Live Webinars

Increasing Safe Medication Disposal | April 21, 2022

In this April 21, 2022, PQA Quality Forum, panelists Mitchell Barnett, Leslie Herron and John M. Edwards explored approaches to increasing safe medication disposal in community pharmacy and health care facility settings. Patient education at the time of dispensing and the provision of disposal products are critical to support proper disposal of medications, especially opioids. The pharmacy is key to mitigating the accumulation of unused or unwanted medications. To combat the problem of accumulation, the state of Iowa recently began a novel program where any patient or caregiver can go into any participating community pharmacy and request a drug disposal kit at no cost to the patient. Pharmacists are essential for educating patients about appropriate medication use, adherence, storage and disposal of any unused medication. Mitchell Barnett, associate director of the Iowa Prescription Monitoring Program, and Leslie Herron, owner of Sumpter Pharmacy, discussed how pharmacists can assess their workflow and patient interaction, utilize information on safe medication disposal and engage with patients in meaningful conversation about the dangers associated with opioids. For surgical patients, the use of prescribed opioid medications during the perioperative period enhances surgical pain management yet introduces the potential for excess opioid medications to remain in communities for misuse and diversion. Health care facilities are well positioned to implement changes related to leftover prescribed opioids. The safe use, storage and disposal of leftover opioids can be a focus for providing both perioperative education with the provision of an in-home opioid product. John M. Edwards, acute pain service co-director at Baptist Health Lexington, reviewed current literature related to the use of in-home opioid disposal products to enhance post-surgical disposal.

This recorded webinar is no longer accredited for CE credit. 

Statewide Collaboration across Practice Settings to Improve Value-Based Care Outcomes | December 9, 2021   

This December 9, 2021, PQA Quality Forum Webinar featured Sharrel Pinto, the 2021 Community Pharmacy Innovation in Quality individual award winner presented by PQA and the Community Pharmacy Foundation. Dr. Pinto provided an overview of the challenges facing healthcare organizations that serve rural communities and identify statewide collaborative solutions that effectively build bridges and break down silos to patient care. Her presentation shed light on identifying gaps in care within communities and methods for partnering with stakeholders including tribal partners, federally qualified health centers, and community pharmacies. Finally, Dr. Pinto discussed designing specific strategies to working with IDNs and community partners to further improve access to care and positively impact outcomes.

 This recorded webinar is no longer accredited for CE credit. 

Pharmacists in Value-Based Program to Improve Performance on PQA Measures | September 22, 2021

This September 23, 2021, PQA Quality Forum Webinar featured Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. PQA measures are used in a variety of settings to improve medication safety, adherence and appropriate use. Rodriguez de Bittner explained how PQA and other quality measures are used to assess care provided to patients within value-based contracts at the University of Maryland Medical System. She also shared how pharmacist-provided care within the healthcare team can impact measures such as PQA, quality, and health care utilization measures.

This recorded webinar is no longer accredited for CE credit.