What Matters Most

If you are at a business event, dining with a client, with business associates, or if your boss is footing the bill, then eating is the second (or third) purpose of the meal. You are there to do business. The meal is merely the tool you are using to develop the relationship. In these cases, it is poor etiquette (and bad business strategy) to do anything that detracts from the business at hand.

That would include poring over the menu while ignoring your guests, quizzing the wait staff about ingredients of a dish, ordering anything complicated or disruptive, ordering dessert if the timeframe doesn’t allow for it, bringing your own condiments and, unfortunately, requesting a doggie bag.

You need to project power and authority, and there is something vaguely weak and humiliating about doing any of the above, especially taking a little doggy bag home from a restaurant. You’re there for business. You shouldn’t be concentrating on your food.

Good manners must be learned and practiced to succeed in the world. Repeating an action often enough makes the action becomes automatic and helps you feel confident. Continually work on your business etiquette skills and you will be better able to focus on business without worrying about saying the wrong thing or making the wrong gesture.

The objective is to be gracious and make people feel comfortable in our presence.

Two Basis Things to Remember:

Understand your role – Guest or Host - understand what is expected of you.

It is not about the food but about building relationships.

“Good manners sometimes means simply putting up with other people’s bad manners.”

H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Ellen Reddick, is a consultant, writer, and former senior executive with more than 25 years of experience in the technology industry. She is the owner & managing partner of Impact Factory Utah

CDC Update on the Multistate Outbreak of Fungal Meningitis and Other Infections: One Year Later

A year ago this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention activated its Emergency Operations Center as part of the response to the tragic outbreak of fungal meningitis linked to three contaminated lots of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) produced by the New England Compounding Center (NECC). As of October 23, 2013, there have been 751 cases of fungal meningitis and other infections associated with this outbreak; 64 of these patients have died. Since July 2013, one new case has been diagnosed.  

This week, CDC has two papers in the New England Journal of Medicine, one describing the clinical aspects of the infections associated with this outbreak and the other summarizing the epidemiologic investigation. The clinical paper, focusing on the early stages of the outbreak, describes patients who experienced a wide variety of illnesses, including meningitis, stroke, arachnoiditis (inflammation of one of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord), and epidural or paraspinal infections which ranged in severity from very mild to life-threatening. The epidemiology paper finalizes the original preliminary report published by the New England Journal of Medicine and details the efforts undertaken by public health agencies to identify and stop the outbreak.

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Conversation Etiquette

We’re all capable of the occasional social blunder. Of course, some of us seem more prone to it than others, but even the savviest of professionals aren’t impervious to such gaffes. No scenario is richer with these potential faux pas than the everyday conversation, in which you can say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, and occasionally spit on others when trying to pronounce nouns with German etymology.

We’ve all had our moments with conversation etiquette mistakes.

Practice and self-awareness are excellent ways to ensure we master every first and lasting impression. Please keep in mind that the communication process is only complete once the receiver has understood the message of the sender.

‘The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.’ George Bernard Shaw

1 - Interrupting

This is the No. 1 conversation etiquette mistake, committed by everybody at one time or another. It’s unbearable for the one getting cut off, and it shows the interrupter truly has no

Influenza Season is Almost Here

As the 2013-2014 influenza season quickly approaches, now is an opportune time to send reminders and schedule appointments for patients’ flu vaccinations. Seniors and people with chronic health conditions—like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease—are at a higher risk for serious complications from the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last season overall deaths attributed to flu and pneumonia were the highest in nearly a decade, and people 65 years and older accounted for half of all flu-related hospitalizations. Recommending and offering flu vaccine to Medicare beneficiaries ahead of the flu season is very crucial, as patients are more likely to get vaccinated when flu vaccination is recommended and offered by a health care professional.

Generally, Medicare Part B covers one influenza vaccination and its administration per influenza season for Medicare beneficiaries without co-pay or deductible.  Note: The influenza vaccine and its administration are covered under Medicare Part B. Influenza vaccine is not a Part D-covered drug.

For more information on coverage and billing of the influenza virus vaccine and its administration, please visit:

• CMS Medicare Learning Network® Preventive Services Educational Products and CMS Immunizations web pages. (Check back for CMS 2013-2014 influenza season updates — coming soon to these web pages). 
• MLN Matters® Article #MM8433, “Influenza Vaccine Payment Allowances - Annual Update for 2013-2014 Season.”
• While some providers may offer the flu vaccine, others can help their patients locate a vaccine provider within their local community. HealthMap Vaccine Finder is a free, online service where users can search for locations offering flu and other adult vaccines.

Online Medical Journals Accept Fake Study: Could the Public Be Hurt?

A fake study that was accepted at dozens of medical journals for a fee has experts worried that lax oversight of published studies could affect the health of patients searching for medical answers online.

The fake paper was written by John Bohannon, a science journalist who received his doctorate in molecular biology at the University of Oxford. Bohannon submitted the paper to 302 open-access medical journals as an experiment over 10 months.

The results of Bohannon’s experiment were published in Science, a peer-reviewed general science publication that charges subscription fees.

“I chose, for the start of this, to [target] open-access publishers who charge fees for scientists to publish,” Bohannon told ABCNews.com. “Acceptances kept on coming more frequently than rejections. … I thought it would be more like 10 percent.”

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APhA kicks off American Pharmacists Month

WASHINGTON — The message in October is "Know Your Pharmacist, Know Your Medicine" as the American Pharmacists Association launches its annual American Pharmacists Month.

The APhA said the messaging for the month is based on "one essential fact" seen in pharmacies, clinics and other care sites: The more patients know their pharmacist, the more they will know about their medications, the documented successes and cautionary tales, the risks and benefits and potential side effects and contraindications of medications. Patients, the APhA said, should choose their pharmacists as carefully as they choose their doctors.

The organization said that while Americans spend billions on medications every year, the most expensive medications are the ones that don't work properly or cause harm due to misuse. Failure to take medications as prescribed causes more than 1.5 million medication-related adverse events, and costs the healthcare system about $290 billion each year, the group said. But when patients know their pharmacist and feel comfortable seeking their advice, the likelihood of medication errors decreases.

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IACP Position on the Compounding Clarity Act of 2013

Washington, D.C. (September 20, 2013) – The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) today acknowledges the introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives of the Compounding Clarity Act of 2013, a bill aimed at addressing problems of the type associated with last year’s deadly outbreak of meningitis linked to the now-closed New England Compounding Center in Framingham, MA. The IACP, a global professional association representing compounding pharmacists and practitioners, continues to work collaboratively with members of Congress and their staff, providing input and expertise on the issues surrounding the practice and regulation of pharmacy compounding.

We believe the House bill makes many key improvements over legislation introduced earlier this year in the U.S. Senate. These improvements include the creation of a compounding advisory committee within the FDA as well as a communication system between the FDA and state boards of pharmacy to ensure that government regulators are working together rather than separately. While we support the general direction of the House bill, we do have several specific concerns that we are committed to resolving so that compounding pharmacists and physicians may continue to provide patients with the customized medications they need in an effective, timely and safe manner.

First, the bill requires that, for compounded medications to be administered in a physician’s office, those administering the medications would be required to gather the names of individuals receiving the medication within seven days. The form and requirements of a prescription have traditionally been left to the legislative authority of the states and not the federal government. While well intended, we believe that this new mandate would create confusion between existing and evolving state policies on the provision of compounded preparations to physicians and other prescribers. IACP believes that individual state authority over, and regulation of, office-use medications must be recognized at the federal level.

Second, the proposed legislation enables the FDA to prohibit the preparation of “demonstrably difficult” compounded medications. We believe that this provision needs to spell out the criteria by which the FDA makes the decision to put compounded medications on its list of these prohibited

materials, as “demonstrably difficult” is not defined by the new law. Without such specifics, this provision is likely to lead to confusion as well as costly and unnecessary legal challenges. IACP supports clear language that enables the prohibition of compounded preparations based on clear scientific evidence of either safety or efficacy concerns.

IACP believes that these and other concerns about language within the Compounding Clarity Act (H 3089) can be resolved so that the final legislation will appropriately and adequately safeguard the American public while not adversely affecting our profession’s commitment and ability to serve patients.

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About The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists
The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) is an association representing more than 3,600 pharmacists, technicians, student pharmacists, and members of the pharmacy community who focus on the specialty practice of medication compounding. Compounding pharmacists work directly with prescribers including physicians, nurse practitioners and veterinarians to create customized medication solutions for patients and animals whose health care needs cannot be met by manufactured medications. 

FDA Finalizes New System to Identify Medical Devices

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a final rule for the unique device identification system (UDI) that, once implemented, will provide a consistent way to identify medical devices. 

The UDI system has the potential to improve the quality of information in medical device adverse events reports, which will help the FDA identify product problems more quickly, better target recalls, and improve patient safety. The FDA has worked closely with industry, the clinical community and patient and consumer groups in the development of this rule.  

 

“UDI represents a landmark step in improving patient safety, modernizing our postmarket surveillance system for medical devices, and facilitating medical device innovation,” said Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

 

The UDI system consists of two core items. The first is a unique number assigned by the device manufacturer to the version or model of a device, called a unique device identifier. This identifier will also include production-specific information such as the product’s lot or batch number, expiration date, and manufacturing date when that information appears on the label.

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UPhA: Pharmacist or Pharmacy?

What is in a name? What does it tell you about an individual, team, or organization? The name of a person, place, or thing can indicate much. A name can invoke feelings of curiosity, affirmation, inclusion, and perhaps even trust. A name is often the result of much thought and reflection. One may have to search for the history of why the name was given, but nonetheless, the reasons are there. Think of your own given name. Why was it chosen? What does it mean to you and your family?

A name can be the reference point for many characteristics and attributes. These can be strengths [or weaknesses,] depending on the point of view. The selection of a name should be conducted carefully.

The name of our Association is currently UPhA – Utah Pharmacists Association. What does this imply? Only pharmacists are involved? Realistically, that could be how many in, and outside of our Association, interpret the name. But in fact, our Association is made up of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns pursuing either technician or pharmacist licenses/degrees, and others associated with our field.

The elected Board members of UPhA have discussed and voted on whether or not to change the name.

The board has voted unanimously to change the name to reflect a broader scope of pharmacy. The name the Board has selected is Utah Pharmacy Association. The symbol, or abbreviation, will remain the same: UPhA. There have been sixteen other states that have revised their Association name from ‘pharmacist’ to ‘pharmacy.’
Some of the challenges of changing our Association name could include cost: issues such as changing name on advertisement items, and possible waste of time and resources. We considered that ‘pharmacy’ could possibly appear less personable. There are new actions concerning representation to consider. And some folks, for personal reasons, may just not like the change.

Taking into account the possible ‘cons,’ we the Board feel like the ‘pros’ of revising the name to show that our Association encompasses all members of the pharmacy community in Utah is timely and appropriate. In the ensuing months and years, we feel like this is the right call at the right time. Pharmacists are obviously essential to our Association and cause. But technicians and interns are just as indispensable. We feel like the cohesiveness and unity this name change is motivated by is potentially invaluable. In the pharmacy community, we are a network of caring and concerned individuals, focused on the health and welfare of our patients. In enlarging our circle, we hope to foster a commitment and focus among all our members. In Utah, we hope to be a force for good for the professionals within our Association, and a strength and resource to our community as a whole, down to each and every individual patient. 

President's Message

We have been on a wild ride as we have executed the management change this year.  We wanted to take a moment in our Newscapsule and thank everyone in the Pharmacy Community in the State of Utah for their help and support in this transition.  The support of the pharmacists, technicians and industry representatives has been wonderful.  Change is never easy to experience, but we truly believe that it was the right decision, at the right time for our profession.  Great progress has been made in many areas.  We are more financially sound than we have been in years, we have experienced an increase in involvement from members on our teams, and it has been a great learning experience for all of us involved.   If you have a desire to be involved on one of our teams, please contact us and we will make sure to get you involved.  Our teams have been strengthened greatly by an influx of new support this year.  We have also enjoyed a renewed relationship with USHP and look forward to working directly with them in the future.

We would also like to thank the team at Association Solutions for their guidance and leadership and helping the transition to go more smoothly than we could have ever expected.  It is never perfect timing with 3 large events per year.  They were great to step in and with very short notice, pull off a great event in St. George this year.  We really do have a team of support now working towards our common goals.  We encourage you to reach out and get to know them.  They have a wealth of experience in many areas from finance to legislation.  If you have not yet been able to attend any of our events since February, we invite you to come and join us.  We promise that you will notice a difference.  Their professionalism and desire to help us improve as an organization is stellar. 

We invite your feedback.  As the current President, I would invite you to send your feedback directly to me.  I can be reached via email at paigepatterick@icloud.com or through my cell at 801-664-7613.  Please help us really work to bring the profession of pharmacy to a new level. 

Paige Patterick