THE NEWEST STRAINS OF THE VIRUS ARE CAUSING A SURGE THIS SEASON, AND EXPERTS SAY IT’S IMPORTANT TO GET IMMUNIZED, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE AGE 65 OR OLDER.[i],[ii],[iii]

HERE NOW TO HELP CLARIFY LINGERING CONFUSION AROUND COVID-19 AND VACCINATION ARE PHARMACIST JOHN BECKNER AND SILVIA TAYLOR, CHIEF CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND ADVOCACY OFFICER AT NOVAVAX.

BIO:
John O. Beckner, R.Ph.

John is a pharmacist consultant with the National Community Pharmacists Association. Most recently, he served NCPA as Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives where he helped independent community pharmacies develop diversified revenue streams and maximize patient care activities. In his current role, John continues to be involved in several diabetes and immunization related activities, and he hosts Independent Rx Forum, NCPA’s podcast. He is a staunch supporter of innovative community pharmacy practice, especially with respect to immunizations. During his tenure as Director of Pharmacy and Health Services for Ukrop’s Super Markets, the company received numerous awards for excellence in immunizations, including the Immunization Champion and Pinnacle Awards from APhA.  John is a member of the Virginia Pharmacists Association, of which he served as president in 1996-1997. He received the 2014 APhA-APPM Distinguished Achievement Award in Pharmacy Management and the 2015 Bowl of Hygeia Award for outstanding community service, sponsored by APhA and NASPA. Most recently John received the Ed. D. Spearbeck Virgina Pharmacist Service Award for 2024.
John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Wake Forest University and a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy from VCU/ MCV. He is on the board of directors of the Virginia Pharmacists Association Research and Education Foundation, the Board of Trustees of the MCV Foundation, and the VCU School of Pharmacy National Advisory Council.  John has served on the board of the Central Virginia Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the board of CrossOver Healthcare Ministry, the Health Practitioners Monitoring Committee for the Virginia Department of Health Professions, the board of Health Quality Innovators, and the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. John serves on several industry advisory boards including the Novavax Advisory Board and the Drug Store News Editorial Advisory Board. He is a luminary for CPESN VA and has been involved with the network since its inception.
John and his wife Pam have 3 children, 2 grandchildren, and 2 chocolate rescue labs!

Silvia Taylor
Executive Vice President,
Chief Corporate Affairs and Advocacy Officer
Silvia Taylor is the Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs and Advocacy Officer at Novavax. In her capacity, Ms. Taylor oversees both external and internal communications, government affairs, public policy, patient advocacy, corporate reputation, global corporate digital experience and engagement, and corporate responsibility. With a career spanning over 25 years in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and public health sectors, she brings a wealth of experience in commercial, corporate, and financial communications to her leadership role. Ms. Taylor’s diverse background includes marketing blockbuster and specialty pharmaceuticals, product launches, capital raising, and holding key positions in global investor relations and corporate affairs at prominent biopharmaceutical firms such as Pfizer, MedImmune, Sucampo, and Autolus.
Originally from Argentina, Ms. Taylor holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Technology Council.

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https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/

October is Liver Awareness Month and a great time to talk about hepatitis A vaccination with your doctor or pharmacist. Since 2017, substantial increases in hepatitis A have occurred, with nearly 40,000 cases reported. While people who use drugs, people experiencing homelessness, and men who have sex with men are most often at risk, nearly one third of people with hepatitis A have no identified risk factor.
Hepatitis A patient Stan was 66 years old and in the best shape of his life, having just completed a half-marathon, when he contracted hepatitis A and his life was changed. He believes he contracted the virus through food at a restaurant. His symptoms began as mild and sporadic and felt like the flu, but as his symptoms of nausea continued he was rushed to the ER and told that his liver was failing. Stan underwent a liver transplant and fortunately is doing well today, but regrets not knowing that vaccination for hepatitis A is available.
85% adults in the US have not been vaccinated for Hepatitis A; creating opportunities for infection, as it can be transmitted person-to-person or through contaminated food or drink.
Foodborne outbreaks of the virus can occur when someone eats fresh and frozen food products that are contaminated with Hepatitis A. It can be transmitted where food is prepared and served by food handlers who may be infected with the virus.
Stories from real people affected by hepatitis A remind us why everyone, not just high-risk groups or travelers, should discuss vaccination with their healthcare provider.
On Thursday, September 30th , Stan and Dr. Leah Smith, Pharmacist and Vaccine Educator at GSK discuss the virus, vaccination and share a personal perspective on the impact of the illness.
Interview is courtesy: GSK

#hepatitis #transmission #liver #hospital #sick #awareness #leah #smith #stan #vaccine #pharmacist #gsk #virus #illness #impact #drugs #homelessness #symptoms #nausea #cdc

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cdc.gov/hepatitis/

WORLD HEPATITS DAY IS COMING UP ON JULY 28TH AND HERE WITH INFORMATION TO HELP YOU PROTECT YOUR HEALTH DURING THIS OUTBREAK, ARE DR. LEAH SMITH, PHARMACIST AND VACCINE EDUCATOR AT G-S-K, AND PATIENT ANGELA.

BIO
Leah Smith, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP
Pharmacist & Vaccine Educator, Vaccines
Dr. Leah Smith has been with GSK since August 2019, serving in the Medical Affairs division of GSK Vaccines. Leah earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Howard University in 2005 and subsequently completed a post-graduate pharmacy residency at Grady Health System in Atlanta, Georgia. Post-residency, Leah continued her career as a clinical pharmacist in both inpatient and ambulatory care settings, transitioned to managed care at Humana, working as a clinical pharmacist and quality consultant for 8 years, and subsequently served as a pharmacy residency accreditor with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She strives to use her years of experience in patient care as a foundation in her current role, as she engages with healthcare professionals and other stakeholders regarding the value of vaccinations.

#hepatitis #health #hepatitis-a #virus #attacks #liver #hospitalized #need #cdc #leah #smith #pharmacist #vaccine #educator #gsk #angela #medical #affairs #howard #grady

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Jim Morelli, Registered Pharmacist and Nationally Recognized Health Expert Provides Important Tips On What You Need to Know to Get Through The Resurgent Flu Season!!

BREAKING NEWS:

Flu is making a late-season comeback… and you may be at risk.  It’s spring – and that’s supposed to mean the end of flu season. But just as everyone is easing back on precautions comes word of an enormous spike in spring flu cases.

In New England, flu cases are up 67% over the same period last year – with  nearly 85,000 new cases reported last week. In the Midwest, it’s even worse. Cases are up an astounding 225% over the same week last year, with more than 380,000 affected.

Jim is available to discuss:

What’s behind this sudden spike in flu cases?

What role is the weather playing?

How can you protect yourself from a late-season infection?

Why altering your lifestyle may be the single best way you can stay well

How do you know it’s the flu?

The spring cold and allergy season?
Jim Morelli:

Jim Morelli is a registered pharmacist, author and television personality, and a national spokesperson for a number of consumer health products. Morelli began his pharmacy career in the Boston area, after graduating from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. He went on to earn a Master’s degree in civil engineering from Tufts University. As a pharmacist, Morelli worked in retail and hospital settings, as well as for a pharmaceutical firm and in two major poison control centers. Morelli began his journalism career as a newspaper reporter in Atlanta, Georgia. His work has also appeared in such publications as Men’s Fitness, USA Today and Men’s Health. He is the author of Poison! How to Handle the Hazardous Substances In Your Home, which was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Morelli began his television journalism career at the CNN Airport Network, where he worked as a producer and writer. He was promoted to weekend anchor at Headline News and also worked in several other CNN divisons, including CNN Radio and CNN International. Morelli also worked as a local news reporter for WGCL, the CBS affiliate in Atlanta, as well as at WCVB, the ABC affiliate in Boston. Morelli splits his time between Boston and Atlanta.

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Clinical Pharmacist talks about ways seniors with cognitive disabilities can avoid medication errors

Seniors who take multiple medications are seven times more likely to require hospitalization because of an adverse drug event, say experts at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the ASHP Research and Education Foundation. During National Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 3-19), the pharmacist groups want the public to know that pharmacists are crucial resources for managing medications correctly and avoiding problems, and they are sharing important tips that can help family caregivers protect their elderly loved ones from dangerous medication errors.

The risk of a medication error increases when cognitive disabilities, such as dementia, are involved. The Alzheimer’s Foundation estimates that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease and that about a half million Americans younger than age 65 have some form of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, more than 65 million people (29 percent of the U.S. population) provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year. Fifteen million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

“These patients are at greater risk for having medication safety problems at home after hospital discharge,” says Dr. Allison Paquin, a clinical pharmacist at VA Boston Healthcare System in Massachusetts, who works regularly with older patients with cognitive difficulties. “They often have more complex medication regimens and a decreased ability to follow those regimens. It is important for caregivers to know how to help them use their medicines safely.”

Dr. Paquin and a multidisciplinary team at VA Boston Healthcare System were responsible for an initiative that helped seniors with cognitive disabilities manage their medications, greatly reducing the rate of hospital readmissions and emergency department visits. This initiative, The PILL Service, earned the VA Boston Healthcare System the ASHP Foundation’s 2012 Award for Excellence in Medication-Use Safety. The award is sponsored by a grant from the Cardinal Health Foundation.

This interview is sponsored by the ASHP Foundation and ASHP.

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