From the Globe and Mail:
In a big-box world, the role of pharmacists seems increasingly humble. Camped out at the back of chain drugstores, counting out pills and providing occasional advice on which over-the-counter cold medication to take, they often seem more like clerks than health-care professionals.
That's the case in Ontario, at least, which has lagged behind other provinces in allowing pharmacists to make good use of their training.
But now Dalton McGuinty's government is positioned to leap to the front of the pack in transforming the profession.
Not only has it empowered pharmacists to perform certain services traditionally restricted to doctors - such as giving vaccinations and prescribing some medications - but it has the chance to provide a groundbreaking incentive to take on those tasks, turning pharmacies into health-care hubs.
Before Christmas, the Ontario legislature unanimously passed Bill 179, which permits pharmacists (along with nurses and nurse practitioners) to perform services normally limited to doctors - services they have already begun to provide in other provinces, including British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta and New Brunswick. ...more
Showing posts with label innovative pharmacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label innovative pharmacy. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Pharmacy checks pills with pix
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
A Musquodoboit Harbour pharmacy has scored a North American first with a new pill-checking machine that snaps photos of drug packages before they go out the door.
For the past year, Forest Hill Drug Mart has quietly been conducting trials on a compact medication detection machine developed by Global Factories of Holland.
"It digitally photographs and checks the contents of each packet," drug mart owner Nathan Hill said Wednesday.
"Typically what you have is different levels of checks and balances throughout the prescription process. We would have multiple technicians checking the packaging and then it goes on to a pharmacist to do a final check."
The new machine allows Forest Hill to skip one level of technician checks, saving about 20 hours of work a week.
"It’s 99.99 per cent accurate in finding errors in packaging," Mr. Hill said.
The device reads and photographs small cellophane packages used to distribute individual doses of medications to nursing homes, halfway houses and retail patients. ...more
A Musquodoboit Harbour pharmacy has scored a North American first with a new pill-checking machine that snaps photos of drug packages before they go out the door.
For the past year, Forest Hill Drug Mart has quietly been conducting trials on a compact medication detection machine developed by Global Factories of Holland.
"It digitally photographs and checks the contents of each packet," drug mart owner Nathan Hill said Wednesday.
"Typically what you have is different levels of checks and balances throughout the prescription process. We would have multiple technicians checking the packaging and then it goes on to a pharmacist to do a final check."
The new machine allows Forest Hill to skip one level of technician checks, saving about 20 hours of work a week.
"It’s 99.99 per cent accurate in finding errors in packaging," Mr. Hill said.
The device reads and photographs small cellophane packages used to distribute individual doses of medications to nursing homes, halfway houses and retail patients. ...more
Cochrane clinics offer something for every ailment
From the Cochrane (AB) Eagle:
After the EFW Radiology X-ray clinic closed its doors in February 2009, it seemed like Cochrane was at a disadvantage for medical services, considering the town’s new urgent care centre won’t open until 2011.
But a closer look shows there are plenty of exciting health developments in town — the first being plans for a new multi-disciplinary clinic.
Based out of EFW Radiology’s old office in Mainstreet Pharmacy located in the Cochrane Professional building on First Street, two pharmacists, one nurse and one clinical psychologist have banded together to create Inspiration Health Professionals.
Currently the space is being used for H1N1 immunizations, with the help of Inspiration pharmacist Sandy Dubyk, but Dubyk hopes it can be so much more.
Dubyk has been in the business for 20 years, and has his doctorate in pharmacy. He has worked in various settings from communities, to hospitals and Universities, as well as having done drug research.
His main focus is heart health and diabetes, which worked well with his last post with Pfizer Canada — the largest pharmaceutical company in the world — researching cardiovascular medicine. ...more
After the EFW Radiology X-ray clinic closed its doors in February 2009, it seemed like Cochrane was at a disadvantage for medical services, considering the town’s new urgent care centre won’t open until 2011.
But a closer look shows there are plenty of exciting health developments in town — the first being plans for a new multi-disciplinary clinic.
Based out of EFW Radiology’s old office in Mainstreet Pharmacy located in the Cochrane Professional building on First Street, two pharmacists, one nurse and one clinical psychologist have banded together to create Inspiration Health Professionals.
Currently the space is being used for H1N1 immunizations, with the help of Inspiration pharmacist Sandy Dubyk, but Dubyk hopes it can be so much more.
Dubyk has been in the business for 20 years, and has his doctorate in pharmacy. He has worked in various settings from communities, to hospitals and Universities, as well as having done drug research.
His main focus is heart health and diabetes, which worked well with his last post with Pfizer Canada — the largest pharmaceutical company in the world — researching cardiovascular medicine. ...more
Monday, August 10, 2009
New online drug listing service may eliminate print catalogues
From the New Brunswick Business Journal:
Tired of receiving a plethora of different drug catalogues at his Saint John pharmacies, Peter Hebert knew there was a more organized and innovative way to get drug information out to pharmacists.
So in 1991, the now-retired pharmacist approached his salesman brother Tony for help and together they created Moncton-based drug catalogue company, Total Pricing Systems Inc.
This fall the Heberts will launch the mobile version of their online catalogue, PPS Pharma, which healthcare workers can access using any smart phone in any wireless network.
The first cellphone-friendly drug listing service in Canada, it will further eliminate the unwanted stacks of print catalogues Peter grew so tired of nearly 20 years ago.
"We believe what we've developed is very innovative," says Tony, the company's president. "We're trying to be the electronic connection to the drug industry." ...more
Tired of receiving a plethora of different drug catalogues at his Saint John pharmacies, Peter Hebert knew there was a more organized and innovative way to get drug information out to pharmacists.
So in 1991, the now-retired pharmacist approached his salesman brother Tony for help and together they created Moncton-based drug catalogue company, Total Pricing Systems Inc.
This fall the Heberts will launch the mobile version of their online catalogue, PPS Pharma, which healthcare workers can access using any smart phone in any wireless network.
The first cellphone-friendly drug listing service in Canada, it will further eliminate the unwanted stacks of print catalogues Peter grew so tired of nearly 20 years ago.
"We believe what we've developed is very innovative," says Tony, the company's president. "We're trying to be the electronic connection to the drug industry." ...more
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Digital pen a Loch Lomond first
From the Saint John (NB) Telegraph Journal:
The digital pen is mightier than the ink pen, not to mention more efficient, accurate and safer. The Loch Lomond Villa introduced the technology on Thursday, becoming the first such institution in Atlantic Canada to use the digital pen system.
Looking like a normal pen, it's used by doctors to write prescriptions. Once the pen is placed in its holder, it downloads the information to the computer and transmits it to a pharmacy. A special paper is used to write on, and a camera in the pen records the writing and then encrypts it.
Before the technology was introduced, the prescription were written by doctors, collated by staff and then faxed to the pharmacy, a much slower practice that could lead to duplication and errors.
According to Loch Lomond Villa CEO Cindy Donovan, the switch to the digital pen is seamless and requires no special training for staff. ...more
The digital pen is mightier than the ink pen, not to mention more efficient, accurate and safer. The Loch Lomond Villa introduced the technology on Thursday, becoming the first such institution in Atlantic Canada to use the digital pen system.
Looking like a normal pen, it's used by doctors to write prescriptions. Once the pen is placed in its holder, it downloads the information to the computer and transmits it to a pharmacy. A special paper is used to write on, and a camera in the pen records the writing and then encrypts it.
Before the technology was introduced, the prescription were written by doctors, collated by staff and then faxed to the pharmacy, a much slower practice that could lead to duplication and errors.
According to Loch Lomond Villa CEO Cindy Donovan, the switch to the digital pen is seamless and requires no special training for staff. ...more
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Women's only pharmacy to open in Vancouver
From Canada.com:
The first women's only pharmacy in North America will open its doors Tuesday in Vancouver.
The pharmacy, located in the city's troubled Downtown Eastside, is called Lu's: A Pharmacy for Women, and is aimed at providing female-oriented services to clients.
Caryn Duncan, executive director of the Vancouver Women's Health Collective, came up with the idea of opening a pharmacy for women in 2006.
She lives in the area and often saw queues of patrons spilling out of pharmacies onto sidewalks and having to speak to pharmacists through security glass.
"They're, I think, quite hostile places and women don't feel safe," Duncan said. "Women are walking distances to have prescriptions filled and we're hoping that they will think to come to Lu's." ...more
The first women's only pharmacy in North America will open its doors Tuesday in Vancouver.
The pharmacy, located in the city's troubled Downtown Eastside, is called Lu's: A Pharmacy for Women, and is aimed at providing female-oriented services to clients.
Caryn Duncan, executive director of the Vancouver Women's Health Collective, came up with the idea of opening a pharmacy for women in 2006.
She lives in the area and often saw queues of patrons spilling out of pharmacies onto sidewalks and having to speak to pharmacists through security glass.
"They're, I think, quite hostile places and women don't feel safe," Duncan said. "Women are walking distances to have prescriptions filled and we're hoping that they will think to come to Lu's." ...more
Sunday, April 19, 2009
High-tech pharmacist of the future based in Lindley
I thought this was an interesting approach to pharmaceutical manufacturing that isn't occurring in Canada, at least not yet.
From the Huddersfield (UK) Examiner:
Medicines used in Huddersfield Royal Infirmary now come from ... Lindley!
The new £8m pharmacy at Acre Mill is now producing almost half a million tablets each year.
And it is capable of manufacturing medicines for individual patients or in large-scale batches.
The pharmacy is now making all the medicines needed in both Calderdale Royal Hospital and HRI.
They are also supplying medicines to hospitals, pharmacists and chemists throughout Yorkshire.
...more
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Pharmacists get paid more for consultations
From the (Nashville) Tennessean:
A push by Medicare and other insurers to control patients' misuse of medications as a way to cut unnecessary drug costs has given many pharmacists a chance to make additional money by getting paid for in-depth consultations or other extra services.
Advertisement
Kroger, for instance, is training more pharmacists to handle up to one-hour consultations with patients that it began offering members of sponsoring health plans two years ago. As profit margins shrink, the new fees could help pharmacists develop another stable source of revenue.
Already, health plans are required to offer such pharmacist-patient chats to members enrolled in private Medicare plans known as Medicare Advantage. Those conversations can produce fees of $160 for up to one-hour conversations covering a patient's medical background and other services.
Other pharmacists perform extras for patients, including packaging patients' drugs in ready-to-use individual dosages to reduce the chances of a patient's taking too many pills or the wrong ones.
"You've got to find creative niches to stay alive," said W. Shane Reeves, co-owner of Reeves-Sain Drug Store, a small Murfreesboro pharmacy chain with two stores. ...more
A push by Medicare and other insurers to control patients' misuse of medications as a way to cut unnecessary drug costs has given many pharmacists a chance to make additional money by getting paid for in-depth consultations or other extra services.
Advertisement
Kroger, for instance, is training more pharmacists to handle up to one-hour consultations with patients that it began offering members of sponsoring health plans two years ago. As profit margins shrink, the new fees could help pharmacists develop another stable source of revenue.
Already, health plans are required to offer such pharmacist-patient chats to members enrolled in private Medicare plans known as Medicare Advantage. Those conversations can produce fees of $160 for up to one-hour conversations covering a patient's medical background and other services.
Other pharmacists perform extras for patients, including packaging patients' drugs in ready-to-use individual dosages to reduce the chances of a patient's taking too many pills or the wrong ones.
"You've got to find creative niches to stay alive," said W. Shane Reeves, co-owner of Reeves-Sain Drug Store, a small Murfreesboro pharmacy chain with two stores. ...more
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Pharmacist wins kudos for his compounding skills
From the Waterloo (Ont.) Record:
When pharmacist Phil Hudson came to Canada from England in 1986, the idea of a pharmacist customizing medications was a novel idea. Twenty years later, not only is his field fully accepted, but the British-trained Hudson was named compounding pharmacist of the year for 2008 by a company called Professional Compounding Centers of America, Canada.
The profession has come full circle. Early apothecaries mixed their own medications to suit a patient's malady. Over time, factory-produced pharmaceuticals became the norm. Today's compounding pharmacists can take basic medications and customize them to better suit a patient's needs and tastes.
"I had a situation (with a patient) I couldn't deal with," Hudson explained. "I came across a compounding pharmacist and called her, in the U.S. She started talking about how to overcome the problem." ...more
When pharmacist Phil Hudson came to Canada from England in 1986, the idea of a pharmacist customizing medications was a novel idea. Twenty years later, not only is his field fully accepted, but the British-trained Hudson was named compounding pharmacist of the year for 2008 by a company called Professional Compounding Centers of America, Canada.
The profession has come full circle. Early apothecaries mixed their own medications to suit a patient's malady. Over time, factory-produced pharmaceuticals became the norm. Today's compounding pharmacists can take basic medications and customize them to better suit a patient's needs and tastes.
"I had a situation (with a patient) I couldn't deal with," Hudson explained. "I came across a compounding pharmacist and called her, in the U.S. She started talking about how to overcome the problem." ...more
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wetaskiwin pill dispenser a first for Alberta
From the Wetaskiwin (AB) Times Advertiser:
It’s a first for Alberta and the Wetaskiwin Value Drug Mart.
The business has been chosen as the first pharmacy in the province to install the latest technology for automated dispensing.
The change will help equip the store’s pharmacists with “the ability to handle more prescriptions with increased efficiency and accuracy,” according to a press release.
“It’s an investment in the future of our pharmacy, and reflects our strong commitment to patients’ health and safety,” said Wetaskiwin Value Drug Mart pharmacy manager Rodney Bleakney.
Parata Max fully automates the dispensing of oral solids – pills, tablets and capsules, which comprise approximately 70 per cent of the pharmacy’s prescriptions. ...more
It’s a first for Alberta and the Wetaskiwin Value Drug Mart.
The business has been chosen as the first pharmacy in the province to install the latest technology for automated dispensing.
The change will help equip the store’s pharmacists with “the ability to handle more prescriptions with increased efficiency and accuracy,” according to a press release.
“It’s an investment in the future of our pharmacy, and reflects our strong commitment to patients’ health and safety,” said Wetaskiwin Value Drug Mart pharmacy manager Rodney Bleakney.
Parata Max fully automates the dispensing of oral solids – pills, tablets and capsules, which comprise approximately 70 per cent of the pharmacy’s prescriptions. ...more
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Toronto vending machines dispense prescription drugs
From the National Post:
Hundreds of Toronto patients have been picking up their prescription drugs in recent months much as they withdraw cash or buy a can of cola -- from special vending machines that some observers believe could transform the pharmacy business.
Customers insert their prescription into a slot in the device and a few minutes later, it spits out their medication.
Proponents say the Canadian-made drug kiosks, which feature a video link to a real pharmacist, offer convenience when there is no pharmacy open or close by. Skeptics, though, warn the machines will never duplicate the benefits of meeting in person with a druggist.
Pharmacy regulators, meanwhile, seem sympathetic, with the profession's governing body in Ontario releasing proposed legislative changes this week that would open the door to wider use of such technology.
"I think it could be the next BlackBerry," said Dr. Sharon Domb, medical director of family medicine at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, which has been testing the technology. "The feedback has been positive: ‘It's great, it's fast, I don't have to go anywhere else.' " ...more
Hundreds of Toronto patients have been picking up their prescription drugs in recent months much as they withdraw cash or buy a can of cola -- from special vending machines that some observers believe could transform the pharmacy business.
Customers insert their prescription into a slot in the device and a few minutes later, it spits out their medication.
Proponents say the Canadian-made drug kiosks, which feature a video link to a real pharmacist, offer convenience when there is no pharmacy open or close by. Skeptics, though, warn the machines will never duplicate the benefits of meeting in person with a druggist.
Pharmacy regulators, meanwhile, seem sympathetic, with the profession's governing body in Ontario releasing proposed legislative changes this week that would open the door to wider use of such technology.
"I think it could be the next BlackBerry," said Dr. Sharon Domb, medical director of family medicine at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, which has been testing the technology. "The feedback has been positive: ‘It's great, it's fast, I don't have to go anywhere else.' " ...more
Saturday, January 24, 2009
“Virtual Patient” helps train pharmacists of the future
From the Innovations Report (Germany):
Students in the Staffordshire-based university’s School of Pharmacy interact with the computer-generated characters to gain experience in effective communication and decision-making.
Learners talk with the “patient” via voice recognition technology or by typing questions into a standard computer interface and the “patient” responds verbally or with a range of non-verbal gestures to indicate emotions such as pain, stress or anxiety. At the end of the session the “patient” gives feedback to the trainee about their performance.
The Virtual Patient can be used to explore a number of different conditions, including dyspepsia and hypertension. When ethnicity, age or gender are relevant to the treatment of the patient, the case can be designed to demonstrate to the learner how such factors are clinically significant.
The Keele team are now working on a £50,000 project for Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, developing a new set of four avatars for their new undergraduate pharmacy programme.
They have also developed a “virtual doctor” to help with the training of pharmaceutical sales representatives. The system can be used in a classroom setting or for distance learning via the internet. ...more
Students in the Staffordshire-based university’s School of Pharmacy interact with the computer-generated characters to gain experience in effective communication and decision-making.
Learners talk with the “patient” via voice recognition technology or by typing questions into a standard computer interface and the “patient” responds verbally or with a range of non-verbal gestures to indicate emotions such as pain, stress or anxiety. At the end of the session the “patient” gives feedback to the trainee about their performance.
The Virtual Patient can be used to explore a number of different conditions, including dyspepsia and hypertension. When ethnicity, age or gender are relevant to the treatment of the patient, the case can be designed to demonstrate to the learner how such factors are clinically significant.
The Keele team are now working on a £50,000 project for Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, developing a new set of four avatars for their new undergraduate pharmacy programme.
They have also developed a “virtual doctor” to help with the training of pharmaceutical sales representatives. The system can be used in a classroom setting or for distance learning via the internet. ...more
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
AR pharmacy offers bone density scan
From Nova News Now (NS):
A new bone scanner is making it easy for Valley residents to get a heads-up on their thigh-bones.
Hutchins Pharmasave in Annapolis Royal has purchased an ultra-sound scanner that measures bone density. Weekly clinics are now being scheduled to give folks a chance to see how their bones are shaping up, and if needed, take steps to reverse the early stages of osteopenia, or low bone mass.
Krista and Danny McClair, owners of Hutchins Pharmasave, decided to buy the scanner after hosting several bone screening clinics last year. This is the only pharmacy in Atlantic Canada to offer this service, and it’s the only bone scanner in Kings and Annapolis counties. ...more
A new bone scanner is making it easy for Valley residents to get a heads-up on their thigh-bones.
Hutchins Pharmasave in Annapolis Royal has purchased an ultra-sound scanner that measures bone density. Weekly clinics are now being scheduled to give folks a chance to see how their bones are shaping up, and if needed, take steps to reverse the early stages of osteopenia, or low bone mass.
Krista and Danny McClair, owners of Hutchins Pharmasave, decided to buy the scanner after hosting several bone screening clinics last year. This is the only pharmacy in Atlantic Canada to offer this service, and it’s the only bone scanner in Kings and Annapolis counties. ...more
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
PCA wants rules to play by
From the Financial Post:
In all businesses, entrenched interests -- "the club" -- can and do play a large role in ensuring life isn't made easy for a bunch of newcomers, as existing players protect their interests by any and all means.
Enter Peter Suma and Don Waugh, founders of PCA Services, which regards itself as "an innovator of hardware and software for the dispensing and ongoing management of patient drug therapy." PCA (PharmaTrust) recently launched its second dispensary at Toronto's Sunnybrook hospital.
Getting to that stage hasn't been easy. The 40-person company has invested $9-million in a kiosk that allows patients to talk to a pharmacist via video conferencing and enables the pharmacist to monitor and control each step of the dispensing process from a video call centre. Medication is dispensed from the kiosk by the pharmacist in a few minutes. And PCAS has fought numerous battles with the club. "Only a wet baby likes change," said Suma, whose MBA from the University of Chicago makes him a supporter of free and open markets. PCA wants rules to play by
In all businesses, entrenched interests -- "the club" -- can and do play a large role in ensuring life isn't made easy for a bunch of newcomers, as existing players protect their interests by any and all means.
Enter Peter Suma and Don Waugh, founders of PCA Services, which regards itself as "an innovator of hardware and software for the dispensing and ongoing management of patient drug therapy." PCA (PharmaTrust) recently launched its second dispensary at Toronto's Sunnybrook hospital.
Getting to that stage hasn't been easy. The 40-person company has invested $9-million in a kiosk that allows patients to talk to a pharmacist via video conferencing and enables the pharmacist to monitor and control each step of the dispensing process from a video call centre. Medication is dispensed from the kiosk by the pharmacist in a few minutes. And PCAS has fought numerous battles with the club. "Only a wet baby likes change," said Suma, whose MBA from the University of Chicago makes him a supporter of free and open markets. PCA wants rules to play by
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Pharmacist wins national award
From the South Shore (NS) Now:
A dispensary manager at a Mahone Bay drugstore has received a national award for patient care.
Susan Beresford of Kinburn Pharmasave in Mahone Bay recently earned the award for overall patient care in the 2008 Commitment to Care and Service Awards Program, sponsored by Pharmacy Practice and Drugstore Canada magazines.
In a recent press release marking the announcement, representatives of the two magazines cited Ms Beresford for her 30-year career as a pharmacist, saying the model she exemplifies of accessible, informative and supportive services "has embraced a collaborative approach to aiding patients." ...more
A dispensary manager at a Mahone Bay drugstore has received a national award for patient care.
Susan Beresford of Kinburn Pharmasave in Mahone Bay recently earned the award for overall patient care in the 2008 Commitment to Care and Service Awards Program, sponsored by Pharmacy Practice and Drugstore Canada magazines.
In a recent press release marking the announcement, representatives of the two magazines cited Ms Beresford for her 30-year career as a pharmacist, saying the model she exemplifies of accessible, informative and supportive services "has embraced a collaborative approach to aiding patients." ...more
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Windsor's born-again pharmacist
From the Financial Post:
Rocco D'Angelo is a born-again pharmacist.
He used to own a Wyandotte Street pharmacy that was flush with business. They filled 800 prescriptions a day at a hectic pace. Then he and his pharmacist wife got divorced and he started travelling around the province working at pharmacies on short-term contracts. D'Angelo, a father of two daughters, soul searched and decided to return to the roots of his profession.
"I didn't go to pharmacy school to sell shampoo or motor oil," D'Angelo said. "I went to study chemistry and help people."
He bought a condominium downtown and opened Royal Windsor Pharmacy, a tiny storefront at the corner of Park and Pelissier streets. The shelves are stocked with over-the-counter medications and vitamins that D'Angelo recommends. There isn't a bottle of shampoo or pack of batteries in sight.
D'Angelo, 55, dove into his new life. His business is small, and while he wants it to grow, he doesn't want to expand too much, otherwise he wouldn't be able to spend as much time with patients. ...more
Rocco D'Angelo is a born-again pharmacist.
He used to own a Wyandotte Street pharmacy that was flush with business. They filled 800 prescriptions a day at a hectic pace. Then he and his pharmacist wife got divorced and he started travelling around the province working at pharmacies on short-term contracts. D'Angelo, a father of two daughters, soul searched and decided to return to the roots of his profession.
"I didn't go to pharmacy school to sell shampoo or motor oil," D'Angelo said. "I went to study chemistry and help people."
He bought a condominium downtown and opened Royal Windsor Pharmacy, a tiny storefront at the corner of Park and Pelissier streets. The shelves are stocked with over-the-counter medications and vitamins that D'Angelo recommends. There isn't a bottle of shampoo or pack of batteries in sight.
D'Angelo, 55, dove into his new life. His business is small, and while he wants it to grow, he doesn't want to expand too much, otherwise he wouldn't be able to spend as much time with patients. ...more
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Telepharmacy service instituted in Barry's Bay hospital
From Barry's Bay (Ont.) This Week:
The shortage of health care professionals across the province has made it difficult for small rural hospitals to offer the services needed. For the past 18 months, for example, St. Francis Memorial Hospital in Barry’s Bay has been trying to find a pharmacist, without luck.
But it has now solved the problem by connecting with Northern Pharmacy Limited (a division of The North West Company), which offers telepharmacy services.
“A small hospital can safely operate a medication storage and distribution system for their patients under the management of a registered nurse,” says Joan Kuiack, Director of Patient Care Services. “However, the addition of a pharmacist offers an enhanced quality of care to our patients.”
A pharmacist has the expertise to look at the whole patient, his or her disease and relate the effectiveness of the medication they are receiving to their progress, she adds.
The hospital first contacted Kevin McDonald, manager of the hospital pharmacy telepharmacy program at Northern Pharmacy, about a year ago, but decided to try to organize a partnership with Renfrew Victoria Hospital for services of a pharmacist. ...more
The shortage of health care professionals across the province has made it difficult for small rural hospitals to offer the services needed. For the past 18 months, for example, St. Francis Memorial Hospital in Barry’s Bay has been trying to find a pharmacist, without luck.
But it has now solved the problem by connecting with Northern Pharmacy Limited (a division of The North West Company), which offers telepharmacy services.
“A small hospital can safely operate a medication storage and distribution system for their patients under the management of a registered nurse,” says Joan Kuiack, Director of Patient Care Services. “However, the addition of a pharmacist offers an enhanced quality of care to our patients.”
A pharmacist has the expertise to look at the whole patient, his or her disease and relate the effectiveness of the medication they are receiving to their progress, she adds.
The hospital first contacted Kevin McDonald, manager of the hospital pharmacy telepharmacy program at Northern Pharmacy, about a year ago, but decided to try to organize a partnership with Renfrew Victoria Hospital for services of a pharmacist. ...more
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Downtown Walgreens to focus on HIV/AIDS
I think it's pretty interesting that some of the bigger pharmacy chains are starting to develop niche markets. Typically this has been the domain of independent pharmacies.
From the Indianapolis Star:
Walgreens is reaching out to people with HIV and AIDS by creating a hub store in Downtown Indianapolis to meet their needs.
Staffed with a pharmacist trained to help HIV patients, the store reflects the nationwide drugstore chain's new strategy of providing customized services to those with certain diseases.
"The company is changing from most people's image of Walgreens, where you have four brick walls, Snickers bars and greeting cards and school supplies," said Bruce Hinshaw, health-care market leader for Walgreen Co. for the Indianapolis/ Central Indiana market. "It's always been a health-care company, and I think Walgreens is saying, 'That's our strength. Let's go back to our core strength.' "
In New Castle, this approach has translated into a pharmacy that offers compounding services. Later, Indianapolis could see a store with a specialty in diabetes care, Hinshaw said. Other Walgreens stores around the country specialize in services for those with respiratory problems, tumors or cancer, or rheumatoid arthritis. ...more
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Entrepreneur writes up alternative to drug samples
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
Nova Scotia entrepreneur William Adams will take centre stage Friday at a special awards ceremony celebrating innovation.
Mr. Adams is the force behind SmartSample, which replaces traditional pharmaceutical samples with a specialized prescription that physicians can endorse and give to patients. Patients can use the prescription to receive free samples from any pharmacy in Canada from its regular supply of medications.
A practice dating back to the 1920s, sampling is the pharmaceutical industry’s primary marketing tool. It also has a important role in health care because it allows physicians and patients to evaluate drug therapies at no cost.
But as traditionally practised, Mr. Adams said sampling is wasteful and incompatible with electronic health records, and has the potential to compromise patient safety.
As a new pharmaceutical rep in the 1990s, on the road for two weeks each month with a minivan full of drug samples, Mr. Adams quickly realized how challenging it was to meet Health Canada’s guidelines for pharmaceutical products. Like prescribed medications, drug samples should be stored at the right temperature and used before they expire, and Adams says that before pharmaceutical reps can collect expired drug samples, many end up in landfills. ...more
Nova Scotia entrepreneur William Adams will take centre stage Friday at a special awards ceremony celebrating innovation.
Mr. Adams is the force behind SmartSample, which replaces traditional pharmaceutical samples with a specialized prescription that physicians can endorse and give to patients. Patients can use the prescription to receive free samples from any pharmacy in Canada from its regular supply of medications.
A practice dating back to the 1920s, sampling is the pharmaceutical industry’s primary marketing tool. It also has a important role in health care because it allows physicians and patients to evaluate drug therapies at no cost.
But as traditionally practised, Mr. Adams said sampling is wasteful and incompatible with electronic health records, and has the potential to compromise patient safety.
As a new pharmaceutical rep in the 1990s, on the road for two weeks each month with a minivan full of drug samples, Mr. Adams quickly realized how challenging it was to meet Health Canada’s guidelines for pharmaceutical products. Like prescribed medications, drug samples should be stored at the right temperature and used before they expire, and Adams says that before pharmaceutical reps can collect expired drug samples, many end up in landfills. ...more
Monday, September 15, 2008
Self Service: A prescription for convenience
From Self Service:
When Don Waugh, co-founder and chief executive of PCA Services in Oakville, Ontario, started his company two years ago, he envisioned an integrated self-service dispensing and medication-management system designed for pharmacies, hospitals, medical clinics and physicians' offices.
About six weeks ago, PCA, which provides hardware and software for drug-therapy dispensing and management, developed PharmaTrust, Canada's first point-of-care dispensor.
The PharmaTrust Dispensary, which debuted at Sunnybrook Health Services Centre in Toronto, will operate within Sunnybrook's pharmacy during a three-month trial period to evaluate patient experience. During the trial, a PharmaTrust pharmacist will process the prescriptions, verify each medication dispensed, and provide medication counseling to patients using the automation-assisted dispensary.
"Basically PharmaTrust does everything you expect to occur in a pharmacy," Waugh said.
The pharmacy customer enters his script in the machine, and after a barcode is recognized and keyed in by a pharmacist, the system confirms the patient, the medicine, the drug plan, the card number, the billing address, the co-pay and the payment preference. A robot picks the medicine and brings it to the dispensing area, where the medicine is labeled and issued to the patient. The customer also can receive counseling from a pharmacist via a telephone handset. ...more
When Don Waugh, co-founder and chief executive of PCA Services in Oakville, Ontario, started his company two years ago, he envisioned an integrated self-service dispensing and medication-management system designed for pharmacies, hospitals, medical clinics and physicians' offices.
About six weeks ago, PCA, which provides hardware and software for drug-therapy dispensing and management, developed PharmaTrust, Canada's first point-of-care dispensor.
The PharmaTrust Dispensary, which debuted at Sunnybrook Health Services Centre in Toronto, will operate within Sunnybrook's pharmacy during a three-month trial period to evaluate patient experience. During the trial, a PharmaTrust pharmacist will process the prescriptions, verify each medication dispensed, and provide medication counseling to patients using the automation-assisted dispensary.
"Basically PharmaTrust does everything you expect to occur in a pharmacy," Waugh said.
The pharmacy customer enters his script in the machine, and after a barcode is recognized and keyed in by a pharmacist, the system confirms the patient, the medicine, the drug plan, the card number, the billing address, the co-pay and the payment preference. A robot picks the medicine and brings it to the dispensing area, where the medicine is labeled and issued to the patient. The customer also can receive counseling from a pharmacist via a telephone handset. ...more
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