Blogs

Pharmacy Technician's - Making a Difference in 2020

By Barbara Hintzen posted 3 days ago
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2020 is here...wow!!  Time goes by so fast!  With each new year many of us reflect on what we have accomplished, where we are, and where we want to be both professionally and personally.  We ask ourselves questions like:  How can I make a difference? What is my next step to advance, or can I advance? Is this my true calling? These types of thoughts can weigh heavily on our minds, and the choice to be a pharmacy technician is not always an easy career path to navigate. Hopefully, you are not feeling burnt out and questioning your choices.  As a fellow pharmacy technician, I challenge you to make this a great year!! Take your role to the next level, pursue additional ...
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Seeking Input and Sparking Creativity and Innovation

By Sara White posted 15 days ago
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Folks  I am seeking your assistance/input. I am thinking about submitting a program proposal on "Integrating Life and Career for Busy Women and Men Pharmacists" for the 2020 MCM, which has to be submitted by Feb 1. I am thinking the "pearls" type, short practical 5 minute presentations may work well for actual "how tos". Some topics might be Using A Meal Service, Ensuring Family Time, Minimizing Guilt, etc.. Would this be of interest to you and what topics would you like to see presented and if you or know people who would be good as presenters also indicate names and email addresses? Thanks a bunch Encouraging Team Creativity Helping Your ...
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Pharmacy Technicians: Are You Prepared to Aid in Disaster Efforts?

By Kristina Alspaugh posted 21 days ago
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Most pharmacy technicians are not first responders; however, we can be terrific first receivers. So, what is a first receiver?  Hospital pharmacy technician first receivers assist in set up, decontamination and other non-clinical tasks during a mass exposure or event. Community pharmacy technicians help customers obtain medications and keep refrigerated drugs viable during power outages. Why are pharmacy technicians well suited for supportive roles in disaster situations? They have knowledge of hazardous drug handling and decontamination. They are also familiar with personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements and have experience wearing PPE for several ...
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The ten worst jobs

By Dennis Tribble posted 12-06-2019
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As many of you know, I enjoy reading The Advisory Board Daily Briefing (TABDB) and recently viewed an article relating to Career Cast's Report on the best and worst jobs . Career Cast measured: Environment, including both the physical and emotional environment of a job; Income, including median income and potential for income growth; Outlook, including the potential for employment growth, the potential for income growth, unemployment data; and Stress, including the amount of travel the job demands, deadlines, and competitiveness. The best rated job was Data scientist and the worst rated job was Taxi driver. TABDB further ...
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The Midyear Clinical Meeting Will Shine Bright in Las Vegas

By Paul Abramowitz posted 12-02-2019
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Dear Colleagues, The 54th Annual Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition is about to begin in Las Vegas with the promise of an exciting week filled with world-class educational programming, dynamic speakers, and a host of networking and professional development opportunities. Our theme this year is Bigger. Brighter. Midyear, and I am eager for our over 25,000 attendees to experience everything the largest gathering of pharmacists in the world has to offer. This year the Midyear Clinical Meeting will feature two keynote speakers. We are delighted to welcome Condoleezza Rice, who served as the 66th Secretary of State under President George W. Bush and will ...
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Pharmacy Technicians: Key members in the healthcare band

By Vanessa Elliott posted 12-02-2019
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Great bands may have a lead singer, but it takes the whole band to really shine and bring things together.  In the world of healthcare, it’s easy to imagine doctors and pharmacists as the “ lead singers ”.  But today more than ever we can see how crucial it is to have a whole “ band/crew ” working together to ensure patients receive optimal care.  Pharmacy technicians are a key part of the healthcare band.  Okay, that may be a bit out there, but it does illustrate the importance of working as a team and that pharmacy technicians are key in ensuring patients receive star quality care in their healthcare journey. Historically pharmacy technicians have been kept ...
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Resilience to the burnout

By Ora Dorsey posted 11-24-2019
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I saw this quote on pinterest and decided to frame it on my desk at work. This quote speaks resilience. Just thought I would shar
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The Lazy Residents' Guide to Getting Involved with ASHP

By Annmarie Cristiano posted 11-22-2019
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​ Let me be honest with you for a moment. Being involved in your professional national organization is so important for not only the profession, but also for your own career. Let me continue to be honest with you. Residency is a busy time, and it feels like there is never a moment to spare. As I near completion of an association management rotation with ASHP, I am reflecting on how to merge residency with association involvement, and here’s my advice for you: Step 1: Choose one way to give back to ASHP for all the helpful resources and events it provides to residents and pharmacists alike. Think of all the helpful resources you have utilized from ASHP. Maybe ...
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Naloxone – Underused or Overused?

By Nicholas Cox posted 11-22-2019
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Without question, naloxone is somewhat of a “miracle drug” in a clinician’s arsenal. It can save people who are on the brink of death, including those jeopardized by a prescription opioid overdose. This opioid-reversal agent has saved thousands of lives. However, despite that simple truth, naloxone has become a polarizing topic. For some, it’s a “wonder drug” that we need to utilize more, while others downplay its benefits and argue we over-utilize it as a “crutch” for our nation’s “opioid epidemic.” Consider the following:   Underuse Based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics, there were 47,600 deaths related to synthetic ...
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ASHP Taking Steps to Address Drug Manufacturing Quality and National Security Risks

By Paul Abramowitz posted 11-18-2019
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Dear Colleagues, A recently released report from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission underscores the need to address our nation’s dependence on China for the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and their active product ingredients (API). In particular, the report recommends that Congress hold hearings on the topic and pursue new quality oversight mechanisms for foreign-sourced drug products. The report shines a light on some foreign manufacturing practices that may pose national security and public health risks. We have previously called for the Department of Health & Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a ...
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An Attitude of Gratitude

By Keri Depatis posted 11-06-2019
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Keri DePatis, PharmD, PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident, Palm Beach Atlantic University Amy Henneman, PharmD, BCACP, BCPS, CDE, PGY-2 Ambulatory Care and PGY-1 Residency Program Director, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Palm Beach Atlantic University As the most “Thankful Thursday” of the year (Yes, I’m talking about Thanksgiving!) quickly approaches, society reminds itself to be grateful. Gratitude has been defined as a state of being thankful or a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Dr. Brené Brown highlights the importance of gratitude in many of her books and interviews, stating, “I went into the research thinking ...
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generating a dialog about vaccination

By Dennis Tribble posted 11-01-2019
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An online story from today (May 13, 2019) from Reuters documents that 75 new cases of measles were recorded  last week,  bringing the total number of measles cases to 839 in what is billed in the country's worst outbreak of measles since 1994. . The article appears to blame the outbreak on "a vocal fringe of U.S. parents" who oppose the use of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine on the fear that it can cause autism. Coincidentally, there is an article in today's version of The Advisory Board Daily Briefing on the actual reasons for which parents elect to not have their children vaccinated. According to Jennifer Reich, a professor of sociology at the University ...
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In Search for Meaningful Resources to Expand Clinical Pharmacist Positions

By Kong Wong posted 10-28-2019
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To all my fellow ambulatory care clinical pharmacists/managers, I am currently a mental health clinical pharmacist and an active member of ASHP and I serve on the Section Advisory Group (SAG) on Clinical Practice Advancement. In our last SAG meeting, we had discussed peer reviewed journal articles that clinical pharmacists/managers are using in business plans to expand clinical pharmacist positions. We were looking for any articles related to cost-avoidance, involved impact on CMS 5 Stars/HEDIS, etc. that you found impactful. Anything, would be helpful! Please comment with links to resources or email me directly at kong.wong@outllook.com. I would like to ...
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Ride the Technology Wave

By Diana Isaacs posted 10-23-2019
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I was very fortunate to attend the recent Technology Summit through the American Association of Diabetes Educators(AADE).  We discussed all things diabetes technology including mobile apps, virtual platforms, remote coaching, continuous glucose monitors (CGM), insulin pumps, tracking devices, and platforms to upload data.  There are a lot of misconceptions about technology.  I’d like to share some of the pearls I learned at this summit and how this is a great opportunity for pharmacists. One might think that millennials or emerging adults would embrace technology the most, but recent evidence suggests that emerging adults may prefer face to face visits. Another ...
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A Look Back at Policy Week

By Shanice Anderson posted 10-19-2019
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From the first day of my APPE rotation at ASHP, the hot topic was undoubtedly all about “Policy Week”. When introducing myself to ASHP staff, often one of the first questions they’d ask was, “Are you ready for Policy Week?” My answer was a resounding, excitement filled yes-- mainly because I was ecstatic to be at ASHP Headquarters. I didn’t know a lot about Policy Week or what this event entailed. My only experience with ASHP policy was in my first two years of pharmacy school when I attended the two-day Advocacy Boot Camp for pharmacy students. When I saw that during the first week of my rotation, most meetings concerned Policy Week preparation, I figured it ...
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Pharmacy Technicians: Pharmacy Superheroes

By Vanessa Elliott posted 10-16-2019
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Pharmacy Technicians: Pharmacy Superheroes                 Every October in the United States we recognize pharmacy personnel for the important work they do to improve patient care. Pharmacy technicians are key members of the healthcare team and on National Pharmacy Technician Day, we honor the hard work that they do. Many pharmacy technicians wear capes (metaphorically); their super powers in patient care are evident and essential every day.                Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have a presence in many areas including, but not limited to home healthcare, retail pharmacies, hospitals, medication research and more.   The work that is visibly ...
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Failing Key To Innovation

By Sara White posted 10-13-2019
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   Tamara Kleinberg in The Real Reasons Failure Is Important To Innovation suggests the following. This isn’t referring to when we practice as a pharmacists with drug therapy but in all the other things we do such as how our services are organized and in our personal lives. We’ve all heard the mantras around failure. “Fail fast. Fail often.” “Love your failures.” “You can’t succeed without failure.” But why? Why is failure so important to innovation and success? Why are we constantly being told to embrace failure rather than run away from it? We are told often it’s because we learn the most from our mistakes. If we aren’t failing, we ...
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ASHP APPE Rotation-Final Week!

By Sara Loftus posted 09-30-2019
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Where did the month of September go? With much sadness, I am now writing my last blog as an ASHP APPE student. This month has been filled with learning various aspects of ASHP, engaging with staff, exploring new opportunities, and growing as a student pharmacist. I am very thankful for this unique opportunity as a student and this experience has helped me learn so much.  This week, I had the opportunity to go back to Capitol Hill and visit offices in both the Senate and the House! During Legislative Day, ASHP members wrote thank you cards to their members of congress they met with, and the students at ASHP were able to deliver each of them to the respective ...
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ASHP Opioid Task Force Focuses on Role of Pharmacists in Combating Opioid Crisis

By Paul Abramowitz posted 09-30-2019
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Dear Colleagues, This week we look forward to convening an Opioid Task Force meeting to address the important roles pharmacists play in combating the opioid crisis, a multifaceted issue that requires sustained efforts by all members of the interprofessional care team. While no easy fixes exist to end the opioid epidemic, ASHP and our 50,000 members have been working diligently to shape the solutions around opioids through the engagement of pharmacists on behalf of our patients and communities. Still, there is far more work to be done. The interdisciplinary ASHP Opioid Task Force, chaired by Past President Lisa Gersema, is charged with identifying actionable ...
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ASHP APPE Rotation - Week Three

By Sara Loftus posted 09-26-2019
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I cannot believe that my rotation here at ASHP is more than halfway over! I feel like I am finally getting the hang of how things work around here and I will have to leave so soon. Since Policy Week ended last week, it was nice to ease my way back into a regular routine at the office. I do not think I would call it a routine though,  as each day brings  different meetings  and new collaborations and projects.     As I mentioned in my first blog, students on rotation at ASHP have the opportunity to set up  introductory  meetings with  ASHP  staff  members, and learn  about their   background . I thought it was interesting that not all staff ...
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