Cardinal Health

More than 32.6 million Americans live more than two miles from the nearest pharmacy. That distance not only serves as a significant barrier to accessing prescription medicines, but also contributes to the growing nonadherence problem in the United States. TelePharm, a Cardinal Health company, helps pharmacists overcome those medication barriers by facilitating the opening of telepharmacies as part of a turnkey solution set for interested pharmacy operations.

Cardinal Health celebrated its Women in Pharmacy community, now in its eighth year, at Cardinal Health RBC 2018 in San Diego during two morning events — a leadership forum followed by the annual Mix, Mingle and Mocha Reception. During the events, the Cardinal Health WIP community welcomed the latest chapter to join its ranks — pharmacy owners from Puerto Rico.

There are many programs available at Cardinal Health RBC 2018 that can be implemented to maintain the profitability and productivity in the pharmacy. However, the largest margins and greatest profit-per-square-inch metrics are generated not behind the bench, but across the front end.

As pharmacy reimbursement is changing to focus on patient outcomes, Cardinal Health’s Reimbursement Consulting Services (RCS) is expanding the ways it can help pharmacists focus on their patients to drive those outcomes.

Gabe Guijarro, who operates The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy just 120 miles outside of Houston in Lufkin, Texas, has identified a way to drive patient adherence metrics higher, while keeping operating costs in check by using Cardinal Health’s Dispill Multi-Dose Packaging solution.

Fuse by Cardinal Health is exploring the role augmented reality can play in patient care and showcased a prototype on the show floor at Cardinal Health RBC 2018.

One of the most important parts of a pharmacist’s job — ensuring their patients properly take the medications they dispense — also is one of the most difficult to accomplish. The first step toward improving adherence is to understand what causes nonadherence, said Cindy Pigg, vice president of Managed Care and Business Development at Cardinal Health.

For retail independent pharmacists, participating in a 340B program can help increase access to affordable medications and strengthen the pharmacy’s relationship with its community.

Jana Bennet, owner of two Medicine Shoppe pharmacies in North Texas, shares how Cardinal Health’s point-of-care testing program, which now offers two new tests that cover chronic care conditions, has helped her improve her pharmacy.

Cardinal Health named Troy Simons, owner of Foster Corner Drug in Perry, Okla., the recipient of the 2018 Ken Wurster Community Leadership Award.

At the Cardinal Health RBC 2018 Opening Session in San Diego, pharmacy owners heard about the ways they can work together to bring change to the current reimbursement model.

As expert healthcare providers in their communities, independent pharmacists are part of the front lines of care to help combat the opioid crisis. Through its Generation Rx program, created in partnership with The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy in 2009, the Cardinal Health Foundation partners with pharmacists and their communities in this fight by extending its prevention education reach and providing support for drug take-back initiatives, safe prescribing practices and strengthening community collaborations.