Some numbers we minimize and some we MAXIMIZE

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Pharmaciststeve

CDC Year in Review: “Mission: Critical”

The 10 most challenging public-health threats of 2014

http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p1215-2014-year-in-review.html?utm_content=10681741&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

It’s been an unprecedented year for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as America’s public health agency continues its emergency response to the most complex Ebola epidemic in history. Ebola, however, is far from the only critical mission CDC undertook in 2014.

  1. CDC has made important progress against antibiotic resistance, but it remains a serious threat. Combatting antibiotic resistance and preventing healthcare-associated infections remains a critical initiative for 2015. “Every day we don’t act to better protect antibiotics will make it harder and more expensive to address drug resistance in the future,” said Beth P. Bell, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. “Drug resistance can undermine both our ability to fight infectious diseases and much of modern medicine.”
  3. If antibiotic resistance is such a public threat.. why aren’t community Pharmacists wanting to see ICD9 codes for Rxs for antibiotics and/or sensitivity culture tests to make sure the most appropriate antibiotic is being prescribed ?

Mission: Continued Fight against Infectious Diseases:

Mission: Laboratory Safety

Mission: Leading Causes of Death

  1. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, killing more than 480,000 Americans each year. In 2014, CDC continued its national tobacco education campaign — Tips from Former Smokers — with hard-hitting new ads featuring secondary health conditions people may not realize are related to smoking. “These new ads are powerful. They highlight illnesses and suffering caused by smoking that people don’t commonly associate with cigarette use,” Dr. Frieden said. “Smokers have told us these ads help them quit by showing what it’s like to live every day with disability and disfigurement from smoking.”
  2. If we are having over 1300 people dying DAILY from tobacco use… it is considered a PREVENTABLE death and we have not classified this as a epidemic ? Apparently the 230 people that die DAILY from use/abuse of ALCOHOL is not yet a epidemic ?
  3. A silent epidemic of fatal overdose kills 44 people every day in the US. In 2014 CDC joined with partners to improve prescription monitoring, reducing unnecessary prescriptions. “Prescription drug overdose is epidemic in the United States,” Dr. Frieden said. “All too often, and in far too many communities, the treatment is becoming the problem. States where prescribing rates are highest need to take a particularly hard look at ways to reduce the inappropriate prescription of these drugs that are dangerous when misused or abused.”
  4. Those 44 people dying every day from abusing some substances – other than alcohol and tobacco – aren’t they making the same choice as those using/abusing the drug ALCOHOL or the drug NICOTINE ? And they are part of a EPIDEMIC ?

Link: http://www.cdc.gov/media/dpk/2014/dpk-eoy.html

 

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I’m not comfortable – Part SIX

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Pharmaciststeve

http://youtu.be/RPHRImWuWfU

Filed under: General Problems | 34 Comments »

More legislation to address a crisis they created

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Pharmaciststeve


Jack Conway pushes bill to attack state’s heroin epidemic

http://www.whas11.com/story/news/local/community/2014/12/18/heroin-epidemic-jack-conway/20604431/

Notice that the “Good Samaritan ” part of the bill.. can only be used as a DEFENSE… when they drag you ass to court… because someone you were with OD’ed and you called for help.. They admit that the Heroin epidemic is caused by their crack down on legal opiates.. You would think that they would eventually get tired of playing Wack-a-Mole !

wackamole

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we will aggressively investigate suspected drug diversion,

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Pharmaciststeve

swatDoctor, wife indicted for allegedly running ‘pill mill

http://www.whio.com/news/news/crime-law/doctor-wife-indicted-for-allegedly-running-pill-mi/njT9z/

The indictment states: Hoskins was prescribed drugs March 26, 2007 and was found dead three days later; Goff was prescribed drugs May 13, 2008 and was found dead two days later; Jackson was prescribed drugs Dec. 19, 2008 and was found dead four days later; Redavide was prescribed drugs Dec. 8, 2008 and was found dead 12 days later; Spurlock was prescribed drugs May 26 and May 28, 2009 and was found dead two days later; Durham was prescribed drugs June 27, 2011 and was found dead three days later.

Over a three year period – seven pts died of a drug overdose – suicide or accidental… ???

“Prescription drug abuse is a very serious problem in Ohio, and we will aggressively investigate any medical facility that shows signs of suspected drug diversion,” DeWine said in 2012. “Too many Ohioans have died from abusing improperly prescribed pills. We don’t want any more families to suffer.”
When one is paranoid you think that everyone is out to “get you”.. maybe they are looking for drug diversion.. everything looks like “drug diversion”  As they say there is three sides to every story, yours, the truth and the DEA’s version.

Filed under: General Problems | 4 Comments »

Media pointing out pharmacy’s shortcomings UPDATED 12/17/2014

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Pharmaciststeve

Washington DC 11/22/2014  http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/11/pharmacist-smuggled-more-than-7-000-hydrocodone-pills-from-md-giant-pharmacy-police-say-109127.html

Las Vegas, NV 11/19/2014   http://ktnv.video.jrn.com/Prescription-for-Pain-Change-in-law-causes-more-delays-pain-28165741?playlistId=15096

Tampa,FL 11/19/2014  http://www.wfla.com/story/27430868/pharmacists-using-tougher-guidelines-to-curb-medication-misuse

Houston, TX 11/19/2014  http://thedailycougar.com/2014/11/19/accuracy-takes-back-seat-speed-drive-thru-pharmacies/

Oklahoma City, OK 11/14/2014 http://m.news9.com/story.aspx?story=27391759&catId=112032
Los Angeles, CA 11/08/2014   http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/11/07/woman-says-glendale-pharmacists-mistake-led-to-mothers-death/

LIHUE, HI 11/08/2014 http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/death-leads-to-lawsuit/article_1ed1c9f4-670e-11e4-9baa-0743243d8304.html

03/2014     http://guardianlv.com/2014/03/walgreens-sued-for-negligence-in-vicodin-overdose-death/

Memphis, TN 10/31/2014  http://wreg.com/2014/10/30/rx-for-problems-pharmacy-gives-firefighter-adderall-instead-of-mobic/

W Virginia 10/28/2014  http://wvrecord.com/news/270336-man-says-cvs-wrongly-gave-him-chemo-drug

Michigan  10/22/2014  http://consumerist.com/2014/10/20/walgreens-gives-teen-wrong-prescription-shrugs/

Naples, FL 10/19/2014  http://www.naplesnews.com/news/local-news/pill-mill-fallout-legitimate-patients-have-trouble-getting-pain-meds_31951071

Corpus Christi TX 10/08/2014  http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/07/compounding-pharmacy-recalls-inspections-contamination/16472741/

Houston, TX 10/07/2014   http://www.click2houston.com/news/local-2-investigates-pharmacy-prescription-mistakes/25788822

Charleston, WV 10/06/14  http://wvrecord.com/news/269847-woman-claims-kroger-pharmacy-gave-her-wrong-medication

Hawaii  08/11/2014   http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/local-news/pain-killer-shortage-has-some-big-island-patients-feeling-pain

Tuscon, AZ  08/08/2014   http://www.kvoa.com/news/crack-down-on-pain-killers-forcing-shortage-at-pharmacies/

SHREVEPORT, La  07/31/2014  http://www.ktbs.com/story/26163525/customer-dis-service-angry-confrontation-may-be-sign-of-a-trend

Oklahoma City, OK  07/31/2014  http://www.okcfox.com/story/26155332/family-matters-pharmacy-mix-ups

Atlanta, GA  07/30/2014    http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/customers-concerned-after-cvs-prescription-info-mi/ngqnH/

San Diego, CA  07/29/2014   http://www.10news.com/news/investigations/father-says-cvs-drugstore-could-have-done-more-for-son-07272014

Houma, LA 07/22/2014   http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20140722/ARTICLES/140729939/1320?Title=Suit-claims-pharmacy-gave-wrong-drugs

Pittsburgh, PA 07/22/2014   http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/6482670-74/lawsuit-says-pharmacies#axzz38BoSvSti

Mobile AL 07/10/2014   http://www.local15tv.com/shared/news/features/top-stories/stories/wpmi_rx-errors-happen-more-often-than-thought-12761.shtml

Knoxville 06/27/2014   http://www.wate.com/story/25891473/knoxville-woman-sues-cvs-claiming-a-pharmacists-mistake-almost-killed-her

Houston, Tx 06/19/2014  http://www.click2houston.com/news/houston-man-sues-cvs-pharmacy-claiming-loss-of-vision-from-wrong-prescription/26575928

Tampa, FL 06/16/2014  http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/pinellas-park-woman-says-florida-pill-mill-crackdown-deprives-her-of-pain-medicine-she-needs

Tampa, Fl 05/16/2014  http://www.wfla.com/story/25539482/more-chronic-pain-patients-say-theyre-denied-their-medication

Las Vegas 05/16/2014   http://www.jrn.com/ktnv/news/contact-13/contact-13-investigates/Patients-being-denied-medications-259444711.html

Tampa, Fl 05/15/2014  http://www.wfla.com/story/25517995/government-crackdown-on-pill-mills-has-unintended-side-effect-for-legitimate-patients#.U3PyP7RxxOc.facebook

Austin, TX 05/08/2014  http://www.keyetv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/whos-checking-pharmacy-errors-17926.shtml

PORT ST.LUCIE, Fla 04/29/2014  Walgreens Apologizes For Giving Woman Wrong Prescription

Las Vegas 04/25/2014   http://www.jrn.com/ktnv/news/contact-13/contact-13-investigates/Pharmacy-checklist-questions-prescriptions-256746291.html

Las Vegas 04/24/2014   http://www.jrn.com/ktnv/news/contact-13/contact-13-investigates/Preview-Patients-struggling-to-fill-medications-243393411.html

California 04/22/2014  http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2014/04/22/wallgreens-store-redesign-raises-privacy-concerns/

Manhattan 04/04/2014  http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/04/04/66785.htm

Federal Subpoenas http://www.advfn.com/nyse/StockNews.asp?stocknews=CVS&article=42660125

Miami 04/02/2014  http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/03/20/4006705/consumer-group-alleges-walgreens.html

Indianapolis 03/30/2014 http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2014/03/30/pharmacy-boards-actions-raise-questions-ethics-patient-privacy-safety/7088079/

Chicago 03/25/2014   http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/Automatic-Prescription-Refill-Programs-Raise-Questions-252126721.html

Illinois 03/24/2014  http://palos.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/walgreens-sued-in-death-of-hickory-hills-man#new_comment

Indianapolis 03/21/2014 http://wishtv.com/2014/03/21/woman-turns-to-i-team-8-after-apparent-pharmacy-mistake/

DC 03/21/2014     http://www.walgreensgonewrong.org/latest-updates/markey-walgreens

Hawaii 03/17/2014  http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/deadly-prescription-overdose-kills-mother/25028750

Indianapolis 03/14/2014   http://www.wthr.com/story/22916123/2013/07/23/walgreens-pharmacists-now-turning-away-some-customers-who-need-pain-meds

LA TIMES 03/13/2014  http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20140314,0,2146387.column#axzz2vs3UT9Dm

HealthDay newsletter 03/13/2014 http://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/drug-center-16/misc-drugs-news-218/avoiding-pharmacy-errors-646512.html

Washington DC 03/05/2014   http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/03/06/why-are-patients-shut-out-of-the-debate-over-prescription-pain-medicine/

Las Vegas 02/03/2014  http://www.jrn.com/ktnv/news/contact-13/contact-13-investigates/Preview-Patients-struggling-to-fill-medications-243393411.html

01/13/2014 http://www.jrn.com/ktnv/news/contact-13/contact-13-investigates/Locals-in-need-of-prescription-medications-being-turned-away-240035271.html

LA TIMES 03/10/2014  http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20140311,0,1949776.column#axzz2vd90UrZC

Dallas/Fort Worth 02/28/2014   http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/02/28/pharmacy-mistakes-what-you-can-do-to-save-your-life/

Chicago   http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/Family-Says-Pharmacy-Error-Nearly-Killed-Boy–247413951.html

Washington DC   Link to first segment

http://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/Perscription-Errors-Pharmacy-CVS-Investigation-246947451.html

Link to second segment

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Prescription-for-Error-Pharmacy-Robots–246948651.html

Third segment

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Prescription-for-Error-Auto-Refills-247159401.html

http://digitaljournal.com/life/health/op-ed-victims-of-pharmacy-mistakes-have-little-recourse/article/373083#ixzz2uQv06Nhh

http://www.ada.gov/riteaid.htm

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20121023,0,1228879.column#tugs_story_display

http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2014-02-21/Prescription-pain-pills-Why-patients-cant-find-them

http://www.jrn.com/ktnv/news/contact-13/contact-13-investigates/Locals-in-need-of-prescription-medications-being-turned-away-240035271.html?utm_source=Aptivada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BreakingNewsKTNV&lc=Tablet

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/i-team-experts-believe-new-bill-will-lead-to-more-pharmacy-mistakes

http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/2014/02/06/gansler-settlement-rite-aid/5254533/

http://www.wral.com/-how-could-this-have-happened-wral-investigates-pharmacy-errors/13346224/

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/01/30/mistakes-with-your-medicine/

http://americannewsreport.com/nationalpainreport/dea-doctors-pharmacies-responsible-pain-med-denials-8822886.html

http://www.leagle.com/decision/In%20FDCO%2020120720D46

USCOURTS-alnd-1_11-cv-00732-0

http://www.burbankleader.com/the818now/tn-blr-state-revokes-license-of-burbank-pharmacy-that-sold-drugs-to-patients-who-died-20140128,0,7379437.story

06/2014 Denver http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23453409/lewis-tale-two-pharmacies

04/2013 Palm Beach Fl http://www.wptv.com/news/local-news/investigations/prescription-mistakes-rampant-and-under-reported

03/2012 Denver http://kdvr.com/2012/03/09/woman-says-pharmacys-medication-mistakes-couldve-hurt-her-family/

Jan 13,2014 Las Vegas http://www.jrn.com/ktnv/news/contact-13/contact-13-investigates/Locals-in-need-of-prescription-medications-being-turned-away-240035271.html

 

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An amusement park has better security than our Rx system ?

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Pharmaciststeve

A couple of weeks ago.. we took our only daughter and only 8  y/o grandson to Universal Studios in FL. For those of you haven’t been to Universal in Florida… they have three distinct parks and unless you purchase a multi-day ticket… you are only allowed to go into one park on a single day… Of course, Barb bought multi-day tickets… It is just a ticket to a friggin AMUSEMENT PARK… of course our tickets had bar codes on them and because we had multi-day tickets.. they scanned our tickets and you had to give a digital finger print which was matched up to your ticket in their database. If you wanted to move from one park to another.. once again they scanned your ticket and digitally scanned your finger print. If they didn’t match up… you were not allowed to move from one park to the other.

Here is a NEWS FLASH.. it is damn hard to change/fake/forged finger prints on a person… except in the movies 🙂

In your 20th century pharmacy system… and the various state’s Prescription Monitoring Programs..  require a VALID/LEGAL ID from the pt… but with today’s technology how do we know if a ID is valid or fake ? I can assure you that Rx dept staff just blindly puts the information on the driver’s license presented into their computer system and gets sent on to the PMP.

Imagine if we had a PMP or NPLEx system that used digital finger prints linked to every Rx transaction.  A new pt comes to a prescriber or pharmacy and they give a digital finger print and a PMP report is automatically generated… see how many names, address, doctors, pharmacies comes out on the report attached to that digital finger print.

The technology is there… where is the mindset to use it ?

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Now it is CVS in central Florida.. last week it was Walgreens

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Pharmaciststeve


Customers having problems filling pain pill prescriptions at CVS, Walgreens

http://www.wftv.com/videos/news/customers-having-problems-filling-pain-pill/vC6sYd/

More than 100 patients contacted Action 9 after we investigated pain pill denials at Walgreen's. Many claim CVS now refuses to fill pain medications as well.

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And you thought that a camera on every corner was troublesome ?

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Pharmaciststeve

Tiny Sensors May Soon Monitor Seniors’ Medicines From Inside

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PracticeManagement/InformationTechnology/49151?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-17&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g578717d0r&

Managing real and potential medication conflicts and confusions is more pressing as 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day, and 90% suffer at least one chronic illness. Many boomers are now swallowing a cocktail of medications prescribed by various specialists: pain medicines for aching backs, antidepressants, proton pump inhibitors to control gastric distress, vitamins, and other over-the-counter supplements.

With families sometimes far away and many older people unable to afford personal caregivers, companies have searched for a technological solution to monitoring medicine.

Forget armband monitors like Fitbit; the newest body monitors are as tiny as BBs. These so-called nanomeds, miniscule sensors embedded in a placebo pill that you swallow, set up shop in your gut. As they slowly work their way through your system, these “ingestibles” — which are actually not digested — are switched on by contact with saliva and/or gastric juices. The signal is picked up by another sensor which looks like a Band-Aid and is worn on your chest.

This system records medicine intake as well as other measures such as heart rate. The information shows up on your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth and can automatically go to your doctors, family members, or caregivers, with your permission.

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If you do nothing.. you get nothing !

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Pharmaciststeve

A ‘Dirty Bomb Explosion’ Patient Satisfaction

http://www.medpagetoday.com/EmergencyMedicine/EmergencyMedicine/48857

In the early 2000s the federal government discovered a new metric, patient satisfaction, and mandated hospitals to begin measuring and reporting satisfaction survey results. A generous interpretation is that the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) mandate is a misguided attempt to guarantee quality in the healthcare for which they were paying.

According to USA Today, the management consulting firm Hay Group, found two-thirds of physician pay incentives are based on patient satisfaction scores.” It is clear that the American consumer believes MORE care is BETTER care, and American physicians have fed into that consumerism as a matter of self-preservation.

Patients no longer trust physicians because we have stopped acting like physicians and are behaving more like corporate spokespeople, reading pre-written, scripted, focus-group-tested, and consultant approved administrative talking points rather than having open and honest dialogue with them.

Physicians and other healthcare providers need to be able to focus on the needs of their patients rather than the expectations of administrators. That’s the irony of patient satisfaction — it distracts and ultimately removes the physicians’ attention from where it belongs — on the patient..

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms/downloads/cms10287.pdf

Star (satisfaction)  rating system for Medicare Part C and D  http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Prescription-Drug-Coverage/PrescriptionDrugCovGenIn/Downloads/2014UserCallSlidesPlanPreviews.pdf

 

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we keep premiums low by excluding expensive care

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Pharmaciststeve

Growing number of restrictions in ACA drug coverage

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/health/2014/12/12/word-warning-aca-drug-coverage/20327819/

Herrick says many health insurance companies are cutting back because enrollees are sicker than anticipated.

“That can drive up the costs of the plan,” he explains. “Meaning premiums will rise next year. So a way plans tend to deal with that is they might increase the cost sharing for certain drugs or certain services, which allows the plan to provide a cheaper premium.”

Within 259 pages of fine print, Tim Conway’s plan states it “does not provide coverage for compounded medications.”

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