Raise Money for the Pharmacy Foundation When You Search or Shop Online.

PFC is now registered with iGive.com, which means you can easily raise money for PFC every time you search or shop online.  To raise a penny for every search, simply use the Yahoo! powered iGive search engine at www.iSearchiGive.com. And to have iGive donate up to 26% of your purchases at over 730 online stores like Amazon, eBay, Travelocity, Home Depot and Staples, simply do your online shopping through www.iGive.com/PharmacyFoundation. There’s no cost or obligation to you, so start using iGive today and help raise money for an great cause.

FDA Warns of Errors with Tamiflu Oral Suspension

The FDA has issued a Public Health Alert to notify prescribers and pharmacists about potential dosing errors with Tamiflu oral suspension. Healthcare providers usually write prescriptions for liquid medicines in milliliters (mL) or teaspoons. Tamiflu, however, is dosed in milligrams (mg). The dosing dispenser packaged with Tamiflu has markings only in 30mg, 45mg, and 60mg. The FDA has received reports of errors where dosing instructions for the patient do not match the dispenser. For more information visit www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm183714.htm.

Pharmacy Foundation’s Call for 2010 Award Nominations

The Pharmacy Foundation of California (PFC) continues to accept nominations for our most prestigious awards.  For the 2010 Jane Boggess Advancement of Pharmacy Practice Award, PFC is specifically soliciting nominations for groups or individuals who have significantly contributed to the broad adoption of one or more non-traditional pharmacy services which improve public health. For the 2010  Michelotti Public Health Prize , PFC is specifically looking for individuals who have significantly contributed to the promotion of safe medication use.  If you know an individual or group who has made a significant contribution to public health and pharmacy, now is the time to get them the recognition they deserve!  Award winners will receive a complimentary registration to Outlook 2010 where they will be presented with their award at PFC’s Annual Awards & Appreciation Breakfast.  The Jane Boggess Advancement of Pharmacy Practice Award winner will also receive an engraved crystal award and the recipient of the Michelotti Public Health Prize will receive a $1,000 cash prize. The deadline for award nominations is October 23, 2009, so visit our websitetoday to view the award criteria and download a nomination form.  If you have questions or need more information, please contact Shannon Presidio at spresidio@pharmacyfoundation.org.

Pharmacy Foundation Provides Two CE Programs on Medication Errors

Earlier this week, PFC provided two, hour-long CE programs on “Creating Demand for Pharmacy Services by Promoting Medication Error Awareness.”  One program was offered at the USC School of Pharmacy and the other at the Coyote Point Yacht Club in San Mateo.  Program attendees learned about the significant and growing problem of preventable medication harm resultingfrom unsafe medication use, and how creating a greater sense of urgency for addressing the issue can prove useful in creating demand for pharmacist services.  PFC hopes to offer this program several more times accross the state before the end of the year, so keep an eye out for a program near you.

Join the Pharmacy Foundation to STRIKE OUT Medication Errors

As a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, PFC’s first obligation is to benefit the public.  One of the important ways it serves this purpose is through consumer education and outreach efforts designed to ensure that patients and caregivers receive the information, tools and support they need to safely use medications at home.  These programs are made possible through a variety of PFC fundraising efforts, the largest of which is PFC’s Bowl-A-Thon to Strike Out Medication Errors.  On February 5, PFC will be hosting its Third Annual Bow-A-Thon in Long Beach during Outlook 2010, and YOU are invited to participate in this exciting event.  Whether you are interested in being a team captain, collecting pledges for your team, selling “pin-ups” at your store, or signing on as a corporate sponsor, there is a fun and easy way for you to support this important cause.  More information about the bowl-a-thon can be found online.

Pharmacy Foundation’s Call for 2010 Award Nominations

The Pharmacy Foundation of California (PFC) is solicitingnominations for our most prestigious awards.  For the 2010 Jane Boggess Advancement of Pharmacy Practice Award, PFC is specifically soliciting nominations for groups or individuals who have significantly contributed to the broad adoption of one or more non-traditional pharmacy services which improve public health. For the 2010  Michelotti Public Health Prize, PFC is specifically looking for individuals who have significantly contributed to the promotion of safe medication use.  If you know an individual or group who has made a significant contribution to public health and pharmacy, now is the time to get them the recognition they deserve!  Award winners will receive a complimentary registration to Outlook 2010 where they will be presented with their award at PFC’s Annual Awards & Appreciation Breakfast.  The Jane Boggess Advancement of Pharmacy Practice Award winner will also receive an engraved crystal award and the recipient of the Michelotti Public Health Prize will receive a $1,000 cash prize. The deadline for award nominations is October 23, 2009, so visit our website today to view the award criteria and download a nomination form.  If you have questions or need more information, please contact Shannon Presidio at spresidio@pharmacyfoundation.org.

Electronic Pharmacy May Protect War Veterans from Medication Errors

Thousands of men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan sustained life-threatening injuries but were fortunate enough to return home alive. In a cruel twist of fate, some may have suffered accidental harm or even death from incorrect use of potent prescription medications for their pain and injuries. A robotic device that dispenses the proper dose of oral prescription medications to soldiers suffering from traumatic brain injuries, post traumatic stress disorder and other conditions requiring risky medications is under study by researchers at the University ofIllinois at Chicago's Center for Pharmacoeconomic Research andMilwaukee's Columbia College of Nursing. The study involves the use of an electronic medication management assistant, or EMMA delivery unit, designed to remotely deliver, manage and monitor a patient's drug therapy and adherence in the outpatient setting under the guidance of a physician, nurse case manager and pharmacist. The full story on this study, please click here.

Leading the Nation With New Dual Degree

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will be the first in the country to offer a dual degree with a Nurse Practitioner Specialty and Doctorate in Pharmacy (FNP/PharmD) thanks to a congressionally directed $951,000 grant from the Department of Education. The FNP/PharmD dual degree would provide nurse practitioners additional detailed skills relating to medications and potential food and drug interactions. "Nurse Practitioners are working hard to reduce medication errors, which are a major concern in healthcare facilities," said Dr. Kay Daub, chair of the baccalaureate nursing program. "Our goal is to enhance the evidence-based practice of the nurse practitioner regarding drug therapy and prescriptive authority that will improve patient outcomes.”

Modesto Bee Publishes PFC CEO Op-Ed on Safe Med Disposal

As part of a part of a national campaign to reduce the environmental impact, accidental poisonings, and illicit drug use that can be associated with improper medication disposal, PFC CEO Michael Negrete authored an op-ed article which was published in Wednesday’s edition of the Modesto Bee.  The article was written in support of the SMARxT Disposal™ Campaign that was developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Pharmacists Association, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. For more information on this campaign, please visit the SMARxT Disposal website.

Registration Deadline Fast Approaching for Two FREE Med Errors CE Programs

On September 14, PFC CEO Michael Negrete will be delivering a free, 1 hour CE program at the University of Southern California between 6:30pm and 8:00pm.  At the conclusion of the talk, Michael will provide a brief overview of the Foundation’s medication error-related activities, and explain how pharmacists can help PFC address this growing public health concern.  During the program, light food and refreshments will be generously provided by Ralph’s Grocery Stores.  A similar program has also been scheduled to take place in San Mateo on September 17.  Registration deadlines for the USC and San Mateo Programs are 9/9 and 9/10 respectively.  Anyone interested in attending or sponsoring either program can obtain more information by clicking the links above.

Medication Mistakes ‘Double’ in the UK

According to recently published figures from the UK’s National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), reports regarding errors in the use of drugs more than doubled between 2006 and 2007. The NPSA insists that the majority of the rise in the number of incidents was because of increased awareness of medical staff of the benefits of reporting and learning from mistakes.  Nonetheless, the figures indicate that more than 200 UK patients every month require further treatment or die because of a medication mistake. The NPSA report, titled Safety in Doses, lists examples of how local practice may help to prevent future incidents.  They include using the information and examples in the report to risk assess and improve local medication systems, and reviewing the number and quality of medication incident reports received locally and identify whether current arrangements are enabling local learning and action to minimize risk of harm to patients.  The full report can be downloaded from the NPSA website.