A Lebhar-Friedman® Publication 425 Park Ave., New York, NY 10022 VP/Group Publisher John Kenlon (212) 756-5238, jkenlon@lf.com Editor-in-Chief Rob Eder (212) 756-5160, reder@lf.com Managing Editor Teresa Dombach (212) 756-5015, tdombach@lf.com Continuing Education Director Crystal Lennartz (262) 696-4254, clennartz@lf.com Director/Custom Education Solutions Pam Bernadellla (763) 432-7461, pbernade@lf.com Desk Editors Melissa Valliant (212) 756-5156, mvallian@lf.com Rozanne Gelbinovich (212) 756-5093, rgelbino@lf.com Contributing Writers Michael Johnsen Jim Frederick CUSTOM COMMUNICATIONS Executive Director, Custom Media Paula Lashinsky 212.756.5131, plashins@retailingtoday.com Group Account Director Ali Zipes (212) 756-5037, azipes@lf.com Senior Design Director Ivy Tirosh (212) 756-5218, itirosh@lf.com Designer Calvin Anthony (212) 756-5113, canthony@lf.com PRODUCTION/MANUFACTURING Senior Production Manager Theresa Nicosia (212) 756-5033, tnicosia@lf.com REGIONAL SALES OFFICES NEW YORK Associate Publisher Wayne Bennett (212) 756-5157, wbennett@lf.com Sales Manager Eric Savitch (212) 756-5285, esavitch@lf.com Senior Account Manager, Pharmaceuticals Sharon Ames (212) 756-5166, sames@lf.com MIDWEST Midwest Area Manager Catherine Stephany (312) 645-5081, cstephan@lf.com WEST Western Regional Manager Mary Fagnano (323) 860-6308, mfagnano@lf.com

Someone get me off this
godforsaken island, please Rob Eder Editor in Chief

Remember “Gilligan’s Island?” Man, that was a great show. The thing about “Gilligan’s Island” was that no matter what else happened, you just knew they were never getting off that island.

That’s the way I feel sometimes watching this whole health-reform debate unfold — like I’m watching an old episode of “Gilligan’s Island.” Only this time it’s not so funny.

It’s really not that much of a stretch when you think about it, because just like the castaways, each of whom clearly wanted off the island, it’s hard to find a person in America who doesn’t believe that our healthcare system needs fixing.

As the editor of Pharmacy Tech News, all of this health reform talk has me teetering back and forth between hopeless optimism and intense frustration. Optimism because I know that if the folks that make the decisions in Washington, D.C., and America’s state houses could see what I see, they would see significant opportunities to reduce the cost of health care in this country simply by getting patients to take their medications as they are supposed to.

Frustrated because, on the other hand, too little of the focus has been placed on the subject of improving patient compliance and adherence.

Here’s some health reform America could implement tomorrow. Every dollar we spend on prescription drugs in this country — and people actually taking them correctly — saves $7 in upstream healthcare costs, such as ER visits, otherwise unnecessary surgeries and long-term hospitalizations. It is estimated that the total cost of nonadherence runs as high as $300 billion; that’s about one-third of the projected cost of the entire health-reform package. (To learn more about your role in improving compliance and adherence, see page 12.)

Underneath it all, I guess I am still hopeful that we might see some meaningful reform. But at times, it sure has been a lot like watching an old episode of “Gilligan’s Island.” Because just like the castaways, all of whom seemed to want off the island, you get the sense that Congress — both sides of the aisle — the Obama administration and all of America just isn’t hearing the answer. And just like some Russian cosmonauts and British Invasion rock stars that washed ashore on Sherwood Schwartz’s fictional island, you get the sense that the proverbial ship just might sail on true reform. And by then, it may be too late to ever get off this godforsaken island.

contents

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news

6 The cyberspace race

TechEd lesson

9 Quick answers to common questions on flu vaccines

16 The pharmacy technician’s role in H1N1 prevention

brought to you by:

14 New products

12 Patient adherence

& compliance

6

winter 2009

Pharmacy Tech news