KEY LEARNING: CE sessions begin with bang
ORLANDO, Fla. — Even before the official start of this year’s McKesson ideaShare conference, the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center was buzzing with attendees eager to take advantage of the robust lineup of continuing education courses held on Sunday and Monday.
This year’s agenda is packed with more than 30 accredited courses to equip attendees with the latest thinking and best practices in clinical services, new drug therapies, financial management and marketing.
Sessions that kicked off the event on Sunday included:
“Statins and Statin Adherence: The Good, the Bad … Well Really It is Mostly Ugly.” Presenter Janelle Ruisinger, clinical associate professor at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy and director of the KU Community Pharmacy Residency Program, discussed some of the common reasons for statin non-adherence, identified the differences between individual statins and spoke about ways pharmacists can improve adherence. According to Ruisinger, nearly 75% of new statin users stop their medication by the end of the first year, up to 50% stop taking their medication within months of the initial prescribing and 25% stop after one month. While the reasons for non-adherence vary by patient, the most common reasons are side effects like muscle complaints. To help pharmacists, Ruisinger provided such tips as utilizing adherence tools like medication synchronization and adherence packaging, providing oral and written easy to understand instructions, considering switching the statin, considering a lower dose of the current statin and monitoring for concomitant drugs that may increase risk of myopathy.
“ACOs: Position Your Pharmacy for Inclusion.” Bruce Thompson, director of pharmacy services at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, examined patient populations that community pharmacies can work with to assist health systems, urged attendees to analyze the opportunity with their health system and discussed how to develop a business plan to be included in their health plan. According to Thompson, those pharmacists that successfully position their pharmacy to be included in accountable care organizations can benefit by gaining additional prescription volume, obtaining a loyal patient base, providing better patient care and becoming part of a healthcare team.
“Coaching at the Counter — Opportunities for Enhancing Communication with a Patient-Centered Approach.” Nora Stelter, associate professor of pharmacy practice and coordinator of introductory pharmacy practice experiences at Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, discussed the shift in healthcare toward a quality focus and the importance of medication adherence. Among the key points discussed during the course was the action pharmacies can take to improve and measure performance. When reviewing at your dashboard, Stelter suggested analyzing patient engagement and adherence performance; determine areas of focus and tactics (i.e. ask every time a prescription is picked up how they are doing and use motivational interviewing or health coaching techniques); and monitor progress and make adjustments accordingly.
“Diabetes and Quality: How Does Your Pharmacy Measure Up?” Jonathan Marquess, VP of professional and clinical affairs for the American Pharmacy Cooperative, outlined the impact of diabetes on patients and the healthcare system, discussed the Pharmacy Quality Alliance and measures related to diabetes and described why diabetes quality measures are important to pharmacy. According to Marquess, now is the time to start assessing whether a pharmacy is meeting quality goals and how it ranks compared with peers. Steps pharmacies can take to help improve patient adherence include medication synchronization, motivational interviewing, blister packaging and central fill.
“Game Changers in Pharmacy Practice.” Geoffrey Wall, professor of the Department of Clinical Sciences at the College of Pharmacy at Drake University, discussed some of the game-changers impacting pharmacy and how they affect the way pharmacists care for patients. Game-changers include, but are not limited to, biosimilar drugs, corticosteroid tapers and COPD, and the rise in the price of generic medications.
“Social Media: Brand Management vs. Brand Damagement.” Samantha Timmerman, chief marketing officer of Pharmacy Development Services, discussed the importance of not setting and forgetting your social media presence. Some tips that Timmerman shared with attendees included: be a resource for all things happening around town by linking to other web sites and Facebook pages, create Facebook events for the pharmacy’s next diabetic education course or customer appreciation day and invite the pharmacy’s entire online community, post healthy recipes, and crowdsource to let your online community help guide buying decisions.
“Practical Steps for Integrating MTM into Your Daily Practice Routine.” Pharmacy of the Year winner Hashim Zaibak, majority owner of Hayat Pharmacy in Milwaukee, Wis., helped attendees understand the obstacles when starting a Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program and how to overcome those obstacles. According to Zaibak, MTM is a great way to impact patient outcomes and establish an emotional connection with patients. It also is an opportunity for provider collaboration, one of the best programs to use clinical knowledge and can provide additional income (e.g., clinical services revenue and prescription volume).
Some highlights from Monday morning’s sessions included:
“New Drugs 2014.” Tom Frank, director of research and education at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences – Northeast, reviewed new trends in drug development and provided a broad-based discussion on new drug options. Drugs he discussed included, but were not limited to, Invokana (canagliflozin), Farxiga (dapagliflozin), Nesina (alogliptin) and Diclegis (doxylamine/pyridoxine delayed release).
“Customer Loyalty Begins on the Outside.” Dave Wendland, VP of Hamacher Resource Group, identified factors that set the stage for pharmacy operation and summarized common issues and challenges facing independent retail businesses. According to Wendland, there are five factors that set the stage: Branding, location, appearance, promotion and people. In wrapping up his presentation, Wendland shared four tips for independent pharmacy: Ensure a strong business foundation, build a rock solid reputation, develop a never give up attitude, and enjoy your profession and your business.
“Black Ink: Cashflow Management Secrets.” Tom Shay, principal of Profits Plus Solutions, helped attendees understand how to accurately project their sales, inventory and cash needs. Shay said it is not about eliminating your accountant, but learning a new way of accounting. Why is this important? According to Shay, if you start 100 businesses today, only five will be in business in five years, only two will still be in business in 10 years, and, of those that fail, 54% have a profitable income statement.
“Implementing Medication Synchronization.” Wendy Lantaff, PGY1 community pharmacy resident at the University of Iowa, Towncrest Pharmacy, shared how pharmacists can implement a medication synchronization program in their pharmacy. Why synchronize? The benefits include increased efficiency, increased fill rates, reduced hospital readmission due