America’s November 2015 PHARMACIST THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY PHARMACIST + Taking the Initiative + Congessional Summer School + Pharmacy Quality Measures + Diabetes Education Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ www.americaspharmacist.net Cold and fl u season is here. Remind your patients to double check their medicine labels so they don’t double up on medicines that contain acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is found in more than 600 different prescription and over-the-counter medicines, including many for cold and fl u. It is safe and effective when used as directed, but taking more than directed is an overdose and can lead to liver damage. Order free patient education materials to display and distribute in your pharmacy at National Community Pharmacists Association is a founding member of the Acetaminophen Awareness Coalition. MedSafe is an a ordable and easy-to-operate unused medication collection and disposal program for registered collectors. MedSafe meets the DEA requirements for collecting ultimate user controlled substances (Schedules II-V). The MedSafe system consists of a secure Collection Receptacle with removable Inner Liners. Inner Liners include prepaid return transportation via common carrier and disposal by incineration. Special Pricing for NCPA Members Call 1-800-772-5657 Collection Receptacles are available in two sizes (38-Gallon and 18-Gallon) to meet the needs of retail pharmacies and long-term care facilities. The 38-Gallon Collection Receptacle was designed primarily for use in retail pharmacies with the smaller 18-Gallon designed for use in long-term care facilities. Retail pharmacies may opt for the smaller 18-Gallon Collection Receptacle if oor space is a concern. Inner Liners are contracted with multiple service schedule options, which may be changed once during contracted period if needed. Inner Liner service frequency is based upon volume of ultimate user medications collected in a given period. A large retail pharmacy in an urban area may opt for monthly service frequency while a smaller pharmacy in a rural area may opt for quarterly service. Similarly, retail pharmacies that are collectors for long-term care facilities may select service frequencies based on number of beds or patients serviced in a location. Lower patient occupancy will require an infrequent service schedule while a facility with 100+ beds lled may require service every other week. Example System Con gurations Collection Type Service Frequency Receptacle MedSafe System Features LTCF (25 beds) 18-Gallon Quarterly • 16-Gauge Stainless Steel Construction LTCF (50 beds) 18-Gallon Bi-Monthly • Three security locks with one-way medicine drop LTCF (100 beds) 18-Gallon Bi-Weekly • Removable Inner Liners with serialized tracking • Prepaid return transportation of Inner Liners Pharmacy (rural) 38-Gallon Quarterly Pharmacy (urban • Proper disposal of returned medications 38-Gallon Monthly open 4 days a week) 800.772.5657 / www.sharpsinc.com Pharmacy (urban 38-Gallon Bi-Weekly Compliance, Inc. © 2015 Sharps Compliance, Inc. All rights reserved. open 7 days a week) November 2015 MedSafe is an a ordable and easy-to-operate unused medication contents collection and disposal program for registered collectors. MedSafe meets the DEA requirements for collecting ultimate user controlled substances (Schedules II-V). The MedSafe system FEATURES consists of a secure Collection Receptacle with removable Inner Liners. Inner Liners include prepaid return transportation via THIS MONTH’S cover FEATURE common carrier and disposal by incineration. Fighting the Good Fight on Capitol Hill ......................18 by Michael F. Conlan Special Pricing for NCPA’s Legislative/Legal Defense Fund gives community pharmacy a NCPA Members seat at the table. Caption: Our opponents outspend us 20-to-1, but community Call 1-800-772-5657 pharmacy keeps fighting. CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and the trade association for the pharmacy benefit manager/ mail order industry, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, have spent more than $87 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies in the past six years, according to public records complied by the Center for Responsive Politics. CVS Caremark was by far the biggest influence seeker, Collection Receptacles are available in two sizes accounting for some $64 million of the total. By contrast, NCPA (38-Gallon and 18-Gallon) to meet the needs of spent $4.5 million for lobbying in 2010–15. “While we may never retail pharmacies and long-term care facilities. be able to outspend our deep-pocketed corporate opponents, The 38-Gallon Collection Receptacle was designed our true wealth is measured in the value of our membership,” primarily for use in retail pharmacies with the smaller said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, Pharmacist, MBA. “Their 18-Gallon designed for use in long-term care facilities. enduring bonds with their patients and their communities give Retail pharmacies may opt for the smaller 18-Gallon Collection Receptacle if oor space is a concern. us at least a fighting chance to get our grassroots message of 22 fairness for all across to legislators, policymakers, and regulators Inner Liners are contracted with multiple service in Washington, D.C. But in all honesty, we could do more for schedule options, which may be changed once community pharmacy if we had more money. Sad perhaps, but during contracted period if needed. true.” Inner Liner service frequency is based upon volume of ultimate user medications collected in a given period. A large retail pharmacy in an urban area may opt for monthly service frequency while a smaller pharmacy Taking the Initiative ............................................................... 22 in a rural area may opt for quarterly service. Similarly, by Chris Linville retail pharmacies that are collectors for long-term The pharmacy model is broken and Jasper Drugs is fixing it. care facilities may select service frequencies based on number of beds or patients serviced in a location. Congressional Summer School ........................................... 30 Lower patient occupancy will require an infrequent by Michael Rule service schedule while a facility with 100+ beds lled may require service every other week. Community pharmacists hope educating lawmakers on issues will translate into support on Capitol Hill. Example System Con gurations Pharmacy Quality Measures ................................................ 34 by Laura Bergs, PharmD Collection 30 Type Service Frequency Receptacle An FAQ on proportion of days covered with sulfonylureas. MedSafe System Features LTCF (25 beds) 18-Gallon Quarterly Diabetes Education—The Pharmacist’s Role .................... 36 • 16-Gauge Stainless Steel Construction LTCF (50 beds) 18-Gallon Bi-Monthly Letters to the editor—If you would like to comment on an article, email NCPA at [email protected]. Your by Alissa R. Segal, PharmD, CDE, CDTC, FCCP • Three security locks with one-way medicine drop LTCF (100 beds) 18-Gallon Bi-Weekly • Removable Inner Liners with serialized tracking letter may be posted on the NCPA website and edited Community pharmacists can empower and encourage patients • Prepaid return transportation of Inner Liners Pharmacy (rural) 38-Gallon Quarterly for length and clarity. to manage all aspects of their condition. Pharmacy (urban • Proper disposal of returned medications 38-Gallon Monthly open 4 days a week) 800.772.5657 / www.sharpsinc.com Pharmacy (urban 38-Gallon Bi-Weekly © 2015 Sharps Compliance, Inc. All rights reserved. Compliance, Inc. open 7 days a week) www.americaspharmacist.net 5 TAP OUR APP Download “NCPA Mobile” Today! Don’t be left out of the latest news affecting community pharmacy—download our app, NCPA Mobile! Receive real-time updates, join the conversation on Twitter with a built-in feed, and never miss out on breaking news affecting community pharmacy. Don’t delete the app after your convention experience is over—keep it on your phone year-round for updates, news, alerts, and more from NCPA. To get the free NCPA Mobile app: iPhone and iPad users—search “NCPA Mobile” on the Apple App Store. Android users—search “NCPA Mobile” on the Google Play Store. Blackberry, Windows Phone, laptop users—visit www.ncpanet.org/app Or simply scan the QR code above. AMERICA’S PHARMACIST VOLUME 137, NO. 11 (ISSN 1093-5401, USPS 535-410) is published monthly by the National Community Pharmacists Association, 100 Daingerfield Road, Alexandria, VA 22314. © 2015 NCPA. All rights reserved. Ask Your Family Pharmacist® POSTMASTER—Send address changes to: America’s Pharmacist, DEPARTMENTS Circulation Dept., 100 Daingerfield Road, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-683-8200; [email protected]. Periodical postage paid at Alexandria, VA, and other mailing offices. Printed in the USA. Up Front ...................................................................................... 8 FOR MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION, email ncpamembership@ by B. Douglas Hoey, Pharmacist, MBA ncpanet.org. For other information go to www.ncpanet.org. Community pharmacists can make specialty special. AMERICA’S PHARMACIST ONLINE Read the dynamic edition of America’s Newswire ...................................................................................10 Pharmacist and search its archive of past issues online or on mobile devices at www.americaspharmacist.net. “Go green” and decide not to receive a mailed copy of America’s Adherence—It Only Takes A Minute ...................................12 Pharmacist. You’ll still have access to all the editorial content by Michelle