3 SEP 2021 · PBMs Must Focus on Quality Patient Care First & Lowering Costs Second, in specialty pharmacy this is more important than ever before.  Though PBMs are most known for the influence they have on prescription drug costs, some firms are increasingly focused on offering high-touch condition management services that give them a more active role in patient care. A special partnership between Ascella Health and Appro-Rx will build upon this philosophy.   “AscellaHealth focuses on maximizing the care of patients and the financial performance of healthcare systems. We take a customized approach for each entity, tailoring our programs and services to their specific needs in order to ensure that institutions generate income and provide high-touch clinical value through our proven cost management strategies.”  Special Guest:  Michael J. Baldzicki, CRCM Executive Vice President, Growth & Strategy Office: 877.389.9040 www.ascellahealth.com About AscellaHealth:  AscellaHealth is a global Specialty Pharmacy and Healthcare services organization serving payers, providers, life sciences and patients, offering a comprehensive portfolio of customized, tech-enabled specialty pharmaceutical and medical management services. An Inc. 5000 2021 winner, AscellaHealth’s unique, patient-centric approach is built upon proprietary technology processes for innovative programs and services optimizing health outcomes and quality of life for patients with complex chronic conditions or rare diseases that require specialty medications and/or gene and cell therapies. Visit www.AscellaHealth.com About Appro-Rx: Appro-Rx, a national prescription benefit management company located in Waynesville, Ohio, recently partnered with the Pharmacy Podcast Network to launch the More-On PBM’s podcast. Hosted by CEO, Kyle Fields, this podcast digs into the dark corners of the unregulated PBM business practices and sets the record straight.  Visit: https://www.approrx.com/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 MAR 2021 · Our guests today are Michelle Sherman, RPh, who is a member of the Pharmacy Podcast Network & has a podcast called the "Conscious Pharmacist Podcast" & Jay Holloway PharmD, returning for a second time to the Pharmacy Podcat to discuss:  References, from Pharmacy Today: https://www.pharmacytoday.org/article/S1042-0991(20)30876-8/fulltext Pharmacists Focused on LGBTQ Communities, the latest chapter of the "Transforming a Nation" podcast series.  Pharmacists need to acquire foundational knowledge about key concepts and terminologies relevant to the LGBTQ population. To provide care consistent with cultural competence and humility, pharmacists must also be aware of the diversity between and within different segments of the LGBTQ community, and the intersectionality of multiple identities that shape a person’s life experiences. Furthermore, it is important to note that while various identities such as gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity intersect, one is not predictive of the other. For example, a person’s gender identity does not determine their sexual orientation and the biological sex designated at birth does not define their gender identity.11Sexual orientation is a person’s emotional, romantic, sexual attraction, or non-attraction to other people and is composed of three separate dimensions: behavior, identity, and desire. Some people may engage in same-sex sexual behavior but not identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Similarly, a person may be sexually, romantically, or emotionally attracted to members of the same sex and choose not to be sexually active with same-sex partners. For research purposes, the terms “men who have sex with men” (MSM) and “women who have sex with women” (WSW) are often used to describe a person’s sexual behavior regardless of their identity. Sex refers to a set of biological attributes primarily related to physical and physiological features. The phrase “sex assigned at birth” (SAAB) or “designated sex at birth” (DSAB) is used to describe a person’s biological sex, most often, but not exclusively, based on the external appearance of genitalia at birth. Gender is a socially constructed concept used to characterize the behaviors, actions, and qualities of women and men or girls and boys. The critical flaw of an exclusive binary paradigm is that it does not account for the inherent diversity of human gender. A more expansive conceptualization of gender recognizes that each person possesses a wide range of characteristics that may or may not be consistent with the gender binary, represent a combination of male and female, or fall somewhere in between the two. Gender identity is a person’s inner sense of their gender. For some people, their gender identity may not be congruent with the one typically expected based on their SAAB/DSAB. They may describe themselves in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, transgender, male, female, gender fluid/genderqueer, nonbinary, agender, or as another gender. Decisions to change gender expression and/or physical appearance to be more consistent with their gender identity through medical (e.g., hormone replacement therapy), nonmedical (e.g., voice therapy, choosing an affirming name, etc.), and/or surgical options (e.g. gender affirmation/confirmation surgery) is wholly determined by the individual.  The National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center   https://www.lgbtqiahealtheducation.org/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 MAR 2021 · The recently published (in a pre-print server) COLCORONA study, sponsored by the Montreal Heart institute and conducted in 6 countries aimed to show if using colchicine would decrease risk of hospitalization and death in outpatients with COVID-19. Will it work? How's the study design? Learn the facts. Reference: Tardif J, Bouabdallaoui N, L'Allier P, et al. Efficacy of Colchicine in Non-Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19. Pre-Print. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.26.21250494v1 CPE details for GameChangers Podcast March 2021 Learning Objective: Apply the results of the CORCORONA study to patients with COVID-19 disease. 0107-0000-21-097-H01-P 0.25 CEU/2.5 Hrs (Knowledge) Initial Release Date: 03/02/21 Expiration Date: 03/02/24 Additional CPE information is located at https://www.ceimpact.com/podcast  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24 FEB 2021 · Special Guest:Jason Ausili, Chief Clinical Officer at FDS. Jason Ausili, Pharm.D., is the Chief Clinical Officer at FDS, Inc., where he’s focused on delivering innovative clinical-based technology solutions that help mobilize pharmacists as care providers and practice at the top of their license. Jason received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Butler University in 2002 and has over 20 years of experience working in a variety of areas within the industry. He’s held a variety of roles across the spectrum of community pharmacy and throughout his career has stayed centered on his aim to expand the scope of pharmacy practice, improve healthcare quality performance, and ensure pharmacists receive equitable payment for clinical services and improving patient outcomes. Prior to coming to FDS in 2017, Jason spent the previous two years at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, a non-profit trade association, as the Director of Pharmacy Affairs. He has served on a number of pharmacy industry work groups over the years and has been actively involved with various professional organizations.   Background: In August 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Assistant Secretary for Health, issued guidance under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) to expand access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines when they are made available. This guidance authorizes state-licensed pharmacists to order and administer, and state-licensed or registered pharmacy interns acting under the supervision of the qualified pharmacist to administer, COVID-19 vaccinations to persons ages 3 or older, subject to certain requirements. In addition, President Biden has clearly stated his intention to make vaccinations available in all pharmacies across the country and just this week the federal government stated it plans to ship Covid-19 vaccines to retail pharmacies starting February 11th.   Challenges: Billing for a medical benefit is a new phenomenon for many community pharmacists. How can they align and integrate their current pharmacy management systems with expanded medical billing requirements? How will pharmacy’s align with patient vaccination registries to ensure automated reporting to state registries for reportable vaccine events? Solutions:  Pharmacists need to operate at the top of their licenses. They need to be able to integrate vaccination clinical documentation into their existing patient profiles. And will need to also provide efficient patient scheduling and an optimal patient experience. About FDS, Inc.: FDS strengthens the health of pharmacies and their patients. We empower community pharmacies to build the clinically focused New Era Pharmacy, enabling their business to thrive now and successfully transition to a provider of community and population health through data insights, purpose-built technology solutions, and clinical services enablement. Read more about FDS at www.fdsrx.com. FDS recently merged with Amplicare, a leading business intelligence and decision-automation platform in the pharmacy and healthcare industry. Designed by pharmacists for pharmacists, the platform is engineered with a big data approach. Amplicare's proprietary technology collects, analyzes, and leverages consumer, patient, clinical, and industry-level informatics to empower providers to proactively take informed actions that improve patient care and clinical outcomes.  With thousands of pharmacy subscribers, Amplicare delivers an unrivaled platform that increases patient retention, improves performance measures, grows and diversifies revenue streams, and enables providers to communicate with their patients more easily than ever before. Read more about Amplicare at www.amplicare.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

19 FEB 2021 · Background: A big issue with vaccine distribution today is little consistency – some people are going to other states in order to get vaccinated faster, not to mention the inability to easily reach your pharmacy’s regular customers with information that’s important to them. Challenge: This presents challenges for pharmacies (as well as doctor’s offices and hospitals) as there are: Record call volumes Patient confusion Misinformation Challenges ensuring patients keep appointments for vaccinations Solution: Technology solutions can offer easy: Voice mail, e-mail and texting of information to help eliminate confusion Proactive outreach to vaccine candidates to schedule appointments Pre-vaccine appointment communications Educational follow-up after first vaccine appointment For more background on this topic, TalkDesk just released a new Vaccine Administration Solution: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005286/en/Talkdesk-announces-Small-Business-Lending-Solution-and-Talkdesk-Vaccine-Administration-Solution-to-support-COVID-19-relief-and-recovery See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

18 FEB 2021 · On this episode of Beyond the Sig, third-year student pharmacist Brooke Kulusich sits down with Jeff Covelli, RPh of The Hometown Pharmacies, a regional independent pharmacy chain with 16 locations across Pennsylvania and Ohio. As Medication Therapy Management Coordinator at The Hometown Pharmacies, Jeff has become an expert on leveraging the metrics of pharmacy adherence and medication therapy management to provide value-based care. He explains how pharmacies can begin utilizing quality metrics to improve clinical outcomes and positively impact financial operations. For all the Beyond the Sig Episodes, please visit:  https://www.papharmacists.com/page/podcast  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

17 FEB 2021 · On this episode of Beyond the Sig, third-year student pharmacist Brooke Kulusich sits down with Michelle Murphy, PharmD, MS, Director of Pharmacy at Amerihealth Caritas Pennsylvania. As a member of the Flip the Pharmacy Payer Advisory Board, Michelle shares her insight into how pharmacists can demonstrate their value to payers in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape. Access all the 'Beyond the Sig' Episodes here:  https://www.papharmacists.com/page/podcast  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 FEB 2021 · Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder that exacts a significant toll on quality of life. For the first time, the American College of Gastroenterology has published guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment for this disorder. This episode is accredited for CPE. Subscribe at CEimpact ( https://www.ceimpact.com/pharmacist ) and claim your CE today! Reference: Lacy, Brian E. PhD, MD, FACG1; Pimentel, Mark MD, FACG2; Brenner, Darren M. MD, FACG3; Chey, William D. MD, FACG4; Keefer, Laurie A. PhD5; Long, Millie D. MDMPH, FACG (GRADE Methodologist)6; Moshiree, Baha MD, MSc, FACG7 ACG Clinical Guideline: Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, The American Journal of Gastroenterology: January 2021 - Volume 116 - Issue 1 - p 17-44 doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001036. Accessed at https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Fulltext/2021/01000/ACG_Clinical_Guideline__Management_of_Irritable.11.aspx  Bristol stool scale (recommend tertiary references): Lewis, SJ; Heaton, KW (September 1997). "Stool form scale as a useful guide to intestinal transit time". Scand. J. Gastroenterol. 32 (9): 920–4. doi:10.3109/00365529709011203. PMID 9299672. CPE details for GameChangers Podcast February 2021 Learning Objective: Discuss appropriate treatments for irritable bowel syndrome 0107-0000-21-083-H01-P 0.2 CEU/2.0 Hrs (Knowledge) Initial Release Date: 02/23/21 Expiration Date: 02/23/24 Additional CPE information is located at https://www.ceimpact.com/podcast  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 FEB 2021 · Listen in as Kimberly Marin discusses how she combines eastern and western medicine, how health leads to wealth, and how to meditate your way to success. "Just keeping my mind to the attitude of abundance and not scarcity made a huge difference.” – Kimberly Marin. Learn more about this episode of The Corepreneur Podcast with Anne Arvizu at www.annearvizu.com/12  This episode is sponsored by: UltiGuard Safe Pack is the only pen needle product that comes with an all-in-one sharps container. Learn more about why UltiGuard Safe Pack is the best choice for your patients and your pharmacy. Learn more UltiGuard Safe Pack https://www.ulticare.com/ultiguard-safe-pack/podcast  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

29 JAN 2021 · Today's special guest is Pharmacy owner & Community Champion Mr. Rich Ost, R.Ph., owner of Philadelphia Pharmacy located in Philadelphia, PA.  Philadelphia Pharmacy is a well-known and respected establishment in downtown Philadelphia.  It has been located on the corner of N. Front St. and E. Leigh for nearly 40 years and is owned by Richard Ost, RPh.  In a city famous for buildings painted with colorful mural, the pharmacy boasts one of the city’s most notable.  The corner locations is wrapped in a 3 story tall mural, on both the store front and side of the building that colorfully represents the evolution of medicine from botanicals to modern day prescriptions.     In this episode of Pharmacy CrossRoads Ost tells Bruce Kneeland how, on Oct. 27, 2020, social unrest and rioting resulted in the looting of his pharmacy and several others in the City.  Ost tells how, with the help of his staff, the community and suppliers the pharmacy was completely put back together and in a matter of days was once again serving the community.  Ost also provides some words of advice for pharmacy owners on how they can prepare for this type of thing.  Ost also share some tips on how he and his team, over the past years have worked to earn the trust, support and patronage of the community.  He says it takes time, creativity and building relationships of trust best earned by treating people with respect, adjusting to ethnic needs and simply providing people with top notch care.    Thank you to CPA the Compliant Pharmacy Alliance Cooperative for sponsoring the Pharmacy CrossRoads Podcast.   CPA is proud to serve independent pharmacy owners. For over 25 years, we have made your business, our business. With over 2,000+ member pharmacies, CPA leverages an exceptional membership and our expertise to obtain market leading economics, services, and support. Being a 100% member-owned cooperative, there are no conflicts of interest. Learn more: https://members.compliantrx.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.