Rxperience

Rage Against the Machine: Insulin Cliff

The sky is always falling in long term care pharmacy and sometimes the noise around certain issues can reach a fever pitch.  The "insulin cliff" is that issue for 2023.  Pharmacies will lose revenue and profit because of the $25 insulin edict.  Since we only reimburse pharmacy for products, this threatens the pharmacy bottom line significantly. What is the reality of this change and what are pharmacies doing about it? 

Pillars of Industry: Nicki Brandt

Industry leaders come in all shape and sizes and they engage from all point s on the landscape of older adult medicine.  Like a fine wine, most fit the description of where they came from - academia, government, practice, or operations. Some even specialize further by setting, community, assisted living or skilled nursing.  Nicki Brandt is different. She is a academic, a practicing pharmacist in a geriatric clinic, she leads a geriatric medicine center, and she engages in policy, formerly working with CMS. Her perspective of life, liberty and the pursuit of phamracy shouldn't be missed.
 

Political Footballs: Home Healthcare

Let's be real... the future of long term care is at home. Home health is the beginning of that and just like nursing homes who once were "rest homes", home care will become more sophisicated and, with that, need more sophisticated services.  We know those services will mirror skilled nursing home sercives from long term care providers. Veronica Charles is a former ASCP Policy and Advocacy leader and now runs policy for a large home health care company. Let's pick her brain today.

Leading Not Bleeding: Employee Scripts

Stacking revenue to something all pharmacies and pharmacists need to embrace. There are so many options to "add to the bottom line" from vaccination services to "at home" programs, administering vaccines, billing "incident to" physicians and medication therapy management (MTM). One area of low hanging fruit that helps the pharmacy and impact the insurance premium for the pharmacies business is employee scripts.  They say the shoemaker never has shoes. Is pharmacy taking advantage of servicing themselves?

Rage Against the Machine: Sarah Fenwick

We can see temperature relief on the horizon as we come close to ending a sizzling summer, but more daunting heat come to us in pharmacy reimbursement challenges.  What will the Inflation Reduction Act and continue threats from PBMs do to keep sweltering heat hanging over our industry?   As we navigate this scorching terrain, we find ourselves parched for proper support, like desert wanderers searching for an oasis. The sun beats down on us, leaving us frustrated, wondering how to keep our pharmacy from feeling like a desert mirage.
But fret not, as our expert speaker steps forward like a seasoned lifeguard, armed with the coolest tips and ideas to help us beat the heat of reimbursement hurdles.  Our guest comes to us with decades GPO, Insurance, and pharmacy reimbursement knowledge. Today we will talk about current reimbursement challenges, hear suggestions on staying hydrated with proper strategies, and look ahead to getting our thirst quenched on how maximizes reimbursed in the budding Long-Term Care at Home marketplace.

Political Footballs: Black Box

Boxed Warnings exist for safety but have they jumped the shark? They are literally an outlined box on a drug product's prescribing information sheet. They came into practice to highlight high risks in medications approved and on the market. We now have boxed warnings that aren't specific to drugs...or diseases...and we've created some that sound like double talk...which creates new risk.

Leading Not Bleeding: Billing Collaborative Practice

A loop hole was created with Covid-19 in how clinicians could bill "incident to" the physician.  This opened a door for pharmacists practicing in nursing homes.  Suddenly, the barrier of direct supervision was relaxed to general supervision and activities around medication management could be billed to insurance through the physician.  Let's talk about that, where the flexibility stands and how to get moving on a new opportunity for consultant pharmacists.

Rage Against the Machine: Long Term Care Pharmacy at Home

53 of the 57 million people over 65 years old do NOT reside in a nursing home.  In 2030, that number will likely be close to 70 million of the 75 million.  Today's admission to the nursing home will not be tomorrow's, we will need to become better at caring for people where they live - at home.  LTC Pharmacy knows how to manage the medications for these complex individuals and we need to start doing for them now. Let's get updated in how we can start providing long term care pharmacy at home.

Pillars of Industry: Al Carter

"The rules exist for your safety and that of your crew." Al Carter is leader of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Sifting through 50 ways to do anything is methodical and detail-oriented work.  Finding consistency and pushing for continuity is even worse. Listen in to Al Carter's story and what he fights for pharmacy every day. 

A More Perfect Union: The Labor Challenge in LTC

Even prior to the pandemic, staffing in nursing homes and the LTC space was struggling, particularly with nurse assistants and pharmacy technicians.  Where does it stand now?  Are there solutions on the horizon?