NEWS FROM AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Nationwide Initiative Leads to Big Drops in Antibiotic Prescribing A nationwide initiative nearly halved inappropriate antibiotic prescribing at the 389 ambulatory care settings participating in the program. Created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the initiative educated prescribers and patients alike about appropriate antibiotic prescribing and encouraged greater use of best prescribing practices. Read More   Prepare Now for the Digital Health Revolution If recent trends are any indication, digital health is now a mainstream market. Funding for digital health startups

Backup Pharmacy Supports Inventory Management

Boost Profits by Having a Backup Partner Ready When your pharmacy shelves overflow with product surpluses, cash flow slows down. You know all too well that there’s a careful balance between keeping enough inventory on hand and stockpiling. As a backup pharmacy provider, we help pharmacies maximize inventory management strategies by providing a viable safety net in case inventory runs out, you experience backorders from your wholesaler, or to avoid purchasing higher cost, lower frequency medications that run the risk

Celebrating American Pharmacist Month

Throughout October, we celebrate American Pharmacist Month. This month is focused on commemorating pharmacists and the pharmacy team. Every day pharmacists make a significant impact on the patients they serve and provide exceptional contributions to the health care industry. It is the perfect time for pharmacy departments to celebrate their accomplishments in providing safe and effective medication use and excellent patient care. Gratitude is special and does not go unnoticed. Pharmacists work hard to provide appropriate care to their patients every

Backup Pharmacies Can Support Inventory Management and Save You Money

When your pharmacy shelves overflow with product surpluses, cash flow slows down. You know all too well that there’s a careful balance between keeping enough inventory on hand and stockpiling.  As a backup pharmacy provider, we help pharmacies maximize inventory management strategies by providing a viable safety net in case inventory runs out, you experience backorders from your wholesaler, or to help you avoid purchasing higher cost, lower frequency medications that run the

They’re not just orders. They’re medications for patients in need.

When a long-term care facility places a medication order, they depend on you to fill the order quickly to support patient care and maintain compliance with CMS standards of care requirements. Delays disrupt workflows and cause additional administrative work for the long-term care facilities you serve and for you. So when you choose to place a backup pharmacy order, you need a company that can deliver. Impact on your business After placing a backup pharmacy order, have you ever

Drugs Going Off Patent in 2021

Between 2011 – 2016, the pharmaceutical industry experienced the first “patent cliff.” Over this five-year period, hundreds of billions of big pharma company sales lost patent protection. While 2021 doesn’t have near the impact of a “patent cliff” year, there are still some anticipated patent expirations that will make an impact in 2021. Following are drugs expected to lose patent protection in 2021: Brand Generic Use Anticipated Release Backup Utilization* Amitiza lubiprostone Constipation RJan 2021 Yes Sutent sunitinib Kidney cancer Feb 2021 No Tarceva erlotinib Lung & pancreatic cancer May 2021 No Perforomist formoterol Asthma & COPD Jun 2021 Yes Brilinta ticagrelor Heart attack & stroke Jul 2021 Yes Selzentry maraviroc HIV Aug 2021 No Atripla efavirenz /

Myth #4: Backup Pharmacy Partners Can’t Help You Grow

As the end of the year approaches, it’s time for the Myth Busters team at MedCallRx to dispel the final misperception of backup pharmacy in 2020. This month, we’ll examine whether backup pharmacy partners can help long-term care pharmacies grow. But before we do that, it’s important to understand the history of backup pharmacy partners. The term “backup pharmacy” began a long time ago to appropriately describe the function retail pharmacies provided to closed-door or long-term care (LTC) pharmacies – to

Make a Plan to Enjoy the Holidays

December is here – it’s fun and festive…and hectic and challenging. The holidays at the end of the year are meant to bring loved ones together, to share goodwill and cheer, yet the challenges of getting everything accomplished at work and at home have increased stress less so much that 88% of Americans feel the holiday season is the most stressful time of the year. While many businesses shut down or go dormant over the holiday season,

Just for Fun: Let’s Talk Turkey

Here at MedCallRx, we’re here to help…and sometimes in the most unusual of ways. As you prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, we can help you brush up on your turkey trivia so you can dazzle your guests with your amazing knowledge of – yep, you guessed it – the turkey! Did you know… Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be our national symbol instead of the bald eagle. It’s true – in a letter to his daughter, he pled his case that

Myth #3: Antibiotics and Opioid Analgesics are the Top Utilized Backup Pharmacy Drugs

The Myth Busters team at MedCallRx is back again to debunk another common misperception of backup pharmacy. This month we tackle the myth that antibiotics and opioid analgesics are the top utilized backup pharmacy drugs. Surprisingly, while antibiotics are sometimes sent to backup pharmacy, they don’t rank in the top 10 list of medications, and opioid analgesics used to manage pain, only ranks ninth by overall prescription count. So, what are the most common medications sent to backup pharmacy partners? In this