At the 2nd Annual NACDS Total Store Expo in Boston, Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE, President and Chief Executive Officer, talked about the race to “capture the flag” of healthcare innovation in Congress.
Retail pharmacies are leading the pack in finding innovative ways to provide better access to care for patients. “The retail clinics are disruptive in a sense as they allow patients to become consumers of healthcare,” Tine Hansen-Turton, Executive Director of the Convenient Care Association, said in a recent interview.
In this issue of Inside Pharmacy, which focuses on mental health, key stakeholders of primary care provide their insight on patient care in the retail setting, resources to achieve professional success, and what you need to know in order to best coordinate care with other colleagues in the pharmacy.
Pharmacists share their knowledge and experience on how to best care for mental health patients, including counseling patients, ensuring continuity of care, and the appropriate use of combination antipsychotics. A user-friendly patient tip is also provided to share with your patients how to reduce and manage stress, which you can also download online.
In addition to our interview with Tine from the Convenient Care Association, Kevin Letz, one of the original founders of retail clinics, discusses the expanding role of nurse practitioners (NPs) and its impact on immunotherapy (see Retail Pharmacy Clinic News®, on page 25). Ken P. Miller, PhD, RN, President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, provides insight on the role of NPs and shares insight on what pharmacists need to know about their counterpart in the retail clinic.
Keeping you abreast of the latest immunization recommendation, Jonathan L. Temte, MD, PhD, Chair, US Advisory Community on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, discusses the latest ACIP vaccine recommendations and the importance of retail pharmacies in ensuring optimal immunization rates.
This issue also includes what you need to know about the latest US Pharmacopeial Convention chapter on handling hazardous drugs, Chapter 800 (see page 27), how to create the best learning environment during rotations (see “10 Preceptor Qualities That Create a Great Learning Environment,” on page 30), as well as continuing education.
One of the goals of Inside Pharmacy is to provide a forum for pharmacists, chain headquarters, independent pharmacies, physician assistants, and NPs to share their knowledge, experience, and best practices to provide optimal primary care in the retail setting and achieve professional growth and success.
