Pharmacy Edge by APPA

Pharmacy Edge Magazin

Issue

Thinking

Big

5 Ways Pharmacy Impacts the Hospital Revenue Cycle

Ten

DEcember/2016

Prehistoric Packaging Results in an Opioid Epidemic

Marketing Goals SO THEY

SAY

interview with

Trevor

NERVOUS ABOUT USP<800>? HUMCO’S HCS IS YOUR TOTAL SOLUTION

Not For Retail Use For Rx Compounding Only

Why Use Humco’s HCS?

About Humco’s HCS:

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• All hazardous drugs are in dilutionsincreasing accuracy, saving time, and taking the guesswork out • All dilutions are in a transdermal hormone base - HRT Heavy™ • All concentrates have 180 day BUD for Progesterone, Testosterone, Estriol, 150 day BUD for Estradiol, and 120 day BUD for Estrone • Hormone Aliquot calculator comes with the program to help Pharmacists easily and quickly calculate formulas Manufactured By:

Humco | 201 W. 5th St, Floor 12, Austin, TX 78701 - USA Tel. (512) 474-7400 | Fax (512) 474-7414 compounding@humco.com | www.Humco.com

Table of Contents Issue 10 / December, 2016

Presidents Message

interview with Trevor

One Stop Shop - voiceTech Solutions & Services

Marketing Goals

Farima

so they say

Striving For Excellence

Thinking Big 5 Ways Pharmacy Impacts the Hospital Revenue Cycle interview with Shantel Houston Prehistoric Packaging Results in an Opioid Epidemic

President’s message Joshua Pirestani Welcome to the last issue of the Pharmacy Edge magazine this year. We have had an incredible year sharing informative news with our readers.

through our service offering, such as education and access to other industry experts, we have included some inspiring stories from pharmacy students.

It is no doubt that Pharmacy Edge Magazine is a leading monthly magazine that has over 3,700 readers, who are mostly made up of Independent Pharmacy Owners, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Students and Pharmacy Buyers.

Lastly, on behalf of the APPA team, and at this festive season, our thoughts turn gratefully to all our members and readers with warm appreciation. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

This issue will showcase key articles including: information on transparency demands of pharmacy benefits management companies, and ways a pharmacy impacts the Hospital Revenue Cycle, marketing goals in the industry.

Subscribe to our Pharmacy Edge Magazine at: http://joinappa.com/pharmacy-edge-magazine/

In addition, following that APPA strives to help the community grow professionally

Joshua Pirestani President.

For more information, contact info@ joinappa.com if you have any questions!

interview with

Trevor 1. What was your journey like to get where you are? I started with Pharmacy Choice in 2007 on the ground level, absorbing as much about the industry that I could. I quickly transitioned to Enrollment Director for our Rx Tech School Division, where I began helping students achieve their career goals as a Pharmacy Technician. This position gave me an opportunity to understand a technician’s educational path and impact each one plays in our communities. In 2009, I joined the Nations #1 Pharmacy Specific Job Board: Rx Career Center. Rx Career Center plays an important role in pharmacy by connecting qualified pharmacy job seeking candidates with Employers across the country. When I first thought of pharmacy, my only experience was dropping off my prescription and picking it up once I was done grocery shopping. Now I know better. I’ve had the opportunity to meet many Employers and Job Seekers from all walks of life over the years: Retail, Hospital, Independents, LTC, PBM’s, Pharmacy Schools, Insurance, Manufactures and of course the American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance! In 2012, I took over both Pharmacy Choice and Rx Career Center. It is here where we continuously strive to provide the most up to date pharmacy information and educational tools that impact our industry today. 2. In one word, describe yourself. Honest 3. How do you see the health industry changing in two years? I’m excited when I look forward to the state of pharmacy in the coming years. In terms of advertising and communications, I believe we will see drugs and information be approved to the market much faster thus increasing the need to educate audiences faster.

6 pharmacy edge

4. What Are Your 3 Biggest Accomplishments? Easily my 3 biggest accomplishments are marrying my beautiful wife Brandy who puts up with me every day. My daughter Avery who loves gymnastics and turns the house into her personal gymnastics arena. And my son Leo who is just on the verge of learning to walk. 5. Who do you look up to? I look up to those who give back to the community and to every organization that helps kids with health issues and disabilities. 6. Think back and share a story about a personal life experience that defines who you are today. What was the value/lesson? Early in my career I had a very short minded vision as to who and what a pharmacy/pharmacist was. Outside of the white coat and pill bottles, I really didn’t know much. Then I started teaching students to become technicians and how proud they were when they graduated. Having the ability to change someone’s life for the better is an accomplishment I’m proud of today. 7. Explain what Pharmacy Choice Inc. does The Pharmacy Choice web portal provides pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, students and others in the pharmacy industry with the most comprehensive suite of web-based tools and information available, including drug information, industry news, career opportunities and educational programs. Think of us as the “Yahoo” and “MSN” of the phar-

macy world. Instead of Entertainment, weather, and sports, we provide Pharmacy News, Careers and Education CE’s and resources.

ware that allows RxSchool registered students to track their continuing education courses and easily print their own statements of credit

8. Would you explain a little bit about the Rx Career Center and Rx school? Since 1999, Rx Career Center has brought together top pharmacy employers and job candidates seeking new career opportunities. Our registered database of pharmacy professionals is the largest in North America and we have opportunities in a variety of settings which include retail, hospital, clinical, and industry positions.

9. What’s the biggest challenge facing your profession today? The biggest challenge my clients face today is Execution. Once the who, what, when and why have been established, Pharmacy Choice becomes the where and how.

RxSchool successfully connects healthcare professionals with leading providers of educational content. RxSchool is utilized by pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, physicians and nurses who practice in hospital, retail, managed care, long-term care, private practice and various other health care settings. RxSchool. com hosts a large catalog of ACPE and ACCME accredited continuing education courses as well as webbased transcript management soft-

Pharmacy Choice educates clients on the importance of long term, marathon like campaigns and steers away from the one and done shotgun approach. From January to October of 2016, we’ve added 8,500 new users who are then scrubbed and categorized by location and work setting. Reviewing analytics and SEO are ways we maximize all of our client’s ROI. Client branding and messaging is key and we intend to make it our top priority. 10. If some of our readers are interested in reaching out to Pharmacy Choice, how should they reach out to you? Trevor.Oxley@Pharmacychoice.com 877-223-6121

I look up to those who give back to the community and to every organization that helps kids with health issues and disabilities.

pharmacy edge

Thinking Big

5 Ways Pharmacy Impacts the Hospital Revenue Cycle By Dana Fox, CompleteRx Today’s ever-evolving healthcare environment presents numerous roadblocks for hospital executives seeking to meet the timeless business imperative of minimizing costs and maximizing profits – all while seeking to provide the best patient experience possible. In addition to the challenges this group has always faced, new industry realities have made this pursuit increasingly difficult: • Annual regulatory changes – including major CMS adjustments to coding and billing – as well as daily fluctuations in drug supply and cost 8 pharmacy edge

• Payor practices, including drug schedules and payment lists, which regularly change depending on an institution’s insurance providers and how it’s contracting with them • Technology which requires daily reconciliation and monitoring for proper function (50 percent of participants in a recent CompleteRx poll cited this as their greatest revenue cycle challenge) As many of these emerging challenges touch pharmacy directly, pharmacy decisions and processes increasingly impact the hospital revenue

cycle. To reinforce their value to the hospital and boost their institution’s bottom line, pharmacy leaders should familiarize themselves with key components of the revenue cycle, as well as the numerous revenue opportunities contained in each. Patient Exam/Treatment Although pharmacists rarely participate in patient exams themselves, they naturally have considerable influence over the treatments prescribed. In an inpatient setting, pharmacists may participate in interdisciplinary rounds, suggesting efficacious treatment options that will maximize revenue and

reimbursement. On the outpatient side, pharmacists can counsel patients on correct medication usage, reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and adverse drug reactions. In this setting, pharmacists may also encourage customers to opt for generic drugs which may help patients reduce their out of pocket expenses, and thus, increase their likelihood of filling the prescription. Similarly, pharmacists may direct patient prescription fills to a retail pharmacy with discounted drug programs (i.e., $4 prescription fills), which may enable greater profit margins for hospitals.

As National Drug Codes (NDCs) change regularly, pharmacists must perform daily maintenance on their formularies to make sure they are up to date.

Pharmacy Formulary/Purchasing The pharmacy formulary is critical to maximizing revenue within a hospital system. Most experts think of the formulary as a library, through which pharmacists can control the amount and type of drugs that enter a hospital. As National Drug Codes (NDCs) change regularly, pharmacists must perform daily maintenance on their formularies to make sure they are up to date. Relatedly, pharmacists should consider implementing: • Restricted formularies: Through alignment with their hospital’s pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committee, pharmacies

may restrict their formularies (for example, the number of drugs per class and classes used) and thus, restrict the number of line items required for billing and maintenance. • Non-formulary use processes: Pharmacists must have a process to identify patients’ non-formulary drugs as they enter their system to determine dose, route, and frequency. This way, if the prescription is continued, the pharmacy will have critical billing information for these drugs on the front end, helping to ensure these orders are submitted properly for reimbursement. • Bulk and specialty drug restrictions: When building out or updating their formulary, pharmacies should pay special attention to bulk and specialty drugs, which are often re-packaged within a hospital, creating a ripe environment for costly billing errors. Dispensing Transaction/Informatics While challenging for many hospitals, advancements in dispensing transactions and informatics have streamlined pharmacy processes and provided countless opportunities for increased optimization and revenues. Where possible, pharmacies should: pharmacy edge

• Realize staffing efficiencies: A focus on trained staff, low turnover, and lean processes – as well utilization of external resources, such as outsourcing and management firms – may increase efficiency in the pharmacy department, enabling more time for strategic initiatives. • Leverage pharmacy automation: In addition to increasing pharmacy efficiency, automation technology, such as carousels and automated dispensing cabinets, may help accurately track dispensed medication for maximum reimbursement. • Optimized pharmacy dictionary: Pharmacists should look closely at bulk products, which may be broken out over multiple doses. Similarly, buyers should avoid multi-dose vials, purchasing the smallest vials possible, to accurately track usage and capture maximum revenue. Patient Billing There are many ways pharmacists may impact patient billing to boost revenues, but appropriate maintenance of the charge description

master (CDM) – a database which contains information, such as coding details and charge formulas, that is critical for the revenue cycle – is among the most important. Pharmacies should be reconciling the CDM daily with any changes to NDCs and packaging. Failure to keep up with formulary service vendor updates on a monthly basis can cause costly inaccuracies in drug pricing. For example, over the span of five years (May 2011 – May 2016), EpiPen increased in cost from $164 to $608. Pharmacy departments making updates on a quarterly basis over this period were at severe risk of missing a significant price increase, and may have ended up charging far less than they were spending on this drug. Today, many pharmacy departments are facing the same danger with insulin, which is used daily in most hospitals, as has seen price increases of more than 200 percent in the last eight years. Patient Assistance & Retail Dispensing Pharmacists may also help generate and maximize revenue for their institutions in outpatient and retail settings through pharmacy-led programs such as:

• Patient assistance programs: Offered by pharmaceutical companies, these programs allow inpatient and outpatient pharmacies to serve uninsured patients and minimize the impact of potential unfulfilled payments on the revenue cycle. • Specialty pharmacy: For institutions that manage specific disease states, specialty pharmacies may be an opportunity to expand patient offerings within the pharmacy business line. • Retail pharmacy: Retail is another opportunity to boost health system revenues. Among their many benefits, integrated retail pharmacies allow hospitals to fill patient prescriptions at the point of discharge, improving medication adherence and reducing costly readmissions. As program development manager for CompleteRx, Dana Fox oversees the enhancement and optimization of operational processes and the launch of new pharmacy-led initiatives for hospitals and health systems around the country.

Pharmacy departments making updates on a quarterly basis over this period were at severe risk of missing a significant price increase, and may have ended up charging far less than they were spending on this drug.

10 pharmacy edge

Source: www.digitaledition.chaindrugreview.com

pharmacy edge

interview

Shantel Houston Tell me about yourself (General background information) My name is Shantel Houston and I am a third year pharmacy student at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. Originally from the Tampa Bay area, I completed my Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Science at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, before returning for pharmacy school. Apart from being a pharmacy student, I consider myself to be a businesswoman, working part-time as a marketing consultant, a web designer, a tutor for high school students and a driver for both Lyft and Uber. Why did you get into the pharmacy industry? I have always excelled in math and science and I knew that I wanted to be in a field where I could apply my knowledge and love for the two. During my undergraduate time at Emory, I was introduced to the idea of becoming a pharmacist from two of my mentors who were upperclassmen getting ready to apply to pharmacy school. After witnessing their enthusiasm about the field and doing some research of my own, I learned about the many different fields of pharmacy and I really liked the variability within the profession. The idea of helping others, job security and the opportunity to have a business of my own attracted me right away and I changed my major from psychology to biology so I could complete the prerequisites required for pharmacy programs. 12 pharmacy edge

Why did you choose to attend USF College of Pharmacy (USFCOP)? I chose to attend USF College of Pharmacy because the program is new and really innovative. After \my interview I realized that the program had a lot of opportunities for growth — and in a good way. I could tell that the college was moving in the right direction and I wanted to be a part of transforming pharmacy practice as we know it. Additionally, the school is also only 30 minutes from my parents’ house so that was a determining factor as well.

What are you currently active in or involved with at school? (school board, extracurricular activities, etc.) In April 2015 I was involved with the chartering of the Beta Tau chapter of Kappa Epsilon Pharmacy Fraternity at USFCOP. I’ve been the chapter’s secretary for the last two years and I remain greatly involved in the organization. Our chapter holds about 7-10 events per semester, from volunteering to fundraising to raising awareness about breast and ovarian cancer and it’s been an amazing leadership experience overall.

As a current student, one of my favorite things about the program is that there are many opportunities to practice and master patient counseling. We get regular practice interviewing, counseling and teaching proper device techniques to standardized patients in simulated settings. Because of these opportunities I feel confident when talking to real-life patients about their conditions and medications. Another thing I really enjoy is the amount of inter-professional experiences built into the curriculum. Pharmacy students regularly work together with other health professional students (ie. medical, nursing, physical therapy) to work up patient cases, make recommendations and counsel patients. I believe this exposure is extremely important to have before going out into the real world because it allows students to understand the roles and proficiencies of other health care professionals.

I am also part of the Hispanic Association of Pharmacists as the Public Relations chair for the International Health Services Collaborative where I participate in inter-professional medical mission trips to Panama. I am also a USFCOP Student Delegate and a member of Phi Lambda Sigma and The Rho Chi Society. What are your plans after pharmacy school? (Ultimate career goal or area of pharmacy you are interested in). Immediately after pharmacy school I would like to complete a residency in either association management or community pharmacy. I plan to continue participating in medical mission trips and I have always been very interested in pharmacy ownership, which is my ultimate career goal. Since I am passionate about natural, homeopathic medicine, I would love for my community practice to be known for specializing in that area of care.

What has made you so successful? I think I am successful because I believe that I can do anything I put my mind to. With that mindset, I give 110% in all that I do and I set goals for myself that I aim to surpass. Through pharmacy school I’ve realized how much I love helping and mentoring others and I find success in being able to impact the lives of those around me. I am constantly looking for ways to solve problems when it comes to improving health outcomes and I aspire to become a community pharmacy owner so that I can have a direct impact on the lives of those in the community I will serve. Any advice you could give pharmacy students As a pharmacy student there are MANY opportunities for networking, shadowing and gaining clinical experience but you MUST go after them yourself. Make the most of your time in pharmacy school by gaining exposure to many different areas of pharmacy. That way you’ll have a good idea of what you want (and don’t want) to do once the four years are up. As a student, identify a mentor in your field of interest, make connections with your faculty, get to know them and leave a lasting impression on anyone you come into contact with because you never know when and where you may see them again. I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times but pharmacy really is a small world, the more you network, the more you learn, and most importantly, the more you grow.

I think I am successful because I believe that I can do anything I put my mind to. With that mindset, I give 110% in all that I do and I set goals for myself that I aim to surpass.

Prehistoric Packaging Results in an Opioid Epidemic Taking medication as prescribed can be challenging for people under normal circumstances. Time to take medication, dose to take, with food or without food, and a variety of other things are necessary considerations. Daily routines often leave the mind on automatic pilot, making it sometimes difficult to remember if simple tasks were completed. Individuals that are prescribed opioid medications add another layer of complexity since they are most commonly dealing with severe pain impairing their ability and or desire to accurately monitor themselves and their medication dosage. The well intentioned get caught up in a vicious cycle desperately seeking to relieve their symptoms while ultimately getting themselves into a more serious situation of addiction which results in new obstacles and could even lead to death. 14 pharmacy edge

Opioid abuse prevention and increasing medication adherence starts with self-awareness and could be prevented by compliance packaging on initial dispensing of opioid and chronic medications. Currently medications are dispensed in bottles with numerous instructions, a pamphlet, and occasionally with some direction from a pharmacist and the patient is sent on his or her merry way. The individual is on his or her own at home with absolutely no feedback of when the medication was taken last or when it should be taken next, sometimes while desperately waiting for the next dose. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s analogues of giving a person an automobile without a speedometer. Sure they can read the posted speed signs but without a speedometer they have no way of knowing how fast or slow they are going so they

can appropriately self-correct. They can only guess. Compliance packaging products that give immediate feedback like the TimerCap products are a perfect tool in response to opioid abuse and prevention. The benefits far outweigh the minimal cost making it necessary to discuss this option with consumers, hospitals, prescribers, payers, employer groups and government agencies. Sometimes the simplest solutions are overlooked. Once individuals become accustomed to looking at the time on the cap, it not only becomes a tool for self-monitoring but it also becomes an item which is can be relied on to set proper habits. The medication stays in the original bottle keeping pharmacy information, medication name, dosage instruction, expiration, and refill information all at ones fingertips.

What is Compliance Packaging? In simple terms it is packaging that helps the patient know they are taking their medication on time. Birth control has been using compliance packaging for years with their monthly blister packs. It is absolutely clear if a patient has taken their medication that day. However, blister packaging is not a viable solution for opioid use since there are too many variables in the various medications but no worries, TimerCap does provide an option that works! What is a TimerCap? One of TimerCap’s products is a vial cap, sized to fit most pharmacy vials, with a built-in LCD timer, that automatically keeps track of the time passed since the vial was last opened. It’s useful to help patients

remember when they last took their medication or it could also indicate if someone else is wrongly opened the vial. This provides self-accountability and feedback to patients and caregivers alike. It’s simple and there is absolutely nothing to program. It’s on top of the vial and it works! That’s all there is to it and it is currently available at CVS, Rite Aid and other major pharmacies.

email and text alerts to the patients and caregivers.

TimerCap LLC has been helping organizations by providing a patented solution that works with the original pharmacy vial. No need to transfer medication allowing patients to keep original patient information, expirations, and safety warnings with the medication while providing automatic information of the last dose. Also check out the new connected product that can

Larry Twersky, CEO TimerCap LLC

If you would like TimerCaps in your pharmacy or customize them with your logo as the perfect handout for community events, tradeshows and a essential tools in the fight of opioid abuse medication adherence, please contact us at info@TimerCap.com or call 818-435-8245

More than 10 million Americans report misusing opioids. Opioid addiction is an epidemic with more than half of Americans reporting that they or someone they know has been affected by this. It’s time to end the epidemic. It’s time to improve access to treatment for those with opioid addiction. “Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the US, with 47,055 lethal drug overdoses in 2014. Opioid addiction is driving this epidemic, with 18,893 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers.” - Center for Disease Control and Prevention “Every day an average of 129 people die from drug overdose – and more than half of those deaths are from prescription drugs.” American Society of Addiction Medicine We want to make sure that you know the unbelievable value of products on the market that are essential in fighting opioid abuse diversion and are in major pharmacies today! Based on studies, the first 60 days are the most important for long term adherence, and the TimerCap has been proven to help increase better medication habits, producing long term adherence benefits. Medications can be taken safely and effectively at the appropriate times, thus reducing overuse of medication and increasing adherence of the medication regimen.

pharmacy edge

One Stop Shop voiceTech Solutions & Services Research shows that pharmacies are finding themselves in a very competitive market and to stay competitive, trends are moving toward in-store clinical services for care and to promote preventive measures for reimbursement. This also opens up the possibility of partnerships with healthcare organizations in local regions. MedCityNews.com reports that although prescription and pharmacy revenue will still constitute the vast majority of sales (upwards of 70% or more), the strategic importance placed on additional retail sales instore is growing, with each drug store chain looking to become your “one stop shop” for pharmacy care. Large organizations with multiple locations have traditionally relied on the services of several vendors to provide the technology needed for call handling and outbound messaging tools used for streamlining pharmacy workflow. Analytics were often supplied by yet another vendor, acting as their virtual crystal ball for providing the insights needed to make projections tied to the long range operations of the pharmacy.

Consolidating the various vendors into a ‘one stop shop’ for technology has pharmacies transitioning in that direction, to simplify and seek out vendors who can provide the services they need under one platform. One Stop Shop technology is now a reality with voiceTech’s powerful fusion-Rx communication & adherence solutions! For over 20 years voiceTech has been a leading force for providing growth solutions to the pharmacy industry. After many man hours of research and development, our unified communication platform helps pharmacies to engage patients and drive adherence. Integrating with over 60 pharmacy management systems, fusion-Rx can be deployed under any Telecom/IT infrastructure, whether Hosted, Centralized or On-Premise systems, providing data security and redundancy options. This sophisticated technology facilitates Advanced Inbound IVR and Star Adherence Outbound messaging – working to keep your patients/prescribers connected to your pharmacy and your pharmacy connected to them 24/7.

For more information about voiceTech solutions and services call 800.325.2017 <Option 1>, or email sales@voicetechinc. com to have a Pharmacy Growth Advocate contact you.

16 pharmacy edge

fusion-Rx seamlessly manages inbound IVR, outbound messaging, faxing, online and mobile refills under a single platform with ease, while offering both chain centric or centralized administration. The developer API provides pharmacies with an integration to their own technology solutions in ‘real time’ to our platform. Each of our data rich services when activated, intelligently communicates with one another via telephone, web or mobile devices. The communication exchanged between patient, prescriber and pharmacy is valuable data. Our highly intuitive, web based dashboard provides convenient access for aggregating that data into a single source, exposing important information in ‘real time’, via browser based widgets and graphs. Additionally, this data is available for easy exportation to CSV files. Chains will find that the dashboard is a valuable tool for keeping a finger on the pulse of all their locations, and measuring their success with the fully integrated platform that does it ALL!

Marketing Goals With 2017 right around the corner, it’s time to think about your marketing goals for next year. Looking back, it’s important to ask: what worked? What didn’t? And how do you know? The first step in thinking about your goals is understanding your marketplace and what are your customers wants and needs. Take a couple of minutes to think about your community and current offerings: 1. What needs aren’t being met? 2. What are you doing better than your competitors? 3. What are your competitors doing better than you? The great thing about being an independent pharmacy owner is that you are flexible. By getting a clear idea of where you stand in your community, you can adapt to meet your community’s needs, make changes to better complete and continue to expand your services. An example of understanding your marketplace: One our clients was informed about a factory opening

nearby that was expected to bring in an influx of Hispanic families to their town. To capitalize on this market change, the pharmacy owner hired two Spanish speaking cashiers, began advertising on a Hispanic radio station, and had us create Spanish-only flyers. Since these changes, he has seen positive community feedback and an increase of Hispanic customers. He’s also distinguished himself from other pharmacies in the community. Once you determine what your market and customer needs are, the next step is to think about how to create a customer driven environment. When doing this, it’s important to be able to deliver the desired satisfactions better than our competitors in hopes of encouraging customers to tell their friends and family about us. Unlike chain pharmacies, there aren’t other options within an independent pharmacy to fall back on. There is nothing worse than having a great idea or new service, but not being able to properly execute it. That’s why overall, it’s so important to provide the best

customer service, every day, to keep people coming back. Additionally, providing excellent service requires more than politeness. Ask yourself these questions about your pharmacy: 1. Are you actively promoting your services to everyone who walks in the door? Is your staff also comfortable promoting these services? If not what needs to happen to make them feel at ease? Ideas include a staff script, contest, or monthly meetings. 2. Is there a need to expand your services to better meet your customers’ needs? This could be change in hours, delivery area, etc. Doing a satisfaction survey is a great way to find out. 3. How are you adapting to any changes in your customers’ needs? For example, you now have a larger younger customer base. Are you offering a mobile refill app, or mobile-enabled website? Asking all these questions about your pharmacy is a great start to coming up with a strong plan for 2017!

pharmacy edge

interview with

Farima My path: I started my first pharmacy program at a top college of pharmacy in Iran in 2008. After finishing my third year, I moved to the United States with my family. There, I found out I had to start my pharmacy education over completely – even the prerequisite courses. Dedicated to becoming a pharmacist, I took over 70 credits in a year and a half at Broward College while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and high honors. This was a sign to me that I was meant to be a pharmacist regardless of geographic boundaries! Hint Hint: I enjoy networking, event planning, presenting, mentoring others, and volunteering! I am constantly on the go, and am often asked if I ever sleep (the answer is sometimes!). Quotes about Farima: Dr. Scott Tomerlin, President of Florida Pharmacy Association: “Great leaders I have learned are the ones that develop the leaders behind them. Farima has definitely done this!” Zahraa Alalag a third year student pharmacist at nova southeastern university: “Farima is an outstanding example for all of us! I know the daily details of it all, so I truly know her

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leadership is not limited to being on campus; in every corner she steps a foot on, she proves she is exceptional! Thank you for always representing Nova sharks to the maximum of your ability and for being a living example of hard work and dedication. But even more importantly, thank you for just being the person YOU are, and that’s enough to keep everybody close to you inspired!” Are there any awards you have received? I have been fortunate to have received of a number of awards, honors, and scholarships during my time at NSU College of Pharmacy. Some of the most important to me include: • APhA Foundation Gloria Francke Scholarship • Florida Pharmacy Association ASP Leadership Award • The first student induction into the Florida Pharmacy Association’s #1 Club • Induction into the Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS) Leadership Society • Induction into the Rho Chi Academic Honor Society Are you currently involved in any school activities? I currently serve in the following roles: • NSU APhA-ASP Immediate Past-President, where I serve as a mentor to current chapter leadership.

• Florida Pharmacy Association Student Affairs Council Student Chair • Florida Pharmacy Foundation Student Trustee • Member of the Broward County Pharmacy Association What are your plans once you complete school? I hope to become a leader in the world of pharmacy, to advocate for our profession, and to make a difference by giving back to the community. I believe it is important to move forward by giving back. Why did you choose to attend NSU? There are many reasons I chose to attend NSU! The incredible cultural diversity, the opportunities for leadership growth through over 20 professional pharmacy organizations, the caring faculty who are always ready to help, and the many scholarship opportunities are just some of the reasons it was the best fit for my pharmacy education. Her Passion: Farima strongly believes the best knowledge one can obtain is knowledge allowing one to make a difference in the lives of others. Thus, she always looks for opportunities that allow her to give back to the community. Believing every human has a right to proper health care, she has been highly involved in most of the health care community service opportunities at NSU. Her involvement

has led to Farima organizing and leading over 70 patient care, professionalism, and student training events. All of these events served to greatly benefit her community. “Since my admission to pharmacy school, I have learned what a long way our profession has come in a short time. I have learned how much has been sacrificed by individuals, organizations, and associations to advance our profession. I know all of these changes took place due to the power of advocacy and leadership.” “I believe advocacy is vital to the practice of pharmacy. Pharmacists serve as valuable members of the health care team and are often the first line of care patients will seek. Pharmacists need to be able to provide services to optimize medication therapy through their direct interaction with patients.” Final Words: “We must have strong advocate leaders who are full of passion for their profession and its future. This is how we will see the practice of pharmacy advance successfully. I strongly believe these leaders are shaped during their time in pharmacy school, and are developed through participation in professional organizations advocating for the profession. This is why I always encourage everybody to take on leadership roles – for the good of themselves and for the profession.”

Pharmacy has always been my passion and nothing is more rewarding for me than being an advocate leader in this profession and making a difference

pharmacy edge

PHARMACISTS UNITED FOR TRUTH AND TRANSPARENCY DEMANDS OVERSIGHT OF THIRD PARTY PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGEMENT COMPANIES 20 pharmacy edge

Most recently, health insurer Anthem made headlines when it sued Express Scripts Holding Company for $15 billion for not passing along billions of dollars in savings from negotiated prices. Phoenix, AZ – In the wake of a series of news reports and lawsuits exposing the profiteering practices of the nation’s largest Pharmacy Benefits Management companies (PBMs), Pharmacists United for Truth and Transparency (PUTT) is calling on the U.S. Government to institute oversight and greater accountability of PBMs. PBMs are third party administrators for prescription drug programs that negotiate drug prices with manufacturers and handle the exchange of money between pharmacies and health plan enrollees (employees of private companies and government agencies as well as welfare programs). The three largest PBMS are CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, OptumRx. “There is no evidence that PBMs reduce the cost of prescription medications or create accessibility for patients. In fact, it’s very much the opposite. PBMs are profiting through their Maximum Allowable Cost lists – lists of the drugs they cover and the maximum price they will allow - and ‘negotiating’ reimbursements with pharmacists that are often below the manufacturer’s cost for the drug. This and other practices are driving independent community pharmacies out of business due to the lack of opportunity to do business fairly, which impacts drug costs for patients” said Teresa Stickler, Pharm D, President of PUTT. PBMs act as middle men in the pharmacy industry. Originally intended to help reduce costs by

managing the details, verifying claims and providing authorizations, increasingly the largest PBMs have been called out on questionable pricing, unfair practices and passing on costs that make it difficult for all but the largest pharmacy chains and mail order to do business. Some such as CVS pharmacy and Express Scripts mail order which are owned by the PBMs. One such pricing practice is the use of the Maximum Allowable Cost (MAC). MAC was originally intended to manage the cost of prescription and generic medications by capping the price, however, PBMs each use their own criteria and formula for deriving pricing, often resulting in pharmacists being reimbursed at less than the manufacturer’s cost for the drug. Recent reports exposing the profiteering practices have begun to shed light on unfair pricing and negotiating practices that hurt independent pharmacies and prevent them from being able to provide for their patients. Most recently, health insurer Anthem made headlines when it sued Express Scripts Holding Company for $15 billion for not passing along billions of dollars in savings from negotiated prices. “We will continue to get the word out about the unfair practices perpetrated by PBMs,” said Stickler. “The more consumers, employers and insurance companies understand how MACs are negatively influencing their bottom line while making PBMs rich, the more difficult it will become to be taken advantage of.” pharmacy edge

SO THEY SAY A couple bought a box of textbook for $10. Inside, they found a 25-cent bill signed by the president of the Republican of Texas. It sold for over $63,000.

A 2014 American Girl’s, Girl of the Year doll, recently had a list price of $170.99 on eBay. This listing is $50 higher than that of the current 2016, Girl of the Year doll.

A retired New Jersey woman had a mahogany card table, which she found for @25 at a garage-sale, appraised on Antiques Roadshow. Subsequently, she auctioned it off for more than $500,000.

Micheal Jackson, had a secret art collection that was valued at almost a billion dollars. His collection included all sorts of antique furniture, French antique mirrors, and porcelain figurines.

Appraisers are not allowed to purchase the items they evaluate on Antiques Roadshow. They’re not even allowed to hand out business cards.

Written appraisals can be expensive. Most professionals will charge $100 to $300 or more an hour to look over your goods, do some research, and write up a detailed valuation.

There are two general qualifications that one must have to be an auctioneer; a quick wit, and a ready tongue. Many believe a real auctioneer is born, not made.

Most natural diamonds are believed to have been crystallized between 90 million and 3.3 billion years ago.

Today, if you have paid big bucks for designer shoes or a handbag that you now rarely use, you can reclaim some of your money by selling them online.

Diamonds are made of a single element, they’re nearly 100% carbon. Diamonds formed about 100 miles below ground and have been carried to the earth’s surface by deep volcanic eruptions.

22 pharmacy edge

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Striving For Excellence If you were to make a list of the most interesting fields to work in, most lists would include medicine, law, education, etc. Not too many lists would include â&#x20AC;&#x153;pharmaceutical reverse distributionâ&#x20AC;?. United Rx Solutions is the creation of four partners, each with more than 20 years of experience, who are passionate about reverse distribution. Our goal is to transform the industry in two different ways: The first is to provide unique and unparalleled money-saving consultations to our clients. The second is to create the most transparent reports possible.

Our clients deserve not only transparency and accuracy, but honesty and integrity, as well.

Some of the many issues we have helped our clients with include: 1. Educating them about different manufacturers’ return policies (including generics) could save them thousands of dollars per year. 2. Informing them of any return policy changes. For instance, just recently a major manufacturer tightened their return policy by refusing to credit products that were expired for more than 6 months. After notifying our clients of the change, many of them saved hundreds of dollars by sending them to us before 6 months had elapsed. 3. On some occasions, clients have sent us very expensive products whose expiration dates were outside of that particular manufacturer’s return policy. When faced with this situation, we have contacted the manufacturer to see if they would be willing to “bend the rules”. United Rx Solutions is willing to take the extra step to maximize the amount of money our clients receive for their expired products.

company, isn’t it? What happens when the return company receives more than their estimate from the manufacturers? Will they send the additional money to the pharmacy? Probably not. At United Rx Solutions, our retail clients receive their checks directly from the manufacturers, or their credits directly from their wholesaler. This eliminates the possibility of any shenanigans with your money. Reverse distributors who issue a check directly to their clients take their service fee out before issuing the check. We’ve inspected the paperwork from numerous competitors, and it disturbs us that many of them don’t include their service fee or amount on any of their reports. They could be charging anything they want, and their clients would never know. At United Rx Solutions, our clients know what our service fee is, and they know how much they are paying us. Unlike most of our competitors, we don’t have any hidden fees. At United Rx Solutions, we know that expired returns are fairly low on a pharmacy’s priority list. Pharmacists are too busy dealing with more important issues. That’s why we feel that they need and deserve a reverse distributor who will look out for them, and who will go the extra mile to offer services that no other reverse distributors will offer. Our clients deserve not only transparency and accuracy, but honesty and integrity, as well.

Now, let’s talk about transparency. Reverse distributors know that most pharmacists are too busy to spend time on their returns. That’s why many reverse distributors will give a pharmacy a very low estimate of their returnable products. The reverse distributor will issue a check to the pharmacy for that amount, knowing that the pharmacist will be happy. It’s nice and convenient to get that check from your return

UNITED Rx SOLUTIONS

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[P]844-741-9718 [F]631-319-1340 www.unitedrxsolutions.com

United Rx Solutions is a reverse distributor for expired medications. For more information about exclusion lists, or if you need us to handle your expired medications, give us a call at 844-741-9718. We are definitely NOT on any excluded lists!

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With ownership having over 90 years of combined industry knowledge, pharmaceutical returns is not just our business, it’s our passion! With Honesty and Integrity as our guide, we strive to elevate the status quo and be the innovators of the future. We value the rights and reputation of our clients as well as our employees and endeavor to always ensure the satisfaction of all parties.

www.unitedrxsolutions.com Contact Number: 844-741-9718 78 Crossways Drive East, Bohemia, NY 11716

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