Patient care: Making a difference every day

Abstract

At a recent meeting of clinicians and researchers, I had the pleasure of hearing David Dubin tell his remarkable story. Dubin is a three-time cancer survivor who has Lynch Syndrome, a genetic predisposition to colon and other cancers. He is also the founder of AliveAndKickn (http://aliveandkickn.org/), a foundation dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by this disorder. As Dubin told his personal story, he emphasized that the attention, time, energy, and care that patients receive really do matter. These have made a difference to him, and they make a difference in the lives of countless patients with whom we interact every day.In the current issue of Pharmacy Today, the impact that pharmacists are having resonates on every page. Alison Kingston, PharmD, a Hy-Vee pharmacist featured in this month’s Innovations cover story, describes her experience with a pharmacy-based pointof- care testing program offering strep and influenza tests (pages 34–37). From the MTM practice in an independent pharmacy that provides thousands of clinical interventions each month (MTM Pearls, page 38), to a pharmacist in a family practice clinic who is changing patients’ lives one at a time (page 54), we are making a difference. And our ability to do so is being increasingly recognized on the state and national levels through legal changes such as those in HB 188, an Ohio bill signed into law in December 2015 that expands pharmacists’ scope of services in that state (page 53).I hope you can take a moment to learn more about these stories and strategies in this issue of Today. Of course, you’ll also get facts on new drug approvals, the latest research on SSRIs in pregnancy (page 31), an update on allergic rhinitis guidelines (pages 22–23), APhA’s CPE on expanding naloxone use (pages 61–72), and much more. At a recent meeting of clinicians and researchers, I had the pleasure of hearing David Dubin tell his remarkable story. Dubin is a three-time cancer survivor who has Lynch Syndrome, a genetic predisposition to colon and other cancers. He is also the founder of AliveAndKickn (http://aliveandkickn.org/), a foundation dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by this disorder. As Dubin told his personal story, he emphasized that the attention, time, energy, and care that patients receive really do matter. These have made a difference to him, and they make a difference in the lives of countless patients with whom we interact every day. In the current issue of Pharmacy Today, the impact that pharmacists are having resonates on every page. Alison Kingston, PharmD, a Hy-Vee pharmacist featured in this month’s Innovations cover story, describes her experience with a pharmacy-based pointof- care testing program offering strep and influenza tests (pages 34–37). From the MTM practice in an independent pharmacy that provides thousands of clinical interventions each month (MTM Pearls, page 38), to a pharmacist in a family practice clinic who is changing patients’ lives one at a time (page 54), we are making a difference. And our ability to do so is being increasingly recognized on the state and national levels through legal changes such as those in HB 188, an Ohio bill signed into law in December 2015 that expands pharmacists’ scope of services in that state (page 53). I hope you can take a moment to learn more about these stories and strategies in this issue of Today. Of course, you’ll also get facts on new drug approvals, the latest research on SSRIs in pregnancy (page 31), an update on allergic rhinitis guidelines (pages 22–23), APhA’s CPE on expanding naloxone use (pages 61–72), and much more. Kristin Weitzel, PharmD, FAPhA, Editor-in-Chief, Pharmacy Today