Jerry Fahrni

Author: Jerry Fahrni

  • To iPhone, or not to iPhone: on Verizon is the question

    I saw an article in this mornings USA Today regarding the impending availability of the iPhone on Verizon. Of course this isn’t really news as “the event” was inevitable. The rumor has been active for years now and Android has been chipping away at Apple’s dominance in the smartphone market for quite some time.

    Now that the iPhone is available on Verizon, the question everyone will be asking themselves is “should I dump my current Verizon device and move to the iPhone?” It’s a good question and I’m sure many, many people will do it. Then again, I assume many ex-Verizon-switched-because-of-the-iPhone-but-now-I’m-unhappy-with-AT&T customers will simply switch back.
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  • UA College of Pharmacy professor promotes pharmacists in direct patient care

    I received my normal ASHP NewsLink via email today and found this interesting little tid-bit: “Public Television Station Features Research on Value of Pharmacists - Watch pharmacist researcher Marie Chisholm-Burns on Arizona Public Television discussing ASHP Foundation-funded research about the value of pharmacists.”

    Dr. Chisholm-Burns spends a little time on Arizona Public Media discussing some of the research she’s done using pharmacists in direct patient care. It’s really good stuff. The video can be found at the Arizona Public Media website.  The AJHP article that Dr. Chisholm-Burns refers to in the video can be found here.

  • Is pharmacy destined to repeat history?

    Every time I turn around someone is talking about the need for change in pharmacy practice. That’s a good thing. In fact, it’s a great thing. I’ve discussed my thoughts in detail on this site before so I don’t feel the need to rehash everything I’ve said. Suffice it to say there is a buzz in the air.

    I read an interesting article this morning at the ASHP Intersections website about the expanding role of technicians in pharmacy practice. While the article focuses a bit too heavily on the need for providing better education for technicians to fill this new role, it does make one thing perfectly clear: “As Pharmacists expand their roles and carve out new niches in an era of health care reform, they are counting more and more on highly skilled pharmacy technicians to take on added responsibility.” Well said.
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  • S.A.L.A.D.

    Sound-Alike, Look-Alike Drugs (SALAD) have recently floated to the top of my attention with the release of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recommended list of Tall Man Letters for look-alike drugs. I mentioned the new list on Twitter which resulted in a short, but interesting conversation with some colleagues.

    SALADs have been problematic for quite some time and many solutions have been proposed, including Tall Man Lettering, physical separation of look-alike drugs, printing of both brand and generic names on packaging and storage bins, use of colorful warning labels, and so on and so forth. The problem with all these solutions is human involvement. Working in acute care pharmacy has taught me over and over again that all the above systems may decrease error, but certainly don’t eliminate them.
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  • Year end thoughts for 2010

    2010 brought many new and exciting changes not only in my personal life, but in the world of pharmacy and technology as well. I’ve learned many new things, gained some new skills, made some new friends, explored the world of social media more deeply, traveled more than ever before and discovered that I once again know nothing. I am more excited about next year than I ever thought possible.

    Below is a list of opinions I’ve gathered over the past 12 months. Some are pharmacy related, some are technology related, some are personal, and some are just random thoughts.

    And here we go…
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  • Chrome OS for healthcare? At least someone thinks so

    Medgadget: “Yet on the whole, playing with the CR-48 is like peeking into the future – the far, far away future. And though it’s hard to fill in all the details now, there’s a lot of potential for Chrome OS in the world of medicine.” – The author does a great job of covering why the Chrome OS, and a CR-48 like device, would be good for healthcare. Reasons include disposability in which “the ultimate machine for the medical world is the one in which the doctor, nurse, patient, etc, cares the least about if it’s dropped, lost, or broken”; interchangeability by allowing any user to simply log into any CR-48 and have their information instantly available; security; and hardware customizability. It’s a refreshing change to see someone thinking outside the box when it comes to computing in healthcare.
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  • Pharmacy goals, a reality check and insanity – what the heck are we doing?

    I’ve been conversing with several pharmacists about the future of pharmacy practice, specifically about the PPMI developed earlier this year by ASHP. This is a sharp group of people, but what I continually hear is the same thing I’ve heard for a number of years. While I’m not as experienced as many of my esteemed colleagues due to a late start to my career, I have worked in several acute care facilities. I’m not sure who said it, but Einstein gets credit for defining insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

    The literature presented in support of a new practice model is, in reality, based on current practice. It’s all looking at how best to apply the pharmacist’s current knowledge and resources to the current practice model. Economic outcomes improved by a pharmacist; great, but not new. Improved patient outcomes with a pharmacist in a team approach; awesome, but not new. Use a pharmacist as a prescriber; cool idea, but not new. These models are easily ten years old and we’re still talking about them as if they were new ideas. See a trend here? I think this is exactly what Einstein had in mind when he defined insanity.
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  • Merry Christmas 2010

    And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch of their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

    Luke 2:8-11

  • Google body browser is pretty cool

    If you haven’t heard of the Google body browser, then you’re really missing out. Google body browser is an incredible in-browser 3D rendering of the human body. It offers individual anatomic layers of the skin, muscles, bones, vascular system, nervous system and organ system. The various layers can be selected or deselected as desired while offering even more flexibility by allowing the user to make any of the selected anatomic layers transparent. Truly amazing. I highly recommend giving it a try.

  • The state of mHealth – a survey from research2guidance

    Over the summer I participated in research2guidance‘s online mobile health developers‘ survey.

    In total there were 231 participating companies ranging from start-up mHealth specialists to traditional healthcare market players.

    Basically the survey reveals that smartphothes, i.e. mobile devices, will have a significant impact on healthcare over the next few years. I don’t think anyone is surprised by this information, but it’s certainly nice to see validation in the form of a survey. Granted, surveys aren’t the best way to gauge whats happening in the market, but it’s better than nothing.

    Some of the results of the survey are:

    • Nearly 80% of respondents see diabetes as the therapeutic area with the highest business potential
    • Almost 70% of survey participants agree that app developers and agencies will be the main players in the market
    • Smartphone penetration is seen as the main driver for mHealth by 63% of respondents
    • Lack of standardization (50%), regulation (49%) and market transparency (49%) are the main barriers facing mHealth
    • Doctors and hospitals are seen as the best distribution channel for mHealth apps by 2015
    • Android and iOS will be preferred mobile platforms for mHealth solutions

    You can get a free copy of the basic results in the form of a whitepaper at the research2guidance website.

    A more detailed report called “Global mHealth Market Report 2010-2015” can also be found at the research2guidance website, but you’ll have to open up your checkbook. As a participant I received a dicount code for the full report (10% discount code: 3EEX8QH). Enjoy.