ASHP Midyear 2011–Parting thoughts

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The ASHP Midyear 2011 Conference basically concluded for me today. I’d like to evaluate the meeting, but honestly have very little to say. This was my first year working in the role of Product Manager for a vendor, and not acting as an “attendee”, i.e I was here for work. The conference took on an entirely different feel this year as I wasn’t able to attend any of the sessions. For the most part I was stuck in the company booth playing the role of demo jockey. It was a strange feeling to say the least. I tried to follow the Twitter stream (#ashpmidyear) a bit, but finally relented and gave up.

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A look back on one year as a product manager

About a year ago I left the comforts of the pharmacy and struck out into the world of product management. It’s not all that dramatic really. I simply thought I needed a change so I jumped over to the dark side and went to work for a company that builds pharmacy automation and technology. Why not, I love pharmacy technology. The move made perfect sense to me at the time.

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MedVantx launches medication adherence program

EMR Daily News: MedVantx, Inc., has announced the deployment of its patent pending Patient Profileâ„¢ patient medication and adherence reporting engine across its network of 3,600 high prescribing primary care providers participating in the Company’s integrated program of initial free medication therapy, adherence management and home delivery program. This new program utilizes the Company’s proprietary … Read more

Fatal overdose of KCL caused by poor handwriting, lack of diligence

ISMP Medication Safety Alert: “A nursing home resident died from cardiac arrest after receiving a 10-fold overdose of oral potassium chloride because an order for 8 mEq was misinterpreted by several facility staff members as 80 mEq.” – A poorly handwritten order was a contributing factor to the error. What’s really scary about this error … Read more

Hmm, retail pharmacy still sucks? Go figure

Jim Plagakis:

The rules of the game as they are designed by CVS and Rite-Aid make the game unwinnable unless you are going to operate as a glorified technician.  It must be downright painful for pharmacists with high personal standards and respect for professional ethics.  I can understand the bitterness.  I can understand the feelings of despair.  I can see the anger.  Just don’t forget:

It’s the JOB, Stupid.  There is nothing wrong with the PROFESSION.

Jim’s post rings home for many pharmacists that live in the retail world. Not the community pharmacy world, which is entirely different, but the retail world.

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