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Pharmacists can lead by example by promoting the FDA’s patient safety initiatives in their practice settings…FDA’s Safe Use Initiative involves a series of recommendations aimed at reducing preventable harm from medication errors…Pharmacies, hospitals, and other health care entities that regularly interact with patients and their medications are among the partners that the FDA hopes to actively engage in its comprehensive initiative…Here are a few current projects in the Safe Use Initiative that pertain to pharmacists:

1. Acetaminophen overuse
2. Atypical antipsychotic use in pediatric populations
3. Medication non-adherence
4. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in elderly patients

Kristen L. Marjama, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, clinical educator with Healthcare Clinic at Walgreens in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, discusses counseling points for different asthma medication classes (video)

What is the No. 1 disorder seen among deployed soldiers?... sleep problems are...the most common health issue in the military… Among 300,000 military members who suffer a traumatic brain injury, 97% reported some form of a sleep problem, most commonly insomnia…34% said they had sleep apnea, and half of them said they experienced fragmented sleep…short sleepers are more likely to be overweight,…Patients with sleep apnea also may experience blood pressure surges that contribute to plaque rupture...poor sleep is associated with less motivation, reduced overall functioning, and amplified emotional responses to neutral or mildly negative events.

• Pharmacist Counseling Points for Sleep-Deprived Soldiers
• Sleep Deprivation: A Persistent Health Problem in the Military
• Health Consequences from Sleep Deprivation

Lisa Kroon, PharmD, CDE, professor and department chairperson of clinical pharmacy at University of California, San Francisco, School of Pharmacy, talks about gaps in pharmacy systems' support of smoking cessation.

Sometimes, patients have a hard pill to swallow...Around 40% of Americans report having some difficulty swallowing pills,…As a result of their struggle, 14% have delayed taking their medication, 8% have skipped a dose, and 4% have stopped using their medication altogether…Here are 7 ways pharmacists can help patients overcome their pill-swallowing fears and increase medication adherence.

1. Teach head posture techniques
2. Suggest a specialized pill-swallowing cup
3. Use guided imagery
4. Suggest a flavored throat spray
5. Tell patients to take a deep breath
6. Help patients practice with candy
7. Provide ideas for disguising pills

Eric A Wright, PharmD, MPH, investigator I for Geisinger Health Research and associate professor at Wilkes University, discusses metrics in care transitions that pharmacists should pay attention to.

CDC estimates that 47% of the population age 6 months and older was vaccinated during the 2014-2015 season,...Coverage remains highest among children age 6 months through 23 months at 75%, the only age group that met the public health vaccination coverage goal of 70%. Children age 2 years through 4 years followed at 68%....vaccination among children age 5 years through 12 years is still above the national average, at 62%...In contrast to younger children, the estimated vaccination rate for adults age 18 years through 49 years has yet to top 40%.

Heather Bonome, PharmD, director of Pharmacy Segment at URAC, discusses the standards that illustrate quality in specialty pharmacy. (video)

Thanks to the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, HIV-infected individuals are living longer than ever before,…this advancement means those with HIV are living long enough to experience aging’s comorbidities. They are also at higher risk for medication errors…as ART is associated with greater polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions…medication errors can increase viral resistance by decreasing ART levels, or increase risk of toxicity by elevating concentrations. Because of this, pharmacists are critical for preventing drug-drug interactions and other medical errors in HIV-infected hospital patients..

Pharmacy Podcast Ron Lanton talks with the president of Trovita Health Science nutritional products for patient’s special needs – William Brown. (podcast 19:23 minutes)