Blogs

ASHP-AHA-AMA-USP Supply Chain Summit

By Paul Abramowitz posted 4 days ago
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Dear Colleagues, The alarming national rise of COVID-19 cases underscores the urgent need to further strengthen our pharmaceutical supply chain and make it a national security priority for the patients we serve. Drug shortages and vulnerabilities in our supply chain existed long before the COVID-19 pandemic. After Hurricane Maria devastated manufacturing capability in Puerto Rico, we saw firsthand the impact on our supply chain and the shortages of critical drugs that followed. ASHP was proud to have joined with the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Institute ...
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LGBTQ Care and Representation in Pharmacy

By Delaney McGuirt posted 7 days ago
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I’m back with the second installation of my summer internship blog series. As we closed out Pride month, I felt compelled to utilize this space to amplify and examine the intersection of the LGBTQ community and the field of pharmacy. Pharmacists’ oft-touted role as one of the most accessible members of the healthcare team uniquely positions them for active improvement of LGBTQ care. This begins with acknowledgment of the barriers to healthcare access traditionally faced by LGBTQ individuals compared to their cisgender and/or heterosexual peers. In educating ourselves on the stigma, discrimination, and suboptimal treatment that LGBTQ patients often experience, ...
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The Importance of Pharmacist Visibility: Utilizing Our Medication Expertise to Ensure Optimal Patient Outcomes

By Ma Emmanuelle Domingo posted 19 days ago
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In my journey as a student pharmacist and future practitioner, in addition to the “what,” I always want to know the “how” and “why” behind every concept. I look for tangible objectives, solid methodology, and clear purpose so I can accomplish specific goals. I have learned that the same principle applies to patient care. When patients take medications, their adherence is often dependent on their “how” and “why.” They have a better probability of improving their health if they are recommended specific tasks, such as a “how” of walking at least 30 minutes per week to fulfill their “why” of being healthy so they can be there for their loved ones. A well-defined ...
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COVID-19 on Navajo Nation

By Leeanne Mobayed posted 19 days ago
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My name is Leeanne Mobayed and I am one of the PGY-2 Ambulatory Care residents at Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, NM. Northern Navajo Medical Center is made up of 55 inpatient beds, a variety of outpatient clinics, pharmacy services, and emergency services providing care for Native Americans in the four-corners region. Navajo Nation covers about 27,000 square miles across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah with approximately 175,000 residents. Though rural, COVID-19 has spread rapidly throughout Navajo Nation surpassing the infection rate in several hot-spots, including the state of New York. Most rural areas of the United States have had minimal cases, ...
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COVID-19 on Navajo Nation

By Leeanne Mobayed posted 19 days ago
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My name is Leeanne Mobayed and I am one of the PGY-2 Ambulatory Care residents at Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, NM. Northern Navajo Medical Center is made up of 55 inpatient beds, a variety of outpatient clinics, pharmacy services, and emergency services providing care for Native Americans in the four-corners region. Navajo Nation covers about 27,000 square miles across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah with approximately 175,000 residents. Though rural, COVID-19 has spread rapidly throughout Navajo Nation surpassing the infection rate in several hot-spots, including the state of New York. Most rural areas of the United States have had minimal cases, ...
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Taking the Lead: Minority Groups and Coronavirus

By Wintana Stefanos posted 25 days ago
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Written by Brittney Champagne, PharmD, Wintana Stefanos, PharmD and Deanna Rattray, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, CPP Coronavirus disease 19 (covid-19) is a novel infectious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 that was first detected in Wuhan, China. Since then, the virus has spread almost worldwide. Individuals that are older in age and have pre-existing comorbidities are some of the most important risk factors associated with poor outcomes when infected by the virus. As more demographic data is obtained, we see that an alarming proportion of patients affected by the virus are among racial and ethnic minorities. For example, in Chicago 70% of covid-19 deaths have ...
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Thoughts From an Inaugural ASHP Virtual Summer Intern

By Delaney McGuirt posted 25 days ago
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Hello ASHP Community! My name is Delaney McGuirt and I am one of the two ASHP summer interns (you’ve already met my co-intern, Ella, here ). I am a rising P2 at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore and I am excited to bring you weekly blogs cataloging my (virtual) internship experience. A little about myself, I took a nontraditional path to pharmacy. I graduated with my BS in Radiologic Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before spending four years working in medical imaging and clinical research at UNC and then the NIH. During that time, I remained active in my state professional societies and learned ...
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Intertwining Leadership and Learning for the Advancement of the Pharmacy Profession

By Ma Emmanuelle Domingo posted 06-12-2020
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Here we are with the second installment of my weekly intern blogs and Week Three of my online ASHP summer internship tied up and tucked away on the shelf. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned from my preceptors so far! This quote from John F. Kennedy about sums it up: “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” We cannot learn without first being led, and we cannot lead without life-long learning. What exactly does that mean in terms of my internship experiences and newfound knowledge from ASHP? Well, this quote addresses three prevalent questions from my work this week: 1) What do ASHP members need at this moment in time? 2) What can we do to ...
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Being a Resident During COVID-19

By Leeanne Mobayed posted 06-10-2020
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My name is Leeanne Mobayed and I am one of the PGY-2 Ambulatory Care residents at Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, NM. Our pharmacy services include 5 pharmacist-led clinics in epilepsy, HIV/Hepatitis C, anticoagulation, rheumatology and chronic disease management. As a resident, I also have the opportunity to work in our urgent care as a pharmacist clinician. However, a lot has changed since the outbreak of COVID-19. The last quarter of residency is often the most challenging, as all of your longitudinal projects come to a close, potential for burn-out becomes much more prevalent, and you begin preparing for that next step in your career, whether ...
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Being a Resident During COVID-19

By Leeanne Mobayed posted 06-10-2020
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My name is Leeanne Mobayed and I am one of the PGY-2 Ambulatory Care residents at Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, NM. Our pharmacy services include 5 pharmacist-led clinics in epilepsy, HIV/Hepatitis C, anticoagulation, rheumatology and chronic disease management. As a resident, I also have the opportunity to work in our urgent care as a pharmacist clinician. However, a lot has changed since the outbreak of COVID-19. The last quarter of residency is often the most challenging, as all of your longitudinal projects come to a close, potential for burn-out becomes much more prevalent, and you begin preparing for that next step in your career, whether ...
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Anxiety and Lockdown

By Sara White posted 06-07-2020
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Dealing With Anxiety Understanding and Managing Anxious Thoughts especially during lockdown (Mind Tools) It's normal to be anxious from time to time. Whether it's something tangible such as waiting to go into a job interview, or an undefined fear about something unknown coming around the corner, anxious thoughts and feelings are a predictable and appropriate response. But what if your anxiety becomes relentless or overwhelming, or doesn't seem to have a cause? In cases like these, when anxiety no longer seems like a reasonable response, and your well-being is at risk, you need to take action. What Is Anxiety? Anxiety is a mixture of uneasy feelings, ...
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Beginning the ASHP Summer Internship & Adapting amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Ma Emmanuelle Domingo posted 06-05-2020
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Hello, everyone! My name is Ella Domingo, and I am a rising second-year student in Purdue University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program in West Lafayette, Indiana. I currently serve as an ASHP summer intern, and as part of my internship I look forward to sharing weekly blogs recounting my experiences as we navigate a new, virtual setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. From my first year of pharmacy school, I have learned that reflection is an excellent way to internalize experiences and grow from them, so I am excited to share my journey over these next few weeks. As for what the ASHP summer internship entails, it is a ten-week training in national association ...
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Essential and Extraordinary: Pharmacy Technicians during a Pandemic

By Julie Lanza posted 06-02-2020
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Essential and Extraordinary: Pharmacy Technicians during a Pandemic Coronavirus will put 2020 in the history books and most likely, change the way we all practice in our health care professions. We certainly didn’t need a pandemic to showcase the importance of pharmacy technicians and what we do. However, the last couple months have more than proven just how integral pharmacy technicians are and the important role we play during a pandemic…and beyond. From coast to coast and every state in between, pharmacy technicians are showing up, stepping up, and facing challenges head on…..and conquering them. Advanced roles of pharmacy technicians has been a topic of ...
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Keeping Gossip Positive!

By Cavan O'Kane posted 05-28-2020
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Keeping Gossip Positive! Gossip tends to be an unavoidable part of the workplace. While common, it may be a leading cause of a negative work environment. Gossip can hurt relationships and create an environment of fear and resentment. This can cause significant workplace stress, decreasing productivity and morale. So why do we all do it? Some argue that it is a way to bond with others and build relationships. Others are curious about the lives of their co-workers. What if there is a way to achieve the same satisfaction, but remain positive and encouraging? Dr. Lynn Johnson, author of ENJOY LIFE! Healing with Happiness proposes that we gossip positively ...
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An integrated approach to career and life fulfillment and planning

By Neil MacKinnon posted 05-28-2020
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Today, my article entitled "An integrated approach to career and life fulfillment and planning" was published (in advance of the next issue) in AJHP. You can access the article as an ASHP member here: https://academic.oup.com/ajhp/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajhp/zxaa124/5847963 While the article appears in the New Practitioners' column, the principles in the article apply to pharmacy students, residents, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at any stage in their career. As I mention in the article, I've led workshops on the topic for over 20 years. The foundation for my interest in the topic comes from ASHP Past President David Zilz from my time as resident ...
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An integrated approach to career and life fulfillment and planning

By Neil MacKinnon posted 05-28-2020
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Today, my article entitled "An integrated approach to career and life fulfillment and planning" was published (in advance of the next issue) in AJHP. You can access the article as an ASHP member here: https://academic.oup.com/ajhp/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajhp/zxaa124/5847963 While the article appears in the New Practitioners' column, the principles in the article apply to pharmacy students, residents, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at any stage in their career. As I mention in the article, I've led workshops on the topic for over 20 years. The foundation for my interest in the topic comes from ASHP Past President David Zilz from my time as resident ...
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Work-Life Integration

By Cavan O'Kane posted 05-27-2020
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Work-Life Integration Have you ever found yourself working long days to keep up with the demands of work? Or have you ever found yourself thinking about work even when you want to pay attention to family and friends? As new practitioners, it can be fairly easy to fill your life with work rather than prioritizing your health, family, and community. It is well known that this lifestyle leads to burnout. You may experience feelings of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, reduced personal accomplishment, and resentment of your workplace. A negative work environment may be of your own affliction. How do you overcome this? There has been much talk about work-life ...
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Medication errors and harm to patients in the outpatient/ambulatory/community pharmacy setting

By Neil MacKinnon posted 05-26-2020
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If your health system has outpatient/ambulatory/community pharmacies as part of your system/network, you may be interested in our new analysis of almost 100,000 quality-related events (medication errors) that linked these events to patient harm. Our research report was published today in BMJ Open Quality.  It has been published in this open access journal so should be free for all to read: https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/9/2/e000853.full In Table 2 of the paper, we list the top 20 drugs associated with patient harm in this seven-year study - a good place on which to focus future patient safety efforts. Neil
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Personal Care is Patient Care

By Cavan O'Kane posted 05-26-2020
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Personal Care is Patient Care A negative work environment can be quite taxing on new practitioners in pharmacy. How do you know if your work environment is causing significant grief or angst? If aspects of your workplace are causing disruptions in the rest of your life, then you may be negatively affected by your work environment. However, you may not be the only one suffering. As health care professionals, our patients are directly affected by our behaviors. Burnout due to a negative work environment leads to lower quality of care, more medication errors, and lower patient satisfaction. You must assess the root cause of your negative work environment. ...
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Identification of Vulnerable Areas of High COVID-19 Mortality Risk: A new public health policy brief

By Neil MacKinnon posted 05-20-2020
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PublicHealthPolicyBrief2GHAGMay2020FINAL.pdf Attached is our latest public health policy brief. Our analysis focuses primarily on the state of Ohio. The aims of our analyses are to identify: 1) counties at high risk of COVID-19 related mortality, and 2) counties with a high mortality risk and a low healthcare capacity in Ohio
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