they will get all manner of excessive care. Again, I hear that a lot from plan sponsors—a lot, in all kinds of contexts but almost always, again, whenever the conversation has anything to do with manufacturer co-pay card programs and a lot when it has to do with just, you know, high-deductible plans and what happens when the patient meets their deductible. Once a patient or family has a fully paid deductible, their medical trend is like a spike, I hear over and over again. And again, this is the reason why many insist—and again, no judgment here, maybe they're right, I'm just rehashing the conversation—but this is why many insist the moral hazard of letting people have their deductible paid for them by Pharma or whatever is the reason why some believe it is imperative to have maximizers or accumulators where pharma dollars can absolutely not apply to patient deductibles. Because then we have sick patients who now have their deductibles reached, who have very few financial disincentives to go seek whatever care they want. Right. Moral hazard has entered the building. I've beaten this point to death, so let's move on. One time, I asked a plan sponsor, What exactly is it that these plan members are going wild spending plan money on once their deductible gets paid off? And he said, well, you know, they go get their suspicious-looking moles checked. Did you hear that silence just now? Yeah, that was my reaction. I don't know. I would consider getting suspicious moles checked kind of high-value care. There are posters all over the place saying if you have a suspicious-looking mole, it might be melanoma. Cancer. So, you should get ahead of that before you have a metastasized cancer. I'm no doctor, but yeah, this feels like high-value care. So, let's just, in arguendo, say it is high-value care and follow this thread for a sec. Once members reach their deductible, let's say they run around and get high-value care, care they actually need but haven't gotten before because they couldn't afford it earlier or were putting it off until they saved up enough, right? Like, this is the other side of the moral hazard coin. If patients delay or abandon care—and, by the way, there was a survey (it's in the Wayne Jenkins, MD, show from a while ago [EP358])—but 46% of patients with commercial insurance these days have delayed or abandoned care due to cost. But if they delay or abandon care that is high value and medically actually necessary and they put it off or abandon that high-value care because they cannot afford said care, then yeah, we have, again, the opposite of the moral hazard problem. We have members paying a whole lot for insurance that they cannot afford to use, they're functionally uninsured, and it's not gonna end healthfully if they need high-value care and they're not getting it. It's not. Functionally uninsured patients who have chronic conditions that really should be managed will, as per evidence, wind up with health problems if those chronic conditions are not managed. I read another study about this just recently. This is why members with chronic diseases on high-deductible health plans tend to have worse health, by the way. Now, I need to say, same rules do not always apply for healthy patients who, at least at this point, don't need regular healthcare. But do keep in mind, as it comes up in the Dr. Scott Conard show, 30% of patients who think they're healthy, they feel fine—actually they are not fine and will become sick and costly in the coming years. So, yeah … tune back in for that discussion if you are interested, but you get the gist of this whole thing, right? So, that's scenario 1 as to what patients may choose to buy once they're in the moral hazard zone and have met their deductible. They go get high-value care. So, let's move on from the high-value care case study where patients reach their deductible and get high-value care or they haven't met their deductible and fail to get care they actually need. I want to circle over to the other moral hazard potential situation: patients who meet their deductible. And in this scenario, they again embark on a health system jamboree; but they don't get a whole lot of high-value care in this scenario. They run around getting all manner of all kinds of stuff that is well outside of any evidence-based pathway. Like, weird example, I went to a doctor recently asking a question about something that everyone ultimately agreed was nothing. At which point, the doctor asked if I wanted an MRI. I was like, “What?” We and everyone else just agreed this was a big nothing burger. Why would I want an MRI? Is there something else that we didn't discuss to indicate that I need imaging? Like, why are we going there? And the doc said, “Oh, well, everyone in New York City has an anxiety problem. So, I thought you might just want to get an MRI.” Yeah, low-value stuff like that is now not financially prohibitive. So, someone who had met their deductible, in a similar situation to my example, might have shrugged and said, “Sure, I do have some anxiety. Let's go get that MRI.” Or if they hadn't met their deductible, then the whole skin-in-the-game, market-driven approach may work, I guess, to prevent them from getting low-value care that was clearly excessive and pretty wasteful. So, summing up these two scenarios, the implications of the moral hazard issue are, if it's expensive, people don't do it. If it's free or cheap, they will overutilize. And the issue with both of these patient choices is, patients are not good at discerning low-value care from high-value care. And because patients are not good at discerning high-value from low-value care, moral hazard is not mitigated with any sort of binary kind of vote for moral hazard or against moral hazard types of brute-force, broad-stroke tactics. Like, say I'm a moral hazard full-on believer. I assume all or most of the care a patient will go for is low value, right? Because if I try to prevent moral hazard from happening, then by default, what I'm effectively saying is, whatever they choose to buy on the basis of moral hazard is low value. So, I make basically everything I can pretty unaffordable so as not to invoke any moral hazard. But right, the problem with that is that some of the care is actually high value. And it's also expensive for the patient, so they don't get it. And patients are harmed, and balloons might get squeezed. Or the opposite, against moral hazard, right? Like, I'm against the concept of moral hazard. I don't believe in it, so I don't set up absolutely anything to combat it. Maybe because I assume all care that a patient might want to get is actually high value and totally worth it. That's gonna be a problem for the opposite reason. Plans can waste a lot of money this way. Random example, in 2014, the Commonwealth of Virginia reported spending $586 million on unnecessary costs from low-value care. I mean, they say something like a third of all care is waste and unnecessary, so … yeah. Plan sponsors can waste a lot of money on low-value care, and a bunch of that may happen when patients have less skin in the game because they reach their deductible, as one example, and the care is not financially prohibitive and moral hazard is realized. So, yeah … as I said, a couple of weeks ago, I did not spend my Sunday as planned. I spent my Sunday reading papers about moral hazard in insurance and how financial incentives impact patient decision making. And I'm gonna repeat the grand takeaway because this is a podcast and you might be multitasking. So, once again, here's the sum of it all: If it's expensive, people tend not to do it. If it's free or cheap, they will overutilize. And the issue with both of these patient choices is, patients are simply quite bad at distinguishing high-value care from low-value care. Once their deductibles are met, most patients will—due to moral hazard—they will, in fact, go on a spending spree; and part of what they will get done will be really, really important and necessary stuff, like getting their unusual moles looked at or their heart pain checked out or going for that follow-up visit or lab work that their doctor told them they need to come in for. And the other part of what they will do will be things that are outside the best-practice, evidence-based pathway guidelines by the length of the Appalachian Trail—you know, doing what appears to be a tour of specialty medicine physicians for unclear reasons but which lead to a cascade of testing and who knows what else. Why do they do this, these members? Do they do this on purpose? No. There is study after study that shows, again, members/patients do not, most of the time, have the chops to figure out if some medical service is high-value or low-value care. And no kidding. Most members and patients have no clinical training. They're not doctors. They're not nurses. They're not physician assistants. They're humans whose uncle died of cancer, and now they have a pain in their foot and they're convinced it's a tumor. Right? Like, do we blame them when they finally go see a doctor because they crushed their budget that particular year paying thousands and thousands of dollars out of pocket for whatever earlier in the year, and now they've made it to their deductible—do we blame them for taking the very rational step of getting the most out of those thousands of dollars of sunk costs? At that point, it's a “let me get my money's worth” situation because they can't afford to do this again next year. I mean, we hire employees because they're smart and rational, and this is really actually a pretty smart and rational thing to do. It's not somebody trying to commit fraud. Okay, sure … some people are. There's always bad apples. But the vast majority are just trying to live their life and not spend all of their vacation money next year on medical services like they did this year. I'm saying all this because it's actionable, by the way. And I'm getting to that, but indulge me for like 60 more seconds because I want to acknowledge you, listeners of this show, are probably nodding along to this whole thing this whole time and thinking all of this is pretty obvious. Well, yeah … maybe. Except here's the reason I decided to do an inbetweenisode about this rabbit hole instead of doing my normal thing, which is just ranting about it over dinner for three days straight—and God bless my husband for sitting through it—is the bottom line. But the reason we are here together today is the number of emails and posts and et cetera that cross my desk where it doesn't seem like these dots have been connected on all of this or at least connected in magic marker. Like fat, indelible magic marker, which is what I think is necessary for these dots to be connected with the ones between moral hazard and patients not being able to discern high- and low-value care. There are so many ways and places these dots will show up. Like, here's another moral hazard issue with those maximizers or accumulators, which apparently are on my mind right now—the not good ones I'm talking about now, where patients find themselves on the hook for hundreds or thousands of dollars midyear if they want to pick up the meds that they've been prescribed. If you need more details on how that might happen to understand what I'm saying fully, listen to the show again a couple of weeks ago with Bill Sarraille (EP459). But even if you're a little confused, it doesn't matter because the question is this: Do we justify having programs that make drugs really expensive for patients? Do we put in place one of these pretty darn punitive types of accumulators or maximizers, right? Like, there's different kinds, and I'm talking about the punitive ones of accumulators or maximizers. Do we justify putting one of those into place and figure that if a patient really wants the med, they'll pay a whole lot of money for it? Because if they're willing to pay a whole lot of money for it, then, right? It must be high-value care, so they'll figure out how to pay for it. Keep in mind, as I said earlier, if it's expensive, people don't do it. If it's free or cheap, they will overutilize. And the issue with both of these patient choices is, patients are not good at discerning low-value care or meds from high-value care or meds. So, look, Pharma can be up to all kinds of crap, and list prices are really expensive. No arguments here. That isn't the point. The point is, What is the actual problem that we're trying to solve for, for our plan and our patients and our members? And if that problem is making sure that the right patients get the right high-value meds or care, then not letting members get co-pay assistance such that all drugs—the good ones and the too-expensive ones and the ones that we don't really want our members to take for whatever reason—if we make all of them way too expensive with a maximizer or accumulator designed to make all the drugs really expensive … dots connected. We wind up with the all-in to prevent moral hazard issue we just talked about, where patients could easily be harmed and the plan can easily get into a balloon squeezing situation. All I'm saying is that there's a big-picture view of moral hazard here that we need to be looking at and over-indexing into binary, moral hazard black and white, where we attribute malice to members, some of whom, some of the time, may actually be trying to get high-value care, or the flip side, the plan's paying too much for low-value care and causing financial difficulties and not understanding the root cause. Going black and white or over-indexing to prevent outlier kind of stuff is probably not gonna end well. Not seeking a middle way can easily result in a solution that is possibly worse than the problem. So, look, moral hazard is actually a thing. There are lots of implications to patients not being able to distinguish high-value and low-value care. But if we know this, then, philosophically at least, how do we conceptualize a solve? What should we be doing? If we're not doing black and white, what does the gray in the middle look like? Alright, we don't want to be a solution looking around for a problem. So, let's think about the problems that we want to solve for. I would start with, What's the goal? The goal of plan sponsors providing insurance most of the time is attract and retain talent. Also, I was at the HBCH (Houston Business Coalition on Health) Conference at the beginning of December 2024. And there was a poll question. There was a bunch of employers in the audience, and the poll question asked the audience, “What's your biggest plan goal this year?” Main answer by a mile: Cut costs. Okay … so, we want to attract and retain, and we want to control costs. Obviously, you can go about achieving these three things a bunch of different ways, and they will all be tradeoffs. As Luke Prettol reminded me of the other day, there are no solutions, only tradeoffs. And so, with that, right now, I want to introduce the second concept that I have been ruminating over in my rabbit hole lately, that I've kind of been hinting at for this whole time. But here's a word we've been waiting for to solve all of our problems in a good kind of way, not the bad black-and-white ways that are so often either financially a problem or deploying brute force and harming patients in the name of solving something else: Pareto optimality. Pareto optimality is the state where resources are allocated as efficiently as possible so that improving one criterion will not worsen other criteria. It's essential to consider this, that Pareto optimality is the ideal we should at least be striving for when attempting to overcome any challenge but, in particular, the moral hazard issue, when we know that patients do not know what care is high value and what care is low value. Because if we don't try to at least Pareto optimize (if that's a word), if we try to fix the moral hazard problem and wind up with a new problem or new problems that might be worse than the old problem, that's not optimal. We have improved one criterion and worsened another. So, fixing the members going wild after they meet their deductible by slamming the lid on the fingers of members trying to get high-value care as well as low-value care, well … not sure about this, but I'd assume if not the attract but at least the retain criterion might be compromised by member dissatisfaction. But also, as I've said nine times, we might not actually cut costs. We might be doing a squeeze of the balloon. Especially that could be true when, as we all probably know or suspect, what's driving costs at the plan level is rising hospital prices. There's a show coming up on rising hospital prices as a primary driver of rising plan costs, and it's pretty hard to argue with. So, it's financially pretty advantageous to keep patients from needing to go to the hospital. So, yeah … I'd strongly suggest not squeezing balloons when hospitalizations are where the air goes. I'm not gonna belabor this. My only suggestion is, do the Pareto optimality math. A lot of you already are, I'm sure, and do a great job. But just for any given policy plan change, or decision, keep in mind moral hazard and then really go through the whole cascade of likely impact on other factors based on likely member/patient behavior. It's so easy to get sucked into kind of these philosophical, “those are my enemies” kinds of conversations that are actually philosophically sort of interesting, but they aren't the goal. I mean, there's always unintended consequences; but not all unintended consequences should come as some kind of, like, wild-ass surprise. They were pretty predictable, actually. Let me also mention that when considering Pareto optimal solutions, advanced primary care starts to get really compelling. It's because having a PCP team with data and a relationship to the patient helps patients stay on the high-value care bus. And that can minimize the bad that comes from lowering the barrier to care and inviting in a little bit of moral hazard. Just saying. Okay, so this has been going on a little bit longer than I had originally intended, but I do want to remind you of the so-called theory of second best. It's probably really appropriate here, and one of the reasons why I'm mentioning this and not finishing the show right now is that, in a very synchronistic moment, I was writing up my outline for this inbetweenisode and—how random is this?—Steve Schutzer, MD, wrote an email that included something about the theory of second best. Great minds and all of that. Anyway, the theory of second best is really aligned with Pareto optimality. It's just that sometimes you gotta be really practical. You gotta be a little scrappy. If you cannot achieve the best option, either because you just can't or because the best option for one thing results in too many negative consequences elsewhere, then don't do the best option. Forget it. Do the second best (ie, the theory of second best). There is nothing wrong with that. Don't be a hero. Okay, so in summary, moral hazard is actually a thing and so is the opposite; and it's even more of an impactful thing because most people cannot distinguish high-value from low-value care. And if they meet their deductible that they have paid a lot of money to reach, of course, they are going to want to try to get through their checklist of medical appointments that they have been putting off. This is not a surprise. And it's not all bad, as long as the care that they are trying to go get is high value; and that matters if we're trying to cut costs. Because to cut costs for real and not in a squeezing of the balloon way, we need to direct or limit somehow what gets done to high-value care. And we got to do that without accidentally causing other problems, meaning think through Pareto optimality and possibly consider the theory of second best. I hope this has been helpful at some level. It's helped me. I feel better having vented. Also mentioned in this episode are Nina Lathia, RPh, MSc, PhD; Bill Sarraille; Scott Conard, MD; Wayne Jenkins, MD; Houston Business Coalition on Health (HBCH); Luke Prettol; and Steve Schutzer, MD. Additional studies mentioned: Moral Hazard in Health Insurance: What We Know and How We Know It Do People Choose Wisely After Satisfying Health Plan Deductibles? Evidence From the Use of Low-Value Health Care Services Healthcare and the Moral Hazard Problem Distinguishing Moral Hazard From Access for High-Cost Healthcare Under Insurance   For more information, go to aventriahealth.com.   Each week on Relentless Health Value, Stacey uses her voice and thought leadership to provide insights for healthcare industry decision makers trying to do the right thing. Each show features expert guests who break down the twists and tricks in the medical field to help improve outcomes and lower costs across the care continuum. Relentless Health Value is a top 100 podcast on iTunes in the medicine category and reaches tens of thousands of engaged listeners across the healthcare industry. In addition to hosting Relentless Health Value, Stacey is co-president of QC-Health, a benefit corporation finding cost-effective ways to improve the health of Americans. She is also co-president of Aventria Health Group, a consultancy working with clients who endeavor to form collaborations with payers, providers, Pharma, employer organizations, or patient advocacy groups.   04:05 Where did Stacey's rabbit hole spiral start? 05:40 What is the moral hazard of insurance? 09:31 EP358 with Wayne Jenkins, MD. 12:49 Why isn't moral hazard mitigated in insurance? 18:16 EP459 with Bill Sarraille. 20:51 “How do we conceptualize a solve?” 22:24 Why should we be striving for Pareto optimality? 25:20 What is the theory of second best?   For more information, go to aventriahealth.com.   Our host, Stacey Richter, discusses considerations for #plansponsors and others. #healthcare #podcast #changemanagement #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Chris Crawford, Dr Rushika Fernandopulle, Bill Sarraille, Stacey Richter (INBW41), Andreas Mang (Encore! EP419), Dr Komal Bajaj, Cynthia Fisher, Stacey Richter (INBW40), Mark Cuban and Ferrin Williams (Encore! EP418), Rob Andrews (Encore! EP415)  

In this episode of a Mortar and Pestle, Linda Elsegood, CEO of the LDN Research Trust Charity, joins host Mike De Lisio and co-host Sebastian Denison, RPh, FAARM (Candidate) to share what the LDN Research Trust Charity represents and how they contribute to the awareness and research of LDN, MCAS, EDS, and POTS. Trailer to "Understanding Stealth Syndromes - The Upcoming Documentary":  https://vimeo.com/1020185660  Understanding Stealth Syndromes The Documentary PDF: https://bit.ly/3WvGo9X 

Every year, millions of patients rely on Levothyroxine to manage their hypothyroidism, but it's important to note that not all Levothyroxine medications are the same. In today's episode of the Pharmacy Podcast Network, we'll explore the management of hypothyroidism and discuss how alternative dosage forms might be the solution for patients who struggle with traditional tablet formulations.   When it comes to the management of hypothyroidism, not all levothyroxine medications are created equal.  Stephen Beckman, CEO Yaral Pharma  Sonja O'Bryan, RPh   

Send us a textThis week on The Less Stressed Life, I'm thrilled to welcome Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, an internationally recognized clinical pharmacist, board-certified nutritionist, and bestselling author with over 40 years of experience in precision health and integrative care.In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of peptides—what they are, how they work, and their incredible potential for healing, performance, and longevity. Jim shares his expertise on metabolic health, stress management, and practical tools for optimizing health, including how he used peptides to help his son recover from a significant sports injury.We also tackle the safety and sourcing of peptides, the controversy around their regulation, and how they can fit into a sustainable wellness strategy.Training website mentioned: https://www.a4m.com/Find Jim's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/James-B.-LaValle/author/B001JSECJM?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=trueKEY TAKEAWAYS:What peptides are and how they promote healing and homeostasis in the bodyBPC-157: A peptide for tissue repair, inflammation reduction, and gut healthPeptides and stress: How they support circadian rhythm, sleep, and recoveryThe importance of safe peptide sourcing and understanding FDA guidelinesWhy stress accelerates aging and how to combat its effectsPeptides for hair growth, mitochondrial health, and weight lossThe value of “pulsing” and seasonal use of peptides for long-term benefitsABOUT GUEST:Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, is a renowned clinical pharmacist, board-certified nutritionist, and author with over 40 years of experience in precision health and integrative care. Founder of Metabolic Code Enterprises, he has guided countless patients and advised elite sports teams and military programs on performance and recovery. Author of 26+ books, including Cracking the Metabolic Code, he now serves as Chief Science Officer at Life Time. WHERE TO FIND:Website: https://www.jimlavalle.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealjimlavalle/Website: https://www.metaboliccode.com/Website: https://www.metabolicelite.co/WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionistPodcast Instagram: @lessstressedlifeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlifeLeave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: ****https://www.christabiegler.com/linksSPONSOR:  Thanks to Jigsaw Health for sponsoring this episode! Try their MagSoothe or MagSRT for better sleep and less stress. Use code LESSSTRESSED10 at JigsawHealth.com for 10% off—unlimited use!

Every year, millions of patients rely on Levothyroxine to manage their hypothyroidism, but it's important to note that not all Levothyroxine medications are the same. In today's episode of the Pharmacy Podcast Network, we'll explore the management of hypothyroidism and discuss how alternative dosage forms might be the solution for patients who struggle with traditional tablet formulations.   When it comes to the management of hypothyroidism, not all levothyroxine medications are created equal.  Stephen Beckman, CEO Yaral Pharma  Sonja O'Bryan, RPh