Pharmacy In Practice Podcast

Pharmacy in Practice
Pharmacy In Practice Podcast

Comment, analysis and interviews from UK Pharmacy

  1. JAN 27

    Exploring AI and the evolving role of pharmacists with Steve Smoke

    In this episode of the Pharmacy in Practice podcast, host Johnathan Laird sits down with U.S. pharmacist Steve Smoke for an insightful conversation spanning the current political climate in the U.S., the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in pharmacy, and innovative approaches to patient care. We are also joined by our fantastic new editor, Grace Lewis, and we are revealing our new podcast jingle. Johnathan and Steve share their unique perspectives, shaped by their experiences in Scotland and the U.S., respectively. Highlights include: AI in Pharmacy: Johnathan’s enthusiasm for AI and its potential to revolutionize pharmacy. Steve’s candid discussion about the intimidation many pharmacists feel towards AI due to insufficient training. A call for foundational conversations to demystify AI and equip pharmacists with the tools they need to embrace it. Steve’s Professional Journey: Transitioning from clinical pharmacy to informatics, a path shaped by experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. His upcoming role as the lead informatics pharmacist for his health system. Innovative Concepts in Pharmacy: Johnathan introduces "technoceutical care," an approach that leverages technology to enhance patient outcomes. Contrasting perspectives on pharmacy practice in hospital versus outpatient settings. Vaccination and Antimicrobial Resistance: Steve’s advocacy for current vaccines and the potential for new vaccines to combat resistant pathogens. Johnathan’s critical view of the pharmaceutical industry's motives sparked a balanced discussion on the role of vaccines in public health. The Role of AI in Pharmacy: Categorizing AI’s potential applications into clinical pharmacy, operations, and administrative tasks. Ethical considerations surrounding "Sovereign Data" and the importance of individual data ownership and transparency. The transformative potential of AI and the challenges of integrating it into pharmacy practice. Key Takeaway: Johnathan and Steve’s conversation provides a thought-provoking exploration of the intersections between technology, public health, and the evolving role of pharmacists. As they reflect on the future, they share a vision of reconvening in a decade to assess how far the field has come. Tune in to Learn: How AI is shaping the future of pharmacy. The innovative concept of "technoceutical care." Insights into vaccination strategies to address antimicrobial resistance. Ethical and practical considerations for adopting new technologies in pharmacy practice. Follow Us: Stay updated with the latest episodes and discussions by subscribing to the Pharmacy in Practice podcast.

    1 hr
  2. 12/27/2024

    Breaking the cycle: How pharmacists can lead the fight against Scotland's drug death crisis

    Breaking the Cycle: How Pharmacists Can Lead the Fight Against Scotland's Drug Death Crisis Guest: Professor Catriona Matheson Episode Summary: In this thought-provoking episode, we sit down with Professor Catriona Matheson, an accomplished pharmacist, researcher, and advocate for harm reduction in tackling Scotland’s drug-related death crisis. With one of the highest drug-related mortality rates in Europe, Scotland faces a pressing challenge. Professor Matheson shares her insights, highlighting the crucial role pharmacists and pharmacy teams play in reducing harm, saving lives, and addressing stigma in the community. We discuss: Professor Matheson’s career journey, from her early days in community pharmacy to becoming a leading voice in harm reduction. How pharmacies can act as accessible, trusted hubs for at-risk individuals. The evolution of harm reduction strategies and the vital role of naloxone in preventing overdoses. Insights from drug-related death reviews in Aberdeen and how they inform better practices. The Scottish Pharmacy Alliance’s mission to innovate and collaborate across the profession. Practical ways pharmacists can reduce stigma and create a welcoming environment for vulnerable populations. This episode is packed with actionable advice, inspiring stories, and a vision for the future of pharmacy in tackling substance misuse. Key Takeaways: Pharmacies are frontline responders: With accessibility and trust at the heart of their role, pharmacies are uniquely positioned to offer life-saving services like naloxone distribution and harm reduction advice. Early intervention saves lives: Pharmacists are often the first to notice signs of distress, providing critical opportunities for early support. Stigma is a barrier: Addressing stigma through training, empathy, and trauma-informed care is essential to building trust with vulnerable populations. Collaboration drives innovation: The Scottish Pharmacy Alliance is pioneering new approaches, such as embedding pharmacists in outreach teams to serve the homeless and other vulnerable groups. Resources Mentioned in the Episode: Learn more about the Scottish Pharmacy Alliance. Information on take-home naloxone kits and their distribution in Scotland. Training resources for pharmacists on harm reduction and trauma-informed care. Upcoming Event: 📅 Don’t miss the Pharmacy in Practice Conference on 12th March 2025 at The Novotel Edinburgh Park! Join us for a day of impactful sessions, networking opportunities, and actionable insights to shape the future of pharmacy. Register at www.pharmacyinpractice.uk If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your colleagues. Let’s keep the conversation going about how pharmacy can transform lives and communities.

    1 hr
  3. Will pharmacy ever learn from its mistakes?

    12/05/2023

    Will pharmacy ever learn from its mistakes?

    Georgia C. Richards DPhil (Oxon), BSc (Hons I) is a research fellow at the University of Oxford. We sat down to discuss fundamentally why healthcare, and specifically pharmacy, appears to be consistently poor at reporting, sharing and learning from significant and fatal incidents involving patients. EBM Special Study Theme (SST) Lead for the undergraduate medical school, CEBM Research Fellow, ODI Associate Editor, BMJ EBM Fellow, RROx Georgia coordinates and teaches Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) and systematic review modules for the undergraduate Medical School. She has a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil/PhD) in Epidemiology from the University of Oxford (2021) and expertise in quantitative observational research, open data, open science and evidence synthesis. Georgia's list of publications is here.  Georgia founded and leads the Preventable Deaths Tracker. She is an Open Data Institute (ODI) Research Fellow, an Associate Editor of BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, a Fellow of Reproducible Research Oxford (RROx), a Centre for Open Science (COS) Ambassador, a member of the Catalogue of Bias Collaboration, on the Steering Group for the Declaration to Improve Health Research, and a founding member of the Transparent & Open Research Collaboration in Health (TORCH). Georgia welcomes supervision queries from undergraduate and graduate students on taught and research programmes who are interested in pursuing research in the following areas:  patient safety, preventable deaths, and harms in healthcare  pharmaco-epidemiology and pharmaco-device-vigilance open science, open data, and meta-research  Georgia also welcomes contributions to the Preventable Deaths Tracker and Oxford Catalogue of Opioids. Here are some links I mentioned in the podcast. https://preventabledeathstracker.net/ Substack newsletter: https://preventabledeaths.substack.com/ Opioid deaths: https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdad147 Medicine deaths: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-023-01274-8 Responses using FOI’s https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-017-0588-0 SR of medicine-related PFDs: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40290-023-00486-8 Impact of covid on medicine-related deaths: https://www.bps.ac.uk/publishing/pharmacology-matters/august-2022/pandemics,-pharmacology,-and-preventable-deaths Deaths during covid: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2021-111834 The BJGP podcast on the private prescribing of opioids I mentioned came out last week which may be of interest: https://www.bjgplife.com/143

    45 min
  4. 11/02/2023

    Will pharmacists be replaced by artificial intelligence?

    We were delighted to welcome Yasmin Karsan to the podcast to chat all things artificial intelligence. Episode Synopsis Johnathan and Yasmin discuss the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning on pharmacy practice. They acknowledged the difficulty in fully understanding this technology and its potential impact on the industry, including the existential questions it raises. Despite this, they express excitement for the possibilities that AI and machine learning can bring to pharmacy practice. They also discuss the challenges faced by community pharmacy in the wider NHS system and the need for better communication, stakeholder engagement, and technology. Yasmin shares her entrepreneurial journey, including her experience in an accelerator program that helped her find a co-founder and develop an idea for a private prescribing tool to support pharmacies. She also discusses her current focus on developing a pharmacogenomics business using AI to target patients in a precise way. Karsan acknowledges the challenges of innovating in healthcare, including the resistance to change in the industry and the paternalistic mindset that can still exist. She also highlights the importance of networking and learning from experts in different fields when building a business. Yasmin and Johnathan explore the potential benefits and challenges of incorporating AI in healthcare. They discuss the concerns around data privacy and bias, and the importance of recognizing and mitigating biases in AI. They also touch on the need for clinicians to oversee AI in healthcare to ensure that biased information or decisions are not being made. They also discuss the potential risks and red flags of AI and technology, including the issue of bias and the lack of control over personal data and privacy. Overall, they emphasize the need for awareness and vigilance in the face of unknown unknowns.

    49 min
  5. 01/28/2023

    Scottish community pharmacy prescribes the right medicine

    Leadership in Scottish Community pharmacy circles has been alive and kicking for some years now. The policy document 'The Right Medicine' published back in February 2002 was a seminal moment for Scottish community pharmacy and paved the way for the way pharmaceutical care has evolved north of the border. In the heady days just after Scottish devolution Chief Pharmaceutical Officier Bill Scott pushed through this plan to allow pharmacists and their teams in Scotland to allow patients in Scotland to realise the benefits of pharmaceutical care.  "The Right Medicine: a strategy for pharmaceutical care in Scotland" was published on 4 February. It aims to help people to get the maximum benefit from their medicines. It outlines the way in which pharmacists and the Scottish Executive will work with stakeholders to improve public health; provide better access to care; deliver better quality services for people; and develop the pharmaceutical profession." So it seems appropriate that just over two decades on years on we chat with the boss of one of the community pharmacy chains that grew out of this period of Scottish political and community pharmacy history.  This interview is with Richard Stephenson. Richard has been Chief Operating Officer at Right Medicine Pharmacy for approximately 13 years. He is also Managing Director of the buying group Edinpharm and leads his own consultancy business, R5 Consult.  In addition to these roles Richard also gives his time voluntarily to a number of worthy causes not least his role as Trustee at the Children's Panel.  The team at Right Medicine Pharmacy began their journey in 2000 when business partners Jonathan Burton MBE and Noel Wicks took over the Campus Pharmacy at the University of Stirling. Since then the group has grown in size to 35 Pharmacies and over 250 team members. Right Medicine Pharmacy is now considered to be one of the most progressive and cutting-edge pharmacy service providers in Scotland. References Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates

    55 min

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Comment, analysis and interviews from UK Pharmacy

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