Unprecedented Times... Unwavering Commitment to our Patients and our Communities
As I write this column for our monthly newsletter, I am amazed by how much our lives and practices have changed during this COVID-19 Pandemic. As I read the newspaper, peruse social media, and listen to press conferences on cable television—I am impressed with the dedication, commitment, and heroism displayed by all health care providers who are providing care, services, and comfort to patients and their families affected not only by COVID-19 but by other emergent health care needs. What is missing many times in these reports is the work of pharmacists who are ensuring, the best they can, that the drug supply chain is managed and that patients continue to receive clinical and enhanced services as it relates to their medications.
It is this latter service that pharmacists provide—the ongoing monitoring, medication management, and follow-up that gets missed in the news.
I recognize the efforts of all the pharmacists and their staff, who are part of Flip the Pharmacy, for their efforts in keeping their pharmacies open, providing enhance services, and continuing to provide care coordination. This is particularly important now that care is being disrupted by the pandemic.
We have a professional and moral responsibility to our patients to provide enhanced services that help to optimize their medications, ensure that their therapeutic outcomes are achieved, and that their medications are safe and effective.
Additionally, we have to make hard decisions about allocating medications that are in short supply. We are doing this in the face of challenging financial issues, increased inventories, and increased payrolls. I am not sure if anyone outside of pharmacy understands the stresses we have put on our practices.
I know how much time and effort I have put into my practice over the past 3 to 4 weeks and
I can honestly say that I have never been as busy in my entire professional career.
It’s not just the work we are providing to our patients and our communities, but also the efforts we are pouring into our own practices to ensure the safety of our staff.
It seems appropriate that we are in the season of Easter and Passover. My prayers are focused on the end of this pandemic and the suffering it has caused our nation and our world. I also pray for all health care providers that they keep safe as they provide services. May God bless all of you as you continue to provide essential services to your patients and your communities. You are all essential to our health care system and I have never been prouder to be a community pharmacist.
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Randy McDonough, PharmD, MS, BCGP, BCPS, FAPhA
Director of Practice Transformation, Flip the Pharmacy
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COVID-19 Change Packages
For the month of April 2020, the Flip the Pharmacy Coordinating Center shifted its focus from opioids (planned launch in April 2020) to COVID-19.
Two COVID-19 Change Packages were produced and made available to all community-based pharmacies, not just those participating in Flip the Pharmacy.
COVID-19 Change Package #1 -
Protecting pharmacy staff and patients during the pandemic is paramount for all community-based pharmacies. This document is intended to provide
key changes a pharmacy should implement to keep their staff and their patients safe
. Click
here
.
COVID-19 Change Package #2 -
This document is intended to provide
a stepwise, workflow approach for triaging patients suspected of having COVID-19
and to develop a care plan for those patients. Click
here
.
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Flip the Pharmacy In the News
The Flip the Pharmacy practice transformation initiative was
recently spotlighted in an
America's Pharmacist
cover story
entitled, "A Practice Transformation." In the feature story by writers Jayne Cannon and Chris Linville, several Flip the Pharmacy participating pharmacies were featured including:
- Beth Bryan, pharmacist and owner of Surgoinsville Pharmacy in Surgoinsville, Tennessee
- Amanda Harmon, pharmacist of Gates Pharmacy in Mount Airy, N.C.
- Eklavya Lalwani, pharmacist and owner of Olden Pharmacy in Hamilton, New Jersey
- Bruno Tching, pharmacist and CEO of Inland Pharmacy in Hemet, California
To read the full series of articles, click
here
.
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Flip the Pharmacy By the Numbers
Here are the care plans submitted by Flip the Pharmacy participating pharmacies for the First Progression (October 2019 – March 2020).
According to the raw data,
nearly 100,000 care plans were submitted by the FtP participating in six months!
That is an average of over 170 care plans per pharmacy! We are super proud of these pharmacies who are caring for their patients and documenting the encounters to help paint the picture of the care they provide. While COVID-19 has impacted the care plans in March and will likely impact the next couple of months, we are looking forward to seeing the number of care plans in months to come!
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TSP Update
We now have ten Technology Solutions Partners (TSPs) who are offering the FtP Workflows Webinars with CPESN USA and the Community Pharmacy Foundation. We are working with the TSPs to proceed with recordings for the Opioid Progression Cases for Domains 1 and 2, and we will release the recordings when we begin the Opioid Progression. Here is a list of the TSPs:
Azova
BestRx
DocStation
FDS
Liberty Software
Micro Merchant Systems
OmniSYS
PioneerRx
PrescribeWellness
QS/1
Thanks to all of the TSPs for their involvement!
We also appreciate their support of community-based pharmacies during the COVID-19 Response.
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Past Change Packages
Here are the past three change packages:
- Click here to view the March 2020 change package for Domain 6
- Click here to view the February 2020 change package for Domain 5
- Click here to view the January 2020 change package for Domain 4
- Click here to view the December 2019 change package for Domain 3
- Click here to view the November 2019 change package for Domain 2
- Click here to view the October 2019 change package for Domain 1
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Join the Flip the Pharmacy Movement
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