Community pharmacy is a vital asset to the surrounding areas and something I have been a passionate advocate for my whole life. On this episode, we interview Grant Harting who wrote the book, "How to Escape Retail Pharmacy Hell". This book was written to help the community pharmacists who have seen large corporations ruin and decay community pharmacy to what it is today. Book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Escape-Retail-Pharmacy-Hell-ebook/dp/B08Y7QYCSG/ref=sr_1_2?crid=K0FZOSF79ZG7&dchild=1&keywords=how+to+escape+retail+pharmacy+hell&qid=1627292283&sprefix=how+to+escape+retail+%2Caps%2C210&sr=8-2 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1160145524458415/ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GrantHarting Twitter: https://twitter.com/Grant_Harting

Political Pharmacist Podcast

Episode 95 - How to Escape Retail Pharmacy Hell with Grant Harting

We all know that drug prices are high and can at times be dubiously marketed. On this episode we dive in some of what author Gerald Posner found while writing his book Pharma: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America. This episode was super refreshing to me to see that an investigative journalist, with a great history and reputation, would spend years diving into the world of prescription drugs and help confirm and highlight what many pharmacists have been discussing amongst themselves for years. I highly recommend you read the book Pharma, which can be found here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pharma-gerald-posner/1132188912?ean=9781501152030 Senator Grassley's drug pricing bill can be found here: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-introduces-updated-prescription-drug-pricing-reduction-act-2020 The Rodney Dangerfield reference is from the movie Back to School and is found in this video at about 2 minutes in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLscJ2cY04

Episode 94 - Pharma with Gerald Posner

When it comes to prescription drug prices, it can feel like the prices are made up and the copays don't matter. Pharmacist Nate Hux is helping to change that with Freedom Pharmacy and Pickerington Pharmacy. Freedom Pharmacy and Pickerington Pharmacy are both owned by Nate Hux but together help patients optimize what they pay for medications in what is a completely unique setup for pharmacies, unlike any other in America. Nate doesn't just talk about his business but also his path top get here (which involves working for some of the most well known chains) and how this model helps him find a fulfillment and happiness he never before had in practicing pharmacy. Honestly, this is a must listen for pharmacists with several great takeaways. Articles that Freedom Pharmacy and Nate have been highlighted and quoted in: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/06/02/ohio-consumers-have-new-choice-pharmacy-eliminating-middlemen-pbms-health-insurers-columbus/5176132001/ https://www.dispatch.com/videos/news/2021/06/02/one-pharmacist-two-pharmacies-operate-pickerington-lower-drug-costs/7474609002/ https://www.pharmacytoday.org/article/S1042-0991(21)00299-1/fulltext Business of Pharmacy podcast: https://anchor.fm/bizofpharmpod

Episode 93 - Rethinking Pharmacy Models and Payment Structures with Nate Hux

This week I go solo to discuss the recent news about the Ohio and Mississippi Centene lawsuits and settlements, as well as diving into the amount of lobbying and campaign contributions that Centene has made that may have lead to quick settlements with more to come. Referenced Centene news: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/06/14/centene-to-settle-ohio-medicaid-lawsuit-attorney-general-dave-yost/7679946002/ https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/centene-shells-out-143m-to-settle-pbm-disputes-in-ohio-mississippi/601773/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/centene-settles-with-ohio-and-mississippi-over-pharmacy-benefits-practice-11623696287 Centene Open Secrets: https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/centene-corp/recipients?id=D000024670

Episode 92 - Centene, Centene, Centene

Dr. Brett Barker joins the podcast to discuss a recent bill the Iowa legislature passed that would allow for pharmacists to enter into better collaborative practice agreements with other healthcare providers, which makes a huge step in bring healthcare access to the state. This bill even got a huge signing in the governor's office! We also dive into a litany of other topics as Dr. Barker has been a supporter of the podcast since before it's inception and a great advocate for pharmacy with all he does. I highly hope people can listen and learn from him on this episode. Iowa Administrative Code 657.39.13 Collaborative Drug Therapy Management: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/rule/06-20-2018.657.39.13.pdf Iowa Pharmacists Association information on the bill: https://www.iarx.org/collaborativepractice

Episode 91 - Iowa Advances Pharmacy with Dr. Brett Barker

We all know that the payment methods for prescription medications needs fixed. Alabama has passed a law that aims to do just that, in many ways. Bobby Giles, the Government Affairs Director for the Alabama Pharmacists Association, joins the podcast to describe how Alabama passed comprehensive PBM reform with one bill that could change the landscape of pharmacy and prescription payments in their state. This is a must listen to episode for any in pharmacy, patient advocates and legislators because we discuss how to tackle these complex issues, while side stepping ERISA complexities while relying on current SCOTUS precedents. Alabama Pharmacists Association: https://www.aparx.org/ SB 227 as we discussed can be found and summarized here: https://www.aparx.org/page/24#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20the%20law%20prohibits,than%20other%20in%20network%20pharmacies. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.aparx.org/resource/resmgr/apa_advocate_enewsletter/sb227-enrolled_finalized_ver.pdf

Episode 90 - Alabama Wrangles PBMs

Seems like a lot of states are setting their sites on reigning in PBMs after the landslide that was Rutledge v. PCMA. Now Michigan is no exception! Dr. Heather Christensen, the President of Michigan Pharmacists Association, joins the podcast to discuss Michigan House Bill 4348 and what it looks to do to help it's citizens and pharmacy tackle the blight on the state that is PBMs. Michigan House Bill 4348: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/billintroduced/House/pdf/2021-HIB-4348.pdf Join Michigan Pharmacists Association here: https://michiganpharmacists.org/ Connect with Dr. Christensen here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-christensen-20902715/

Episode 89 - Michigan Takes on PBMs

For community based pharmacists and pharmacies, there aren't a lot of areas to specialize in like there are in hospital based settings. So is it worth it to become board certified for medication therapy management (MTM)? Bhavana Muthra joins the podcast to discuss this topic and why this can help ensure quality is education and knowledge is being used and translated in a way that can help patients. We also discuss why provider status is vital to helping enable community pharmacists to make an impact in patient's care and lives. Bhavana's website: http://bhavanamutha.com/ LinedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhavana-mutha-44556210/ Nationa Board of Medication Therapy Management: https://www.nbmtm.org/

Episode 88 - Is It Time to Expect More From MTMs with Bhavana Mutha

Ever wonder what went through a government officials head during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout? Dr. Myriam Shaw Ojeda joins to the podcast to describe some of the insights she learned from helping get the COVID-19 vaccines into the the arms of Ohioans by with pharmacies and the Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's office. Ohio's COVID-19 Dashboard (This has a lot of useful info and shareable content): https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/health-equity Ohio Vaccine Lottery: https://ohiovaxamillion.com/

Episode 87 - What a Vaccine Rollout Looks Like with Dr. Myriam Shaw Ojeda

So we have talked a lot about pharmacists being recognized with provider status on the podcast. Well, now we dive into the weeds with Dr. Stu Beatty. Dr. Beatty is an expert in implementation and payment models for provider status with pharmacists, due to his work with The Ohio State University. It was an honor to have him on the podcast, and I'm sure he will be back for me detailed podcasts in the future because this dicsussion was so amazing! You can email Dr. Beatty here: SBeatty@ohiopharmacists.org You can reach out for more in depth services here: http://strategicpharmacyinitiatives.com/#:~:text=Stuart%20Beatty%2C%20Pharm.,of%20Strategic%20Pharmacy%20Initiatives%2C%20LLC.&text=The%20practice%20now%20hires%20nine,residents%20in%20the%20ambulatory%20setting. You can find some more great content in Ohio (that can be templated in other states!) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2E7oIUOOy4 https://www.ohiopharmacists.org/aws/OPA/asset_manager/get_file/566749?ver=1 https://pharmacy.medicaid.ohio.gov/

Episode 86 - How Provider Status Will Be Implemented and Billed with Dr. Stu Beatty

For this episode, pharmacists from around the country called in and submitted what being granted provider status means to them and how they see it impacting patients. APhA President Sandra Leal starts us off, followed by some past guests, a few pharmacists around the country and even a sitting member of Congress, Listen to what some of these pharmacists think about provider status then stop and reflect to think about what this could mean in your life or the lives of those around you. APhA has some great resources here to reference, even if you are still on the fence: https://pharmacist.com/Advocacy/Issues/Medicare-Provider-Status-Recognition

SPECIAL EPISODE - Pharmacists Call in To Talk Provider Status

Medication therapy management is a back bone of what pharmacists are trained to do. So why aren't we doing it better? Dr. Betty Chaffee of BetterMyMeds.com joins the podcast to discuss issues she has seen with MTMs (especially when they are treated as metrics) and how we need to refocus this aspect of pharmacy to take better care of patients. You can reach or contact Dr. Chaffee at her website www.BetterMyMeds.com

Episode 84 - Why MTMs Need to Change

Ever wonder why some generics cost so much? Dr. Kyle McCormick and I dive into this topic as well as how his pharmacy, Blueberry Pharmacy, is changing the prices people pay for medication by NOT taking bill insurance. Dr. McCormick has developed a pharmacy that can save people money and reduce the impact on insurance by PBM games like spread pricing. We dive into the weeds here and even talk about how generic Truvada has drastically dropped in price and how to buy it (safely and legally) for substantially less as well as other drugs like Vesicare (solifenacin). You can find Blueberry Pharmacy (and some great breakdowns of drug pricing) here: https://blueberrypharmacy.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blueberry-pharmacy/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueberryPharmacy/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Episode 83 - Rethinking Generic Medication Pricing with Blueberry Pharmacy

Provider status for pharmacists has been introduced into Congress! This is big step that pharmacists need to improve healthcare for many Americans. Pharmacy politics expert Antonio Ciaccia joins the podcast to discuss why this is important and how it came about. Click here to contact your legislators: https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=12540&fbclid=IwAR0wcA8oxlJgAcnMaezj0ralEQaPLV7MFIN0BkOWGhdNkAo5ghR9HpyFifQ APhA info here: https://www.pharmacist.com/advocacy/issues

Episode 82 - Provider Status Has Been Introduced With Antonio Ciaccia

Dr. Frank North, President-Elect of NPhA, joins me to discuss the issues of race and vaccine hesitancy and how we can approach this issue in a way that can make a positive impact with people. This is a bit of a long track, but issues around race and vaccine hesitancy deserve a long discussion. I applaud the points that Dr. North brings up and encourage everyone to take to heart the ideas we discuss and work to make really help educate others around the COVID-19 vaccines. This isn't just a public health matter, it's a personal matter. NPhA can be found here: https://nationalpharmaceuticalassociation.org/

Episode 81 - Vaccine Hesitancy and Race with Dr. Frank North

The first podcast to focus on the political side of pharmacy. We will tackle the big and hot topics in the pharmacy world and discuss how they have become what they are and provide calls to action. Our guests include pharmacists with professional areas of practice that cover the topic up for discussion or people with extensive knowledge of the topic. Occasionally, there might even be a politician who joins us.

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Political Pharmacist Podcast

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