Pharmacy technicians are the backbone of pharmacies throughout the country, and in West Virginia, we celebrate the critical role they play in meeting the needs of our patients! Featured guest Dr. Kenneth Hohmeier, Associate Professor, Director of Community Affairs, and Directorof PGY-1 Community-based Residency Program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, will detail the national trends in pharmacy technicians elevating their skill sets to meet the changing patient needs and business demands for pharmacies. Nationally-certified technicians Kala Gault and Logan Wright will join us to talk about how they support their pharmacies and find fulfillment doing expanding services. Host: Aubrey LeMasters

Part 2 of a 2-part conversation with state and national leaders in the battle against Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and their predatory practices which are harming patients and pharmacies throughout the country, especially in rural areas such as West Virginia! Panelists Include: Douglas Hoey, CEO of National Community Pharmacists Association Antonio Ciacca, CEO of 46brooklyn Research and APhA - American Pharmacists Association Joni Cover ,VP of Strategic Initiatives at National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) Lynne Fruth, President and Chairman of Fruth Pharmacy Heidi Romero, Pharmacist and Advocate at Griffith & Feil Pharmacy in Kenova, WV Resources for more education: PBM Accountability Project pbmaccountability.org How PBMs Make Money: PBM Practices & Profits https://info.rxsafe.com/blog/pbms-make-money-infographic Pharmacy Benefit Manager: Market Landscape and Strategic Imperatives https://www.hirc.com/system/files/public/MM_PBM%20Landscape_2022.pdf Getting to the Root of High Prescription Drug Prices July 10, 2017 https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2017/jul/getting-root-high-prescription-drug-prices Pharmacy Times White Paper: DIR Fees Simply Explained October 25, 2017 https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/white-paper-dir-fees-simply-explained Pharmacy Benefit Managers and Their Role in Drug Spending April 22, 2019 https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/explainer/2019/apr/pharmacy-benefit-managers-and-their-role-drug-spending How Have Diabetes Costs and Outcomes Changed Over Time in the US? November 15, 2019 https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/diabetes-care-u-s-changed-time/#health-spending From Benefit Cards to Billions in Profits: The Evolution of the Modern PBM March 17, 2020 https://www.withmehealth.com/newsroom/from-benefit-cards-to-billions-in-profits-the-evolution-of-the-modern-pbm How State Medicaid Programs Are Managing Prescription Drug Costs Pharmacy Benefit Administration 2019 April 28,2020 https://www.kff.org/report-section/how-state-medicaid-programs-are-managing-prescription-drug-costs-pharmacy-benefit-administration/ Drug Channels: August 11, 2020 Five Top Drugmakers Reveal List vs. Net Price Gaps (Plus: The Trouble With Insulin Prices) https://www.drugchannels.net/2020/08/five-top-drugmakers-reveal-list-vs-net.html Promarket: February 19,2021 How the FTC Protected the Market Power of the Pharmacy Benefit Managers https://www.promarket.org/2021/02/19/ftc-market-power-pharmacy-benefit-managers/ NCPA: June 3, 2021 It’s not a Typo: 91,500% Increase in Fees Heaped on Pharmacies https://ncpa.org/newsroom/news-releases/2021/06/03/its-not-typo-91500-increase-fees-heaped-pharmacies Pharmaceutical Spending Up 77% Over 10 Years, Yet Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Costs Have Fallen in Same Period February 28, 2022 https://www.valuepenguin.com/pharmaceutical-spending-study#:~:text=According%20to%20data%20from%20the,to%20%2452%20billion%20in%202015 Viatris' biosimilar insulin isn't as cheap as you thought. https://www.axios.com/2021/11/17/the-new-generic-insulin-isnt-as-cheap-as-you-thought  

Part 1 of a 2-part conversation with state and national leaders in the battle against Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and their predatory practices which are harming patients and pharmacies throughout the country, especially in rural areas such as West Virginia! Panelists Include: Douglas Hoey, CEO of National Community Pharmacists Association Antonio Ciacca, CEO of 46brooklyn Research and APhA - American Pharmacists Association Joni Cover ,VP of Strategic Initiatives at National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) Lynne Fruth, President and Chairman of Fruth Pharmacy Heidi Romero, Pharmacist and Advocate at Griffith & Feil Pharmacy in Kenova, WV Resources for more education: PBM Accountability Project pbmaccountability.org How PBMs Make Money: PBM Practices & Profits https://info.rxsafe.com/blog/pbms-make-money-infographic Pharmacy Benefit Manager: Market Landscape and Strategic Imperatives https://www.hirc.com/system/files/public/MM_PBM%20Landscape_2022.pdf Getting to the Root of High Prescription Drug Prices July 10, 2017 https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2017/jul/getting-root-high-prescription-drug-prices Pharmacy Times White Paper: DIR Fees Simply Explained October 25, 2017 https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/white-paper-dir-fees-simply-explained Pharmacy Benefit Managers and Their Role in Drug Spending April 22, 2019 https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/explainer/2019/apr/pharmacy-benefit-managers-and-their-role-drug-spending How Have Diabetes Costs and Outcomes Changed Over Time in the US? November 15, 2019 https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/diabetes-care-u-s-changed-time/#health-spending From Benefit Cards to Billions in Profits: The Evolution of the Modern PBM March 17, 2020 https://www.withmehealth.com/newsroom/from-benefit-cards-to-billions-in-profits-the-evolution-of-the-modern-pbm How State Medicaid Programs Are Managing Prescription Drug Costs Pharmacy Benefit Administration 2019 April 28,2020 https://www.kff.org/report-section/how-state-medicaid-programs-are-managing-prescription-drug-costs-pharmacy-benefit-administration/ Drug Channels: August 11, 2020 Five Top Drugmakers Reveal List vs. Net Price Gaps (Plus: The Trouble With Insulin Prices) https://www.drugchannels.net/2020/08/five-top-drugmakers-reveal-list-vs-net.html Promarket: February 19,2021 How the FTC Protected the Market Power of the Pharmacy Benefit Managers https://www.promarket.org/2021/02/19/ftc-market-power-pharmacy-benefit-managers/ NCPA: June 3, 2021 It’s not a Typo: 91,500% Increase in Fees Heaped on Pharmacies https://ncpa.org/newsroom/news-releases/2021/06/03/its-not-typo-91500-increase-fees-heaped-pharmacies Pharmaceutical Spending Up 77% Over 10 Years, Yet Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Costs Have Fallen in Same Period February 28, 2022 https://www.valuepenguin.com/pharmaceutical-spending-study#:~:text=According%20to%20data%20from%20the,to%20%2452%20billion%20in%202015

About Nalox(ONE) West Virginia Purpose: The purpose of the project is to educate West Virginians about the dangers of opioids in the home and prevent overdose deaths. Reach: The Nalox(ONE) Program will reach over 10,000 patients with opioid prescriptions in one year’s time in more than six at-risk WV counties in 20+ independent pharmacies (identified by Fruth Pharmacy, PursueCareRx, and the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network West Virginia). Training: Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at these locations will undergo an online, asynchronous training designed by North Dakota State University School of Pharmacy (adapted and branded for the Nalox(ONE) WV project). Continuing Education Units (CEU) along with a small stipend will be provided upon completion of this training. Opioid Screening, Naloxone, and Medication Disposal: Pharmacists will utilize a clinical opioid screening tool using DocStation to determine if naloxone should be dispensed with the opioid prescription along with counseling. Pharmacy technicians will conduct follow-up calls. Additional Components: Students and faculty from the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy will assist in supporting this work as “academic detailers” With the support of Murphy Media, LLC, the WV DII will produce and disseminate a joint public education campaign (media) targeted in the areas of pilot stores DisposeRx® medication disposal packets will be dispensed with each opioid fill at participating pharmacies Program evaluation will be conducted by WV DII, NDSU SOP, and DocStation.

The ONEbox is a unique and first-of-its-kind, all-in-one, emergency naloxone rescue kit designed to be placed in buildings including workplaces, schools, universities, sports arenas, and anywhere the public gathers. The box contains gloves, two doses of intranasal naloxone (upon request in WV), personal protective equipment (gloves, sanitary wipes, a CPR mask), a naloxone training device, screws for mounting, and zip ties to secure the contents of the box. Not only does the box assist in the case of overdose emergency with an instantaneous 60-second video talking the responder through the process, it also contains an instruction sheet and a QR code that will allow the responder to take the instructions with them should the person needing assistance be several feet away. Redundancy is key in order to ensure quick and efficient response to an overdose emergency. The on-the-spot video is delivered by Jan Rader, former City of Huntington Fire Chief who is currently serving as the Director of the Mayor’s Council on Public Health and Drug Control Policy for the City of Huntington (Cabell County). ONEbox has a clean and simple interface that’s easy to use and understand when an overdose occurs. Visual and multilingual voice instructions guide you through the entire process, from the moment you determine that help is needed, administering Naloxone, all the way through rescue breathing and briefing emergency officials. Again, this training is delivered instantaneously. The ONEBox also contains a training (video) mode using the same information required by the State of West Virginia for persons administering naloxone under the State’s standing order. This allows businesses and schools to train all persons in a building on-demand on how to respond to an overdose. The ONEBox also contains a training (video) mode using the same information required by the State of West Virginia for persons administering naloxone under the State’s standing order. This allows businesses and schools to train all persons in a building on-demand on how to respond to an overdose. Press the training button to activate ONEbox’s training mode which includes eight different emergency scenarios and includes a naloxone trainer. Prompts are repeated or rephrased, in other languages if needed and can be customized. The ONEBox also contains a training (video) mode using the same information required by the State of West Virginia for persons administering naloxone under the State’s standing order. Additional training and information on Naloxone administration is also available on the WV DII website (www.wvdii.org). A short video explaining the ONEBox and this project can be found at: www.wvdii.org/onebox. The ONEbox was created by Murphy Media, Inc. The ONEbox is managed by the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Charleston, West Virginia.

This quick 5-min teaser will give you the basic foundation of WV Pharmacists Association and our brand new podcast series, Mountain State Pharmacist, that brings the best in education, advocacy, and entertainment in WV Pharmacies to the forefront by giving our superhero pharmacists, their staffs, and students a place to tell their story that is part of the WV Pharmacy landscape. We'll talk to people just like you with similar challenges in practice and those who are doing some incredible things we never thought possible in the pharmacy profession.  Follow us wherever you get your podcasts.  We Are Stronger Together!