Search Results

As National Immunization Awareness Month, August is a great time to learn about vaccines and make sure all of your immunizations are up to date. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children be vaccinated for 14 diseases during the first year or two of their lives (see the full recommended vaccine schedule here). Other vaccines are recommended for adolescents, adults and those considering international travel. A Brief History of Vaccines Before vaccines were developed, outbreaks of infectious diseases that are now vaccine-preventable – like smallpox, diphtheria and measles – were fatal, especially for children. These diseases created widespread fear and panic, and killed a significant number of those infected. But those who survived developed immunity, and were unable to contract the disease again. In the late 18th century, the English doctor Edward Jenner used cowpox to develop a vaccine which created immunity against smallpox, similar to the way surviving the disease created immunity. Over the next 200 years, effective and safe vaccines for several other infectious diseases were developed, significantly decreasing the occurrences of these diseases (see a full timeline of vaccine development here). How do vaccines work? Vaccines are created using an inactivated or weakened version of the virus that causes the disease. This allows the immune system to prepare the defense it would need to protect the body from the infection-causing virus. Vaccines create immunity to the diseases they prevent, similar to the immunity developed from exposure to a disease. Even though many vaccines are developed using some version of the bacteria that causes the disease, you can’t contract the infection itself from the vaccine, making it safer than developing natural immunity (if you’re interested in a more in-depth assessment of how vaccines work, look here). Benefits & Risks Vaccines have effectively reduced the number of cases of vaccine-preventable diseases by more than 90%, and for many diseases by more than 98%. Before the measles vaccine was discovered, there were more than 500,000 cases a year. In 2009, there were 71. Vaccines don’t just protect individuals, either. If a large enough percentage of a group is immunized, the risk for any member of the group contracting the disease is reduced substantially. It’s called community immunity. If members of that group stop being vaccinated, instances of the disease increase significantly. There are risks associated with vaccines, but the majority of them are minor (think a little bit of redness or soreness around the injection site or other minor discomforts). The risk of contracting a disease preventable by vaccine is usually much more significant than the risks of side effects. Prior to any vaccination, discuss the benefits and risks with your doctor or pharmacist. The perceived risks of vaccines, more often than not, are the result of common misconceptions about where vaccines came from and how they work. What Vaccinations Do I Need? The CDC produced a vaccination schedule for all to follow (the recommended schedule can be found here). Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about your vaccination history or what vaccine requirements you have. #benefits #vaccineschedule #August #risks #NationalImmunizationAwarenessMonth #Vaccinations #immunizations #Vaccines #smallpox #vaccinehistory

Medication non-adherence costs the industry millions of dollars a year. But there’s an app for that. Improvements in adherence and compliance reduce health care cost and instances of hospitalization. The use of smartphone apps makes it easier to manage your medications, keep track of your schedule and find reliable drug information. Whether it’s an alarm on a phone, or a message in an email, here are a few apps built to help you manage your medication and keep track of health information. They’re no substitute for consulting with your pharmacist or physician, but they’re great for keeping your medication schedule regular. Here are three apps to help manage your medications and one to keep track of your diet and exercise. All of them are free and available for iPhone and Android. MyMedSchedule MyMedSchedule lets you create a list of their medications and supplements, and set reminders to medications and refill prescriptions. The app has preloaded pictures of pills to include in charts, which can be in English or Spanish. You can also set alerts for email or text message reminders. It can be accessed through your phone or on the web. MedCoach MedCoach helps you remember when to take medications and vitamins by creating a list of medicines, and setting reminders for when to take them. You can store information about doctors, pharmacies, medical history and appointment times, and find drug information in the Med Lookup. The app also connects patients with their pharmacies to get prescriptions refilled. MedHelper MedHelper is another medication adherence app that allows patients to make a schedule of regular and as-needed medications, complete with the reasons for taking the medications, directions and side effects. It has reminders and alerts for medications and tracks the number of pills taken out of each bottle the refills left on the prescription. You can also track information about doctors and appointment times. Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal.com For patients wanting to track their weight, food consumption, and exercise, MyFitnessPal, is a great option. The app lets you track the food you eat, either at home or your favorite restaurant and count your calorie, carbohydrate, sodium, sugar, fat and protein consumption. It also tracks calories burned and weight-loss goals. With the MyFitnessPal blog, you can interact with other users who are also monitoring their diet and exercise. (Written by Tria Health Pharmacy Student Intern Annie Barry, Pharm.D. Candidate at the UMKC School of Pharmacy) #iPhone #Andriod #tech #medicationmanagement #Smartphones #MobileApps

Tria Health’s medication therapy management (MTM) services save you (and your company) money on health care expenses. Here are a few reasons why MTM matters. 1. Most common chronic conditions are managed through medication. About 80 percent of chronic conditions require the use of medication. Medication helps to control everything from high blood pressure to depression and heart disease to diabetes, but the sheer number of medications prescribed to these patients makes managing their conditions difficult. As more and more people are diagnosed with these conditions, managing the medications used to treat them becomes even more important. 2. People don’t always take medications the way they should be taken. In fact, almost half of people taking medications don’t take them as prescribed. That can be for a lot of different reasons, including everything from unpleasant side effects to high costs to simply forgetting to take a medication. Tria Pharmacists educate patients so they understand why and how they should be taking their medications. 3. Lack of communication between patients and prescribers can result in poorly coordinated care. Patients with multiple conditions often have multiple physicians, all of whom prescribe medications, but often without consulting each other. Tria Health fills this gap in care. Whenever our pharmacists make recommendations to patients, they also communicate that information to physicians. 4. Pharmacists know medication best. Our pharmacists are clinically trained and board certified with specialties such as ambulatory care, pharmacotherapy psychiatry and infectious diseases. They take the time to analyze each patient’s conditions, medication and lifestyle, and give them personalized advice. 5. MTM delivers results. Tria Health uses real-time pharmacy data to correct medication-related problems and identify cost saving opportunities for immediate returns. #healthcareexpenses #TriaPharmacists #chronicconditions #MTM #MedicationTherapyManagement

Laboratory testing is an important way to monitor your health and get a better look at what is going on inside of your body.  But most of us only understand these tests in terms of “good” and “bad” or “high” and “low.” As part of Tria Health’s commitment to increasing your engagement in your health, we will be periodically featuring common lab tests along with an explanation of what those numbers mean for you. The Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP) is a very common panel ordered by your provider, often at your yearly physical, to assess various parts of your body’s functions. The BMP is a panel of 7 blood tests that can be run on a small amount of blood—usually less than 0.5 mL (that’s like a 10th of a teaspoon). Here’s a brief description of each test that make up the panel and what your doctor is looking for in each of them. Sodium (normal range is 138-146 mmol/L): Sodium is a major electrolyte found in the blood stream that helps move water throughout the body. Depending on other medical factors, this test can assist in diagnosing a number of conditions ranging from common dehydration to kidney or liver disease and heart failure. Potassium (normal range is 3.7-5.3 mmol/L): Potassium is a major electrolyte that works similarly to sodium, except it’s found primarily inside of red blood cells. Increased levels of potassium can suggest the breakdown of tissue or red blood cell, due to injury or other medical condition. Significantly increased or decreased potassium levels can cause cardiac arrhythmias, or heart palpitations. Numerous medications can also affect potassium levels and require routine monitoring to ensure potassium levels are not fluctuating. Chloride (normal range is 98-109 mmol/L): Chloride is another electrolyte that commonly parallels the level fluctuations of sodium. It is a key indicator of hydration levels that can be affected by gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea or vomiting. Carbon Dioxide (normal range is 23-30 mmmol/L):  Carbon dioxide is a primary detector in the pH of your body.  It can detect major issues with metabolism or respiratory illness. Glucose (normal range is 70-110 mg/dL): Commonly referred to as blood sugar, glucose is a major indicator of diabetes when drawn after a patient has been fasting for 10-12 hours. Creatinine (normal range is 0.7-1.5 mg/dL) and BUN (normal range is 8-26 mg/dL): These two tests are commonly do together to monitor the ratio of BUN to Creatinine. Increased levels of both can indicate kidney disease or malfunction. Certain diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure as well as various medications can affect kidney function. Your Tria pharmacist can review your medications and disease states to be sure that adequate monitoring is in place to identify development of kidney problems before they become a serious issue. Next, we’ll be covering the Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)! (Written by Tria Health Account Manager Maureen Weber, MBA)

We all know kale is healthy – the dark leafy green is rich in vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants – and we should probably eat more of it. This kale pesto recipe is as easy as it is healthy. We tried it tossed with pasta and as a sauce on our favorite homemade pizza, and we imagine it would be delicious on just about anything. Kale Pesto Prep Time: 10 minutes Yield: 1 1/2 cups Ingredients: 4 cups kale (chopped) 6 cloves garlic (crushed) 1/4 cup cashews 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup parmesan Instructions: Add the kale, garlic and cashews to a blender or food processor. Blend for 30 seconds. Add the salt, pepper, olive oil and water. Blend until all ingredients have been incorporated (30-60 seconds). Add the parmesan cheese and pulse for 5-10 seconds. Serve with pizza, pasta or your favorite dish. (Thanks to Tria Health Software Developer Jennifer Motush for sharing her recipe.) #food #Kale #Pesto #recipes

Regular checkups and screenings can help you maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. In recognition of Men’s Health Month, here are a few important guidelines for staying on top of your health. Blood Pressure Screening Beginning at age 20, have your blood pressure checked every year. If you have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, consider getting screened for diabetes. That sceening may include a blood test and a urine test. Cholesterol Test Most men should have their cholesterol checked every year starting at age 35. But you may need to have your cholesterol checked earlier if you use tobacco, are overweight or obese, have diabetes or high blood pressure, have a history of heart disease, or if a man in your family had a heart attack before the age of 50. Cancer Screenings Men should have their first colonoscopy at age 50. If there is a family history of colon cancer, talk to your doctor about having a colonoscopy at an earlier age. If you are 45 years or older, consider talking to your doctor about screenings for prostate cancer. Physical Exams If you are 20-39, get a physical exam every three years. If you are 40-49, get a physical exam every two years. Beginning at age 50, get a physical exam every year. Men should get annual eye exams and visit the dentist twice a year. (Written by Tria Health Pharmacy Student Intern Lauren Titterington, Pharm.D. Candidate at the UMKC School of Pharmacy)

Katherine Meiners, Director of Marketing & Communications Central Exchange kicked off its 6 part Health Care Catalyst Series last week featuring consumer strategies related to having a healthy business. The presentation was led by Brent Walker, Chief Marketing Officer of C2B Solutions. Walker spent 20 years working for Proctor & Gamble prior to starting C2B Solutions. The presentation focused on the importance of understanding psychographic segmentation in the health care consumer. C2B Solutions conducted a study that included a sample of 4,878 patients who completed a survey with 384 questions/attributes. The study identified 5 different patient profiles: Balance Seekers (18%) – This group is proactive and wellness-oriented. They are open to many ideas, sources of information and treatment options when it comes to their healthcare. Willful Endurers (27%) – The highest population, this group takes a “don’t fix it if it’s not broken” approach to their health. Priority Jugglers (18%) – These individuals are busy taking care of others and are motivated by family verses by self. Self-Achievers (24%) – Highly motivated, this group focuses on future plans and is the most proactive when it comes to their wellness. They are task oriented and prefer to be given measurable goals. Direction Takers (13%) – The smallest population, these individuals like direction from providers and take it. The varying differences in the patient profiles emphasize the need to communicate important health care messages differently. Traditionally, clinicians have been taught to speak to every patient as “direction takers.” With an increased focus on patient outcomes, clinicians need to learn how to better communicate with patients so they take an active role in their health care based on the different profiles. The benefit of the one-on-one counseling provided by Tria Health is our clinicians get an understanding of who the patient is and what motivates their medication behavior. Find out what kind of patient you are by visiting C2Bsolutions.com. Written by Katherine Meiners, Director of Marketing & Communications at Tria Health #CentralExchange #compliance #medicationadherence #C2BSolutions #adherence #Pharmacycare #TriaHealth #healthcare #clinicalpharmacist #patientoutcomes #healthcareconsumer

Matt Baki, Account Executive, Tria Health On Wednesday, May 14, 2014, the Mid-America Coalition on Health Care held a half day seminar title The Road to Better Care, Transparency and Value.  Bringing together representatives from all areas: providers, payers and employers, the Coalition successfully provided an outlet for discussions around the most pressing issues in health care.  Such topics included: Collaboration between multi-stakeholders to improve the quality of health care and value-based reimbursements Emerging care delivery models through patient center medical homes (PCMH), the medical neighborhood and accountable care organization Evaluating the landscape of Private Exchanges and what employers need to consider While 95% of employers believe there is a link between health and productivity, we need to continuously challenge each other to provide a higher level of service at the patient level.  As Jack Nightingale, Vice President of the Healthcare Practice for The Benfield Group stated, there’s no national solution to health care; it needs to be dealt with on a local level.  And our goal should be to increase the “Value” of health care we provide: In order to accomplish this goal however, we all need to give a little.  Providers and payers will need to share patient data and work together; employers and consultants can drive market change through value-based purchasing and trying new ideas; and at the patient level, the ownership is on us to take better care of our health, utilize the benefits we are given, and control our cost through proper utilization. Written by Matt Baki, Account Executive at Tria Health | @mattbaki #PCMH #AffordableHealthCareAct #Valuebasedplans #MidAmericaCoalitiononHealthCare #privatehealthexchanges #ACA #TriaHealth #Employersponsoredhealthplans

Jessica Lea, Pharm.D., President of Tria Health A note from Jessica Lea, President of Tria Health, on National Women’s Health Week. As I was sitting in my final class retreat this weekend to graduate with my MBA, I was moved by a very important story that was told by Father Thomas Curran, President of Rockhurst University.  He stressed the importance of taking care of oneself physically and mentally and likened the importance of this to hearing the flight attendants discuss what to do in an emergency.  Flight attendants always instruct passengers to first fasten their own oxygen mask before helping those around them. Why? Because if you don’t take care yourself first and foremost, you won’t be in any condition to help others. National Women’s Health Week aims to increase awareness and encourage women to take care of their health, wellness and safety. Women are often so busy taking care of loved ones that we lose sight of our own needs. If we can all spend time each day focusing on what our body needs, we will be better equipped to take care of those around us.  Thanks to Father Curran for the great and timely advice!  It relates so well to all of the important items we should consider this week as we remind those who we love to take a moment fulfill our own needs so we can be better to those around us! Visit womenshealth.org for more information about National Woman’s Health Week. Written by Jessica Lea, Pharm.D. | @JessLeaPharmD #RockhurstUniversity #WomensHealth #TriaHealth #clinicalpharmacist #triahealthcom #NationalWomensHealthWeek

On May 2nd, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a report regarding the use of daily aspirin to prevent a heart attack and stroke. The FDA’s findings may drastically alter how the health care industry utilizes daily aspirin therapy. Background: A number of patients take a daily aspirin due to the belief that it reduces their risk of having a heart attack or stroke. “Primary Prevention” – Refers to patients with diabetes, family history of heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol who have an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke and use aspirin as prevention (before either of these events occur). “Secondary Prevention” – Refers to the use of daily aspirin therapy for patients who have had a heart attack, stroke, or having known coronary artery disease. Secondary prevention use of aspirin has well established benefits and significantly reduces the chance of a second heart attack or stroke. The Update: The FDA has reviewed new data regarding aspirin use for primary prevention and concluded that there is insufficient evidence at this time to support routine use of daily aspirin therapy in these patients. What does this mean for you?  If you have not had a heart attack, stroke, or have known coronary heart disease and you take a daily aspirin, talk to your physician about the need for continued use of aspirin and weigh the risk versus benefit of prolonged aspirin therapy. #MTM #Diabetescare #Aspirin #medicationquestions #medication #overthecountermedication #medicationadherence #Diabetesmanagement #strokeprevention #heartattackprevention #Diabetes #Pharmacycare #TriaHealth #MedicationTherapyManagement #clinicalpharmacist

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria are capable of resisting the effects of antibiotics. This can occur for many reasons for example, taking antibiotics when you do not have an infection caused by bacteria or not taking antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor. Many common infections like the common cold, most sore throats and the flu are actually caused by viruses. Antibiotics are only effective against infections caused by bacteria and cannot kill viruses. Overuse and overprescribing of antibiotics has markedly increased bacterial resistance in recent years. We all normally have bacteria that live on and in our bodies. The more antibiotics we take the more likely these bacteria are to become resistant to antibiotics and potentially cause infection. Some common signs that you may have an infection caused by bacteria and you should contact your physician include: Fever higher than 100 °F Symptoms that last more than 7-10 days Symptoms that are not relived by over the counter medications What can you do to prevent antibiotic resistance? If prescribed antibiotics make sure to take the full course of antibiotics and follow the prescription directions Don’t always assume that an antibiotic will be the answer to your cold and flu symptoms (Written by Tria Health Pharmacy Student Intern Jessica McClain, UMKC School of Pharmacy) #Antibiotics #medications #flu #medicationadvice #consumertip #medicationadherence #FluSeason #antibioticresistance #TriaHealth #clinicalpharmacist #patientresources

Colorectal Cancer: Preventable. Treatable. Beatable. Did you know…? Colorectal cancer screening saves lives and is one of only a few cancers that can be prevented through screening. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States in both men and women. The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases with age and more than 90% of cases occur in people aged 50 or older. It is recommended for otherwise healthy men and women to have a colonoscopy at 50 years of age and every 10 years thereafter, at a minimum. Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors People age 50 and older People who smoke People who are overweight or obese, especially those who carry fat around their waists People who aren’t physically active People who drink alcohol in excess, especially men People who eat a lot of red meat (such as beef, pork or lamb) or processed meat (such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs or cold cuts) People with personal or family histories of colorectal cancer or benign (not cancerous) colorectal polyps People with personal histories of inflammatory bowel disease (such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease) People with family histories of inherited colorectal cancer or inherited colorectal problems