This article dives into the world of sports injury rehabilitation, exploring common injuries and their causes, immediate management strategies, and long-term recovery approaches. We’ll look at how NSAIDs play a role in pain management, the importance of proper warm-up and cool-down routines, and techniques to address issues like tendinopathies and delayed onset muscle soreness. You’ll also learn about the significance of balance exercises and improving range of motion in the rehabilitation process. Throughout, we’ll highlight pharmacists’ crucial role in supporting athletes on their path to recovery, offering insights on medication management and injury prevention strategies.

Common Sports Injuries and Their Mechanisms

Sports injuries can occur in various forms, ranging from minor discomfort to severe trauma. Understanding these injuries and their mechanisms is crucial for effective prevention and treatment. Let’s explore some of the most common sports injuries athletes encounter.

Sprains and Strains

Sprains and strains are among the most frequent sports-related injuries. They involve the stretching or tearing of tissue, with sprains affecting ligaments and strains impacting muscles or tendons. These injuries are classified into three categories based on severity:

1. Grade I (Mild): Tissue is stretched with slight swelling and mild loss of range of motion and strength (0–25%).
2. Grade II (Moderate): Involves stretching and some tissue tearing, moderate swelling, and loss of range of motion and strength (25–75%).
3. Grade III (Severe): Complete tissue tearing with significant swelling, bruising, and near-complete loss of range of motion and strength (75–100%).

Common sites for sprains include ankles, knees, and wrists, while strains often affect the lower back and hamstring muscles.

Overuse Injuries

Overuse injuries develop when a muscle, tendon, ligament, or bone is repeatedly stressed without adequate rest. These injuries are particularly common in endurance sports and activities involving repetitive motions. Some examples include:

• Tendinitis: Inflammation of tendons, often affecting the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, or ankle.
• Shin splints: Pain along the shinbone, typically seen in runners.
• Stress fractures: Tiny cracks in bones due to repetitive force.

Acute Traumatic Injuries

Unlike overuse injuries, acute traumatic injuries result from sudden accidents or impacts. These injuries often cause immediate pain and restrict activity. Common acute traumatic injuries include:

• Ligament tears
• Tendon tears
• Joint dislocations
• Bone fractures
• Contusions (bruises)

Athletes in contact sports like football, hockey, and wrestling are at a higher risk for these types of injuries.

To address sports injuries effectively, the P.R.I.C.E. therapy is often recommended:

• P: Protect the injured area
• R: Rest and restrict activity
• I: Apply ice for 10–15 minutes every 3–4 hours
• C: Compress the injured area with an elastic bandage
• E: Elevate the injured area above the heart

Understanding these common sports injuries and their mechanisms helps athletes, coaches, and healthcare professionals take appropriate measures to prevent and manage them effectively.

Pharmacist’s Guide to Immediate Injury Management

First Aid Principles

When it comes to sports injuries, immediate and appropriate first aid can make a significant difference in recovery time and prevention of further damage. The PRICE method is a widely recognized approach for managing acute injuries:

1. Protection: Safeguard the injured area from additional harm.
2. Rest: Limit activities involving the injured part for 48–72 hours.
3. Ice: Apply ice for 20 minutes at a time, 4–8 times a day.
4. Compression: Use an elastic bandage to reduce swelling.
5. Elevation: Keep the injured limb above heart level to decrease swelling.

For bleeding wounds, it’s crucial to stop the bleeding first. Apply direct pressure using a clean dressing, and if bleeding persists, seek immediate medical attention. For nosebleeds, have the athlete sit down and pinch their nostrils shut for several minutes.

Over-the-Counter Treatment Options

Pharmacists are key in recommending appropriate over-the-counter (OTC) medications for sports injuries. NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen are commonly used to reduce pain, inflammation, and swelling. Naproxen is often preferred due to its longer half-life. Topical NSAIDs, such as diclofenac, can be applied directly to the affected area, minimizing systemic side effects.

Acetaminophen is another option for pain relief, though it may be slightly less effective than NSAIDs for musculoskeletal pain. However, it has fewer side effects with prolonged use and can be used to treat lingering pain after initial NSAID courses.

Other OTC options include:

• Lidocaine 4% patches for localized pain relief (approved for athletes 12 years and older)
• Topical preparations containing capsaicin, menthol, or camphor for counterirritant effects
• Arnica cream or gel for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties

When to Seek Emergency Care

While many sports injuries can be managed with first aid and OTC treatments, some situations require immediate medical attention. Athletes should seek emergency care if they experience:

• Uncontrolled or persistent bleeding
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain
• Loss of consciousness
• Severe headache, dizziness, or double vision (potential signs of concussion)
• Extreme pain or obvious deformity
• Inability to use the injured area

Pharmacists should advise athletes to stop activity immediately if they suspect a serious injury and to avoid “working through” the pain, as this may cause further harm. By providing guidance on immediate injury management and knowing when to refer for emergency care, pharmacists play a crucial role in supporting athletes through the rehabilitation process.

Rehabilitation Strategies: From Acute to Chronic Phase

Early stage recovery techniques

The R.I.C.E method (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) is a widely recommended approach for early-stage recovery. This doctor-suggested technique helps treat injuries and promote healing. Rest prevents further injury, ice reduces pain, compression controls swelling, and elevation minimizes discomfort. These steps are crucial in the acute or immediate care stage of rehabilitation.

Progressive rehabilitation exercises

As the athlete moves into the subacute or recovery stage, progressive exercises become essential. These exercises aim to restore strength, flexibility, and balance. The rehabilitation process typically includes:

1. Range of motion exercises
2. Strengthening exercises
3. Stability training
4. Sport-specific skill development

Quadriceps extensions, hamstring flexions, and hip exercises are common components of knee rehabilitation programs. These exercises should be performed daily, with 3 sets of 10 repetitions, gradually increasing resistance as strength improves.

Return-to-sport considerations

The decision to return to sport is not made in isolation but involves input from the medical team, physical therapist, coach, and the athlete’s support network. The StaRRt framework, a 3-step model, helps guide this decision:

1. Assessment of tissue health
2. Evaluation of tissue stresses
3. Consideration of risk tolerance modifiers

Athletes should only return to play when the risk assessment falls below the acceptable threshold. This process is viewed as a continuum, comprising:

• Return to participation
• Return to sport
• Return to performance

Pharmacists play a crucial role in this process by providing guidance on medication management, supporting adherence to rehabilitation protocols, and offering strategies for injury prevention. Their expertise ensures athletes receive comprehensive care throughout their recovery journey.

Pharmacist’s Role in Long-Term Injury Management

Pharmacists play a crucial role in supporting athletes through their long-term rehabilitation journey. Their expertise extends beyond simply dispensing medications, encompassing a wide range of services that significantly enhance the recovery process.

Medication management for chronic conditions

Pharmacists are instrumental in managing medications for chronic sports injuries. They guide athletes on the safe use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), analgesics, and corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. However, they also monitor long-term use to avoid potential side effects. For rapid pain relief, pharmacists may recommend paracetamol or, in some cases, opioids, always ensuring the athlete’s safety and adherence to anti-doping regulations.

In addition to traditional medications, pharmacists advise on regenerative medicine options. These include:

1. Hyaluronic acid (HA) for joint lubrication and tissue health
2. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy for accelerating healing
3. Prolotherapy for stimulating the body’s natural healing processes
4. Prolozone therapy for tissue repair and regeneration
5. Perineural Injection Therapy (PIT) for reducing neurogenic inflammation

Advising on alternative therapies

Pharmacists also guide athletes on complementary therapies that can support their recovery:

• Acupuncture for pain relief and healing promotion
• Chiropractic care for spinal adjustments and pain reduction
• Mind-body techniques like yoga and meditation for pain management and stress reduction

They provide valuable advice on the safe use of dietary supplements, ensuring athletes avoid substances banned by sports-governing bodies.

Collaborating with healthcare team

Pharmacists work closely with other healthcare professionals to optimize therapeutic outcomes. They participate in anti-doping activities, provide crucial drug information, and educate athletes on basic anti-doping rules. Their role in interpreting lab results and recommending appropriate over-the-counter medications is invaluable.

In collaboration with sports physicians and rehabilitation teams, pharmacists contribute to personalized treatment plans. They help close the gap between prescribed medications and their effects on athletes, ensuring treatment efficacy and safety across different sports.

The post Sports Injury Rehabilitation: Pharmacist-Approved Strategies appeared first on Medika Life.

As we peel back the layers, we’ll explore the building blocks of sports nutrition, touching on favorites like protein and creatine, beta-alanine and amino acids, and how they play into muscle growth and your overall game plan. We’ll also tackle the less glamorous side of supplements — the risks, the regulations, and the critical importance of opting for quality over quick fixes. Think of this as your go-to guide for understanding which supplements can genuinely support your athletic ambitions, how to navigate the sea of products safely, and why a food-first approach might just be your best bet. Prepare to flex those knowledge muscles and make informed decisions that truly benefit your sports performance.

Understanding the Basics of Dietary Supplements

Definition and Types of Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements encompass a range of products, including tablets, capsules, powders, and liquids, all aimed at enhancing exercise and athletic performance. Common ingredients in these supplements include amino acids, protein, creatine, and caffeine. These components are marketed as ergogenic aids, claiming to boost strength, endurance, and exercise efficiency.

The Role of Supplements in Athletic Performance

A nutritionally adequate diet and proper hydration are foundational for peak physical performance. Dietary supplements should complement, not replace, a solid dietary foundation. For athletes, especially those engaged in prolonged or intense activities, supplements might be necessary to replace lost fluids and electrolytes and to provide additional energy through carbohydrates. However, the effectiveness of these supplements can vary based on the athlete’s level of training and the conditions of the activity. It’s crucial to ensure the quality, safety, and legality of these supplements, including understanding label contents and avoiding substances banned in sports.

Common Supplements for Athletes and Their Claims

Protein and Amino Acids

Protein supplements, including amino acids, are touted for their ability to enhance muscle mass and recovery. Proteins break down into amino acids, which are absorbed faster in crystalline form, providing immediate benefits during and post-exercise. For instance, leucine, a key branched-chain amino acid, is crucial for protein synthesis and muscle repair. Supplementing with amino acids like alanine and proline can significantly boost glycogen production, crucial for energy during prolonged activities.

Creatine: Myths and Facts

Creatine is well-known for its ability to improve muscle power and recovery. Contrary to common myths, creatine does not cause kidney damage or dehydration but rather enhances muscle hydration and overall performance. It’s important to note that creatine is not an anabolic steroid and does not have the associated harmful effects. It supports ATP production, crucial for high-intensity performance.

Vitamins and Minerals Essential for Athletes

Vitamins play critical roles in energy production and muscle recovery. For example, Vitamin B complex helps in metabolizing proteins and fats, while Vitamin D is essential for bone health and immune function. Iron and calcium are pivotal for muscle function and nerve signaling. Athletes should ensure adequate intake through diet or supplements, particularly when under increased physical demands or dietary restrictions.

To ensure the quality and safety of these supplements, always check for third-party testing labels and avoid products with banned substances. Consulting with a healthcare provider is advised to tailor supplement use to your specific athletic needs and health conditions.

The Risks and Regulations Surrounding Supplements

Potential Contaminants and Banned Substances

Navigating the world of dietary supplements can be tricky, especially with the risk of encountering banned or contaminated products. It’s crucial to understand that even minor contamination can lead to positive doping tests, with substances like anabolic steroids sometimes not listed on labels. This underscores the importance of third-party testing, which evaluates the purity and safety of supplements before they reach you. Always check for a seal of approval from reputable testing organizations to minimize the risk of inadvertent doping.

FDA Regulations and Third-Party Testing

The FDA oversees dietary supplements with a focus on post-market regulation, meaning the responsibility initially falls on manufacturers to ensure their products are safe and correctly labeled. However, without pre-market approval, the burden of proof for safety and efficacy lies with the consumer. To aid in this, third-party certification programs assess and verify the quality of supplements. These programs are crucial for athletes, particularly those subjected to drug testing, as they help ensure the supplements are free from banned substances. Always look for certifications from trusted bodies like NSF Certified for Sport® to ensure compliance and safety in your nutritional choices.

Food First: A Healthier Approach to Athletic Nutrition

Whole Food Alternatives to Popular Supplements

Embracing a diet rich in unrefined carbohydrates such as wholegrain breads and cereals not only forms the foundation of an athlete’s nutrition but also serves as a natural alternative to processed supplements. High-quality dietary proteins found in lean meats, milk, and eggs support muscle repair and growth, negating the need for additional protein supplements. Incorporating these whole foods can effectively meet the increased protein needs through a balanced diet rather than supplementation.

The Importance of a Balanced Diet for Athletic Performance

A well-planned diet provides the necessary energy and nutrients to support intense training and recovery. Athletes should focus on a variety of foods, including leafy greens, fruits, and low-fat dairy, to enhance long-term nutrition habits and achieve optimal body weight and hydration levels. Tailoring nutrition plans to individual needs, considering factors like sport type and personal goals, ensures that athletes receive the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, fostering both immediate performance and long-term health benefits.

Conclusion

Through this comprehensive exploration of dietary supplements in the athletic realm, we’ve unraveled the essentials of optimizing performance through both supplementation and a robust nutrition plan. The pivotal role of dietary supplements, such as proteins, amino acids, and creatine, has been highlighted alongside the integral practice of maintaining a food-first approach to fulfill athletic nutrition needs. This discourse reinforces the thesis that while supplements can support peak performance, they should not overshadow the fundamental importance of a balanced diet rich in natural nutrients.

Moreover, we emphasized the criticality of evaluating dietary supplements’ quality, safety, and legality — a practice indispensable for athletes aiming to enhance their performance ethically and healthily. By advocating for informed decisions based on product labels and third-party certifications, we not only advocate for heightened awareness but also encourage a proactive stance on navigating the complex domain of sports nutrition. Thus, armed with knowledge and discernment, athletes can stride towards their goals, bolstered by the conscious integration of supplements into a holistic nutrition strategy.

The post Dietary Supplements for Athletes: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Medika Life.

Amidst this evolving demographic, the proliferation of smartphones, wearable health monitoring devices, telemedicine, and other health-tech applications driven by today’s digital age has transformed the way consumers engage with healthcare. This has given rise to an increasingly informed patient population who are constantly looking for ways to take their health into their own hands and on the alert for innovative self-management solutions.

Against this backdrop, we are seeing a steadily rising sector in the healthcare industry that has been gaining momentum – Consumer Healthcare (CHC).  Offering affordable and accessible options for preventive care and symptom management, the CHC sector is designed to provide easily accessible services for consumers such as over-the-counter medications, personal care items, and supplements. Having reached a value of USD 284.16 billion in 2022, the global CHC market is projected to soar to USD 608.39 billion by 2032, growing at a promising trajectory of 7.91% CAGR[3]. From a SEA context, CHC represents a captivating prospect for mitigating its demographic hurdles while unlocking growth opportunities for healthcare enterprises. Here’s how healthcare businesses can tap into this potential and leverage CHC to improve patient outcomes.  

The Perfect Storm: Challenges Driving CHC Demand in APAC

There are two key challenges creating a surge in CHC demand, with the first being growing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the region.

NCDs are a leading cause of mortality in SEA, responsible for approximately 62% of all deaths annually, and totalling around 9 million lives lost[4]. Alarmingly, half of these deaths occur among individuals aged 30 to 69 years, highlighting the significant impact on the productive age group[5]. Among NCDs, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) claim the highest number of lives (3.9 million deaths), followed by cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.  Moreover, rapid urbanization has led to lifestyle changes characterized by sedentary behaviour, unhealthy diets, as well as increased tobacco and alcohol consumption. Traditional diets are being replaced by high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, contributing to obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Additionally, despite efforts to curb tobacco consumption, smoking rates remain the highest (26.5%) in SEA[6]. Alcohol consumption is also increasing, particularly among young adults. Along with diagnosed cases, there is a substantial portion of the population living in rural areas of SEA with undiagnosed NCDs and who are unable to afford treatment. These factors point to a considerable unmet need for NCD-specific treatments and diagnostics to address the growing burden of these diseases in the region.

The burgeoning NCD burden in Southeast Asia highlights a critical need for accessible and affordable treatments and diagnostics. CHC products have the potential to fill this market gap, offering viable solutions to address the escalating prevalence of NCDs in the region.

Secondly, the heavy NCD burden is coupled with a critical shortage of trained healthcare professionals in the region, with insufficient doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel available to meet the healthcare needs of its population. For example, Indonesia faced a staggering deficit of 31,481 specialist doctors in 2023[7]. In the same year, the Philippines health department said that the country needed 125,890 nurses and 116,032 doctors to meet WHO standards, and it would take 25 years to close the doctor-patient demand gap[8]. As a result, patients may face long wait times for appointments, limited access to specialized care, and challenges in receiving timely medical attention. Furthermore, the shortage can lead to overburdened healthcare facilities, increased workloads for existing staff, and compromised quality of care as professionals feel burnout[9]. This exacerbates healthcare disparities and hampers efforts to ensure equitable access to healthcare.

Given SEA’s shortage of healthcare professionals, there is an urgent call for accessible and self-directed healthcare options. With the increasing demand for CHC products amidst these hurdles, the CHC sector offers a hopeful means to narrow the healthcare access divide and enable individuals to manage their health proactively.

Bridging the Gap: CHC’s Transformative Power

CHC also provides a wealth of benefits that cater to the region’s dynamic needs. One significant advantage of CHC is its appeal to the rising middle-class population in the Asia-Pacific region. By 2030, Asia Pacific’s (APAC) middle-class population is projected to grow from 1.38 billion in 2015 to 3.49 billion[10], indicating a surge in consumers with increased disposable income who prioritize personal well-being. In addition, 51% of APAC consumers are willing to pay more out of pocket for healthcare, while 50% of high-income groups are spending more on nutritional supplements[11]. This demographic shift underscores the growing demand for health-related products and services, positioning CHC as a key player in meeting evolving consumer needs.

Additionally, CHC products have the potential to overcome geographical barriers and reach underserved areas where traditional healthcare services are lacking. More than one-third – 1.6 billion – of the APAC population lack effective access to social health protection, and less than half of its workforce enjoys legal entitlement to income security in the face of illness[12]. Due to inadequate infrastructure, CHC can provide essential over-the-counter medications and healthcare essentials in remote and rural communities with limited access to clinics and hospitals. Within these communities, chain pharmacies, personal care stores, hospitals, and clinics can function as essential healthcare nodes, acting as the first point of contact for medical care and self-care. CHC products and OTC medicines, therefore, ensure that healthcare remains accessible to all.

Moreover, CHC can empower individuals to take control of their health through proactive self-care practices and readily accessible OTC solutions. By promoting preventive measures and offering easy access to healthcare products, CHC fosters a culture of health-consciousness and empowerment among consumers.

The Road Ahead: Collaboration and Strategic Partnerships

In charting the road into SEA’s CHC industry, collaboration amongst key stakeholders emerges as the cornerstone for advancing healthcare access and ensuring the seamless delivery of quality products and services to patients across the region. This includes strategic partnerships amongst healthcare providers, CHC companies, and governmental organisations.

For CHC companies looking to drive accessibility of their products, the relevant stakeholders must set up efficient distribution channels to ensure the seamless delivery of CHC solutions to underserved populations, particularly in remote and rural areas. CHC companies can do this by partnering with service providers who have a strong understanding of SEA’s market complexities, strong market expansion services, and an extensive delivery infrastructure catered to the region’s specific needs. For example, DKSH Healthcare’s capillary distribution network has a 90% penetration in CHC with over 100 years of experience in Asia, with strong reach into chain and independent pharmacies, convenience stores, supermarkets, and hypermarkets.

Additionally, navigating the intricate regulatory landscapes of SEA emerges as a pivotal challenge. Here, partnering with companies that boast extensive regulatory expertise becomes essential. Such partnerships facilitate the negotiation of diverse regulatory frameworks, ensuring compliance with stringent standards while expediting the introduction of CHC products to the market. DKSH Healthcare’s team of 90 healthcare experts provided end-to-end assistance on regulatory challenges to help businesses adhere to compliance standards, while ensuring that patient safety takes priority. Thus, collaborative efforts among stakeholders herald a promising trajectory for CHC in SEA, bolstering healthcare accessibility and efficacy across the region.

Towards a Consumer-Driven Future for Healthcare

As the region continues to navigate healthcare disparities and demographic shifts, the rise of CHC emerges as a transformative force in addressing pressing challenges. By empowering individuals to take charge of their well-being and bridging gaps in healthcare access, CHC also paves the way for a brighter, healthier future in Southeast Asia. With the support of collaborative initiatives, it’s time for CHC business and healthcare organizations to tap into CHC’s potential to revolutionize healthcare accessibility and efficacy across the region, paving the way for a consumer-driven future in healthcare.

[1] https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/south-eastern-asia-population/#:~:text=South%2DEastern%20Asia%20Population%20(LIVE)&text=The%20current%20population%20of%20South,the%20latest%20United%20Nations%20estimates.

[2] https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Datawatch/Aging-Southeast-Asia-grapples-with-weak-social-safety-nets#:~:text=In%202019%2C%20the%20ratio%20of,to%20the%20%22aged%22%20category.

[3] https://www.who.int/southeastasia/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases#:~:text=Noncommunicable%20diseases%20(NCDs)%2C%20principally,accounting%20for%209%20million%20persons.

[4]  https://www.who.int/southeastasia/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases#:~:text=Noncommunicable%20diseases%20(NCDs)%2C%20principally,accounting%20for%209%20million%20persons.

[5]  https://www.who.int/southeastasia/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases#:~:text=Noncommunicable%20diseases%20(NCDs)%2C%20principally,accounting%20for%209%20million%20persons.

[6] https://www.who.int/news/item/16-01-2024-tobacco-use-declines-despite-tobacco-industry-efforts-to-jeopardize-progress

[7] https://www.integrity-indonesia.com/blog/2023/10/10/overcoming-medical-workforce-shortages-opportunities-and-challenges-for-foreign-doctors-in-indonesia/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20report%20from,serving%20a%20population%20of%20277%2C432%2C360.

[8] https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/11/13/2311040/ideal-patient-doctor-ratio-seen-25-years-lawmaker

[9] https://www.bmj.com/content/382/bmj.p1655

[10] https://www.statista.com/statistics/255591/forecast-on-the-worldwide-middle-class-population-by-region/

[11] https://www.bain.com/about/media-center/press-releases/2024/asia-pacific-consumers-especially-gen-z-are-taking-greater-ownership-in-health-and-well-being-bain-survey-finds/

[12] https://www.ilo.org/asia/media-centre/news/WCMS_831314/lang–en/index.htm

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Sitting at the top of this impressive list is Dr. Nadia Ahmad, PharmD. Ahmad works as a dispensing pharmacist for Walgreens in Middlesboro, KY. She is cited for exemplary leadership, customer care and for her support for mental health issues, writing a book about being a pharmacist, and even incorporating a successful pet medication aspect of the pharmacy. 

The Pharmacy 50 program was launched in 2021 by The Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN). According to Todd Eury, CEO and founder of PPN, the program is designed to recognize individuals that have had a significant impact on the thoughts, behaviors and accomplishments of others in pharmacy. Honorees come from a variety of practice backgrounds and are elected via a social media campaign that allows people to vote for leaders they know in 14 categories, such as: health system, retail chain, independent community, association management, academia, entrepreneurs and others. Eury says he feels the scope and format of the Pharmacy 50 programs makes it possible both pharmacist and non-pharmacist professionals to be honored. He adds, “I think this makes the Pharmacy 50 program the most inclusive awards program in the industry.” 

Here’s the complete list:

1. Nadia Ahmad PharmD 
2. Jay Phipps PharmD
3. Amtus Sami Shafiq PharmD* 
4. Joy Morrow PharmD, Candidate 2024
5. Matt Lewis BA 
6. Shahida Choudhry PharmD
7. Joseph Friedman RPh 
8. Shane Jerominski PharmD
9. Haley McKeefer PharmD, Candidate 2024
10. Ben Heiser PharmD MBA 
11. Sharon Faust PharmD, MBA
12. Patrick Hussey PharmD, MBA 
13. Darshan Kulkarni PharmD, Esq 
14. Aniqa Azad PharmD 
15. Brittany Radomski PharmD 
16. Shannon Reidt PharmD
17. Easton Bryant PharmD 
18. Libby Shelton PharmD, RPh
19. Ilisa Bernstein PharmD 
20. Nhu Truong PharmD 
21. Kenneth O’Shea PharmD
22. Eric Huckins PharmD 
23. David Randolph BS Pharm
24. Bled Tanoe PharmD
25. Jill Boyett PharmD
26. Nadia Malik PharmD
27. Tamar Lawful PharmD
28. Courtney B. Smith PharmD 
29. Jessica Nouhavandi PharmD
30. Fiona Sartoretto Verna 
31. Josh Pirestani BS 
32. Myla Marshall PharmD, RPh
33. Jesica Mills PharmD 
34. Reuben Saba PhD
35. Sue Ojageer PharmD
36. Olivia Buckoski PharmD 
37. Daniel Bundrick RPh 
38. Hussam Hamoush PharmD 
39. Shaun Jensen BS
40. Chris Antypas PharmD 
41. Janan Sarwar PharmD 
42. Lisa Faast PharmD 
43. Robert Kress BS Pharm 
44. Sammy Yafai PharmD MBA 
45. Tara Schneider PharmD 
46. Lindsay Dymowski Constantino PharmD
47. Behnaz Sarrami PharmD
48. DeArcy Vaughan, PharmD, MBA
49. Leslie Banuelos PharmD
50. Nancy Banoub RPh BSc 

A complete list of the Pharmacy 50 can be found at: http://www.Pharmacy50.us
(https://pharmacypodcast.com/2024/01/03/the-50-most-influential-leaders-in-pharmacy-awards-2023/) 

Michael Houge, EVP and CEO of the American Pharmacist Association had this to say about one of his colleagues and this year’s honorees coming in the 19th position, Senior Vice President Dr. Ilisa Bernstein PharmD: “The profession is fortunate to have such a strong advocate at work every day fighting for our profession. Ilisa’s dynamic, collaborative and inclusive approach to addressing some of the toughest challenges facing our profession in the federal and state regulatory world has a significant impact on pharmacists and pharmacies. I’m delighted she’s been recognized in this way.” 

Eury is excited that this year, Cardinal Health and the Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) joined in as program sponsors. He says, “the extra promotional support these two companies provided generated a 300% increase in the number of votes cast.” He added that the financial support they provided made it possible for PPN to host a formal Awards Ceremony at their corporate headquarters in Brownsville, PA scheduled for Wednesday January 17th at 12:30PM ET. The event will be streaming live on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. 

Darren Thieding, Chief Operating Officer at Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) commented: “The excellence demonstrated by the winners of the Pharmacy 50 awards should give everyone confidence that pharmacy is poised to succeed in 2024 and beyond. With such great operators, healthcare professionals, and innovators at the helm we can work collectively towards tackling and overcoming the challenge of moving the industry forward. IPC is proud to be a partner in recognizing the excellent work done by these award winners.”

Eury adds, the mission of PPN is to provide a diverse mix of podcast hosts and programs for all aspects of the profession. PPN, which currently features more than 40 podcast hosts, is the largest podcast program dedicated specifically to the pharmacy industry and was first launched in March of 2009. Eury adds that the podcasts are downloaded more than 100,000 times each month. 

Plans are already underway to expand and improve, The 50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy, with elections scheduled for December 2024.

Media Contact: Todd Eury, CEO, Publisher@PharmacyPodcast.com (412) 585-4001

About Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN): The Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN) is the industry’s largest and most trusted source for pharmacy-related podcasts, providing education, information, and thought leadership for pharmacists and healthcare professionals. PPN’s mission is to inspire, educate, and connect pharmacy professionals across the globe, promoting innovation and excellence within the field of pharmacy.

SOURCE Pharmacy Podcast Network

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What does it mean to be Influential in the Pharmacy Profession?

To be influential in pharmacy means to have the power to influence or shape the opinions, actions, or policies of others within our profession and throughout healthcare ecosystems. The Pharmacy 50 recognizes an individual that has a significant impact on the thoughts, behaviors, or decisions of others within pharmacy. Our Top 50 Influencers have all created positive energy and impact throughout pharmacy in many different ways, such as through leadership, advocacy, persuasion, and the sharing of ideas and information to help transform pharmacy care. Ultimately these Top 50 Pharmacy Professionals are impacting people’s lives through their work, missions, and passion. 

The Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN); the first podcast about the profession of pharmacy, is proud to announce the winners of the 2nd Annual 50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy Awards. The PPN launched the awards program in 2021 to recognize people who’ve made their mark through innovation, momentum, and distinction throughout the pharmacy profession. This list of Rising Stars, Innovators, Trailblazers, Visionaries, and Leaders have been recognized for 2022.

“It’s thrilling that we had a 900% increase in voter participation from the ignugral Pharmacy 50 Awards program last year.” commented Todd Eury, CEO of the Pharmacy Podcast Network and awards creator,  “The people on this list are extraordinary & are an example of how pharmacy is drastically transforming to become more customized & patient focused. We hope these award winners will inspire others throughout the pharmacy profession & healthcare to keep innovating.” 

’50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy’ sets out to inspire and advocate for the pharmacy profession and recognizing people in the pharmacy industry making a significant impact to pharmacy care. The list was developed based on votes collected during the month of December 2022 by industry peers. The number of votes were totaled for each nominee and listed in order of number of votes 1 through 50. The categories listed to pick from associated with the nominee were Independent Community Pharmacy, LTC Pharmacy, Specialty Pharmacy, Health System, Medical Science Liaison, Consultant Pharmacy, Pharmacy Advocacy, Technology, Academia, and Regulatory Affairs. 

2022 ‘Pharmacy 50’ Award Winners

1. Brian Leonard, PharmD
2. Alysa Vereen, PharmD
3. Mariya Farooqi, PharmD 
4. Antonio Ciaccia
5. Shahida Choudry PharmD 
6. Cecelia Byers, PharmD 
7. Tara Newton Schneider, PharmD  
8. Mary Douglass Smith, PharmD 
9. Bled Tanoe, PharmD 
10. Salematou Traore-Uwalaka, PharmD  
11. Lisa Faast, PharmD 
12. Jamie Wilkey, PharmD 
13. Jabeen Ahmed, PharmD 
14. Loretta Boesing
15. Theresa Tolle, RPh 
16. Jessica Nouhavandi, PharmD 
17. Kyle McCormick, PharmD 
18. Chris Antypas, PharmD 
19. AJ Loiacono
20. Anthony Minniti, PharmD 
21. Mark Garofoli, PharmD 
22. Shawn Bjorndal, PharmD  
23. Jason Mordino, PharmD 
24. Behnaz Sarrami, PharmD 
25. Christina Fontana, PharmD 
26. Steve Moore, PharmD 
27. Kenneth Oshea, PharmD  
28. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, RPh 
29. Adam Robinson, PharmD 
30. Anne  Arvizu, PharmD 
31. Ken Thai, PharmD 
32. Mayank Amin, PharmD 
33. Christina Madison, PharmD 
34. Kevin DeMass, RPh 
35. Blair Thielemier, PharmD 
36. Jay Holloway, PharmD 
37. Parisa “Risa” Vatanka, PharmD 
38. Swathi Varanasi, PharmD 
39. Delon Canterbury, PharmD 
40. Gabrielle Pierce Cranford, PharmD 
41. Nishaminy Kasbekar, PharmD 
42. Scott Kjelson, PharmD 
43. Melissa Murer Corrigan
44. Darshan Kulkarni, PharmD Esq 
45. Sara Izadi, PharmD 
46. Ramita Tandon
47. Ethan Melillo, PharmD 
48. Robin Barrett, PharmD 
49. John Kim, PharmD  
50. Phil Cowley, Rph 

To learn more about the #Pharmacy50 – the TOP 50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy please visit pharmacypodcast.com/news/

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The introduction of Walgreens clinical trial offerings coincides with recent steps taken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to increase racial and ethnic diversity in clinical trials given 20 percent of drugs have a variation in responses across ethnic groups¹, yet 75 percent of clinical trial participants are white, while only 11 percent are Hispanic and fewer than 10 percent are Black and Asian².

“Walgreens trusted community presence across the nation, combined with our enterprise-wide data and health capabilities, enables us to pioneer a comprehensive solution that makes health options, including clinical trials, more accessible, convenient and equitable,” said Ramita Tandon, chief clinical trials officer, Walgreens. “Through the launch of our clinical trials services, we can provide another offering for patients with complex or chronic conditions in their care journey, while helping sponsors advance treatment options for the diverse communities we serve. This is yet another way we are building our next growth engine of consumer-centric healthcare solutions.”

Patient recruitment and enrollment remain challenges in clinical trials, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 80 percent of trials fail to meet their enrollment goals in the stated timeframes, often contributing to costly delays.  Walgreens is addressing these challenges and improving the overall clinical trial experience by rapidly scaling three portfolio-integrated, patient-centric service lines:

• With Walgreens patient reach and access to an extensive foundation of pharmacy and patient-authorized clinical data, the company can proactively match diverse patient populations to trials across a range of disease areas based on race, gender, socioeconomic status and location. By leveraging a tech-enabled approach to patient identification and creating a large registry of clinical trial participants, Walgreens will reduce the time it takes to match eligible patients to clinical trials.

• Walgreens is addressing access barriers through a compliant, validated and secure decentralized clinical trial platform built on a rigorous compliance and regulatory framework to ensure patient privacy and security. This approach leverages owned and partner digital and physical assets, including select Health Corner and Village Medical at Walgreens locations, to directly engage patients at home, virtually or in-person. Synergies with AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy, as well as investments made by Walgreens Boots Alliance in CareCentrix and Shields Health Solutions, will also support new clinical trials approaches, particularly for specialty indications. This innovative operating model will accelerate patient searches, simplify workflow and enable a faster and more representative collection of trial data.

• Walgreens is building on a legacy of delivering high-quality, real-world evidence to unlock value in therapeutics and help improve health outcomes. Through a robust foundation of real-world insights, Walgreens can support sponsors’ drug development strategies, inform clinical trial designs, optimize trial execution and improve diversity in trials. In fact, real-world insights delivered through the Walgreens COVID-19 Index helped inform national and local health decisions and plans.

More than half of Walgreens nearly 9,000 stores are located in socially vulnerable areas. When combined with Walgreens customer relationships, digital offerings that keep patients connected to care and partnerships with national and local organizations, Walgreens has a proven ability to break down barriers to health engagement and access among diverse patient populations. Most recently, the company hosted vaccine clinics and events to address vaccine hesitancy with help from more than 750 diverse, community-based partners, and administered approximately 40 million COVID-19 vaccines to underserved communities throughout the pandemic.

Pluto Health™ Collaboration Enhances Experience With Comprehensive Health Insights

One of the partners for the Walgreens expanded healthcare offering will be Pluto Health, a multi-layered, smart care coordination service that unifies siloed health information from multiple places (such as medical records, social determinants of health, insurance claims and more) within 30 minutes. The Pluto Health team then evaluates patient health information with the recommended clinical care guidelines and social determinants of health data to identify and close any potential gaps in care. This helps ensure every patient receives the best possible care through up-to-date screenings, vaccinations and other health interventions, such as clinical research as a care option.

“Pluto Health was co-created within the healthcare community to make the provision of care achievable and more equitable for more people with better care coordination,” said Joy Bhosai, MD MPH, Co-Founder, CEO Pluto Health. “As a part of our primary goal to coordinate care and support patients on their terms, we are thrilled to play a part in making the latest medical advances more accessible. It’s time to accelerate healthcare access for all patients, from all walks of life, and from anywhere in the nation.”

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AUSTIN, TEXAS AND FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. (May 11, 2022) – Babson Diagnostics, a science-first, health care technology company, and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, today announced the expansion of a strategic partnership to move blood sample collection into new care settings, including enabling patients to collect blood samples at home for diagnostic testing.

Since 2019, the two companies have collaborated to create a capillary blood collection and testing system, now in advanced development, to enable laboratory-quality, small-volume capillary blood collection at retail settings by team members with no previous experience in blood collection. Plans under the expanded agreement include continuing research and development to enable self-collection, mobile services and at-home collection. Babson and BD also will expand the types of blood tests that are possible through small-volume blood collection beyond primary care-oriented tests, and they also plan to develop diagnostic tests for pediatric use.

“Today’s agreement expands our long-standing partnership with BD and builds on our shared passion of making convenient blood testing accessible to all, not only in the U.S., but also globally,” said David Stein, chief executive officer of Babson Diagnostics. “Extending the medical home is critical in today’s health care environment. We believe that retail convenience is perfect for today’s consumer, but because the Babson service is well-suited to many settings with no need for a phlebotomist and an easier collection experience, we see many opportunities for future expansion.”

Over this long-term collaboration, Babson and BD are advancing development of the blood testing ecosystem, which includes BD’s next generation capillary collection technology and Babson’s proprietary automated sample-handling and analytical technologies. These have been designed to work together to enable blood testing that requires only one-tenth the sample volume of traditional venipuncture methods without sacrificing quality, accuracy, or the number and types of tests that are possible.

“This is a paradigm-shifting solution that addresses multiple unmet needs within the current health care system,” said Brooke Story, president of Integrated Diagnostics Solutions for BD. “Because it is less invasive and more convenient than the traditional venous blood draw method, capillary blood collection may lead to an improved patient experience, which in turn could help health care providers see better compliance among patients for routine blood testing.”

BD brings 70 years of specimen management experience to the partnership and is a leader in blood collection technology, including the development of the new, state-of-the-art capillary collection device[i]. Babson provides deep instrument analyzer expertise and is building an ecosystem for blood collection in the pharmacy setting as well as designing the systems and workflows to analyze small volume capillary blood in a central lab. Babson continues to work with local and national pharmacy chains to conduct extensive clinical studies of its service platform in preparation for commercial launch.

[i] The capillary collection device is an investigational device under 21 C.F.R. 812 and requires additional studies to make any definitive conclusions about safety or efficacy

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CHICAGO — Del-Kar Pharmacy in the North Lawndale neighborhood has had a front-row seat to history. Martin Luther King Jr. bought his daily newspaper there when he lived in Chicago in the late 1960s. The Black Panthers’ local headquarters was a block away, and the pharmacy shared a building with the Conservative Vice Lords, a notorious street gang whose members still check in on owner-pharmacist Edwin Muldrow today.

How pharmacy closures impact underserved communities.

When King’s assassination sparked riots in Chicago in 1968, the white-owned pharmacies in the area were ransacked. Muldrow’s father went to check on the pharmacy only to be told by the Vice Lords he had nothing to worry about.

“‘Go home,’” Muldrow said they told his father. “‘We’re not gonna let anybody touch you.’”

For nearly 60 years, the small drugstore has survived by building deep roots in the community, selling medicine, food and electronics in a neighborhood largely ignored by the large drugstore chains. Del-Kar is bucking a trend that has undermined numerous other pharmacies in Chicago and other U.S. cities. Although chain pharmacies are pulling out of many urban areas, sometimes citing rioting or theft, Muldrow isn’t quitting.

“Once you respect the community, the neighborhood looks out for you,” said Muldrow, 51, who started working as a pharmacist at Del-Kar in 1992. “They know that you’re here and you’re doing something positive.”

Like other community pharmacists nationwide, Muldrow has seen private insurers steer his customers toward their own allied chain, mail-order and specialty pharmacies. Urban independent pharmacies, particularly those in low-income Black and Latino communities, have been more likely to close than chain drugstores.

And pharmacies of all kinds in these communities, chain and independent, face a tough economic situation: They often have a disproportionately high share of customers enrolled in Medicaid or Medicare, which pay lower rates than private insurance.

“There’s really no financial incentive for pharmacies to open and stay open in minority neighborhoods,” said Dima Qato, a University of Southern California pharmacy professor.

According to a recent analysis she worked on, Black and Latino neighborhoods accounted for a third of pharmacy openings in Chicago from 2015 to 2020 but more than half of closures. As a result, the prevalence of pharmacy deserts increased from 33% of majority-Black census tracts to 45% and from 9% of majority-Latino tracts to 14%.

“Pharmacies are choosing to open in areas that already have pharmacies, in part because those are also the areas that have higher incomes and insurances that provide higher pharmacy reimbursement rates,” said Jenny Guadamuz, a University of Southern California health disparities researcher who led the study.

Muldrow said insurance often pays less for a medication than it costs him to acquire it. For example, he might be reimbursed $400 for an Advair inhaler that costs him $600.

“The profession is not what it used to be,” he said. “The profitability has been snatched.”

Average dispensing fees, set by insurance plans and intended to cover Muldrow’s overhead and salary, have plummeted from about $3 per prescription 30 years ago to as little as 10 cents, he said. He once sold medical supplies like lift chairs and oxygen tanks. But since Medicare implemented new fraud safeguards requiring accreditation, he said, he would have to pay $1,500 to $2,000 a year to continue receiving Medicare reimbursement.

“Now you have elderly people in the neighborhood that can’t come and get stuff,” Muldrow said. “They have to go to the hospital. They got to go through the mail.”

Muldrow keeps his store open by supplementing the meager payments he gets for filling prescriptions with other income. “The secret to our success here is that we own the property,” Muldrow said. “If I was paying $3,000, $4,000 or more a month rent, I would have been wiped out.”

Muldrow had job offers from multiple chain drugstores when he graduated from pharmacy school but chose to work for his father. “‘The only way I can repay you for giving me the opportunity to go to school is to come down here and work and continue what you started,’” he recalled telling him.

Chicago has encouraged pharmacies to locate in underserved areas — with little success. Qato pointed to a CVS branch that in 2010 received nearly $1 million in incentives to open in East Garfield Park. A nearby independent drugstore quickly closed, and the CVS shut its doors several years later, creating a pharmacy desert.

Illinois launched a program in 2019 to subsidize pharmacies in underserved urban and rural areas. But, Qato said, the program doesn’t adequately target neighborhoods at risk of becoming pharmacy deserts and excludes large chain pharmacies, which may be the only drugstores remaining in a neighborhood.

A year into the program, she said, only three of 80 eligible pharmacies in Chicago have received funds. Muldrow said he hadn’t heard of the program.

Some business strategies create de facto deserts. Late last year, the health insurer Aetna, owned by CVS Health, began preventing its Medicaid patients in Illinois from filling prescriptions at Walgreens pharmacies. As a result, some patients could no longer use the closest drugstore.

Dr. Thomas Huggett, a family physician at the Lawndale Christian Health Center on the West Side of Chicago, said some of his patients had trouble getting their medications in the first month of the new policy. One patient, who was homeless and had been diagnosed with severe mental illness, couldn’t get his prescription filled. Another had to take two buses to get his injectable antipsychotic medication. A third patient couldn’t get Suboxone, a treatment for opioid addiction.

“In the middle of one of the hotter spots in the country for opioid overdoses on the West Side of Chicago, it’s hard to imagine how anybody could justify it,” Huggett said.

In urban areas, Illinois regulations require prescription insurance plans to have at least one in-network pharmacy within a 15-mile radius or a 15-minute drive of their enrollees. But that can be too far to be practical for many customers, Huggett said.

“The majority of patients who have Medicaid have Medicaid because they are poor, and they generally don’t have cars,” Huggett said. “Looking at the maps, it is just so stark to see. The CVSs are intentionally avoiding black areas of Chicago.”

CVS spokesperson Mike DeAngelis said that about half of CVS stores nationwide are in areas that rank high on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index, which tracks poverty, lack of vehicle access and crowded housing, among other factors.

“Maintaining access to pharmacy services in underserved communities is an important factor we consider when making store closure decisions,” DeAngelis said in an email. “Other factors include local market dynamics, population shifts, a community’s store density, and ensuring there are other geographic access points to meet the needs of the community.”

James Spidle, a 66-year-old veteran with serious heart problems, walks a mile using a cane to catch a bus in the Washington Heights neighborhood, about 13 miles south of Del-Kar, to pick up his prescriptions from a Walmart.

“I do the walk back and forth as a stress test,” he said. “If I don’t have any chest pains, I keep going.”

A closer option, a Walgreens, closed in 2016. A sign on the door directed customers to another branch that was a mile away in a more affluent neighborhood and had a grocery store pharmacy across the street.

The Endeleo Institute, the community development arm of Trinity United Church of Christ, has tried to fill the gap, using church vans to drive people to the nearest pharmacies. Melvin Thompson, its executive director, listed four other chain pharmacies that had closed within a three-mile radius of the Walgreens that shuttered in Washington Heights.

“Here we are in the midst of a pandemic, and we’re losing even more of these vital services in communities that can’t afford to lose,” he said. “It’s citywide, but it just seems to be relegated to Black and brown communities.”

Walgreens officials did not answer questions about how the company decides to close stores, but said that in metro Chicago about 99% of Chicagoans live within 2 miles of one of their stores. Walgreens spokesperson Kris Lathan said the company allocated $35 million to reopen 80 stores in Chicago damaged during the civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

“All but two of those locations have reopened,” she said. “The remaining two will open in the first half of 2022.”

Democratic state Rep. La Shawn Ford said pharmacy closures represent a loss of health care access for the community. “The pharmacy is not just a place to pick up medicine, it’s a surrounding of health care,” he said. “Who’s going to talk to that person when they get their medicine mail-delivered?”

It can also be a lifeline in other ways. During the pandemic, when indoor dining was shut down, Muldrow set up an outdoor grill and served burgers, tacos and other food. That showed him how much the neighborhood needed him — and for a lot more than medications. He is planning an expansion, to include a bodega with a juice bar and restaurant.

Muldrow was also reminded that the community is there for him in return. Last year, during the civil unrest, several businesses near Del-Kar were destroyed. But, in an echo of 1968, his shop emerged unscathed.

“I didn’t have any worries. I slept real good,” Muldrow said. “The brothers over here on Lawndale, they watched over me. If you know the people, the people look out for you.”

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How many prescription or over-the-counter medications do you currently take? Go ahead, look in the medicine cabinet, your nightstand, or wherever else you may keep medications. I’ll wait. And please don’t forget supplements and aspirin.

According to a report from the Health Policy Institute of Georgetown University, “more than 131 million people — 66% of all adults in the United States — use prescription drugs. Utilization is particularly high for older people and those with chronic conditions.” The percentage may be higher now because the report is a few years old.

What is the annual cost of prescription drugs currently? Up until 1998, it was $73 billion yearly. With the rising increase of direct-to-consumer advertising on television, we can imagine that the number has increased substantially because consumers are now being told to “ask your doctor” for these new and usually expensive medications.

A note is necessary here. Expensive or doesn’t necessarily mean more effective, nor does it mean medications without serious and sometimes fatal side effects. And saying “more hospitals use…” than another med may only mean they get a price break.

But if you are an individual with a chronic condition, it would not be unusual for you to receive more than one drug to take at a time. Individuals with medical conditions such as diabetes are naturally seeking products that will relieve them of the need to self-inject daily. But we also know that individuals with diabetes may have several accompanying medical conditions that the disease brings with it. For these additional medical conditions, patients with diabetes may need medications for many illnesses such as in their eyes, their heart, and other organ systems of their bodies.

The Health Policy Institute also indicated that “three-quarters of those age 52–64 use prescription drugs compared to 91% of those 80 and older. The need for prescription drugs increases with age, and older adults may take up to 22 medications.” Herein lies another of the unsolved medical mysteries; what does taking that many medications do to someone’s body, and is it safe? Yes, I’m also referring to prescription medications.

Not only do older adults take many more medications (how many are treated by geriatric specialists?), but they pay much more for their medications, especially if their expenditures are out-of-pocket ones. And we know that since the FDA approved DTC, there has been an appreciative increase in pharmaceutical sales. Does medical patients’ insistence on being prescribed medications they’ve seen on TV result in better care? We don’t know. But we do know it drives up sales.

“In a decade and a half, the use of prescription medication went up 71 percent. This has added about $180 billion to our medical spending.” But this begs the questions I posed earlier; are we healthier, and do we know what we’re taking?

The medical community had given the era of polypharmacy a black eye because no one knew what the mixture of all those meds did in the body, much less the brain. Now, it is coming back into the armamentarium for treating disease. But the risks remain, and one is that some medications can break down into many metabolites that would have unknown interactions with other metabolites. Yes, specialized computer programs at pharmacies may flag some med-med combinations, but do they get all that are problematic?

If a medication has an inordinate number of known side effects, how is that coming happening? What action is resulting from the medication, perhaps one not wanted by the prescriber? How would anyone with basic medical knowledge be able to assess, other than behaviorally, what is happening? I’m not demeaning healthcare professionals, but some questions require answers.

One area where we see polypharmacy again is in psychiatry. I know of a man who has crippling panic attacks every day. His psychiatrist is prescribing Klonopin, Buspar, Gabapentin, and Cymbalta, and he’s still experiencing panic attacks. Now he is seeking relief from TMS.

TMS is a non-invasive treatment that can prompt brain networks to improve their interactions and resolve depression and, possibly, anxiety. Some patients have shown improvement, but not all. So what’s happening with the patients who aren’t responding well to the treatment? And what of the medications patients are taking while they’re receiving TMS? I would suppose that might exclude some patients.

The moral of the story, if this is a story, is we have a long way to go in terms of medications, and I am hopeful that artificial intelligence can prove to be the helper we desperately need. In the meantime, all of us need to keep up on our medications and the potential for problems.

Our healthcare providers may occasionally make slip-ups like the cardiologist who forgot to prescribe potassium required with one drug. Another was an endocrinologist who prescribed a med that required patients have a urinalysis prior to taking the med. He forgot to get one.

The post What Do Any of Us Know About Polypharmacy – Should We Know More? appeared first on Medika Life.

Dr. David Stein, CEO of Babson Diagnostics, is a recognized leader in the diagnostics innovation category. Dr. Stein has been a pioneer working with medical technology giants such as Siemens Healthineers, Roche Diagnostics, Becton Dickinson, other leading global companies on the field of consumer care diagnostics. What does one of the sector leaders believe is the line between imagination and reality — between sales and science?

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Gil Bashe: We are all following the Elizabeth Holmes trial closely. It captivates us. While there is a lot of debate focused on the person in the spotlight, we all agree that Theranos had a great idea. I think the real question is, “can a drop of blood give us THAT much information?” Dr. Stein, you’ve been at the forefront of looking at this. Is it possible?

Dr. David Stein: When I first started in this field 20 years ago, people asked if we could do broad panels from small volumes of blood. That was always a goal that everybody was trying to attain. We looked at a very narrow menu based on capillary samples or those that were easy to collect. Then in 2015, we started asking if technology had evolved enough that you could do broad panels from small volumes of blood.

I’m not saying one drop; I’m saying a few drops. We saw that it was possible, but you couldn’t do it via point-of-care locations. You had to totally reimagine the end-to-end process, from collection to the way we automate, making it easier for the person collecting a sample to do the pre-analytics, to the way you maximize the clinical utility of the blood you collect. Then, you need to consider how to approach the analytics, so you get economies of scale and breadth of menu.

In short, the answer is “yes.” From a small volume, it’s possible; however, only through taking a very rigorous, science-first approach and reimagining the end-to-end process can it be achieved.

Did Theranos Cast a Shadow on the Entire Sector?

Bashe: Dr. Stein, you seem so clear that it’s possible, it’s doable. I know, looking at the science that you’re championing, you are demonstrating successful results in large numbers of people. So why did Theranos fail? Where did they go wrong? Can you explain that for us?

Stein: I will not claim to be an expert on what Theranos was doing nor how they approached it. What I do know is how we are approaching that same challenge. We’ve had the great opportunity to partner with Becton Dickinson and Siemens on this journey and really break down this problem from collecting a very reliable, small sample of blood from somebody’s finger to automating all the analytics around it.

When we looked back at when Theranos was doing this, I think it is likely they tried to pull together discrete technologies to make this happen and you can’t do that. Everything has to fit together seamlesslessly. If you look at methods for hematology, comprehensive metabolic panels, immunoassays, lipids, there’s a gold standard, and that’s what we’re adhering to. We’ve looked at how you maximize the clinical utility of the blood you collect and how, on the analytic side, you can use less blood volume to do these broad panels. There are no dilutions or cheats or anything like that in what we are doing. We’re truly using global, gold-standard methods.

Why Consumer Blood Test Matter and How Convenience Saves Lives

Bashe: We’re all occasionally guilty of not following through. A doctor writes a prescription, tells us to go to a phlebotomist or a diagnostic center. Then one year later, we still haven’t done it. What’s the danger of that? Can you talk to us a little bit about the imperative, the importance of timely blood testing?

Stein: We’re doing what we’re doing largely for this reason — to hopefully, help people have a longer lifespan. For me, this is a deeply personal mission. More than 70% of all clinical decisions are informed or powered by diagnostic lab testing. But as you’ve mentioned, a lot of people don’t get it done. What we’ve seen in this new economy is that people want choice. They want convenience. They want to be empowered in their health journey. We believe people should have convenience and accessibility when it comes to their diagnostic blood testing without having to sacrifice quality, menu breadth, cost or any of these aspects.

With the rise of telemedicine, you can sit with your doctor, with your blood tests in front of you and say, how do they look? How could I improve results? Just by looking at somebody, you can’t tell how healthy they are, but a blood test gives you an incredible amount of information about their metabolic state and other risk factors. I can tell you that somebody who’s pre diabetic can take actions a lot more effectively than if they have diabetes already. It’s the same for other diseases. That’s the goal of everything we’re doing: make the information accessible and timely so that your clinician can take action and you can treat conditions before they become chronic disease.

Everybody wants a long life, but the most important thing is that you enjoy a healthy life. That’s my mission: make diagnostic blood testing more accessible and convenient so people can be empowered to take hold of their health care journeys.

Bashe: When we look at take-home COVID-19 antigen assay tests, we’re seeing how easy it is for consumers to engage. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s really high-tech made very simple. To your point, I think consumers want to be involved in conveniences that this Amazon-like economy makes possible. The possibility of me easily taking that blood test where I pick up shampoo or prescriptions is very appealing. Share some thoughts about the process that that you imagine for putting into practice convenient diagnostics at the consumers’ point of purchase — a process that Theranos clearly wanted to pursue.

Stein: Retail in general is a great place to get diagnostic blood testing done. Pharmacies are trusted places; when you walk or drive by one, why couldn’t you get your diagnostic blood test done? COVID testing showed that retail is a preferred, convenient way of getting health testing handled. Most COVID testing was done by going to the pharmacy quickly and getting results that day or the next.

That is our approach: a consumer-focused, health-system-compatible path. Go to your pharmacy. No HIPAA or payment going back and forth. It’s transactional, accomplished within five to seven minutes by a pharmacy tech or customer care representative. A phlebotomist doesn’t need to be onsite. The process would be completed using a device we are developing in concert with Becton Dickinson. The pharmacy customer’s sample would go directly into a small device that automates all pre-analytic processes and does everything according to the medical chain of custody. Then once a day, or multiple times a day if volume requires, couriers pick up samples and brings them to a highly automated microsample lab. Patients and providers get results that day or the next. We plan to offer a broad menu of tests, so this service covers what you need for your routine testing.

Bashe: I want to go back to the Theranos situation. The book has come out. The trial is happening. Countless newspaper articles are being written. in the wake of all this reporting and speculation, a core concern is the possibility that the technology has been disadvantaged because people are looking at it through the lens of the Theranos failure. When there’s so much public health need for this idea to be realized, what are you and others doing to overcome communal skepticism?

Stein: The need for accessibility and convenience is real. People want it. I think the no-brainer is that our work is driven by science. We made a very conscious effort to always lead with science, always lead with transparent data. We have a scientific advisory board made up of luminaries in the industry to ensure that we always follow the science. I feel like my first 20 years in diagnostic science and patient care was to help me advance the category to this point. It’s not just me. The leaders of the category are also dedicated to addressing patients’ needs and bring advances to market. But we cannot do that by side-stepping the science.

First and Foremost Validated Science

Bashe: Despite the shadow Theranos cast on the sector, there are a core group of dedicated companies working on blood diagnostics, and that’s a huge public health benefit that investors are recognizing. Among those companies, you are clearly a front runner. You have the right partners, have the science behind you, published peer-to-peer data, you’re developing partnerships: it’s all very exciting. Let’s look at the future for a second. Can you give me a sense, without committing, when you think we could see this in the market? And what are your next steps?

Stein: I won’t give you a definitive timeline because we’re a regulated industry and science is something we take seriously; you can’t push it. The data have to support the concept. I can tell you that we have about a dozen people coming in through our retail partners directly to our facilities each day when we’re running clinical studies and we’re constantly running clinical research with retail partners. Having been in diagnostics for two decades with leaders such as Eric Olsen and industry pioneers as partners, we know we need to be in the field, testing people. That’s what we will continue doing between now and launch, which will be sooner than later. With retail partners, we are ensuring that when a patient walks into a retail space, they have an incredible customer experience, that the collection process is easy and intuitive for all sides, and that people truly get their results same day or next day.

Bashe: I’m glad to see that, in the wake of the Theranos controversary, you and your amazing partners are mobilizing the technology and essential science to address a pressing public health. You’re providing further proof that by engaging the consumer, we have the best chance to use technology to benefit people. I want to thank you and the Babson Diagnostics community for doing your part. Thank you for clarifying the differences between imagination and reality when it comes to consumer-centered testing, and reminding us success is dependent on good science, transparency, and staying true to the regulatory process.

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