Show Watch

At RBC 2017, Cardinal Health launched a new program that minimizes the complexities for a retail independent pharmacy to establish a CLIA-waived flu and strep testing service for their patients. The launch of such a service further emphasizes the emerging trend of direct patient-care services being offered in community pharmacy and the consumer-driven demand of accessing convenient healthcare services. For certain screenings, patients will no longer have to make a doctor’s appointment or schedule a visit with their local urgent care clinics.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores Total Store Expo is around the corner and the organization will be bringing back its popular “Vision” pavilion at the exhibit hall in San Diego this year. The Vision 2028 pavilion, curated by retail and consumer goods accelerator XRC Labs, will explore the future of retail and pharmacy through interactive technology demos and dialogue with industry experts.

For Bronx, N.Y.-based Co-Op City Pharmacy’s Biana Makhover, Cardinal Health RBC 2017 kicked off with a surprise. Under the guise of filming stock footage, Cardinal Health had earlier visited her pharmacy and talked to her patients. They then screened the resulting video, “Heart of a Community,” at the RBC 2017 Opening Session on Thursday, July 27.  

As independent pharmacies face more margin pressure as payers look to cut costs, there is a new way pharmacists are coming together to get paid for the enhanced services they offer patients every day.

During the opening-day evening activities at Cardinal Health RBC 2017, the spotlight was on Pedro Vanga, owner of Super Farmacia Vanga Inc. in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Vanga was honored with the 2017 Ken Wurster Community Leadership Award — accepting a $10,000 donation from Cardinal Health on his behalf to local organization, Iniciativa Comunitaria.

NEW ORLEANS — McKesson ideaShare 2017 kicked off Thursday in the Big Easy, providing independent pharmacists a forum to discover new solutions and technology to grow their businesses and make them competitive. The annual conference and exhibition is set to offer attendees access to industry thought leadership, pharmacy programs, continuing education courses and networking opportunities to help improve their pharmacies’ performance.

With the FBI estimating that U.S. robberies have caused $390 million in losses in 2015, one of the most important steps independent pharmacists can take for their businesses and customers is security. Thinking a pharmacy is immune from theft or robbery is one of the biggest misconceptions Cardinal Health’s Director of Security Jason Blumenauer, said — and he also notes that ensuring a secure pharmacy doesn’t have to break the bank.

Medication therapy management (MTM) is a tool that more pharmacies are incorporating into their practices as a way to both strategically boost engagement with the local provider community and strengthen ties with patients, while at the same time improving adherence, lowering overall health costs and driving more revenue into the pharmacy.