PACE Pharmacy News & Updates
In the News: Deprescribing

The April 10 New York Times article, How Many Pills Are Too Many? is bringing national attention to the problem PACE has encountered for decades. Too often participants enrolling into PACE services take 15, 20, or even more medications. And, too often these participants are at high risk for medication-related adverse events. For more info, check out our CE program on Deprescribing for Safe Geriatric Pharmacy (listed under General Medication Management)
New Opioid Research:
Prescribing Patterns and Long-Term Use for Pain Management

A new study found that the risk for long-term opioid use increased the most after five days or one month of opioids having been prescribed. The researchers recommend that discussions with patients about the long-term use of opioids should take place early in the prescribing process, possibly as early as the first refill. "Knowledge that the risks for chronic opioid use increase with each additional day supplied might help clinicians evaluate their initial opioid prescribing decisions and potentially reduce the risk for long-term opioid use," the researchers note. Read the full study here.  
PACE in a box

PACE in a Box provides a total, comprehensive solution both for those looking to start a PACE organization and for existing PACE plans. PACE in a Box provides access to several best-of-breed vendors, whose services work together seamlessly. For this offering, CareKinesis partners with four other PACE vendors to ensure coordination of systems and services. For more information, email [email protected]. 
Medication Safety Reminder:
Competitive Inhibition

Too often, participants are prescribed multiple medications that require the same gene enzyme for activation, forcing drugs and genes to play a game of musical chairs inside the body. The drug with weaker affinity for the gene is activated only after the first drug has been metabolized. This circumstance is called competitive inhibition. Click here to read a PACE Case that exemplifies the dangers.

CareKinesis uses proprietary tools that assess competitive inhibition, sedation, cognitive impairment, cardiac risk, and more. Then, we present meaningful opportunities to mitigate that risk. For more information, please call our pharmacy (clients) or email [email protected].
Another Successful Policy Conference:
Thanks, NPA!

At this year's Spring Policy Forum, we appreciated NPA's speaker selection this year, and particularly enjoyed hearing from Patrick Conway, Deputy Admin for Innovation and Quality at CMMI.

The co-hosted Spring Forward event hosted by CareKinesis and Capstone was delightful - thanks to all those who attended. We look forward to NPA's upcoming meetings!
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