Drug Distributors & Wholesalers Q&A | Nicholas Shanos, RPh, Owner of Suburban Pharmacy, Inc. and Melissa, Pharm D Candidate 2021
Q: What are the advantages of using multiple wholesalers versus one primary vendor? Availability: When there’s a drug shortage or an interruption of drug supply we have the choice of more wholesalers to increase the odds of receiving the product. Price comparison: We gain the ability to have the choice to compare different drug prices […]
Pharmacy Compounding Resources Q&A | Shawn Hodges, PharmD, Innovation Compounding and APC
CSTD Products & Manufacturers Q&A | Robert Quintana, RPh, Director of Pharmacy
Q: As a director of pharmacy, what is your responsibility to your employees and/or patients in ensuring their safety? I am charged with ensuring the safe utilization of hazardous drugs throughout the organization. So the use of a CSTD at Cambell County Health was initiated in response to regulatory requirements and an increased need for safety […]
Multi-Dose Packaging Systems and Resources Q&A | Bretton Walberg, Walberg Family Pharmacies
Q: Why did Walberg Family Pharmacies start using medication packaging? When I graduated from pharmacy school, I knew there had to be a better way to help my patients adhere to their medication regimens. I started by filling my patient’s medications in pill organizers, but many patients required multiple organizers, which caused more problems and […]
Specialty Pharmacy Solutions (Technology & Software) Q&A | Sheila Arquette, NASP
Q. Specialty drugs remain the most expensive drugs on the market. What spending trends do you foresee for specialty pharmacy in the future? Since the 1990s, the number of specialty drugs available has increased exponentially and dominated new drug developments. Specialty product spending growth is outpacing traditional product growth and now has approximately a 47% […]
Cannabidiol (CBD) Resources & Products Q&A | Anthony J. Calamunci, Esq., FisherBroyles
Q. Is CBD a pain management alternative to opioids? CBD or cannabinoid itself is non-psychoactive. Preliminary research indicates CBD or cannabidiol could be a successful opioid alternative. Recent studies have shown that states with medical marijuana laws (THC and CBD) have twenty-five percent (25%) fewer opioid-related deaths than states that have not implemented laws. Studies […]
503B Outsourced Compounding Facilities & Services Q&A | Gregory Burger and Fred Massoomi, Visante
Q: What are the different types of outsourcing entities for compounded products? It is worth reiterating and detailing the different models we have in the United States. 503A relates to patient specific compounding practices traditionally seen in pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals, while 503B covers the outsourcing facilities. Under Section 503A of the Food, Drug, and […]
Pharmacy Returns Solutions & Resources Q&A | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Q. What is the Hazardous Waste Pharmaceutical Final Rule and what does it do? On February 22, 2019, EPA finalized the new Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations for managing hazardous waste pharmaceuticals. The final rule consists of three primary components: 1.) Amends the hazardous waste listing for nicotine (Waste Code P075) such that […]
Will Call Technology Q&A | Vince Jorn, Nebraska Medicine
Q. What makes an automated will call system turn-key and user-friendly? I would say that it’s intuitive, just simply intuitive. What you want it to do and how you would want it done, the will call system does it. The sorting feature that our system has, makes it easy to identify prescriptions that haven’t been […]
Pharmacy Redesign Q&A | Gabe Trahan, NCPA
Q. What do you see as the most effective type of remodeling? It’s not what you think; it’s not adding more fixtures or new flooring, it’s removing fixtures. Stores are designed to hold fixtures; fixtures were designed to hold merchandise. Community pharmacies do have a limit of what categories they can be successful with. Remove […]
