'CCO giving pharmacy some love

Here's the link to the WCCO discussion about decreasing med costs. They mention the $4 generics and prescription assistance plans, but they also throw a shout out to MTM. If only threw out the phrase "The most expensive drug is the one taken incorrectly" they might have helped us out. Oh, and here's the link to the blog discussed as well. Hopefully patients are willing to pay for the money saved....

Why are Obama's cabinets so important?

I mean, really. When my parent's got new cabinets, no one cares. When I do, again: No media attention. But all of a sudden, you're elected Pres-elect, and everyone cares about your kitchen...wait, what? Oh...boy, is my face red.

So, this is kind of huge. Well, maybe not huge, but it's going to have an effect on pharmacy. How? Well, I don't know. Sorry. But, Daschle's reportedly been angling for this for awhile. He supported the failed Hilary Health Care plan from the 90's (first years may not remember that, so here's some info on it) and is up for health care changes. Include the fact that meds take a huge chunk of overall health care (according to this vid) and you can expect some changes to occur in...oh...say...the next four to eight years.

Why tell the real news when the fake news is so much funnier

I go to Comedy Central for news television, and I'm ok with that. I mean-who wouldn't?




Now, that's just plain good stuff. Plus, he hit the news right on the head. Let's run through the highlights.



I'll try and run through the topics he discusses in later posts, but I'll let you enjoy the video for right now.

Cuz I want you back for good...

So, no one read this before, and likely no one will read this now. But you know what, I had a lot of fun writing it last year. So guess what, the blog is back! (Dramatic interlude for cheers and adulation. Shout out to Barack for showing me how to be humbly be showered with praise.)

Why is the blog back? Because there is just too much happening out in the world of pharmacy and health care to not at least make some kind of commentary on it. Sure, you could go to news sites and read the actual journals, but what fun would that be? Here you get few if any pictures, poor wit and sarcasm, and really no value added to the links I post. But hey, if you visit, it makes me feel good. Enjoy the updates.

Pharmacist's in Primary Care?

The decrease in the number of physicians that pursue primary care has been noted over the past few years. The impact of this has contributed to increasing health care costs, and and a decrease in patients seeking primary and preventative care. This dearth of primary care physicians essentially created the market for nursing practitioners and physician assistants. However, this has still not solved the problem.

So, could pharmacists help out? We know that we are trained in disease management-particularly those that are often controlled primarily by medication therapy-diabetes, anti-coagulation, asthma, heart failure....ummm...there's probably more but I read too good. Well, the good folks at JAMA thought they would take a look at what pharmacists can do in the CHF. They have a spin-off mag called the Archives of Internal Medicine. It's pretty good, no People magazine or anything, but I like it.

Anyways, here's the article that they printed in Internal Medicine. I heard about it, where else, but on the Wall Street Journal Blog. Check out the links in the article too-they talk about the decrease in utilization of primary care and increase in specialty reimbursement mentioned above. They also discuss the 10 City Challenge sponsored by the APhA Foundation.

Short rant here: Stupid WSJ also is now making you pay for their Health page. At the least, they still give you access to their blog. But come on, Rupert Murdoch (who recently purchased the WSJ from the Hathaways) let me have access to the WSJ!!! I'm looking for some kind of online petition to make it all free, but I haven't found it yet. Let me know if you do, please.

Will drug companies write my papers?

No, really-will they. Cuz that'd be sweet. Now why do I say drug companies instead of, oh, English Majors? Well, according to JAMA it seems that they are more than willing to write them for academia studying their drugs. CNN has the shortened version of this and some discussion on it. One journal official who looked into it said: "The manipulation is just disgusting. I just didn't realize the extent." Merck counters that 5 of the 6 authors were involved in the Vioxx case against Merck. Slight bias. Great article. Less filling.

Students stepping up...and more

First off: Thanks to Kassy Bartelme and Colleen Flaherty for these next articles. Also, they tipped me off to Pharmacy Practice News. There are two things in life that make me happy: Spring and new pharmacy related news websites. I should probably say Laura too, but she doesn't read this anyways, so whatever.

Ok, back to real news. Medication Reconciliation is one of the goals within JCAHO. Goal 8 if you really want to know. If you work in a hospital, you've likely heard of "Med Rec" and 1) know it's important 2) know it's difficult to get accurate and 3) likely know that pharmacy isn't always involved. Last year at APhA2007, APhA-ASP brought this up and wanted to make it a priority for pharmacists and student pharmacist to the be the health care practitioner that provides this care.

Well, it looks like students CAN make a difference. Proof? Here. By the way, you have register with Pharmacy Practice News, but, ummm....we're entering pharmacy practice, so why not learn about the news within pharmacy practice. Plus, it's free.

Ok, lots of comments could be made on this. Let's do a pro/con debate. Against myself. Or for myself. I get confused. I'd go on Zyprexa, but I might get diabetes.

Pro: Students are learning about med rec. They are engaging patients in the role of a pharmacist, and are showing patients that we can do more than dispense. Patient outcomes are improving.

Con: Students shouldn't be used to do work pharmacists should be using. Hospitals should find a better way to do med rec. Interns should also be trained to do this (who are being paid) not students (who are paying)

Comment below-you can do that you know.

My greatest fear...

I always knew this blog was a bad idea....

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas

Ok, this has no connection at all to current events, in fact, it's probably from before many of you were born, but I'm going to post it anyways.

For Outcomes, one of our drug info questions dealt with the use of Cialis and nitrates. Through my research into the subject-I ran across this article on ED. Read the first paragraph in Editorial Comment 1. My only thought is, I guess urologists must be pretty used to displays like this.

Also, here's an article on Cookie Monster. Hey, I'm just trying to liven this place up. IS ANYONE OUT THERE!!!???

Pick your vices wisely

So...in college, we called this idea the buffalo effect, and it pretty much follows evolution: The weak brain cells die, and the strong survived. Yeah, turns out we were wrong back then, according to this article.

But, there is hope for using daily diuretics. Though alcohol is bad, caffeine might be good. According to this article, caffeine was neuroprotective. Well, in rabbits, no testing in humans yet. But whatever-I likes me my macchiatto.