Women in Pharmacy Leadership Doing Big Things!

From ASHP: 

'Women in Pharmacy Leadership' Interview Features Powell

Mike F. Powell, executive director of pharmacy and nutrition services at Nebraska Medicine, describes in an interview the impetus for ASHP to focus on women in pharmacy leadership through a steering committee and his work in this area. The interview, conducted by Sara J. White, is one of six in ASHP's Women in Pharmacy Leadership Interview Series. All the interviews are available on demand or via iTunes.

Mentorships, Opportunities Create Perfect Career Path for One Pharmacy Leader

Jill Bates, a clinical pharmacy specialist in hematology–oncology and the residency program director for the PGY2 oncology residency at University of North Carolina Healthcare System, probably couldn't have imagined where she would wind up when she started her first career, as a high school science teacher. But key opportunities and pharmacy mentors along the way have allowed her to follow her passion and demonstrate how other women in the profession can lead the way to excellent patient care. Her story is described in InterSections as the second in a four-part series on women in pharmacy leadership.

Great progress with women's leadership in pharmacy. Check out their stories to learn more! 

Drugmakers Increasingly Interested In Using Patient-Reported Data.

Modern Healthcare (6/8, Kutscher, Subscription Publication) reports that “pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are increasingly interested in how patient-reported information can be used to get their products to market faster and assess how they perform in the real world.” For the first time, the Digital Health Summit “held its annual summer meeting alongside the larger” Biotechnology Industry Organization’s annual conference, where “familiar names in digital health were front and center.” 

Companies are using patient-reported information to create better, safer products. Digital health is quickly evolving and innovation is the way of the future! 

ASHP Launches Certificate Program in Sterile Compounding

ASHP on Tuesday announced the recent release of the Sterile Product Preparation Training and Certificate Program, the latest offering from the Professional Certificate line. The new online continuing education program provides pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with the knowledge and essential skills necessary for safe and effective sterile product preparation.

This is another great step for Sterile Compounding, using continuing education to help make the process as safe and effective as possible! 

WSJ Op-Ed Calls for Including Pharmacists on Patient Care Teams

From ASHP: 

A recent Wall Street Journal op-ed assessing ways to reduce medical errors in the United States strongly recommends including pharmacists on care teams. In "How to Make Hospitals Less Deadly," James B. Lieber notes that pharmacists' extensive knowledge of medications offers an important barrier to common medical errors. ASHP CEO Paul W. Abramowitz said the op-ed "is yet another call to include pharmacists on patient care teams in all settings."

Interesting information! What do you think? Should pharmacists be included on patient care teams in all settings? Certainly seems like it would help reduce medical errors and give the most complete patient care possible. 

ASHP Launches Standardize 4 Safety Initiative to Improve Medication Safety

ASHP Launches Standardize 4 Safety Initiative to Improve Medication Safety

ASHP on Tuesday announced the official launch of Standardize 4 Safety, a three-year FDA-funded project to create and promote national standard concentrations for intravenous (IV) and oral liquid medications. The launch marked the official release of the Standardize 4 Safety initiative information, including the first draft of the proposed concentrations for continuous IV infusions in adult patients.

Safer IVs and oral liquid medications paired with IMI's Tamper Evident technology will give you the ultimate peace of mind. With our products, you can rest assured that all of your medications will be as safe and secure as possible from beginning to end! 

Number of Female Pharmacists is Growing

Women Pharmacy Leaders Helping to Improve Practice

According to ASHP, Professional opportunities in direct patient care combined with flexible scheduling and six-figure salaries have drawn more and more women into the pharmacy profession. In 2014, more than 60% of pharmacy students were female and, among licensed pharmacists, women outnumbered men. In the first of a four-part series, ASHP's InterSections examines potential leadership challenges and opportunities for women pharmacists and ASHP's role in supporting new leaders.

Way to go, ladies!

Compounding Pharmacy Global Market Will Experience Robust Growth Through 2021

The global market for compounding pharmacies promises to continue to experience robust growth through 2021, according to a report by Persistence Market Research.1 The industry review, entitled “Global Market Study on Compounding Pharmacies,” projects compounding revenues to grow 6% annually over the six-year study period.

In 2015, the global market revenue totaled $6.8 billion. The research group expects that number to approach $9.8 billion by 2021, with stable growth across all world regions. What’s driving that increase? Drug shortages, a growing elderly population, demand for personalized medicines and pain medication.

• Drug shortages: Currently, more than 300 drugs are in short supply in the U.S., requiring hospitals and patients to rely on compounding pharmacies that can create equivalent products.2
• Growing elderly population: With more people reaching advanced age, and more societies valuing youthful looks, anti-aging products have also seen an increase in demand that is expected to continue. The use of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy for women, testosterone therapy for men, human growth hormone, and high-quality dermatological products are all rising. Many of these therapies are prepared primarily in compounding pharmacies.
• Demand for personalized medicine: Compounding enables providers to request a medication made to their specifications of ingredients and route of administration and precisely matched to the patient’s need. This personalization makes compounded formulations popular in many markets, but especially in those areas where broad distribution of standardized drugs is challenging.
• Pain medication: The largest therapeutic segment is expected to remain pain management.

Currently, North America dominates the global market, with Europe in second place. Going forward, Asia Pacific is projected to have the highest rate of growth, with much of the compounding demand originating in Australia and Singapore. Latin America has great opportunity for growth and demand is expected to continue to rise in Europe.

Currently, the Middle East and Africa account for a small share of the market. This is not anticipated to change significantly during the period covered, but to rise in time as infrastructure and the number of pharmacists increases.

Across the world, increased regulation and demand for standardization is transforming the compounding pharmacy market. North America and Europe lead this trend, but it has also affected Asia-Pacific, particularly Australia.

Are you seeing these global trends at your compounding pharmacy? How are you responding?

References

http://blog.pharmacyonesource.com/

1. Global Market Study on Compounding Pharmacies. Persistence Market Research. November 2015.
2. Global Compounding Pharmacies Market is Projected to Expand at a CAGR of 6% during the Forecast Period (2015-2021): Persistence Market Research. [Press release]. November 4, 2015.