October is American Pharmacists Month

Did you know that October was American Pharmacists Month?

American Pharmacists Month (APhM) is celebrated annually during October. APhM is a time to recognize pharmacists for the vital contributions they make to health care in the United States through improved medication use and advanced patient care. It serves to promote pharmacists as the medication experts and an integral part of the health care team. APhM aims to educate the public, policymakers, and other health care professionals about the role pharmacists play in the reduction of overall health care costs and the safe and effective management of medications. APhM is a time to Educate your patients, Motivate your staff, and Engage and Inspire your community to "Know Your PHARMACIST, Know Your MEDICINE."

Learn more about American Pharmacists Month here.

What's your prescription medicine I.Q.? SafeGuardMyMeds

How much do you know about storing and safeguarding prescription medicine? You can take a short quiz to find out.

Safeguard My Meds is a national educational program from the National Community Pharmacists Association and Purdue Pharma L.P. to increase awareness about the importance of safe storage and disposal of prescription medicine in an effort to reduce the risk of misuse and abuse.

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA®) represents America’s community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 22,700 independent community pharmacies, pharmacy franchises, and chains.

Learn more here: http://www.safeguardmymeds.org/

Baxa announces new features to DoseEdge

Baxa Corporation Announces The Release Of New Features in its DoseEdge™ Workflow Management System

The product’s newly released upgrades offer expansive dose management options for health-system pharmacies.

Englewood, Colo. – March 22, 2010 – Baxa Corporation, a leading provider of medical devices and systems that automate pharmacy operations and increase patient safety, today announced the release of new features for its DoseEdge Pharmacy Workflow Management System.  The upgrades extend DoseEdge capabilities to include mobile dose tracking, more pharmacist verification options and enhanced dose status monitoring. 

ASCP's 40th Annual Meeting

The ASCP's 40th Annual Meeting begins today in Anaheim, California. November 18 - 20, 2009:

About ASCP

Vision ... The Society's long-term desire, aspiration, and core purpose.

The vision of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists is optimal medication management and improved health outcomes for all older persons.

Mission ... The Society's strategic position, focus, and reason for being.

The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists empowers pharmacists to enhance quality of care for all older persons through the appropriate use of medication and the promotion of healthy aging.

To learn more, visit: http://www.ascp.com

Overwhelmed by Medical Education?

Because of the wealth of medical information that is currently available on the Internet, I often wonder whether physicians, nurses, and pharmacists are overwhelmed by educational content. Some content may be inaccurate, outdated or biased, but the content is there. Is there enough? Or too much? We all know that certain disease states attract a ton of attention (e.g., diabetes, breast cancer, heart failure, etc.)

What about the less common conditions? Aplastic anemia? Swallow syncope? More and more healthcare professionals are using Internet search engines to find the answers to their clinical questions, but are the sources of information accurate and reliable? Unfortunately, most of the time the answer is no.

At the same time, clinicans are so busy that they hardly have any time to sit down and receive any formal education. So what's the best way to learn and to stay up-to-date on current topics? Medical technology is advancing so quickly that unless you're continually updated with new information, you'll quickly fall behind and continue old practice patterns.

Growing Ning Community: Non-Clinical Healthcare Professionals

I started this Ning community earlier this year and we have almost 300 members. If you have any interest in non-clinical opportunities, I urge you to join this free Ning community called:

Non-Clinical Healthcare Professionals

It's open to physicians, PAs, nurses, NPs, pharmacists, psychologists, and other clinicians who may have an interest in non-clinical opportunities.

http://nonclinical.ning.com/

Want to meet others who may have similar backgrounds? Build your network by joining this community.