No More Finger Pricking for Diabetic Patients?!

I came across this interesting article about an iPhone add-on that could mean the end of finger pricking for diabetics, and I wanted to share it with you all. Researchers have created nanosensors (injected like a tattoo just under the skin) that fluoresce under a special light source, indicating the patient's glucose levels. Northeastern University in Boston has created a new smartphone add-on device to work in conjunction with the nanosensors. This iPhone attachment provides three-way LED lighting under which the nanosensors fluoresce and takes an image of the fluorescence. Doctors can look at the images on a computer and analyze them according to how  much they fluoresce. The patient that has more of the target compound in his/her bloodstream will have more fluorescence in its images. The nanosensors also track sodium levels in the blood, which researchers say would be valuable in diagnosing dehydration. I remember when we had to learn how to use glucose meters in our Patient Care Management (PCM) lab and I had to get my finger pricked for a glucose reading. It was really painful to me and my finger was throbbing afterwards for two days. I can't imagine having to do this multiple times on a daily basis, which diabetics have to do in order to keep their blood sugar levels under control. I think this is a great alternative for diabetics who have to do multiple finger sticks a day. It will save them pain and money from not having to buy the actual glucose meter, lancets, and test strips (which all are quite costly). The researchers see other potential uses for these nanosensors, such as: tracking iron levels in the blood for anemic patients, monitoring medication levels as a way to titrate dosing, and measuring blood gases for respiratory and/or cardiac patients. Iltifat Husain states, "If you're able to track a patient's basic metabolic panel, especially their sodium, potassium, and creatinine, you would be able to avoid multiple blood draws that happen throughout the day during a hospital stay." I think this is a great idea for the future, and I am glad that technology can help patients in the medical field. These patients will experience less pain, receive better care, and in the long run (hopefully) save money. What do you all think? Good or bad...let me know. Here's a link to the article: iPhone add-on could mean end of finger pricking for diabetics. 

Underwire Alerts

Hi all and thanks for visiting again!

 

I see it fitting that I share this great program with you girls (and guys) because October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (and American Pharmacists Month too). Both very important to me because I am a young woman and I am in pharmacy school. I have someone close to me who has breast cancer, and I know how devastating this disease can be. It's definitely a long and hard battle. All the ladies who are reading this need to sign up for Underwire Alerts. Guys, tell the women in your life to sign up for this as well. You all are probably asking, "What are Underwire Alerts?" These are free text messages sent out to your cell phones to remind you to do a self-examination on your breasts. "By texting PINK to 59227, you too can receive these free monthly alerts. They are sent out on the first Wednesday of every month. There is also a form that can be filled out on the website that will allow you to receive the monthly text message. Standard data rates and charges from your carrier still apply." If you don't want the text messages then there is an option for email reminders. As a pharmacy student, I am always busy and a self-examination is the last thing on my mind. Don't get me wrong because I know this is important as a young woman. They actually want to target young women because they want get the right habits in place early on, so it’s part of your life. Please don't think that you are just going to receive a text saying, "Give yourself a self-examination." It's actually a cute and creative message like: "mind your melons" or "treasure your chest," designed to appeal to younger women. This is a cute idea and I hope the ladies all take advantage of it. I would love some feedback and have a great day! Here's the link to the article: Underwire Alerts.

"InstyMeds" - Should pharmacists be worried?

"InstyMeds" is a pharmacy kiosk that is an automatic medication dispensing machine. I have heard of these before, but this article really got me thinking about the future of pharmacy. I don't know if I'm excited or upset about this idea. This is like an ATM or a vending machine for prescription drugs. In my opinion, I think it's a bad idea and will be bad for pharmacists. Everyone wants convenience and nobody cares about their health or the possible risks that may come with it. The article states that these kiosks are placed in clinics and "make life simpler" for low-income patients that have barriers getting transportation to their pharmacy or struggle with child care issues. The kiosk is the size of a large refrigerator and is stocked with medications for common illnesses, such as colds, flus, and rashes. There are about 200 locations that have these and the number is growing. They are mainly located throughout California and Washington for now. These machines supposedly eliminate delays that result from transferring insurance information from clinics to pharmacies. They claim that when using the dispenser at the clinic, the wait is rarely longer than 10 minutes. There have been pharmacist groups that have voiced safety concerns regarding these kiosks. Jon Roth, chief executive officer of the California Pharmacists Association, said removing pharmacists from the process of prescribing drugs "could at best result in suboptimal therapy and at worst result in dangerous therapy." I think that patients would want to ask questions about their medications and want to be counseled, but this might not be the case with the kiosk. They said no problems have resulted from the drugs prescribed by the robotic pharmacies yet. What if the patient does have questions about their medications? Who would they ask and would the machine be able to answer them? This is definitely a downfall. What do you guys think? Please let me know your thoughts. Here's the link to the article:

Instymeds - Pharmacy Kiosks

Pharm Phlash!

As a pharmacy student, I am always looking for more efficient and fun ways to study. I came across this article and wanted to share this information about an app that is called "Pharm Phlash!" It's not only for pharmacy students, but useful for anyone in the health field and even pharmacists that need to stay updated on different medications. There are so many drugs out on the market right now and the number is only increasing everyday, and Pharm Phlash! focuses on 400 of the most frequently prescribed drugs. It provides the usual reference information, but with other pearls and features relevant to the real-world. This app can help in Pharmacodynamics, Therapeutics, and PCM (patient care management) classes along with many other classes pharmacy students have to take. Have you ever looked at a drug name and wondered how it would be pronounced? This app can give you the correct pronunciation of the drug name through the phone's external microphone and handy mnemonics to remember certain things about the drug. I think this is a great feature to have and I know that this will be useful for a lot of us. This mobile flash card app colorfully highlights pertinent drug features, and lists patient counseling points for nearly four-hundred of the most frequently prescribed generic drugs. "This application is great for students, who find themselves wanting to study in line at the coffee shop, or brush up on pharmacology during a rotation." Here is the link to the article and I hope this app can help you in your studies too!! Let me know what you guys think and if you would use it or not. I believe it is available for iPhone and Android phones.

Pharm Phlash! 

FaceTime...this could change the way you communicate with your physicians.

How would you feel if you could FaceTime your physician about medical or personal health issues? I know some of you are worried about privacy and HIPAA, but this problem has been solved! FaceTime is HIPAA-compliant and encrypted through the WPA2 Enterprise configuration which provides an extra level of authentication when establishing a wireless connection. This will give patients the highest level of assurance that their information will remain protected when they send and receive communications over a Wi-Fi network connection. I find this idea very interesting because you can talk to your physician from the comfort of your own home if you had a question or a concern. You no longer have to make an appointment and then go to the doctor's office just to play a long waiting game before seeing him or her for a quick 15 minutes. I know plenty of people dislike going to their doctors because they hate to wait, and I am definitely one of these people. Plus, FaceTime is just so convenient and easy to use! The article I read states, "FaceTime has the potential to broaden the exchange of information among physicians, provide greater convenience to patients, and improve the quality of patient care. The assurance of a secure connection may prompt more physicians to adopt iPads in practice for communication as well as other uses." I am looking forward to seeing this in the future because I think it has great potential for success. What do you guys think? Is it a bad idea or a good one? Let me know your thoughts and check out the article I got the information from.

FaceTime is HIPAA-compliant and encrypted – could change the way physicians and patients communicate.

Text4Health and QuitNowTXT

I saw this article posted on Twitter and thought it was relevant to what we are learning about in consumer health informatics and web 2.0 in healthcare. The idea of text messaging and smoking cessation going hand in hand together has never crossed my mind, but after reading this article I think that it has the potential to go far. The QuitNowTXT program is an interactive text-based intervention for adult smokers. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, "In the United States over 150 billion texts were sent in 2009 alone. With that degree of usage, the mobile communications platform is another natural tool of mHealth interventions." I think texting plays a big role in our everyday lives and incorporating it with healthcare is a great idea. 150 billion texts in 2009 was a lot, but can you imagine how much it has increased to in 2011?! Smart phones are becoming so popular nowadays, so you can't escape texting. The QuitNowTXT program is geared towards teens and adults, and the HHS is investing $5 million dollars to develop this project. It looks promising to me, but what do you guys think? Here's the link to the article and I hope you guys enjoy it.

http://www.imedicalapps.com/2011/09/text4health-task-force-aims-improve-mhealth-america/

Hello everyone...

This is my first attempt at blogging, so please forgive me if I make any mistakes. My name is Sandy and I am a 3rd year pharmacy student at Nova Southeastern University in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. I am actually creating this blog for an elective that I am taking, and this class is called Consumer Health Informatics and Web 2.0 in Healthcare. It has been interesting so far and I hope to learn much more from Dr. Clauson and his guest lecturers.  On another note, I work in a retail setting (Publix Pharmacy) as an intern now, and sometimes people want their prescriptions filled as if they were picking up fast food at McDonald's. It gets a little annoying at times, but I read this blog the other day and wanted to share it with you guys. Do most retail pharmacists feel this way and will I feel this way when I become a pharmacist? I'd love to hear any comments or responses! Thanks for visiting and there will be much more to come in the future as I learn more about blogging and health informatics.

http://drugmonkey.blogspot.com/2006/08/i-realize-today-ive-done-you.html