Talk to Your Pharmacist

In this episode, our guest is Dr. April Jones who was once a young mother who battled her two-year-old son's cancer while getting her doctorate. Her struggle to make the heart-wrenching decisions with her family led to a discovery of God, courage, and a happiness within that helped her transform scary misfortune into a joy-filled life. Now after years in various pharmacy leadership roles, she is a medical director for Pfizer oncology, author of “No Mess, No Message”, actively involved in nonprofit endeavors and pharmacy advocacy, and co-founded The Drifted Drum Company. April's story is a testament to "let[ing] things change you for the better." Guest - April Jones, PharmD, MBA Host - Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist for Instagram and Facebook @HillBlackburn Twitter

In this episode, we have guest Shelly Spiro, Executive Director of the Pharmacy HIT Collaborative (PHIT), share about the following topics: - Pharmacy HIT Collaborative http://www.pharmacyhit.org/ - Pharmacist's role in health information technology and technology standards development, standard terminology, and patient care process - Pharmacist eCare Plan https://www.ecareplaninitiative.com/ Guest: Rachelle “Shelly” Spiro, RPh, FASCP Executive Director, Pharmacy Health Information Technology Collaborative APhA 2215 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 (703) 599-5051, shelly@pharmacyhit.org LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/shelly-spiro-063878 and linkedin.com/in/shelly-spiro-63288736 Website http://www.pharmacyhit.org/ Twitter @shellyspiro and @pharmacyhit Host: Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist for Instagram and Facebook @HillBlackburn Twitter

Since 2018, Dr. Rebecca Van Vleck-DeMoss has been on a mission to educate healthcare professionals and patients regarding the appropriate use of transdermal fentanyl (TDF). Her mission began that year when my pharmacy detected 19 inappropriate TDF prescriptions, that if dispensed, most certainly would have ended in a patient's death. One particular patient stands out in her mind which has given her this passion to spread this vital information. In response to these potentially life-threatening errors, Rebecca created an educational presentation that she’s given to the New Mexico Pharmacist Association, New Mexico Health Systems Pharmacy Association, wrote a blog for TL;DR Pharmacy Simplified, and became a faculty member and presented for the nation-wide continuing education provider FreeCE.com. Guest: Rebecca Van Vleck-DeMoss, PharmD, BS Email: rvanvleck06@gmail.com Link to article on TL;DR Pharmacy Simplified. What Every Pharmacist Should Know about Transdermal Fentanyl: https://www.tldrpharmacy.com/conten

Guest - Tony Dao, PharmD, CPHIMS www.tonydaopharmd.com Tony shares that his informatics day to day is broken down into: 1) Breaks & Fixes 2) Requests 3) Long Term Projects Tony's hobbies include running an escape room business, writing music and performing magic. Main points from the episode: 1. Why did I get into pharmacy informatics? 2. How did I get trained, was it on the job or was it beforehand? Day to day? 3. COVID-19 and how healthcare informatics/IT is changing 4. What is the point of my podcast and pharmacy informatics academy? 5. Why the escape room business, what does it have to do with pharmacy? Host - Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist Instagram and Facebook @HillBlackburn Twitter

In this episode, we have guest, Pam Tarlow, PharmD who has been a practicing pharmacist since graduating from the School of Pharmacy at University of Southern California (USC) in 1981. Her practice has evolved over the years to include working closely with providers and patients on the safe, appropriate, and effective use of pharmaceuticals, botanicals, homeopathic, nutritional agents and therapeutic essential oils. She currently practices clinical integrative pharmacy at a unique independent pharmacy and as part of the team at an Integrative Medical Health Group. She is a lecturer and innovative experiential educator for many pharmacy schools, medical residents, and doctorate acupuncture programs. She is the Director of the inaugural PGY1 Integrative Health Pharmacy Residency. Pam is a faculty member and co-chair in Healthy Aging and Integrative Medicine at Yo San University Doctorate in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Program. She is also an author of pharmacist (CE) programs exploring bioactive nutrients

In this episode, I'm the guest on the new podcast, Titans of Industry. We pick up with Part 2 of the conversation with host Nate Disarro. Some of the topics covered include: 1. What was your path to choosing to become a pharmacist? First Job you had? 2. What are the different areas within health care that pharmacists can practice? 3. What did the industry look like when you entered into it and where is it now? 4. What challenges have you run into that turned into positive opportunities? or- what failure or apparent failure has set you up for success later in life? 5. Interesting/favorite stories in the business (inspirational or personal success stories) 6. Where is the state of the pharmacy industry right now amid the ever changing health care world? 7. Getting technical- talk a little about things outside the normal world of pharmacists (GPOs, telehealth, etc) 8. How do pharmacists and physicians compliment each other? what is the general relationship between the two? 9. What’

In this episode, I am a guest on the new podcast, Titans of Industry, with podcaster Nate Disarro. On the Titans of Industry podcast, we cover 3 main areas: 1) your career path, 2) the state of the industry, and 3) personal routines or anecdotes that connect to you personally as a leader/forward thinker in your field. Here are some of the other topics that we hit: 1. What was your path to choosing to become a pharmacist? First Job you had? 2. What are the different areas within health care that pharmacists can practice? 3. What did the industry look like when you entered into it and where is it now? 4. What challenges have you run into that turned into positive opportunities? or- what failure or apparent failure has set you up for success later in life? 5. Interesting/favorite stories in the business (inspirational or personal success stories) 6. Where is the state of the pharmacy industry right now amid the ever changing health care world? 7. Getting technical- talk a little about thi

In this episode, our guest is Rony Foumia who is the Area Director of Outpatient Pharmacy for the Michigan/Indiana markets for Ascension Health. He will be discussing: - Future of pharmacy students and job placement. - The future skill sets of pharmacists and what is needed to stay ahead. - Those suffering with addictions and surviving through a pandemic. - Mental health and those working on the front lines. - Job losses, loss of health insurance and what people can do to afford their meds. Interview with Rony Foumia, Pharmacist LinkedIn Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rony-foumia-09892b129/ Host - Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist for Instagram and Facebook @HillBlackburn Twitter

In this episode, our guest Danielle Plummer shares about taking the leap from community pharmacy to entrepreneurship. After being a retail pharmacy manager and working with tourists on the Las Vegas strip and near Fremont Street, she launched teleMDcare in late 2019 as a medical concierge service for tourists in Las Vegas. MAIN POINTS: If anyone is uninsured or underinsured (have high deductibles, high co-pays or no telemedicine benefit) or business owners who do not offer their employees insurance, teleMDcare can support you with unlimited telemedicine and a prescription formulary: for yourself and your family members to offer our service as a benefit to your employees to earn money back to your non-profit organization Pharmacists are expanding their roles and revenue through telepharmacy. Although laws vary by state, and to my understanding we can still cannot charge insurances for most services, many pharmacists are getting creative. Examples include: Consultants in specific niches are charging patients

In this episode, our guest is Dr. Rachna Patel, who has been in the field of Medical Cannabinoids since 2012 after spending years training as an Emergency Medicine doctor. She completed her undergraduate studies at Northwestern University (IL) and earned her medical degree from Touro University (CA). In 2014, she opened her own practice so that she could offer people care they otherwise wouldn’t have access to. In 2019, she wrote The CBD Oil Solution, published by Penguin Random House and in 2020, Dr. Patel became the CEO of her own CBD company, Doc Patels. Dr. Patel’s knowledge of CBD Oil has made her an asset in the specialty. She has been interviewed on over 200 podcasts, has taken the stage internationally to spread awareness, has been featured in articles for Lifehacker and MindBodyGreen and has appeared on major news networks such as NBC. Her insights into the field have helped many, many people. Topics/main points: Using CBD to combat the opioid epidemic Different conditions CBD can help with and th

In this episode, you’ll hear from Jamal Downer, PharmD is a Pharmacy Manager for Walgreens based in New York City. Jamal joined the Walgreens family in 2004 and is currently in charge of managing the store as well as providing counsel to those who need to speak with a pharmacist about their medications. Points of discussion: - Why did you choose to pursue a career in pharmacy? What do you like best about community pharmacy? - What have been the most rewarding aspects of the job, especially during this time? - What are the implications of COVID-19 as it relates to the pharmacy industry and what sort of changes have pharmacists had to make as a result of the pandemic? - What is it like leading a team who is working on the front lines of COVID-19 and what have been your biggest learnings and points of inspiration? - Post-COVID-19, how do you see the pharmacy world shifting and adapting to this “new norm” and have there been any upsides to the shift in how you interact with patients/people? Interview with Walg

In this episode, we have guest Our guest, Michael C. Dull, PharmD is Chief Operating Officer, CHC Health. Michael Dull II, PharmD has been in the pharmacy industry for over 16 years. He has had a vast amount of experience in numerous different practice settings such as health system, community, managed care, industry advocacy, administration, and clinical tech industry. Michael has focused his career and been an industry leader in the field of development and implementation of pharmacy clinical services. Michael joined CHC Health as Chief Operating Officer in 2018. In past roles, Michael was the Director of Clinical Services at MarkeTouch Media and oversaw clinical services with Shopko Stores, in both roles he collaborated with executive management at pharmacy chains and technology vendors to operationalize clinical pharmacy services. Michael has given many talks at industry events where he has been the subject matter expert related to these services, including MTM and medication synchronization. Topics d

In this episode our guest is Candice Burtner, is a pharmacist who has always appreciated natural ways of living and healing. With a curiosity for the science behind medicinal therapies, she graduated from Belmont University with a Biology degree, then went on to complete pharmacy school at The University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in Memphis. She started her natural therapy training as a mentee under Mark Binkley fresh out of school, and her most recent training has been with The Institute of Functional Medicine. She is currently working at Riverside Village Pharmacy in Nashville as Compounding Director and running their Low Dose Naltrexone Program for patients who need extra care. She is also Co-Founder and Virtual Health Consultant at My Functional Pharmacist, a virtual health consulting company for women. Candice has a passion for efficiency and simplicity in medicine. She loves guiding women through their health journeys in one-on-one settings to uncover their best next steps with clarity. After

In this episode, our guest is Diana Harshbarger, Pharm.D. has over 30 years experience as an independent pharmacist and is running for US Congress seat out of East TN. If she wins, she could be the 1st female pharmacist in US Congress! She shares about her background and getting into compounding, main issues affecting pharmacy & compounding, why she's running for Congress, and the importance of pharmacists being engaged in advocacy. Main Issues Affecting Pharmacy: • Support PBM Reforms • Eliminate Pharmacy DIR fees. • Increase MAC & Generic Drug Pricing Transparency • Fix DQSA as it relates to compounding • Fight for cBHRT & animal compounding Guest - Diana Harshbarger, Pharm.D. Doctor of Pharmacy Premier Pharmacy Inc. Website: www.votediana.com Instagram: dianaforcongress Twitter: DHarshbargerTN1 Facebook: dianaforcongress Host - Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist for Instagram and Facebook @HillBlack

In this episode, we chat with David Light, Founder & CEO, of the pharmacy and analytical lab company about drug safety and quality. High-level overview of Valisure: -- Valisure is the first ever pharmacy attached to a laboratory where every batch of medication is analyzed before being dispensed. -- Valisure’s mission is to help ensure the safety, quality, and transparency in the medications it delivers to consumers. -- All medications at Valisure come with a certificate of analysis, similar to nutritional information on food, and are sold at no additional cost. -- Valisure currently rejects over 10% of the batches we analyze for problems related to dosage, dissolution (how a pill dissolves), and the presence of carcinogens. -- Approximately 80% of medications in the U.S. are made from materials coming from India and China -- The $2 trillion global pharma supply chain is incredibly complex and medications can touch 10-20 hands before reaching the consumer. Guest - David Light Founder & CEO, Va

In this episode on Easter Sunday, we have a fireside chat with podcast host, Hillary Blackburn. Great article: HBR’s What Will U.S. Health Care Look Like After the Pandemic? Robert S. Huckman https://hbr.org/2020/04/what-will-u-s-health-care-look-like-after-the-pandemic?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_weekly&utm_campaign=insider_activesubs&utm_content=signinnudge&referral=03551&deliveryName=DM76157 We’ve been talking about redesigning healthcare for a while now, and there’s nothing like a pandemic to accelerate it into a recreate mode. Crisis has increased demand for healthcare workers due to increasing cases and hospitalizations. To meet that demand, healthcare staff have been redirected from elective treatments (scheduled surgeries, etc) to care for COVID-19 pts. In some states, like NY, they’ve even allowed 4th year med students to graduate early to meet the frontline demand. We’re also seeing regulations loosened to allow for expanded scope of practice. States are allowing professionals to pract

In this episode, our guest is Carly Stockdale, who is a partner at The Pharmary, a compounding pharmacy and consumer products company focusing on women and men navigating menopause and andropause, sexual health, thyroid dysfunction and other common issues through midlife. She currently advises and invests in digital health companies as an angel investor, and was previously a medical records startup entrepreneur, management consultant and healthcare administrator. We discuss: - Why did you invest in pharmacy? - How do you choose in which pharmacy businesses invest? - How pharmacy supports women's and men's health Host: Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA @TalktoYourPharmacist

In this episode, our guest is Dalton Fabian, PharmD, RPh who is a pharmacist with a passion for technology and data science. Some of the topics covered include: Some topics to cover – feel free to pick whichever are personally interesting to you, let me know if you want any more detail on any of these if it helps you plan the episode or build up questions beforehand: - Future of AI - how it will be complementary rather than replace clinicians – it will automate routine parts of clinician’s jobs to allow for more/different patient care services - Data science will likely be the next informatics in the pharmacy world - Networking to find your next job opportunity (especially non-traditional pharmacy jobs) - Operational data science (automating administrative parts of clinicians jobs with AI as the background – ex. Identifying which patients are most likely to go to the hospital in the next year and serving clinicians patients at risk in a good looking, easy to use tool) making a significant impact in healthc