Tags: Pharmacy

Medicare Plan Selection

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Medicare

Medicare Plan Selection

Jason

Greetings all. What happened to Fall, how did we go straight from Summer to Winter? Hopefully everyone is adjusting to the change in weather and being safe with the return to school for many. We have another guest blogger this month, let me introduce to you Larissa.

Hi everyone, my name is Larissa Yehle, I am the current Community Pharmacy Resident with Coborn’s and I wanted to talk to you this month about Medicare open enrollment because it is that time of year again– open enrollment for Medicare.

What is Medicare anyways? Medicare is a federally-funded health insurance program. Eligibility requirements for Medicare are below;

  • Must be an American citizen living in the USA 65 years of age or older.
    OR
  • Under 65 years of age with one of the following conditions.
    • Receive Social Security disability insurance for at least 24 months
    • Have End-Stage Renal Disease
    • Have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
    • Receive Railroad Retirement Benefits

We know picking a plan can be stressful and lead to sleepless nights and big headaches. There are several different options and so many different terms, which becomes overwhelming in a matter of seconds. It DOESN’T have to be this year though, let us help you! Coborn’s offers a user-friendly, plan selection resource on the Coborn’s pharmacy webpage (www.medicareusa.com/coborns). This tool helps guide you into selecting the plan that is best for you. The website can actually auto-populate with your specific drugs that you are on with the use of your unique Customer ID. You can get your unique Customer ID by calling us at the pharmacy or using the 1-800 number listed on the website.

With the use of your ID, you can compare, buy, and save on Medicare Advantage and Part D plans right on the website. It does a great job at explaining the different terms and type of plans available, and even has 1 on 1 support available to each of you when needed. We value your business and loyalty and want to make sure you are informed of the ins and outs of the different Medicare plans. Unfortunately, in the past, there have been times where a patient does not realize that based on the plan they chose, they can no longer fill their prescriptions with their preferred pharmacy. There are certain restrictions on some of the plans available and we want to ensure that you can continue to use Coborn’s pharmacy based on the insurance plan you choose.

Feel free to ask any pharmacy member for more information on the Medicare Plan Selection resource.

Asthma Awareness

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Asthma Awareness

Jason

Did you know that May is Asthma Awareness Month? Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways in your lungs (your airways carry air in and out of your lungs). For those that have asthma, the inside lining of their airways become sore, swollen and sensitive. When sensitive, they then react strongly to things that they are allergic to or find irritating. This reaction causes the airways to get even narrower and the lungs get less air… and lungs not getting air is obviously a bad thing!

Symptoms of asthma include

  • Wheezing
  • Coughing, especially early in the morning or at night
  • Chest tightness
  • Shortness of breath

Not all people who have asthma have these exact symptoms, and having these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean that you have asthma. Doctors will diagnose asthma based on tests that gauge the strength of the lungs, a thorough medical history, and a physical exam. For those that have asthma, when their asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it’s called an asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks may require emergency care and they can even be fatal. Asthma is typically treated with two different kinds of medications: quick-relief medications to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to help prevent asthma symptoms.

We have been busy this month spreading the word about asthma and helping our patients better manage their asthma. Here are some of the things we have been doing in our stores and pharmacies;

  • Asthma Control Tests – A quick assessment of how well someone’s asthma is being managed
  • Asthma Action Plan Reviews – Making sure patients know what to do when not feeling well
  • Immunization Screenings – Patients with asthma should have flu and pneumonia vaccines
  • Wellness Wednesday Events – Hosted by our Pharmacists and Dietitians in select locations
  • Peak Flow Meters for sale – A tool to help assess asthma control

As always, stop by any of our pharmacies if you have questions about any of your inhalers or medications. Also, check out the Minnesota Department of Health’s asthma webpage. They have a ton of great resources and educational materials that are FREE! 

Jason
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

Let’s talk about CBD

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Let’s talk about CBD

Jason

Everyone has probably heard about the recent explosion of CBD products that seem to be popping up everywhere. I thought it was worth spending some time talking about all things CBD.

What is CBD?

CBD stands for cannabidiol, CBD is one of the ingredients in marijuana. The other, slightly more well known, ingredient is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is the psychoactive ingredient that gives recreational marijuana users the “high” associated with it, CBD is the anti-psychoactive ingredient that may (or may not) provide some benefit. The Cannabis plant can be grown in variants that have different amounts of each ingredient; those that are low in THC and high in CBD are called hemp, while those high in THC and low in CBD are called marijuana. Hemp is now legal for farmers to grow crops for fuel, fiber, clothing, etc. This has created the somewhat murky legal landscape of whether or not companies can produce over-the-counter items containing CBD.

Do CBD products even work?

Depending upon the definition of the current laws, companies may be able to make CBD products for consumer use as long as they have THC limits under 0.3%, and there are no recommended or approved doses of CBD. There seems to be some limited evidence that CBD products can be helpful for certain types of seizure disorders, evidence for other conditions (pain, anxiety, inflammation) is lacking. The FDA recently approved a prescription product containing plant derived CBD to treat 2 rare forms of seizures… it is licensed as a specialty medication only available from select pharmacies to the tune of about $35k per year, called Epidiolex. Because the CBD products showing up on shelves now are not regulated by the FDA, there is no guarantee that they are being produced at high standards or have the amount of the ingredients in them claimed. In a recent study of CBD product;

  • 7 of 10 CBD products did not contain amount advertised (43% under, 26% over)
  • 1 of 5 products contained THC over limits allowed (0.3%)

There are also reports of interactions between CBD and prescription medications that can result in elevated levels of the medications, and there have also been low rates of elevated liver enzymes.

Are CBD products legal?

According to a recent statement from the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy… no.

In summary, the sale of most products that contain CBD extracted from any type of cannabis plant and intended to be used to treat medical conditions or to alter the structure and function of human or animal bodies, remains illegal under both federal and state law. The exceptions would be FDA-approved drugs, such as the recently approved Epidiolex®, and the products allowed to be sold under state law by the manufacturers that are regulated by the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Medical Cannabis.

We are still in the very early stages of figuring out medical marijuana use, recreational marijuana use, CBD containing products, and the rules/regulations around them. For now, most organizations are taking a wait and see approach regarding how to address them. As healthcare providers we can only preach caution as we have no legal ground to stand on yet.

Jason, 
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

Depression

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Jason

Depression is a serious medical illness. It’s more than just a feeling of being sad or “down” for a few days. Depression occurs in more than 19 million teens and adults in the United States, and for them, the feelings do not go away, they persist and interfere with everyday life.

Although depression may occur only once during a lifetime, people typically have multiple episodes. During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day and may include;

  • Feeling sad or “empty”
  • Loss of interest in favorite activities
  • Overeating, or not wanting to eat at all
  • Not being able to sleep, or sleeping too much
  • Feeling very tired
  • Feeling hopeless, irritable, anxious, or guilty
  • Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems
  • Thoughts of death or suicide

Depression is a disorder of the brain. There are a variety of causes, including genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. Depression can happen at any age, but it often begins in teens and young adults. It is much more common in women. Women can also get postpartum depression after the birth of a baby. Some people even get seasonal affective disorder in the winter (can’t imagine that around these parts, right?).

Depression is a serious disorder that can take a terrible toll on you and your family. Depression often gets worse if it isn’t treated, resulting in emotional, behavioral and health problems that affect every area of your life.

There’s no sure way to prevent depression. However, these strategies may help.

  • Take steps to control stress, to increase your resilience and boost your self-esteem.
  • Reach out to family and friends, especially in times of crisis, to help you weather rough spells.
  • Get treatment at the earliest sign of a problem to help prevent depression from worsening.
  • Consider getting long-term maintenance treatment to help prevent a relapse of symptoms.

If you feel depressed, make an appointment to see your doctor or a mental health professional as soon as you can. If you’re reluctant to seek treatment, talk to a friend or loved one, any health care professional, a faith leader, or someone else you trust. If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).

Sources: 

  1. mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007

  2. medlineplus.gov/depression.html

Jason, 
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

February is American Heart Month

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Jason

Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women? To prevent heart disease and increase awareness of its effects, Coborn’s is proudly participating in American Heart Month.

  • This month we had ‘Wellness Wednesday’ events co-hosted by our pharmacists and dietitians
  • We also had PharmaSmart blood pressure machine hosted demo and enrollment expos at select locations
  • Patients are able to visit our pharmacies any time this month for free blood pressure checks, immunization screening (most with heart disease need flu and pneumonia vaccines), and resources from dietitians.

You can make healthy changes to lower your risk of developing heart disease. Controlling and preventing risk factors is also important for people who already have heart disease. To lower your risk:

  • Watch your weight, many of our locations have dietitian services to help you make healthy choices.
  • Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke, talk to any of our pharmacists if you are interested in quitting smoking.
  • Control your cholesterol and blood pressure, check your blood pressure for free at any of our pharmacies.
  • If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
  • Get active and eat healthy.

February 1st was national Go Red for Women Day, Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association’s national movement to end heart disease and stroke in women. This may be surprising, but heart disease is actually the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. That’s approximately one woman every minute! Sixty-four percent of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms. Because these symptoms vary greatly between men and women, they’re often misunderstood. Media has conditioned us to believe that the telltale sign of a heart attack is extreme chest pain. But in reality, women are somewhat more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain. Other symptoms women should look out for are dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen and extreme fatigue.

To learn more about heart disease visit the American Heart Association’s Website or talk to your local Pharmacist to see how we might be able to help you lower your risk for Heart Disease. 

Jason, 
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

How to Properly Dispose of Your Medications

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How to Properly Dispose of Your Medications

Jason

What do you do with your medications when they are expired or no longer needed? When your medications are no longer needed, they should be disposed of promptly. Patients and caregivers should remove expired, unwanted, or unused medications from their home as quickly as possible to help reduce the chance that others accidentally take or intentionally misuse the unneeded medicine, and to help reduce drugs from entering the environment. There are a couple options for you to consider when disposing of expired, unwanted, or unused medicines.

Your best choices for disposal of unused or expired medicines are:

  • Medicine take-back options
  • Disposal in the household trash

Medicine take-back options

These are generally the preferred way to safely dispose of most types of unneeded medicines. There are two main kinds of take-back options: periodic events and permanent collection sites.

Periodic events

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) periodically hosts National Prescription Drug Take-Back events where temporary collection sites are set up in communities nationwide for safe disposal of prescription drugs. Local law enforcement agencies may also sponsor medicine take-back events in your community. Consumers can also contact their local waste management authorities to learn about events in their area.

Permanent collection sites

Another option for patients and long-term care facilities to dispose of unneeded medicines is to transfer these medicines to permanent collection sites. In your community, authorized permanent collection sites may be in hospital or clinic pharmacies, county offices and law enforcement facilities. Some authorized collection sites may also offer mail-back programs or collection receptacles, sometimes called “drop-boxes,” to assist patients in safely disposing of their unused medicines.

Disposal in the household trash with Deterra® Drug Deactivation System

Coborn’s, Cash Wise and Marketplace Foods offer the Deterra® Drug Deactivation System at all of its pharmacy locations. The Deterra® Drug Deactivation System is a drug disposal bag which gives patients a safe, convenient and affordable way to dispose of unused medications. The bags can be used to deactivate pills, liquids and patches. This process is as simple as filling the bag with the recommended amount of unused drugs, waiting 30 seconds, sealing the pouch and gently shaking it before disposing it in the trash. The bag contains activated carbon which firmly bonds to the drugs and renders them unusable. The Deterra® Drug Deactivation System helps ensure that unused drugs do not end up in the hands of anyone else. It also keeps pharmaceuticals out of landfills where the potentially dangerous/toxic chemicals could end up in nature.

If you have expired or unwanted medications that you need to dispose of, ask our Pharmacists where the nearest take back options are or if the Deterra bags would fit your needs. Thanks!

Jason, 
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

Introducing Med Sync

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Jason

One of the most important parts of our jobs as Pharmacists is to help keep our patients, you, healthy. One of the ways we do that is to try and help patients take their medications the way they were intended; the right medication, at the right dose, and the right frequency. Adherence is a term used in healthcare that refers to the extent to which patients take medications as prescribed by their healthcare providers. It is estimated that poor medication adherence;

  • Costs the healthcare system around $290 billion each year
  • Accounts for approximately 125,000 deaths each year
  • Is responsible for 10-25% of all nursing home and hospital admissions

Approximately 69 million people in our country take three or more prescriptions per month, requiring multiple trips to the pharmacy. Many patients say they miss doses of their medication because they forget to refill their prescription before they run out. 

We can reduce your trips to the pharmacy and hopefully improve your ability to take medications as prescribed through a medication synchronization (med sync) program now being offered by our pharmacies. Med sync allows you to pick up of all of your ongoing prescriptions at the pharmacy on a single, convenient day each month. Med sync is especially helpful for people who take multiple, monthly medications, such as those with chronic illness or the elderly, as well as caregivers or family members responsible for helping them manage their prescription refills.

Our med sync program also includes a proactive call a week before each of your appointments or “sync date” at the pharmacy, to review your synchronized medications, and make sure we are aware of any additions, changes, or deletions to your medications. Keeping your pharmacist aware of any changes to your medications resulting from doctor or hospital visits is important in maintaining optimal results from your prescriptions. Your pharmacy will then proactively refill your medications, relieving worries of missed refills or running out of your medications. You will build a relationship with your pharmacist that will help you take your medications properly and regularly, which leads to overall better health. Your appointment is also an ideal time to review other pharmacy-provided health services with your pharmacist, such as a review of your vaccine history to schedule any missing or due vaccinations.

Talk to any of our pharmacy staff today to get set up with Med Sync, start making things easier for yourself and let us help you stay well.

Jason Miller, Pharm. D.
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

National Diabetes Awareness Month

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November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

November is here, that means that along with elections, we get to talk about diabetes again. Once again I’ll just provide a brief recap, or overview of diabetes, then highlight some of the things that we are doing in our pharmacies to help patients with diabetes.

What exactly is diabetes?

Diabetes is a progressive disease in which your body is unable to efficiently process sugar to use as energy. Your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin that is used to move sugar from your blood into your cells to use for energy or store for later. When you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or your cells don’t respond to insulin. When this happens, you are unable to get the sugar from your blood into your cells.

There are two main types of diabetes; Type 1 and 2. Type 1 diabetes (formerly known as insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes) is caused when your own immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is caused by your body not producing enough insulin or your body not responding to the insulin being produced, called insulin resistance.

Is diabetes that big of a problem?

The answer is YES! The most recent statistics reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that in 2015, it’s estimated that 9.4% (30.3 million) of the U.S. population had diabetes, 1 in 4 didn’t know they had diabetes. With numbers like this, diabetes is a growing epidemic. In the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than tripled as the American population has aged and become more overweight.

Are you at risk for developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes?

You’re at risk for developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes if you:

  • Are overweight
  • Are age 45 or older
  • Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
  • Are physically active less than 3 times a week
  • Have ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant) or given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds

So what can you do to reduce your risk of developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes?

  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Lose weight if you’re overweight
  • Regular physical activity – 150 minutes per week
  • Eat healthier

How can we help?

  • We will be offering prediabetes screenings at our pharmacies through the month of November
  • We will also be offering free blood glucose testing at pharmacies this month
  • Having diabetes makes you more likely to contract Hepatitis B and Pneumonia. We offer immunizations for both at our pharmacies (don’t forget your flu shot)
  • Talk to our pharmacy staff about our PharmaSmart program to help monitor your blood pressure
  • Join our RX Savers club for access to affordable medications to treat diabetes
  • Free Glucocard meter and 50 count test strips for $9.99.
  • Dietitian approved, month-long diabetic menu and shopping lists

As always, stop by any of our pharmacies if you want any more information or help with your diabetes concerns. Thanks!

Jason Miller, Pharm. D.
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

Antibiotic Resistance

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Antibiotics are medicines that fight bacterial infections. Used properly, they can save lives. But there is a growing problem of antibiotic resistance. It happens when bacteria change and become able to resist the effects of an antibiotic. Antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent threats to the public’s health. Antibiotic resistant bacteria can cause illnesses that were once easily treatable with antibiotics to become untreatable, leading to dangerous infections. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are often more difficult to kill and more expensive to treat. In some cases, the antibiotic-resistant infections can lead to serious disability or even death.

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics allows the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Every time a person takes antibiotics, sensitive bacteria (bacteria that antibiotics can still attack) are killed, but resistant bacteria are left to grow and multiply. This is how repeated use of antibiotics can increase the number of drug-resistant bacteria. Antibiotics are not effective against viral infections like the common cold, flu, most sore throats, bronchitis, and many sinus and ear infections. Widespread use of antibiotics for these illnesses is an example of how overuse of antibiotics can promote the spread of antibiotic resistance. Smart use of antibiotics is key to controlling the spread of resistance.

To help prevent antibiotic resistance

  • Tell your healthcare professional you are concerned about antibiotic resistance.
  • Ask your healthcare professional if there are steps you can take to feel better and get symptomatic relief without using antibiotics.
  • Take the prescribed antibiotic exactly as your healthcare professional tells you.
  • Safely dispose of leftover medication.
  • Ask your healthcare professional about vaccines recommended for you and your family to prevent infections that may require an antibiotic.
  • Never skip doses.
  • Never take an antibiotic for a viral infection like a cold or the flu.
  • Never pressure your healthcare professional to prescribe an antibiotic.
  • Never save antibiotics for the next time you get sick.
  • Never take antibiotics prescribed for someone else.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in the healthcare community, it will take a combined effort from providers and patients to help address this, following the tips above will certainly help. Thank you and be well!

Jason Miller, Pharm. D.
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

Flu Season Is Coming!

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School is back in session and fall is in the air, sad to see summer go but I sure do love this time of year. This month we have a guest blogger, Ben Varoga. Ben is a 4th year pharmacy student from NDSU who is doing a management rotation with us. Ben has also worked at our Cooper and Pinecone locations for the past few years and has some great information to share with you regarding the flu.

Flu Shot Season

Every year there is a lot of news coverage about flu vaccines and influenza in general. A lot of information out there can be misleading, and it is important to get accurate information. Influenza, or more commonly known as “the flu,” is an infectious disease caused by a virus. Some symptoms that you experience from this virus include a high fever, a runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, a headache, coughing and feeling tired. The influenza virus can also lead to more serious problems including pneumonia, hospitalizations and in rare cases, death. Last flu season there were 6,446 hospitalizations attributed to the flu in Minnesota and five pediatric influenza-related deaths. These serious events can help be prevented by getting the flu vaccine and why it is so important to get immunized every flu season.

Flu vaccines, also called flu shots, help protect against the influenza virus. These vaccines are updated every year because the virus changes rapidly. For this reason, it is important to get your flu shot every year because last year’s vaccine likely won’t protect you during this flu season. In addition, the more people that get the vaccine in a community, the less that the influenza virus spreads throughout the community. The effectiveness of this vaccine varies from year to year but most commonly they provide modest to high protection against the influenza virus.

There are different kinds of flu vaccines available; injectable vaccines and an inhaled intranasal vaccine that is again approved this year. Neither type of vaccine is recommended over another, it is just important to get vaccinated. The flu vaccine is recommended for the vast majority of patients aged 6 months and older. Patients aged 65 years or older are recommended to get the high-dose flu vaccine to increase the effectiveness of the vaccine. There are even options now for people with certain allergies, such as egg allergies, to get a flu shot. It is important to talk with your local pharmacist if getting a flu vaccine is right for you.  

The flu vaccine is currently offered at all of our pharmacies for everyone aged 19 years and older.

I hope everyone has a great start to the school year!

Benjamin Varoga
NDSU Pharm. D. Student

Medication Recalls

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You may have seen in the news recently all the information around the medication recall for valsartan (a blood pressure medication). That has prompted many to ask us in the pharmacy… what is a medication recall?

First off, be assured that all FDA approved medications are thoroughly tested not only to make sure that they work, but also to make sure that they are safe to take. Once a medication has been approved for use, both the manufacturer and the FDA continues to monitor for unexpected safety issues. When a safety concern is identified a recall is announced. Sometimes there are public reported issues with taking the medications, sometimes the manufacturers discover defects.

Some reasons for medication recalls include;

  • Health concerns – Though all medications are tested for safety initially, it is not until long term use that other safety concerns are often realized.
  • Misbranding – Sometimes a medication is recalled because of incorrect labeling or packaging.
  • Contamination – Medications can often become contaminated with unintended products during production or distribution.

If the recall involves an over-the-counter drug that you are taking, stop taking it at once. You can usually return the product to the place of purchase and ask for a refund — stores generally have return and refund policies when a recall has been issued. Your pharmacist can recommend an alternative medicine to use during the recall. Manufacturers will also have a hotline number to contact for more information.

If the recall involves a prescription drug, call your pharmacist as soon as possible to find out what replacement is needed and how to return the product. Again, the manufacturers will also have a hotline number to contact for additional information.

Keep in mind that medication recalls are very rare, there are many steps in place to ensure your safety… recalls are just one of those steps.

Have a great end of summer everyone!

Jason Miller, Pharm. D.
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

Practice Sun Safety

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Summer is here in full force! We have already had several days over 90 degrees with multiple heat advisories being issued as well. We wait a long time for this weather, and put up with some pretty ridiculous winter weather as well, but it is important to protect yourself from the powerful effects of the sun.

As great as the sunshine feels, there are two types of light from the sun that can harm your skin, UVA and UVB. The UVA rays can prematurely “age” your skin, they cause wrinkling and age spots. The UVB rays are what cause the “sunburn” effect. The main reason we want to protect our skin from the sun is that excessive exposure to either UVA or UVB rays can cause skin cancer.

There are three main strategies to focus on sun safety;

  • Avoid the sun during its’ strongest hours – 10am to 2pm
  • Wear protective clothing – Pants, shirts with long sleeves, sunglasses, hats.
  • Use sunscreen – Apply generously and reapply often.

Most questions around sun safety come from sunscreen. Make sure you are using a sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB rays, it will usually say that it covers both types or it will be labeled as a broad spectrum or full spectrum sunscreen. Also, use a sunscreen with an appropriate SPF rating. SPF stands for sun protection factor, which is a measure of how well it protects against the UVB rays. The SPF rating is calculated on how long it takes to sunburn skin that has been treated with sunscreen compared to skin with no sunscreen protection. Of note since we live in the land of 10,000 lakes, water resistant sunscreen will maintain the SPF for up to 40 minutes while swimming, very water resistant means the SPF is maintained for up to 80 minutes. You can apply sunscreen to children as young as age 6 months. Keep younger children in the shade as much as possible.

When you use sunscreen:

  • Apply generous amounts of sunscreen to dry skin before you go outdoors.
  • Use sunscreen on all skin that will be exposed to the sun; face, ears, hands, arms and lips. If you’re like me and you don’t have much hair on your head, apply sunscreen to the top of your head or wear a hat.
  • Reapply sunscreen every two hours — and immediately after swimming or heavy sweating even if you’re using a product that’s water resistant or very water resistant.
  • You can still get sunburned on cloudy days, use sunscreen even when it’s overcast.

Have fun out there, practice good sun safety, and have a great summer!

Jason Miller, Pharm. D.
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

ReadyMed Prescription Auto Refill Program

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The simple act of taking your medication the right way may not seem like a complex matter, but non-adherence (or not taking medication as directed by your physician) is a complicated and very common problem. It is estimated that three out of four people in our country do not take their medication as directed. Often times, people do not realize the effects that not taking their medication as prescribed can cause. When patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or cardiovascular disease do not take medication as directed, the repercussions can be severe. For instance, not keeping your blood pressure under control can lead to heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.

It is hard to directly correlate poor health outcomes to non-adherence, but some studies estimate that poor medication adherence takes the lives of 125,000 Americans each year and costs the health care system nearly $300 billion. Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, MD. once stated, “Drugs don’t work in patients who don’t take them.” There are many reasons why someone may not be adherent with their medications;

  • It can be easy to forget to take a dose, or they may run out of refills
  • Some people don’t like to admit they have a medical condition or can be in denial
  • Many medications cause side effects or make people feel poorly when taken
  • Some medications are very expensive! People often try to split doses or take every other day to save money.

At our pharmacies we have solution to help with adherence, ReadyMed. ReadyMed is a prescription auto refill program that will make sure your prescriptions are ready for you when you need them. Our pharmacy team will work to prepare your prescriptions, contact your provider for refills when necessary, notify you when they are ready, and ensure that you have less to worry about! Life is busy, let us help you manage your prescriptions.

Jason Miller, Pharm. D.
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

Medication Therapy Management

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We’ve talked a bit in in the past about how Pharmacy practice has changed over the years and that Pharmacists are now providing different services to patients. One of the most impactful services that Pharmacists now provide is Medication Therapy Management (MTM).

What is MTM?
The official definition of MTM is… medical care provided by pharmacists whose aim is to optimize drug therapy and improve therapeutic outcomes for patients. Really, it is a service provided by an experienced Pharmacist that goes beyond traditional medication consultations. These confidential appointments provide in-depth one-on-one review of all of your medications (prescription, over-the-counter, herbal and nutritional) to ensure that your current drug therapy is both safe and effective.

Why is MTM important?
Managing your medications and health becomes more difficult as your number of medications increases. Your MTM Pharmacist will review your health status and treatment plan to ensure that:

  • You are taking only the medications that you need.
  • You are taking the correct amount of medicine at the right time.
  • Your medications are not interacting with each other.
  • Any vitamins, supplements or over-the-counter drugs you are taking are safe and effective.
  • You are not spending more than you need to for your medications.

Is MTM affordable?
Yes! MTM is an affordable service available to everyone and, in some cases, is provided at no charge through certain health plans (including some Medicare and state Medicaid programs). The American Pharmacy Association estimates that there are up to 1.5 billion drug-related adverse events each year resulting in $177 billion in healthcare costs. By doing a detailed evaluation, your Pharmacist can identify unneeded treatments, recommend cost-saving alternatives, suggest helpful changes to your prescription regimen, and provide drug and disease education.

Reach out to your local Pharmacist if you are interested in having an MTM appointment for yourself or a loved one.

Jason Miller, Pharm. D.
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager

Pharmacist Prescribing Authority

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April showers bring…. more snow!?!?! Ugh, I like the change in seasons as much as the next guy but this is getting pretty old, bring on the warm weather! Enough weather ranting, let’s talk about pharmacy. In my very first blog I talked a bit about how the profession of pharmacy has changed over the years and how roles and responsibilities for Pharmacists have adapted to the needs of the healthcare system. In Minnesota, we seem to be on the precipice of another major change in pharmacy.

Much work is being done behind the scenes working with the House and the Senate to address Pharmacist prescribing of certain medications. If passed, this bill would allow for Pharmacists to be able to prescribe for patients;

  • Medication to be used for the treatment of opioid overdose – These medications are safe to keep on hand for; patients utilizing high doses of opioid medications, households with patients using opioid medications where small children may gain access, patients with illicit drug addiction.
  • Smoking cessation medications – Including nicotine patches/lozenges/gum and Chantix.
  • Travel medications recommended by the CDC specifically for patients/residents traveling abroad, the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy will maintain a specific list of these travel medications and update them periodically.

If this bill passes successfully, the hope is that by instituting these services in pharmacies throughout the state it would greatly increase convenience for patients seeking these services. The thought also, is that we could get improved patient care by increasing smoking cessation rates and reducing opioid overdose deaths. Several other states have already adopted these measures and others like it as well, and they have seen some very promising results so far (increased patient satisfaction, improved patient care, reduced healthcare costs).

Stay tuned for more updates, we should have a decision for this legislative session within the next month or so. Also, feel free to advocate to your legislators for the approval of the Pharmacist Prescribing Authority bill! 

Jason Miller, Pharm. D.
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager