Brevard
County
Pharmacy Association Online Newsletter
April
2005
P.O.
Box 10054 Port St.John, Florida 32927 Tel:
VM 321-633-9579 www.brevardpharmacy.com
Officers:
Executive Committee:
President….…..…..Kas
Ghayal
Chairman…
Val Ingoldsby
Member….Theresa Tolle
Secretary………….Jamie
Wilson
Member…. Kathy Petsos
Member……Mike
Edwards
Treasurer………….Jeff
Broxson
Member……Jim Dale
Member…..Deborah Ledoux
Newsletter……….Kim
Giacomelli
Member……Chris Lent
and Jamie Wilson
Member……Al Caetano
Program
Chair……Karen Bills
C.E.
Meetings
April
10, 2005- Awards banquet and installation of officers.
Hyperlipidemia
sponsored by Astra-Zeneca. One hour CE by Dr Taraschi at Hilton
Rialto
in
Melbourne
. Registration 6:30pm.
Start 7:00pm
In
This Issue
·
Asthma
Certification in Disease Management
·
Association
announcements
·
If you have not
checked the website recently you may be missing great information!
·
To keep informed
of important and up to date changes involving your profession visit the
Florida Pharmacy Association website at www.pharmview.com
or our own Brevard County Pharmacy Association website at www.brevardpharmacy.com
If
you are having problems receiving your newsletter by e-mail or mail please
contact Kim Giacomelli at kgiaco@earthlink.net
or 321-242-2996 or 321-508-2742 or Jamie Wilson at FLASUNLVR@aol.com
or 321-242-2996
ANNOUNCEMENT:
A President-Elect is needed for the 2005 year. The executive committee is full
of great leadership. Most have already held the Presidential position or are
in other officer positions. WE NEED NEW BLOOD!
This past year the Indian River County Association folded due to lack
of leadership. Don’t let this happen to us. Join the executive committee.
You will be surprised how quickly a year passes.
Laughter
is the best medicine
God
created fruits and vegetables. Satan created processed, packaged TV dinners.
God created natural lean beef. Satan created Super-size meals. God created
Angel food cake. Satan created Devil’s food cake. God sighed and created
health care professionals. Satan smiled and created HMOs.
Asthma
Many
patients make mistakes when using inhaled medications. A study published in Chest,
Oct 2004, found many children with asthma may be using the inhaler incorrectly
and mistake the amount of drug in the inhaler.
Researchers
questioned 50 children with asthma and their parents on their understanding of
inhaler use and the methods used to assess medication levels in the inhaler.
The study found 78 percent knew they were supposed to shake the inhaler before
use. But only half actually shook the inhaler when they were asked to
demonstrate.
Seventy-to
percent of the study participants said they thought the inhaler was empty when
it didn’t make a puffing sound when used. But, actually the number of
audible puff sounds in each inhaler is higher than the number listed by the
manufacturer. Patients were continuing to use their inhaler after it had no
more medication!
This
study may not surprise most pharmacists. Many pharmacists, other healthcare
providers, and elected officials realize the problems misused medication can
cause. This is one of the main driving forces behind Medicare reform.
Pharmacists are the best resource to educate patients. Something you can do to
prepare for this change is to possess expertise in various chronic diseases.
The following information is a guide for certification in asthma and other
disease states.
Nationally
recognized certification programs are available through several credentialed
health care organizations. National certification may become a requirement in
getting patient asthma education reimbursed.
1)
The American Lung Association of Central Florida
Asthma Educator Institute Prep Course
Day one workshop - 8:30AM-5:00PM
Day two workshop - 8:30AM-5:00PM
Contact:
Stephanie Hutchinson
(407) 425-5864 or 1-800-LUNG
USA
Email: shutchinson@alacf.org
What
is a Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C)?
A
certified asthma educator (AE-C) is someone that qualifies for and passes the
exam developed and administered by the National Asthma Certification Board (NAECB).
The first exam for national certification of asthma educators has been
administered beginning in September 2002 and is delivered via computer at over
110 locations throughout the
United States
. Candidates are tested on recall, application, and analysis of four main
content areas via 175 items (150 scored items, 25 pretest items).
The following currently licensed or credentialed health care professionals may
be admitted to the examination: physicians (MD, DO), physician assistants
(PA-C), nurses (RN, LPN), respiratory therapists (RRT, CRT), pulmonary
function technologists (CPFT, RPFT), pharmacists (RPh), social workers (CSW),
and health educators (CHES). In addition, individuals providing asthma
education, counseling, or coordinating services with a minimum of 1000 hours
experience in these activities will also be admitted to the exam. For
information about eligibility, fees, and registration for the exam, please
visit www.naecb.org.
It is anticipated that as asthma education becomes standardized, through this
process of national certification, third party reimbursement for asthma
education will become available. The NAECB is working to get CPT codes for
asthma education approved.
Preparatory
Course Launch
The
American Lung Association has developed the Asthma
Educator Institute,
a preparatory course for those qualified to take the National Asthma Educator
Certification Examination sponsored by the National Asthma Educator
Certification Board (NAECB). The curriculum included in the implementation
guide reflects the detailed content outline delineated in the NAECB Certified
Asthma Educator candidate book.
The
course includes hands-on skills demonstrations and practice as well as
evaluation tests to measure increase in knowledge and skills.
2)
The National Institute for Standards in Pharmacy Credentialing (NISPC)
The
National Institute for Standards in Pharmacist Credentialing (NISPC) was
established in 1998 to create a consolidated, nationally recognized,
credential for pharmacists seeking certification in a variety of disease
states.
|
"The
NISPC credentials in anticoagulation, asthma, diabetes and
dyslipidemia are recognized as the national standard for pharmacists
seeking certification in specific disease states. This credential
documents to employers, peers, and the public that these pharmacists
possess state of the art knowledge and skills to provide disease state
management services to patients. Some states use the NISPC credential
as a basis for compensation for a pharmacist’s professional
services."
|
NISPC
established appropriate standards of care and offers certification in the
areas of several disease states.
NISPC
was formed by the following organizations:
 | American
Pharmacists Association (APhA)
| National
Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
| National
Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)
| National
Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
|
| | |
NISPC
is a non-profit organization and exists independently, both administratively
and financially from the founding organizations.
Today,
over 1,500 pharmacists nationwide hold the prestigious NISPC credential.
Contact:
www.nispcnet.org
Metered
dose inhalers: How to use them properly
Shake
the inhaler
vigorously five or six times immediately before using it.
Remove
the cap
from the mouthpiece.
Check
the mouthpiece
for dirt and foreign objects, which could be inhaled. If you haven't used the
inhaler for several days, discharge one or two sprays into the air before you
use it.
Consider
attaching a spacer tube
to the mouthpiece of the inhaler. A spacer is a 4- to 8-inch length of tubing.
It helps send more of the medication deep into your lungs instead of
depositing it in your mouth, which can lead to harmful side effects. Some
inhalers have a spacer built into the unit. For others, you can buy a plastic
tube without a prescription at a pharmacy or use a 4- to 8-inch cardboard or
paper tube.
Hold
your head erect
and sit up tall or stand. Exhale normally but not forcefully.
Close
your mouth
around the open end of the spacer tube. Make sure your tongue or teeth aren't
blocking the opening. If you don't have a spacer tube, place the mouthpiece of
the inhaler unit about 2 inches in front of your open mouth.
Breathe
in very slowly
as you squeeze the inhaler once. Don't stop inhaling when you squeeze.
Continue to breathe in slowly for several seconds or for as long as it feels
comfortable. This process combines the medication with the incoming air and
pulls the mix into your lungs very slowly. Remove the spacer tube from your
mouth, but don't exhale.
| Hold
your breath
for as long as comfortable or up to 10 seconds to help the medication
settle in your airways. Exhale slowly.
| Shake
the inhaler
before each use.
| Rinse
your mouth
with water or brush your teeth after using a corticosteroid inhaler. Spit
out the water.
|
| |
Keep
your metered-dose inhaler at room temperature. When in a cold environment,
carry the metered-dose inhaler close to your body. Warm the canister by
rolling it between your hands before using it. Warming the canister to room
temperature results in smaller particles of medication. Smaller particles are
better inhaled and distributed throughout your lungs.
How
much medication is in your inhaler?
Knowing
how to monitor the amount of medication in your inhaler can help you plan
ahead to replace it before it's empty. It can also help you avoid using your
inhaler when there's so little medication left that you're not getting the
amount you need. Plan to refill your prescription 7 to 10 days before it runs
out.
To
determine how many days your medication will last, divide the total number of
doses in the cartridge by the number of doses you take per day:
|
Number
of puffs in the container
Number of puffs used each day
|
=
|
Number
of days your
inhaler will last
|
Types
of Inhalers
How
to clean your inhaler
If
you use your metered-dose inhaler regularly, clean it every day. To clean the
device, remove the metal cartridge. Rinse the applicator under running water,
paying special attention to the hole — just inside the mouthpiece — where
the medication is dispensed. Air-dry the device. Once it's dry, insert the
cartridge with a gentle twist. Keep the protective cap on the inhaler when
you're not using it.
Announcements
The
annual BCPA awards banquet is right around the corner! Nominate a friend or
coworker for Pharmacist or Technician of the year.
Other
needed positions: CE COORDINATOR, PRES ELECT, FPA CONVENTION DELEGATES, and
APHA HEALTH FAIR PARTICIPANTS
APHA
convention in
Orlando
April 1-5. Health Fair April 4th
Contact
any officer by logging onto the website, www.brevardpharmacy.com
, or calling the voice mail, 321-633-9579.
Please
update your information or renew membership by mail to: Attn Jeff Broxson,
Brevard
County
Pharmacy Association
P.O. Box
10054
Port
St. John
,
Florida
32927
Dues
can continue to be paid at meetings. Please do not try to renew or leave
changes on the voice mail.
