Pharmacy Edge by APPA

Pharmacy Edge Magazin

Issue

HOW TO GUIDE FOR

SALES SUCCESS

IN SPECIALTY PHARMACY Walgreens

Surprises

Medical

Cannabis Advocates?

twelve

February/2017

Choose Your Generics Wisely 10 Ways to Do a LinkedIn

Pharmaceutical Career Search and Get Results

Will

Donald Trump

be good for the pharmaceutical industry

Nicolle McClure

Pharmacy Marketing Reinvented

Interview with

Bionqua Lynch

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Table of Contents Issue 12 / February, 2017

Presidents Message

Choose Your Generics Wisely

Pharmacy Marketing Reinvented

How to Guide for Sales Success in Specialty Pharmacy - part 3

Will Donald Trump be good for the pharmaceutical industry

Veterans Pushing for a Reschedule of Marijuana from Schedule I to III

Walgreens Surprises Medical Cannabis Advocates?

10 Ways to Do a LinkedIn Pharmaceutical Career Search and Get Results interview with Bionqua Lynch

President’s message Joshua Pirestani The second issue of this year will highlight a motivating story from a Pharmacy student. We will also highlight the importance of choosing the right generic manufacturer for a pharmacy, ways to save pharmacy’s money, the post effects of change in governance to the pharmacy industry, and benefits of using LinkedIn for a career in the Pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, topics such as marijuana’s role in curing PTSD, marijuana’s accessibility due to change in government, and Walgreens take on medical cannabis, would be discussed.

4 pharmacy edge

This year, APPA will continue to help the community grow professionally through our service offering, such as education and access to other industry experts. We encourage our readers to subscribe to our Pharmacy Edge Magazine at http://joinappa.com/pharmacy-edgemagazine/ and take benefit of all our services. For more information and queries, please contact info@joinappa.com

Joshua Pirestani President.

Ready for Serialization? Best Superior

Supporting okay Supporting bestpractices. practices

Excellence, in the highly competitive landscape of hospital administration, is more important than ever. From bedside patient care to the systems, operations, and staff that support that care, safety and security are common threads through every channel of a hospital system. To better protect those channels, the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) is a new FDA law enacted to build an electronic, interoperable system that identifies and traces prescription drugs distributed in the United States. Absent appropriate planning and preparation from the first set of provisions, hospitals will have difficulty meeting additional regulatory changes. This is where InfiniTrak comes into play. InfiniTrak is a comprehensive solution that easily integrates with your processes, providing the platform for full DSCSA track and trace compliance. A DSCSA solution that is flexible and adaptable to fit within the unique structure of your organization is a must. When creating a DSCSA compliance plan for your hospital it is critically important to partner with the right team to ensure current and new requirements are addressed by an implementation design that is flexible as this law rolls out over the next 10 years. Because there are significant unknowns in the ongoing roll out and evolving enforcement strategies, your hospital is at risk IF your readiness plan and DSCSA solution aren’t comprehensive and poised for what’s ahead. InfiniTrak has you covered, with a solution that is designed to evolve to support the future face of the law, which currently leaves details unknown and long term regulatory impacts yet to be defined. DSCSA enforcement, though not well-publicized or broadly understood, is in effect for all stakeholders. Your hospital and supporting retail pharmacies are responsible for collecting track and trace data electronically. FDA audits will inspect how data is being transmitted, as well as how your hospital stores, retrieves and archives your data. As a dispenser, you must be able to respond to an FDA request for records within 48 hours. InfiniTrak provides you with all your data, immediately available at your fingertips. This hands-on approach to gaining full control of transaction data and safeguarding drug pedigree in general, brings a new normal to your operations as dispensers. Ensuring you have full access, visibility, and control of DSCSA-related information is vital to eliminating your compliance risk. While you are ultimately accountable for meeting all DSCSA regulations, ensure you have the right team behind you as you transition from what’s now to what’s next. InfiniTrak is on your team.

Click HERE to download your complimentary DSCSA Hospital Compliance Kit with helpful tools to help you assess your current compliance readiness.

InfiniTrak is on your team.

www.infinitrak.us

Pharmacy Marketing Reinvented “I’ve always liked rooting for the under-dog. Cheering for the big team, or the same one everyone else does, seems too easy,” says Nicolle McClure, President of GRX Marketing. That feeling developed early in life has carried with her throughout her career. Since graduating with

6 pharmacy edge

a Bachelors of Arts degree from Iowa State University in 2001, she has worked for small companies. “I didn’t purposely seek out smaller companies, it kind of just happened that way.” Looking back on it, McClure was drawn to the family feel of smaller businesses.

Thirteen years ago, McClure took a job in the pharmacy industry, helping Medicap Pharmacy® franchisees with their marketing needs, and immediately fell in love with it. She enjoyed the variety and challenge it brought working with different pharmacy owners across the country. It is usually harder to market a business with a smaller budget, than a larger one, but the success is worth it. “There was nothing better than a pharmacy owner calling expressing their thanks for creating a successful marketing campaign. You could hear the sincere appreciation in their voice,” expressed McClure.

During her time there, she implemented several low-cost, effective marketing campaigns and gained valuable knowledge about the industry. In 2008, McClure was offered the Director of Marketing position at GRX Holdings, LLC, who at the time owned eight independent pharmacy locations in the central Iowa area. Because no one handled the marketing, it wasn’t cohesive, there were no budgets or plan of action. After streamlining it, and adding new programs to enhance their offerings, the locations increased in sales.

GRX Marketing Created McClure saw an opportunity to help other pharmacy owners with their marketing, so in 2010 GRX Marketing was born. Many pharmacy owners struggle with marketing in the sense that they don’t understand what to do, or don’t have time to do it. Some are hesitant because it is hard to track and often does not show immediate results. But marketing is a necessary evil to be successful. Because of her connections with pharmacy owners in her previous position and her background in pharmacy marketing, she knew the business was filling a niche not currently being served.

pharmacy edge

How They Are Different Their initial offering was based on what McClure currently did for their own pharmacies – monthly health promotions, email communications, custom promotional material creation, consultation, printing and social media. “Knowing pharmacy owners are pressed for time, but also need something tailored specifically towards their industry, I wanted to include all areas of marketing,” stated McClure. This is one thing that separates GRX Marketing from their competition as well, giving the pharmacy owner one contact to call instead of multiple. This technique ensures one message is going out to the multiple platforms, helping consistency and frequency, which is key in successful marketing campaigns.

8 pharmacy edge

GRX Marketing has significantly improved our ability to communicate our services to our customers by designing high quality marketing materials. Their staff has been extremely efficient in responding to our immediate needs and promoting our services. I would truly recommend them to any other independent pharmacy!

Another thing that makes GRX Marketing unique, is their parent company, GRX Holdings, LLC owns pharmacies as well. “To my knowledge, I don’t think any other pharmacy marketing company out there can make this claim,” said McClure. Engrossed in the industry themselves allows them to quickly react to changes, and alert their clients to them as well, such as the Tricare insurance announcement, or Humana Medicare Part D changes. Offering this type of knowledge is appreciated by their clients. Other points of difference include implementation, being proactive, and only focusing on pharmacy marketing. The GRX Marketing staff implements many of their recommendations on their clients’ behalf, including patient mailings, doctor detailing, and social media promotions, taking the process from start to finish. McClure also encourages her staff to be proactive with their clients. The staff will share ideas with other clients, if it was successful for someone else. “All my staff and I know is pharmacy marketing, so it’s not only our job, but our passion,” states McClure. Structuring their program this way has resulted in some very successful marketing campaigns. On average, clients experience a 14% new patient count increase and see 21% “lost-patients” return. They have helped clients launch new services, rebrand, relocate, and helped new pharmacies from the beginning. As their client, Jim Cherry, owner of the Medicine Shoppe in Somerset KY states, “GRX Marketing has significantly improved our ability to communicate our services to our customers by designing high quality marketing materials. Their staff has been extremely efficient in responding to our immediate needs and promoting our services. I would truly recommend them to any other independent pharmacy!” The Future GRX Marketing growth has accelerated in the past two years by connecting with buying groups and other pharmacy companies. They have also diversified and now offer many of their marketing solutions a-la-carte, and started offering website design services. “Our full program isn’t for everyone, but we didn’t want to not being able to help someone if they just needed social media assistance for example,” said McClure. Currently helping 85 independent pharmacies, they are quietly growing, but this has been by design. She wants to make sure the number of staff can handle the requests and growth. Pharmacy industry is quite small, and reputation is everything. She also feels a link with pharmacy owners, competing with the “big” companies. Their own marketing budget is small, so they take the same

Currently helping 85 independent pharmacies, they are quietly growing, but this has been by design.

“grass-roots” approach that they use with their clients. “I like being the small-fish in a big pond,” states McClure. In the past year, McClure has become an Advisory Board Member of the American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance (APPA), and a Co-Host for the Pharmacy Podcast. She was also promoted to President of GRX Marketing in December. Eternally grateful for the opportunities, she continues to expand her reach in the industry and is excited what 2017 will bring. GRX Marketing wants to expand their offerings for other companies, and look at incorporating video into their program at an effective cost. As the pharmacy industry becomes more challenging with reduced reimbursements, insurance companies squeezing independents out of networks, and more, marketing can often be a forgotten thought. It is often the first thing to be cut, when in truth it should be the last. To stay relevant in consumers’ mind, you must keep your name out there, or you are forgotten. As owners evolve in what they offer, GRX Marketing will evolve as well. “By being a smaller company, we are nimble and can change and grow right along with our clients, which is priceless,” believes McClure. She invites all pharmacy owners to come be small fish in the big pond with them. To learn more about GRX Marketing, check out their website, www.pharmacymarketing.com.

pharmacy edge

How to Guide for

Sales Success

in Specialty Pharmacy Part 3

We’ve written a free eBook to help foster sustainable sales success in specialty pharmacies of all shapes and sizes. In the eBook, we discuss how to develop the tools and resources necessary to support your sales team, how you can grow your team to capitalize on your pharmacy’s success, and, most importantly, how this can encourage the patient’s journey. Below is the next section in our How to Guide for Sales Success in Specialty Pharmacy. For the complete eBook download, visit CSIgroup.net/SalesBook. From Good to Great: Steps to Build Elite Teams So you’ve assembled your sales team, and they’re good... but could they be great?

10 pharmacy edge

It takes more than a training course for your sales team to reach their ultimate potential. Here’s how you can help them reach their peak. Put the Right People on the Bus Unless you want to waste time and money, it’s vital to make sure you get the right people onboard. We’ve already discussed the importance of hiring and some tips to make the hiring process more efficient; however, we can’t overemphasize how important it is to find the right people. At the end of the day, you need to put the right people on the right bus in the right seat. Sure, you can go out and find individuals who have been successful in various market niches, but

if they don’t fit in with your organizational goals, or if they don’t understand what you want to offer, then they may not be the right person for your organization. Right Measurement Metrics For Success Success can’t be measured unless you have a system in place for doing so. How do you plan to assess your team’s incremental victories? How will you measure and demonstrate progress over time? Setting realistic goals for your team and measuring how well they achieve them, will promote growth and cultivate motivation. Aims, benchmarks and assessments allow teams to become better at what they already do well, and point to areas where they can improve.

Consider implementing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program to enable you and your sales team to track day-to-day activities, thereby helping to put a value on the time spent each day. The CRM program will also help you determine the effectiveness and efficiency of your team. Assessments allow you to evaluate your team’s knowledge; how well do they understand the product, the disease area, and the overall business to allow for increased success (or failure)? Many types of assessment tools are available that allow teams to be evaluated based on their reach and frequency. However, it’s important to remember that team assessment is a complex process,

and an average business owner, who has never managed a sales team or is just starting or expanding, may find this process complicated and challenging. Assessments are often overlooked because the business owner or leader is usually very busy and has many other areas where focus and attention are required. Salespeople typically work in the field, and even if they work from the inside, will not always be in the presence of, or available to, the owner. That’s why it’s important to train your team so that they have the strength, autonomy and capability to perform.

It’s no longer sufficient to simply train salespeople, instruct them on what you want them to say, and then release them out in the field. Training is a continual process; each of us will continue to evolve as we gain experience. We’re always learning, and therefore, always growing. As they say: when you stop learning, you might as well retire. It’s imperative to keep up with the competition and stay ahead of current trends.

Training and Development Did you know that training and development are two separate and distinct entities?

For the free eBook download visit CSIgroup.net/SalesBook

pharmacy edge

10 Ways to Do a LinkedIn Pharmaceutical Career Search and Get Results Are you looking to start or further your career in the pharmaceutical industry? You are sure to find career options on job boards, on a pharmaceutical company’s website, recruitment agencies and through LinkedIn pharmaceutical career search. Why it’s good to use LinkedIn LinkedIn is a social network where business owners, organizations, employees and professionals meet to establish their profiles and take advantage of the online platform’s

12 pharmacy edge

many features. It offers plenty of benefits as well. • For the employed, unemployed and student, LinkedIn jobs provide a variety of career options in one place. Regardless of the industry you’re in, you’re sure to find a job on LinkedIn in your preferred location. • It has become a useful tool for headhunters and recruiting managers. Social networking sites have become part of recruitment strategies, and as a network of

and for professionals, it is only logical for a recruiting team to use LinkedIn to search for the next pharmacist or researcher. • Provides records and data essential in your job search strategy. Just run a LinkedIn pharmaceutical career search, and your query will return a list of people, jobs, companies, and groups in the pharmaceutical industry separated by tabs. There is even a list of registered pharmacy and pharmaceutical schools that will be provided.

Remember to make your headline count, and upload other tools to boost your online visibility. Why LinkedIn is good for a niche like pharmacy and pharmaceutical careers Most profiles are listed as a specialty, or classified according to your industry or career. So whenever someone search for a pharmacist or one with related qualifications, LinkedIn will point you in the right direction with accuracy. You can bet that a search result will be all related to the pharmaceutical industry. This effectively narrows down your options, and helps you find prospective employers.

update, newsletters and other information that you can use to reach out to hiring managers.

How to use LinkedIn to find a job in the pharmaceutical industry

6. Get an introduction If you and someone in your network has a common connection with your target company or person, ask them to introduce you. This works in the virtual world as well as it does in the real world.

1. Create a LinkedIn profile that sells By sell, it means a profile that catches attention and conveys a message that a potential employer wants to see. Three of the most important things you need to showcase is your headline, name and photo. A good headline must be creative without being too informal or unprofessional, and memorable.

7. Find and know your hiring manager Do you have a target company in mind? Using the Advanced People Search feature in LinkedIn, you will be able to identify the hiring manager of the company you wish to work with. Simply type in the company name and the title of the hiring manager.

Giacomo Bracci Helsen provides an excellent example with a headline that says “He’s a left/right brainer design thinking strategist”, instead of the usual marketing and advertising specialist.

8. Find and know your future boss When you know more about a company, you can create a sales pitch that will conform to its vision, mission or culture. Who doesn’t want a candidate that fits?

2. Make sure your profile and headline is concise Your profile should say a lot about you being a job seeker and not just someone being part of the social network. A good headline should send a shout out to recruiters and employers looking for a pharmacist or similar careers.

9. Use your network to gather data/insider information If you use a target company’s name in the Advanced Search page, you will know who in your network are connected, one way or another, with the organization. Talk to them and get details.

3. Add spice and substance to your profile LinkedIn lets you add videos, blog posts and other tools that can boost your profile. So why stick with the usual way to present your work experience, achievements, and the like?

10. Be an active participant Don’t be that job seeker who waits and does nothing after completing their profile. Even if your headline grabs attention, you should find ways to exploit LinkedIn to your advantage.

4. Follow pharmaceutical companies What better way to know if your target company is hiring new employees, than to follow them on LinkedIn via their company page? Get the latest

How to improve your profile and resume Take into account all the tips listed above, and improve your profile and resume accordingly. Remember to make your headline count, and upload other tools to boost your online visibility.

5. Widen your network Similar to other social networks, LinkedIn lets you connect with colleagues, friends and other professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, some of which know someone in the business. This is the easiest way to increase your visibility and get firsthand information for any job offers and openings.

pharmacy edge

Bionqua Lynch 1. Tell me about yourself My name is Bionqua Sylvia Lynch and I am a third-year pharmacy student at the University of South Florida College of Pharmacy (USF COP) in Tampa, Florida. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. I relocated to Tampa, Florida in 2009 to attend USF for my undergraduate studies. In May of 2013, I graduated magna cum laude from USF with a degree in Biology. While in undergrad, I was crowned Miss University of South Florida 2012. Thanks to my title I was able to perform and speak at various events on and off of campus and volunteer within my community through out reach programs. Now as a pharmacy stu-

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dent, I do my best to continue my volunteer work while maintaining involvement with various student organizations on campus. 2. Why did you get into the pharmacy industry? My passion has always been in music. I attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia high school for the performing arts in Manhattan, NY and studied as a vocal major for four years. During that time, I experienced frequent unexplained illness that prevented me from attending school at times and from performing. When it was time to apply for college, I knew I would not be able to pursue music because of my poor health status,

so I decided to pursue another passion of mine; science. Like many other undergraduate students, I was unsure of what I wanted to do in the field. Soon after starting school, I was diagnosed with celiac disease, a chronic autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten found in foods containing wheat, barley or rye. Finally, I had an explanation as to why I was constantly ill. Through my journey of learning more about my condition, nursing myself back to health, and trying to finish school I found my calling, pharmacy. As a pharmacist I could combine my passion for science and helping others into one. Struggling with a chronic condition on a

daily basis, would also allow me to empathize with patients who have difficulties managing their medical conditions, the way I do each day. 3. What awards have you received? In 2012, I was honored to receive a Golden Bull award, one of USF’s highest honors given annually to 20 undergraduate and graduate students who encompass the spirit of USF, demonstrate its values, and exemplify leadership and service to the university and the community. While in pharmacy school, I received the USF College of Pharmacy Student of Excellence Award two years in a row; an award given to students based on GPA, volunteerism and student involvement on campus. 4. Why did you choose to attend USF Pharmacy? My love for USF goes back to my undergraduate experience. I fell in love with the university the very first time I visited the campus. I loved the greenery, the space, the liveliness of the campus and the welcoming atmosphere. Little did I know, USF was one of the top research institutions in the state of Florida, amongst various other distinctions. USF has always provided me with the tools I needed to succeed, and I just knew that I would flourish in the new pharmacy program that the dean, Dr. Sneed, was building here. 5. What are you currently active or involved with at school? (school board, extracurricular activities, etc.) Currently I am the President of the Beta Tau chapter of Kappa Epsilon (KE), a professional pharmacy fraternity I helped charter on campus. My passion for KE stems from my sincere support for the organization’s national initiatives, which include breast and ovarian cancer awareness. My grandmother is a breast cancer survivor, which is why I have been a huge advocate for cancer research since I was

The biggest piece of advice I can give to pharmacy students is to get involved in organizations, projects or initiatives that will make them stand out. a teenager. Additionally, I serve as a pharmacy liaison for Project World Health, a student run health clinic that travels yearly to Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic to set up temporary clinics and provide free healthcare to local residents. I am also the Director of Student Delegates, a group of students at USF COP who serve as a liaison between the college, community and prospective students. As director, I sit on the college’s admissions committee to vote on potential candidates for the upcoming class. I am also a member of Phi Lambda Sigma, The Pharmacy Leadership Society and the Rho Chi Honor Society. 6. What are your plans after pharmacy school? (Ultimate career goal or area of pharmacy you are interested in) My five-year professional career plan includes, completing a PGY1 residency after graduating from USF COP. I hope to obtain a position as an ambulatory care pharmacist for a few years to gain additional clinical experience before transitioning into academia. My ultimate goal is to obtain a position as an educator at a college of pharmacy. As a professor, I can engage in multiple activities simultaneously, such as teaching, researching, and mentoring all while treating patients at my assigned clinical site. I will also have the ability to influence the lives of others through education, mentorship and by providing medical care. Additionally,

I hope to continue my mission work, traveling abroad, and aiding underserved populations in other countries, especially in areas where children lack proper medical care and attention. 7. What has made you so successful? I believe my drive is what has made me successful. I have always been a hard worker and it started out simply because I enjoyed the feeling of making my family proud of me. As I grew older, I realized that my achievements would benefit me in the long run, therefore I should continue to work hard. While trying to please others, I had unknowingly developed into the ambitious individual I am today. As I take on new challenges in life, I do so knowing that my achievements will bring me closer to my ultimate goal of having a career as a pharmacist and helping others. 8. Any advice you could give pharmacy students The biggest piece of advice I can give to pharmacy students is to get involved in organizations, projects or initiatives that will make them stand out. Even if they don’t know what field of pharmacy they want to pursue, pharmacy school provides us with countless opportunities to learn more about the various fields of pharmacy. Being involved can help you figure out what your interests are, and help you gain experiences that will set you apart from others at the same time.

pharmacy edge

Choose Your Generics Wisely

(and other simple ways to save your pharmacy money) It’s time to order products from your wholesaler. See which generic manufacturer offers the cheapest option, and buy it. A no-brainer, right? Wait a minute, though. The decisions you make when ordering generics could save (or cost) your pharmacy thousands of dollars per year. It’s tempting to just go with the cheapest item available, but keep in mind that the few dollars you’re saving on the front end could be wiped out on the back end when trying to return the expired products to your reverse distributor for credit.

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All return companies (reverse distributors) must follow each individual manufacturer’s return policy when we are processing your expired medications. Some manufacturers, including generics, have more liberal policies than others. Most generic manufacturers will only accept full, unsealed bottles for credit. However, there are a few that will accept opened, partial bottles for credit. One of the many services we provide at United Rx Solutions is to educate our clients about which generic manufacturers have the most liberal return policies. Here is a very common scenario: A pharmacy buys a product from Generic company A that costs $10.00, dispenses half the bottle, and watches as the remaining half of the medication in the bottle expires. The pharmacy returns the bottle to their reverse distributor, who is unable to return it for credit due to Generic A’s strict return policy. The bottle and its contents are then destroyed. Let’s say the pharmacy bought the same product from Generic company B, who accepts partials, at a cost of $12.00. Under the same scenario mentioned earlier, the pharmacy would receive approximately $6.00 in credit. Now, multiply that $4.00 the pharmacy just saved on that bottle with the amount of generic products that expire in your pharmacy every year, and the amount of money your pharmacy can potentially save every year is astounding!

that is expired more than one year. Recently, a major manufacturer tightened their return policy, and will no longer accept returned products that are expired more than 6 months. To ensure that our clients sent those products to us in a timely fashion and would not lose money on that manufacturer’s products, we notified our clients of the policy change. These are just a few ways that pharmacies can save a lot of money just by being knowledgeable about the reverse distribution industry. Having a reverse distributor that will help you through the complicated and confusing task of managing your expired medications is a real asset. At United Rx Solutions, we feel an obligation to go the extra mile for our clients, and provide services that no other reverse distributor will do. Give us a call at 1-844-741-9718, and let us show you how fast, easy, and transparent pharmaceutical returns can be.

Pharmacies can also save a lot of money simply by being aware of any changes to any manufacturer return policies. Most manufacturers will not credit a product

pharmacy edge

Will

Donald Trump be good for the

pharmaceutical industry 18 pharmacy edge

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s normal for situations to shift with every new presidency. After all, a new leader at the helm, often means re-shuffling, re-organizing and making changes, major or otherwise. Donald Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incoming administration is no different, and the pharmaceutical industry is wondering about whether or not they are on the good or bad side of the fence.

Deregulation,

however, is perceived as risky, considering that standards are in place as a means to protect patients from ineffective and harmful drugs.

From the way things are going, it could be both. • There is a proposal to reduce repatriation tax cost for drug companies. • Trump plans to lower drug prices. • There is a plan to reform the FDA to ensure patients have greater access to “new and innovative medical products”. Trump’s plan to give U.S. companies incentives to repatriate their overseas cash piles is believed to boost Pharma M&A. Drug companies have used their overseas cash to acquire foreign companies, instead of bringing it home, because of the exorbitant tax rate of 35%. But with the proposal to lower repatriation tax cost to 10%, the incoming administration hopes that some of those cash will be spent on investing and hiring. For RBC Capital equity analyst Michael Yee, tax repatriation will benefit “large biotechs and (pharmaceutical companies) with significant offshore cash and a desire to buy mid-cap companies”. But this is not exactly good news for everyone. Pharmaceutical companies are likely to spend on acquiring smaller peers as a means to help revive the drug development pipeline in the country. This can result to job cuts, what with the need to eliminate any overlaps. While the tax cut is great news for big pharmaceutical companies, the threat of lower drug prices is fast-becoming a reality. In an interview with Time, Trump was explicit in his desire to bring down drug prices. Although he didn’t elaborate on what he intends to do to make this happen, his statement is now considered a threat by drug companies and investors.

For the president of Pembroke Consulting, a firm focused on pharmaceutical economics, Adam Fein, the incoming U.S. president could be sending a signal, telling the industry, in a roundabout way, that the system must be changed. Price increase usually happens at the beginning of the year, and Trump may use his bully pulpit to spur changes to the system without saying exactly how. Some drug companies could refrain from a price hike just to avoid being a target. The industry is already under intense scrutiny due to large price hikes, combined with a series of high-profile cases. The ongoing debate on drug price is not helping drugmakers either. On the plus side, however, the incoming administration’s health-care platform could help strike a balance. The plan states to “Reform the Food and Drug Administration, to put greater focus on the need of patients for new and innovative medical products”. This means the drug and medical device industry would find it easier to bring their products to the market under the new administration. The call for innovation would also result in proposals made to ease regulations and speed up acquisition of new medicines. Deregulation, however, is perceived as risky, considering that standards are in place as a means to protect patients from ineffective and harmful drugs. Similar with drug prices, it is also unclear on exactly which direction the policy would take, only that it could be a move to gain support from both sides of the fence.

pharmacy edge

The Pharmacy Choice online network is collectively the most popular destination on the internet for pharmacy professionals.

The Pharmacy Choice online network consists of three primary web portals PharmacyChoice.com, RxSchool.com and RxCareerCenter.com. Each of these portals serves a specific purpose while leveraging the marketing power of the others. Combined, these portals are the most visited websites in the pharmacy industry.

Pharmacy Choice ®

RxSchool AMN Healthcare Education Services

RxSchool offers the best Live Internet education available through the popular RxSchool Live seminar room. Our leading internet delivery solution provides pharmacy professionals with a convenient way to get quality live education that qualifies for live CE credit.

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.

Rx Career Center is home to the largest job board for pharmacy professionals. Job candidates can search career opportunities using a secure and confidential system. Employers have the ability to upload their open jobs and search résumés.

www.rxschool.com

www.pharmacychoice.com

www.rxcareercenter.com

For more information please contact Trevor Oxley ¨ (877)223- 6121 â trevor.oxley@pharmacychoice.com

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAGAZINE.

Veterans Pushing for a

Reschedule of Marijuana from Schedule I to III 22 pharmacy edge

If they can convince a reschedule and get the pharmaceutical industry in on research and development, PTSD may finally have a cure.

As if Donald Trump’s win isn’t worrying enough for the general public, his incoming administration is also causing many marijuana users to worry about the future of the marijuana policy. Trump’s statements in the past and his actions following his win were both proand anti-marijuana, throwing people into a state of uncertainty. While his statements have been pro-marijuana, he has appointed anti-marijuana people in key positions, such as Jeff Sessions as Attorney General. Sessions has been described by colleagues as someone who had a problem with the Ku Klux Klan, particularly because they smoke weed. Many believe that it is unlikely that Sessions has changed his stance against marijuana. This has pushed marijuana activists and the American Legion, the largest veterans organization in the United States, to urge Trump to reschedule marijuana. The legion is asking the incoming administration to reschedule the status of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, which will “allow easier access to pure strains of the substance to cultivate quantifiable research and statistics regarding marijuana’s medical benefits”. At present, its Schedule I puts same level as Quaaludes, LSD,

designation as marijuana in the Ecstasy, heroin, and peyote. But

veterans are adamant that marijuana be made more accessible or, at least, research into its medical benefits be continued, because of its potential to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury.

na.com that Trump officials were a little caught off guard when that piece of information was revealed.

Considering that many veterans suffer from PTSD, pushing for a reschedule is definitely worth fighting for, what with the possibility of marijuana providing a possible cure. The Legion further pushes for the amendment of the legislation, so that cannabis will be recognized as a drug with a potential medical value.

The Legion certainly hoped that there won’t be a roll back on the progress of marijuana research because of its potential to cure PTSD. Everything else seems ineffective.

The Drug Enforcement Agency has approved the study on the effectiveness of cannabis for treating PTSD. The agency has already approved the use of marijuana to treat the disorder through inhalation. This makes the move to reschedule marijuana more logical than ever. During a meeting between the Legion and Trump’s transition team, it was noted that the incoming administration’s officials were guarded in giving feedback, but when the subject of cannabis potentially healing war wounds of military veterans came up, the team’s reaction changed significantly. National director of the Legion’s veterans affairs and rehabilitation division, Louis Celli, told Marijua-

But is it enough to convince the administration to reschedule marijuana?

Former Veterans Affairs psychiatrist and lead researcher Dr. Sue Sisley said that veterans feel like guinea pigs being used to test various treatments for PTSD, but with no positive results. They are simply exhausted and getting desperate. With the failure of traditional medications to address the problem, Sisley hopes to pursue further her research on cannabis as a treatment for mental health conditions. According to her, “While I can’t say definitively that medical marijuana works for PTSD -- we are three years away from published data -we owe it to veterans to study this plant”. Between marijuana activists and the American Legion, the latter is much more respected in the eyes of Trump officials. If they can convince a reschedule and get the pharmaceutical industry in on research and development, PTSD may finally have a cure.

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Walgreens Surprises Medical Cannabis Advocates?

The subject of medical cannabis has been a source of widespread debate for decades. This has become even more true in April 2016, when pharmacy giant Walgreens published a blog post entitled “Clarifying Clinical Cannabis”. Walgreen’s post defines medical cannabis, lists the illnesses and conditions it can help manage, and outlines its various methods of administration. It also explains how the substance affects the body, what its potential side effects are, and how patients can get a prescription for it. The article even talks about why the use of clinical cannabis has been debated for so long, pointing out that it’s associated with negative effects but has also been discovered to help with appetite improvement, muscle stiffness, and pain relief.

The blog post, which was written by Dahlia Sultan (a resident pharmacist at Walgreens and the University of Illinois-Chicago) surprised many medical cannabis advocates. The fact alone that Walgreens decided to talk about this topic was a shock, considering that many corporations either decline to comment about it or avoid the subject altogether. A lot of people were also astonished at the neutral tone of Walgreen’s blog post and the informative approach it took. Many took this as a good sign, since the post doesn’t only open the doors for discussion but also educates patients that opioid painkillers are not the only option. In fact, the blog post states, “If you’d like more information about the use of medical marijuana.” This is an important message since a lot of patients nowadays are dealing with chronic pain, but their doctors are hesitant to suggest clinical cannabis.

Alan Brochstein of New Cannabis Ventures sums up the thoughts of many medical cannabis advocates by saying, “I can’t recall any S&P 500 company ever sharing such a supportive view.” This is particularly even more significant for Walgreens which, as Brochstein points out, is actively involved in the lives of patients and is considered to be a reliable source of healthcare advice. Pharmacies and Medical Cannabis Another interesting sentence from Walgreens’s blog post is its disclaimer that the company is “not a licensed medical marijuana provider.” According to Ricardo Baca of The Cannabist, Walgreens might have recognized that pharmacies may soon get the permit to be a legal supplier. This is especially true now that prescription drugs made of cannabis derivatives are working toward getting an FDA permit. Brochstein also asks if Walgreens has smelled a huge opportunity,

considering that Canadian pharmacies have stated that they want to be a part of the medical cannabis program. It might be true that Walgreens wants to cash in on the clinical cannabis trend and is taking steps toward getting the license to sell the substance. However, this doesn’t change the fact that, as of the moment, pharmacies in the U.S. are not allowed to supply this substance — even in states where the use of medical and recreational cannabis is already allowed. Any pharmacist who disobeys this rule will lose his or her license and will no longer be allowed to dispense controlled substances to patients. There are many reasons why U.S. pharmacies are not allowed to dispense medical cannabis. One of the biggest reasons is that pharmacies are required to sell only drugs that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Cannabis, un-

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fortunately, is a long way from getting FDA approval. In fact, it’s stuck in a catch-22: it’s classified as a Schedule I substance, which means it has a high potential for abuse and has “no currently accepted medical use”. (Heroin is another substance placed under this category.) This makes it difficult for researchers to study cannabis and identify its medical uses, which would have helped remove it from Schedule I and downgrade it to a less severe schedule. Because of this classification, researchers find it hard to get grants and even obtain cannabis plants to experiment on. This means that they can’t put cannabis through the standard drug development research process, like what commercially available medications have gone through. This process is important since it would have allowed scientists to study the potentially active chemicals in the plant and understand how they interact with each other and with other substances. These information, in turn, can help reduce the public stigma of cannabis and convince the government, the healthcare system, and patients that medical cannabis is a viable treatment option.

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It’s also important to note that many Big Pharma companies are not interested in creating FDAapproved drugs based on cannabis — simply because it doesn’t have a lot of earning potential. They can’t claim ownership of cannabis outright since it’s impossible to patent a plant. This means they’d have to spend time and money on developing an extraction process for one of cannabis’s active chemicals then file a patent for that process. However, even this won’t give them protection since other companies can still extract the chemical using virtually the same procedure with slight variations. The legalization of medical and recreational cannabis use has also discouraged Big Pharma from pushing the matter forward. After all, if people can easily buy the substance from dispensaries, why would they opt for more expensive versions? This lack of assurance in a stable market has resulted to a slowdown in the development of FDA-approved cannabis-based drugs. The Future of Medical Cannabis Fortunately, the future of clinical cannabis isn’t bleak. Many organizations and companies are swimming against the current to learn

more about the plant and its active chemicals and discover how they can be used in the medical setting. British company GW Pharmaceuticals has been studying a drug called Sativex, which is made of THC and CBD (the two major chemicals from cannabis). The Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies, meanwhile, wants to compare cannabis smoking and vaporizing to see which is the safer administration method. Some countries have also realized that dispensing drugs through pharmacies is a smart step to take. The Canadian Pharmacy Association, for example, has expressed its belief that pharmacies provide the safest means of dispensing cannabis, compared to dispensaries and compassion clubs. This approach will hopefully spread to the United States and eventually make it possible for the substance to be sold in pharmacies. Organizations are even providing training to help people become more knowledgeable in the clinical use of cannabis. One of these is Americans For Safe Access, which has created the Medical Cannabis Advocate’s Training Center for those who want to learn more about citizen lobbying, grassroots campaigning, and other activities.

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