Episodes
Friday Aug 16, 2019
The Power of Pharmacist-to-Pharmacist Handoffs During Transitions of Care
Friday Aug 16, 2019
Friday Aug 16, 2019
Hospital readmissions are often medication-related and potentially preventable. Pharmacists can play a vital role in improving medication outcomes during transitions of care (TOC). Although numerous TOC practice models have been described, it remains unclear what practices will promote optimal continuity of care. A recently published study in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association (JAPhA) examined the impact of pharmacist-to-pharmacist handoffs using electronic communications to reduce hospital readmissions in high-risk patients.
Guest Authors: Jessica Wooster, PharmD, BCACP and Laressa Bethishou, PharmD, BCPS
Music by Good Talk
Saturday Mar 09, 2019
Is a Team-Based Approach in Primary Care Worth It?
Saturday Mar 09, 2019
Saturday Mar 09, 2019
A team-based approach to patient care is well established in acute care settings, but not as widely adopted in primary care settings. Working within a team could have a positive impact on the efficiency of visits, quality of care, workload, job satisfaction, and patient satisfaction. Previous studies in acute-care hospital settings reveal positive outcomes, but there have been mixed results in primary care settings. Are the extra time, effort, and money necessary to change to a collaborative team-based approach worth it? Will it positively impact health care utilization, quality, and cost?
Guest Authors: Lily Van, PharmD and Courtney Davis, PharmD, BCACP
Music by Good Talk
Friday Sep 07, 2018
Using Controllers PRN for Mild Persistent Asthma – An Oxymoron?
Friday Sep 07, 2018
Friday Sep 07, 2018
Two recent studies challenge our current approach to managing patients with mild persistent asthma. When patients with asthma are prescribed inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs), we instruct them to use the medication daily. In patients with persistent asthma, guidelines recommend maintenance therapy, with either an ICS or a combination ICS/long-acting beta-agonist (LABA), plus a short-acting beta-agonist (SABA) as needed for rescue treatment. The Symbicort Given as Needed in Mild Asthma (SYGMA) 1 and SYGMA 2 trials challenge the traditional approach comparing combination ICS/LABA (budesonide-formoterol) as needed to traditional ICS maintenance with SABA rescue therapy.
Guest Author: Brittany Schmidt, PharmD, BCACP
Music by Good Talk
Friday Jul 13, 2018
Friday Jul 13, 2018
We’ve been managing asthma, for the most part, the same way for quite some time now … short-acting beta agonist (SABA) for quick relief, inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) as first-line maintenance treatment, step up if needed, step down if possible … plus self-management education and a written asthma action plan. Despite many treatment options, numerous adults, adolescents, and children still suffer from asthma exacerbations, leading to reduced quality of life, missed work and school, higher costs, and increased asthma-related morbidity and mortality. Exacerbations can be triggered by acute respiratory infections, exposure to allergens and other environmental conditions, and poor medication use behaviors. Regardless of cause, finding ways to reduce or prevent exacerbations should be a priority.
Guest Author: Kristen A. Pate, Pharm.D., BCACP
Music by Good Talk
Friday Jun 15, 2018
Hypertension – Time for Patients to Control the Wheel
Friday Jun 15, 2018
Friday Jun 15, 2018
Traditionally, the management of hypertension requires routine blood pressure checks by a health professional to adjust medications. Could self-monitoring lead to better outcomes? Would a greater percentage of patients achieve their goal blood pressure (BP)? Self-monitoring may be an efficient method to improve blood pressure control; however, results from published reports are inconsistent. The authors of the TASMINH4 study sought to compare the effectiveness of three different approaches to BP monitoring.
Guest Authors: Vicky Shah, PharmD, BCPS and Daniel Longyhore, MS, PharmD, BCPS
Music by Good Talk
Thursday May 10, 2018
Strategies for Managing Hypertension: Is the Paradigm Shifting?
Thursday May 10, 2018
Thursday May 10, 2018
Forty-five percent of all adults in the United States have high blood pressure — that’s more than 100 million people! Of those treated with pharmacotherapy, more than half are not achieving their blood pressure goals. Thus, millions of Americans are receiving suboptimal care. A recently published systematic review and meta-analysis examined various implementation strategies to improve BP control in patients with high blood pressure. Which implementation strategies work best?
Guest Author: Lauren G Pamulapati, PharmD
Music by Good Talk
Friday Dec 15, 2017
Friday Dec 15, 2017
We interview Eric MacLaughlin, Joseph Saseen, and Kristin Rieser about the ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Adults released in November 2017. Dr. MacLaughin, a member of the Guideline Writing Committee, gives a insiders view of the guidelines development process and explains the rationale for lower blood pressure goals. Drs. Saseen and Rieser talk about some of the practical considerations that we all must consider as we move forward to making these recommendations a reality.
Guests: Kristin Rieser, Pharm.D., Joseph Saseen, Pharm.D, and Eric MacLaughlin, Pharm.D.
Music by Good Talk
Friday Nov 10, 2017
Painstaking Efforts to Improve Opioid Stewardship
Friday Nov 10, 2017
Friday Nov 10, 2017
Drug overdose is now the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 50. In 2016, the United States (U.S.) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a seminal guideline for primary care clinicians regarding opioid prescribing. These guidelines are now being implemented by clinicians, insurers, and healthcare institutions. The Transforming Opioid Prescribing in Primary Care (TOPCARE) study sought to assess the impact of a multicomponent care management intervention on opioid stewardship in four primary care centers.
Guest Authors: Lucas Hill and Jennifer Shin
Music by Good Talk
Friday Sep 22, 2017
Friday Sep 22, 2017
According to the 2016 CHEST VTE Guidelines, at least 3 months of therapy is recommended for an unprovoked DVT or PE (Grade 1B). Thereafter, the clinician is expected to weigh the risks and benefits to determine if extended therapy is appropriate. Balancing the risk of mortality from recurrent VTE versus major bleeding has been challenging. A validated clinical decision tool is sorely needed! Until recently, no risk assessment tool has been validated and therefore none have been widely adopted in practice.
Guest Author: Carol Chan, Pharm.D.
Music by Good Talk
Friday Sep 08, 2017
Testing the Limits on Blood Glucose Monitoring: Can We Safely Cut Back?
Friday Sep 08, 2017
Friday Sep 08, 2017
Is self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) cost-effective? SMBG is often recommended to help guide treatment decisions. Consumer-oriented advertising often promotes frequent SMBG as means to achieve better glycemic control but current clinical practice guidelines do not provide specific recommendations regarding the frequency of blood glucose monitoring. The lack of conclusive evidence supporting the clinical benefits of routine SMBG combined with the rising costs of healthcare has led some payers to place limits on SMBG testing supplies. Is this wise policy? Or does it lead to poor health outcomes?
Guest Authors: KyAnn Wisse, PharmD, BCACP and Dawn Fuke, Pharm.D, BCPS
Music by Good Talk