Michelle Ellinwood on LinkedIn: Staff Pharmacist FT - CVS (2024)

It has been so rewarding to be a healthcare professional, being a pharmacist in the community pharmacy, being a liaison in patient care when healthcare system is so overwhelmed all over the country .I have been a pharmacist in a decade and started my practice in Alberta and with the scope of practice that I had in Alberta I enjoyed my profession and practiced to the full level of my professional scope and made a difference in patients life on daily basis .It is so rewarding when you do something for a patient, even if it's a very short and simple conversation with some open and some close ended questions but the impact is significant and sometimes life changing .I have many encounters where I felt I accomplished my goal of making a difference in my patients lives and served my role as a responsible healthcare professional .The simple conversations at pick up station then stepping aside to consultation when you know something is not right was very meaningful although when the conversation was initiated it was more like a check on knowledge and review of something that could have been assumed patient is doing it right and they know very well about what they are doing for instance :" can you please explain me how do you use your inhaler or nasal spray " .... the answer I got was not a surprise to me but was a surprise to my patient that they didn't know how to use it properly and some even took a deep breath and said " well thank you !! I wish we had someone ask us that question before ???When I reviewed it with one patient recently she walked away with some hope as she was having chronic allergic rhinitis and few weeks later she was shooing in the store and she came to me to say "thank you for helping me last time as my nasal spray is finally working after years of start using it"" so a small yet a significant conversation which was proactively started by Pharmacist not patient .Some other examples are many other gaps in patient care due to lack of family physicians, clinic being overbooked and so on that creates a gap between patient's understating of their disease state and how to manage it properly .I have encountered patients who have diabetes but they don't know what A1C is ?? They don't what's the importance of SMBG and many basic things .So I utilise my skills and my opportunities to educate my patients everyday and all the time and coach my team to do so .It's a professional obligation and it's something that makes us stand out as pharmacist instead of Chemist.I find that it is important to prob into some scenarios as patient may not know what to ask or who to ask or what you as a pharmacist can do for them .I have seen Pharmacist making a difference in healthcare system with their scope of practice on daily basis .Proud to be a pharmacist and enjoy to do what I can do !!!!Together we can have our community and all the Canadians achieve their goal of Live Life Well!!!!

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🚀 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞! 🏥The announcement from the government marks a significant step forward for pharmacy technicians in our healthcare system. Pending parliamentary approval, pharmacy technicians will soon be empowered to supply medicines under patient group directions (PGDs), a move to revolutionise patient care.This ground-breaking decision means pharmacy technicians could soon be providing Pharmacy First consultations and administering vaccinations, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). It's a move aimed at streamlining processes, cutting bureaucracy, and improving patient care efficiency.With widespread public support from a recent consultation, it's evident that this change is welcomed by many. However, it's not without its detractors. Despite opposition from some quarters, the government is confident this step will free up pharmacists' time and enhance access to primary care services.The pharmacy minister emphasizes the importance of recognizing the crucial role played by pharmacy staff, aiming for them to work to their full scope of practice. This development signals a significant shift in the healthcare landscape, with pharmacy technicians poised to play an even more integral role in patient care. Read more: https://vist.ly/v9bxStay tuned for more updates as this story unfolds!#Verovian #Healthcare #PharmacyTechnicians #PatientCare

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🚀 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞! 🏥The announcement from the government marks a significant step forward for pharmacy technicians in our healthcare system. Pending parliamentary approval, pharmacy technicians will soon be empowered to supply medicines under patient group directions (PGDs), a move to revolutionise patient care.This ground-breaking decision means pharmacy technicians could soon be providing Pharmacy First consultations and administering vaccinations, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). It's a move aimed at streamlining processes, cutting bureaucracy, and improving patient care efficiency.With widespread public support from a recent consultation, it's evident that this change is welcomed by many. However, it's not without its detractors. Despite opposition from some quarters, the government is confident this step will free up pharmacists' time and enhance access to primary care services.The pharmacy minister emphasizes the importance of recognizing the crucial role played by pharmacy staff, aiming for them to work to their full scope of practice. This development signals a significant shift in the healthcare landscape, with pharmacy technicians poised to play an even more integral role in patient care. Read more: https://vist.ly/v9bvStay tuned for more updates as this story unfolds!#Verovian #Healthcare #PharmacyTechnicians #PatientCare

CVS conceded to changes to only 60 stores in KC where #pharmacists were the first in history to #walkoutThe problem is: why only 60 stores? Why only KC? Do people not go to OTHER CVS stores in OTHER states in the nation for their prescription? What happen to the pharmacists AND the customers in other locations? The pharmacists are still subjected to unsafe working conditions and the public is still at risk. The problem for safe patient #healthcare remains.Imagine… the way food is cooked (for decades throughout the chain) at a restaurant is learned to be the reason the quality has decreased. The discovery is made at the restaurants in one city say KC. So they implement changes. Great! If they don’t implement changes to OTHER locations in the nation, the brand is creating a mistrust in the public. People will continue to go the restaurant in KC but the brand will see a decline in sale at the remaining locations. No one wants to spend money for bad food, correct?This is not food we’re talking here. IT IS YOUR HEALTH. IT IS YOUR LIFE AND DEATH. Or permanent disability if you ingest the wrong medication. A glass of water. Or you think because it is colorless. So is bleach and vodka. One will kill faster than the other. When it comes to changes involving safety, they need to be implemented at ALL levels to guarantee success. In this case, PUBLIC SAFETY AND PATIENT WELLBEING. CHANGES FOR SAFE WORKING CONDITION FOR PHARMACISTS IN RETAIL CHAIN PHARMACY NEED TO BE APPLIED AT ALL STORES, IN ALL STATES. NATIONWIDE. ALL CHAINS.#patientsafety #publicsafety

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Have we seen this coming? As the pharmacy business is changing the role of the community pharmacist, has the workforce kept up with the vision? Because, if pharmacists cannot deliver these services, then it is us, the healthcare consumer, who will bear the burden. I found this out recently when getting my Medicare-approved shingles shot. This vaccination and the TDAP vaccination are covered by Part D, so they have to be administered by a pharmacist. The Shingrix vaccine is recombinant which means two liquids have to be mixed at the time of administration. A pharmacist is capable of this task, but a pharmicist works in a distractible, high activity public facing environment, and it is another task that takes the pharmacist's time. (Is the pharmacist doing this or the pharmacy tech? How is the pharmacy tech trained for this task?). Invitations to medical error. Because this vaccination is covered by Part D, it has to be administered at a pharmacy (unless medical practices make it their business to figure out how to make claims to Part D). Now let's take a look at what is happening to the pharmacy workforce. https://lnkd.in/ebxc-kBB. Dave deBronkartMichael MillensonGrace Cordovano, PhD, BCPAJanice TufteJanice McCallumSusannah FoxNicole Rochester, M.D.

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There is no question that pharmacists are capable of stepping into primary care roles like test to treat. The real question is how will we be reimbursed for those services?There are no pharmacist clinical services without a pathway to equitable reimbursem*nt Without inclusion into medical networks pharmacist scope of practice expansion is unsustainable. Provider CSAO has an established pathway to medical contracting and credentialing Contact provider csao on how to get included in medical provider networks.Forbes Bruce Japsen #pharmacy #healthinsurance #providerstatus #clincialpharmacy https://lnkd.in/eBxD9jqm

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🌟 Shining a Spotlight on the Unsung Heroes of the NHS: Pharmacy Technicians! 💊Many healthcare heroes work diligently behind the scenes, and among them are the remarkable pharmacy technicians of the NHS. Discover why they are the unsung heroes in our latest blog post.🌐 Dive into the article to explore their day-to-day responsibilities, the significant contributions made during the pandemic, and the overarching importance of pharmacy technicians in the UK healthcare landscape.Read the full article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dKFF898MLet's give a round of applause to these healthcare champions who make a difference every day! 👏💙 #healthcareheroes #NHS #PharmacyTechnicians #GlobeLoc*ms #HealthcareBlog #COVID19Heroes #healthcarestaffing #HealthcareProfessionals #UKHealthcare #PharmacistJobs #PharmacyJobs #Pharmacist #pharmacytech

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Did you know just like 5 Moments of Hand washing, there are 5 moments of Medication Safety?Hear from Clinical Pharmacist Ada Okeyika from Evercare Hospital Lekki speak about 5 moments of medication safety.The World Health Organization has established the "5 Moments of Medication Safety" framework to promote safe medication practices. These moments highlight key points during the medication use process where errors can occur and emphasize the importance of ensuring patient safety. The 5 Moments of Medication Safety are as follows:Prescribing: This moment focuses on the process of prescribing medications. It includes ensuring accurate diagnosis, selecting the appropriate medication, prescribing the correct dosage and route, considering patient-specific factors (e.g., allergies, comorbidities), and using evidence-based guidelines.Preparation: The preparation moment refers to the steps taken to prepare and dispense medications. It involves verifying the accuracy of the prescription, calculating and measuring the correct dosage, using proper aseptic techniques, checking for potential drug-drug interactions or allergies, and labeling the medication correctly.Dispensing: Dispensing encompasses the activities involved in providing the medication to the patient, whether in a hospital, community pharmacy, or other healthcare settings. It involves accurately retrieving and verifying the prescribed medication, ensuring proper packaging and labeling, providing appropriate patient counseling, and maintaining appropriate storage conditions.Administration: This moment centers around the actual administration of medication to the patient. It includes confirming the patient's identity, verifying the medication and dosage against the prescription, using the correct administration route and technique, ensuring proper timing, documenting the administration, and educating the patient about the medication.Monitoring: The monitoring moment focuses on ongoing surveillance and evaluation of the patient's response to medication therapy. It involves assessing the patient for therapeutic effectiveness, adverse effects, drug interactions, and adherence to the prescribed medication regimen. By recognizing and addressing potential errors or gaps in each of these moments, healthcare professionals can enhance medication safety, reduce the risk of medication errors, and improve patient outcomes.Medblaze is proud to be associated with Evercare Group in their pursuit to enhance patient safety & patient experience. Medblaze is now the preferred digital quality & patient experience management solution provider for over 250 plus hospitals in 12 countries.To know more about Medblaze, book a demo at www.medblaze.com#clinicalpharmacist #medicationsafety #patientsafety #patientexperience #riskmanagement #clinicaloutcomes #healthcare #pharmacy #hospital #quality #safety #administration #surveillance

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Working at #onlinepharmacy Redcare Pharmacy, but not being a #pharmacist myself, it is of utmost importance to understand the role pharmacists and #pharmacies play in the healthcare system to be able to conduct my job as #publicaffairs specialist well. In a recent publications and speech, I clearly see a trend from a pharmacist being understood as merely a person dispensing medication, to a pharmacist with a much broader role. This broader role will only increase instead of diminish.⭕ According to the just published OECD - OCDE Health at a Glance 2023 report, community pharmacists "in addition to dispensing medications...are increasingly providing direct care to patients (such as vaccinations, medicine adherence and chronic disease management support, and home medication review), both in community pharmacies and as part of integrated healthcare provider teams". In countries such as Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, pharmacists also play an enhanced role in health promotion and disease prevention, including in rural areas. https://shorturl.at/vxHN0⭕ Demissionary Dutch Health Minister Ernst Kuipers delivered a speech at a recent pharmacy event and alluded to the fact that increasing medicine shortages, aging populations, climate change and new technologies lead to an even more important role for the pharmacy in the future, in a healthcare system where the patient is central and technology can help. A future where pharmacists are even more part of multidisciplinary teams, collaborating across the region and with physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals to provide the best possible care to their patients. With these clear messages, he also called upon pharmacists to see what pharmacists themselves can do to overcome challenges.❗ Based on the experience of colleagues, I am convinced that the changing nature of the pharmacist profession is not limited to community pharmacists, but to a great extent the above services are also delivered by pharmacists at an online pharmacy. Online pharmacies are to me the future, in a much needed mix between all kinds of pharmacist types. In the end, we all want the same right: to just deliver quality pharmaceutical care to patients!📣 What is your idea on the #pharmacistofthefuture #pharmacyofthefuture? Happy to exchange on any great suggestions you have!

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We are in such a critical state in pharmacy! I know that many have different opinions about how pharmacy has been in the media spotlight since 2020! I totally see your feelings about it and how you think that it degrades the profession.But let me tell that this is absolutely very good for us , especially those who are in the trenches of those horrible working conditions.For so long, the battle was wager in silent within companies having the power and shifting blames on the employees and shielding themselves because no one knew the truths.And although you might agree that the public perception of us has not gotten any better, I want to say that now the public is aware of the conditions #Pharmacists, #Technicians and #Students are working under and the danger they face. Moreover, on terms of regulations and such, to have national coverage on this, helps plead our cases when we need changes.Many individuals since the last 10 years have worked so diligently to finally get the media to cover anything but PBMS and yes I say that with so much pride because those issues from Chains are birthed from greedy, abusive and profit driven culture! And I am so so grateful for all of those trailblazers including my good friends The Accidental Pharmacist aka Shane Lee Jerominski and his wife Mare , Rxcomedy aka @Maurice Shaw The Cynical Pharmacist and many others. Thank you for paving the way.As of today, working conditions have been featured in national news outlets such as NBC, CBS, USA TODAY, NYT, WSJ, Bloomberg, NPR, AP, and now CNN! I hope that as a profession, we take advantage of this momentum! If you believe that CVS Health, @Walgreens and others used to have the upper hands, think again!!You have been handed a fire.. now go light up the forest! https://lnkd.in/gz7mVRXehttps://lnkd.in/gsAWYAA9

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