A decline in drug insurance reimbursement rates and increased pharmacy fees continue to be a tough pill to swallow for ALL pharmacies across the United States. This issue has forced many pharmacies in recent months to make the difficult decision to limit services or close their doors – leaving a negative impact that is felt by patients both far and…

A decline in drug insurance reimbursement rates and increased pharmacy fees continue to be a tough pill to swallow for ALL pharmacies across the United States. This issue has forced many pharmacies in recent months to make the difficult decision to limit services or close their doors – leaving a negative impact that is felt by patients both far and…

Today we will talk with Dr. Cherry Jackson, professor of pharmacy at Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy and clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurobiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Jackson will discuss everything about mental health from what it is, how to help to manage it, and the role that COVID-1…

We will continue on the second and final part of our Pharmacy In Peril: What’s Really Happening Behind the Counter Series as now we will learn from a front line pharmacist how these fees and reimbursement models from drug insurance companies, in particular the pharmacy benefit managers otherwise known as PBMs, are causing pharmacy services to suffe…

Community pharmacy practice has been in the news quite a bit lately due to walkouts happening across the nation. Tensions are also rising about the decade long flawed payment scheme in our nation, initiated by drug insurance companies, which is paying pharmacies less than what it costs pharmacies to dispense the medication. This backward business t…

Tune in as Dr. Allison Hill, Pharm.D., RPh, director of Practice and Professional Affairs at the American Pharmacist Association (APhA), discusses the triple virus threat– COVID-19, RSV and flu– that you may encounter when returning back to school or back to the office this fall, as well as what defenses you can employ to protect yourself and other…

In this month's episode, host Anthony Bolus talks to Maryam Iranikhah, Pharm.D., BCGP, FASCP, a professor at Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy. Together, they discuss everything you need to know about vitamins essential to boosting immune health in the fight against COVID-19 and other viruses, including vitamin D, Vitamin C and Zinc…

In this month's episode, we bring back Michael Hogue, an alumnus of Samford's McWhorter School of Pharmacy and dean of Loma Linda University’s School of Pharmacy in Loma Linda, California. He currently serves as president of the American Pharmacists Association, and he brings his expertise as a member of the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine work group to hel…

When caring for children, there are unique challenges, including dosage form, flavoring, patient cooperation and education. In this month's episode of Healthy Dose, host Anthony Bolus talks to Sam Blakemore, Pharm.D, M.B.A., the pharmacist manager at PedsRx Pharmacy Solutions, which is an independent pharmacy located within Children’s of Alabama. H…

In this episode of Healthy Dose, host Anthony Bolus talks to Jan Kavookjian, Ph.D., M.B.A., a behavior scientist teaching at Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy and the incoming President-Elect of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES). November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and millions of Americans …

October is American Pharmacists Month. In this episode, we shine a light on an issue affecting many pharmacists called DIR Fees. These penalties have exponentially increased over the years, adding economic stress to community pharmacists across the country. Not only is this threat very real for pharmacy closings, but your overall safety as a patien…

In this episode, Anthony Bolus talks to Michael Hogue, Pharm.D., FAPhA, FNAP, dean of Loma Linda University's School of Pharmacy and president of the American Pharmacists Association. Hogue serves on the COVID-19 Vaccine Workgroup with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and together, Bolus and Hogue discuss potential treatment st…

With its first episode of Season 1, our host, Anthony Bolus, discusses COVID-19 with Jeff Kyle, Pharm.D., BCPS, the vice chair and director of experiential education at Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy and a clinical pharmacy specialist at a local medical center in the Birmingham area. Their discussion covers the basics of COVID-19…

First published on Novembe 28, 2017: On this episode of Healthy Dose, Dr. Anthony Bolus visits with Dr. Michael Hogue of Samford's McWhorter School of Pharmacy, discussing shingles and new vaccine available to prevent this painful condition.

First published on November 14, 2017: On this episode of Healthy Dose, Dr. Anthony Bolus continues his discussion with Jon Parker, director of admissions at Samford's McWhorter School of Pharmacy. They discuss pharmacy school preparation, admission and pharmacy school programs.

First published on November 7, 2017: On this episode of Healthy Dose, Dr. Anthony Bolus covers the education that makes a pharmacist with Jon Parker, director of admissions at Samford's McWhorter School of Pharmacy. They discuss pharmacy school preparation, admission and pharmacy school programs.

First published on October 24, 2017: On this episode of Healthy Dose, Dr. Anthony Bolus discusses scoliosis with Angela Jones Doctor, B.S.N., RN, CPN, a nurse from Children’s of Alabama. Jones helps run the scoliosis screening program for many children in Alabama, defines scoliosis, and explains who is at most risk and what to do if your child has …

First published on October 13, 2017: On this episode of Healthy Dose, Dr. Anthony Bolus discusses problems with communication across the health care spectrum, along with Patrick Devereux, Pharm.D. of FMS Pharmacy. Dr. Devereux shares a new innovation to try and help his patients share their drug histories with other health care providers.…

First published on October 3, 2017: On this episode of Healthy Dose, Dr. Anthony Bolus discusses opioids with Dr. Jake Galdo, an assistant professor and the director of the Community Pharmacy Residency Program at Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy. Bolus and Galdo discuss the benefits and risks, including the potential for addiction …

First published on July 26, 2017: On this episode of Healthy Dose, Dr. Anthony Bolus talks pain management with Dr. Jake Galdo, an assistant professor and the director of the Community Pharmacy Residency Program at Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy. Bolus and Galdo discuss the causes of pain and various therapies and medications to …

First published on July 25, 2017: On this episode of Healthy Dose, Dr. Heather Hogue, Pharm.D., EP, director of emergency preparedness and response at the Jefferson County Department of Health, returns to Healthy Dose to discuss how long the virus will stay in your system once you are infected. Dr. Hogue also has healthy tips on keeping mosquitoes …

First published on July 18, 2017: On this episode of Healthy Dose, Dr. Anthony Bolus speaks with Dr. Heather Hogue, Pharm.D., EP, director of emergency preparedness and response at the Jefferson County Department of Health, on new information regarding the Zika virus. Dr. Hogue will help to answer the questions of who this virus can affect, the num…

First published on July 11, 2017: On this episode of Healthy Dose, Dr. Anthony Bolus speaks with Dr. Patrick Devereux of FMS Pharmacy on runaway drug pricing. Certain medications of seen dramatic increases in cost, and Dr. Devereux explains how this can be harmful to patients and pharmacies...and how they can fight back.…

I've been turning a blind eye. I’ve rejected patients before but it never felt like I was helping. If you’ve ever tried to force a smoker to quit, you know what I mean. You‘re usually met with annoyance, resentment, and deceit. Quitting anything has to be a choice the person makes — especially with something this addicting. Persuasion and influence…

The study I'm referencing can be found here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(18)30227-X/fulltextDefinitely check it out. I think this is very encouraging for my patients. I hope you found value in it as well!

Take a close look at your med cabinet. I have a feeling there's at least one or two things in there that you don't need anymore. Ask a professional!

We can't ignore this problem.

Are you kidding me?!

An intro on silent killers and invisible illnesses. Take your meds everyone.

We just don't. I think it's partly due to how fast our tech is expanding. What do you think?

I can't believe the negligence. This could happen to anyone. Be careful at these health fairs!

A poorly-timed hickey can kill people! Here's how it happened. #stroke is no joke. Use the acronym FAST to help spot someone having a stroke.

What's Amazon been doing to healthcare? Let's stay updated together. On this episode, I go through some of the most recent activities of Amazon pertaining to healthcare. Personally, I can't wait for their big plans to come to fruition.

It's a matter of time before everyone starts talking about #mentalhealth. Before the pretenders start yapping, make sure you start talking first! Spread knowledge now! Make a change!

Worms aren't all bad! As it turns out, they carry some healing properties that can help us fight off diseases like obesity and diabetes. Does it disgust you?

Did you hear about Facebook? Mark Zuckerburg is being called into questioning as news hits that Facebook is selling our privacy.

More is not always better and this is one of those cases. Don't overeat while you're breastfeeding. It could put your baby at risk of early puberty (which is BAD), diabetes, and fertility risks.

We're used to the usual tips. We know the usual questions. "What makes you a good candidate?".... "Tell me your strengths." Here are 3 unusual tips that'll put you miles ahead of your competitors.

Since luck plays such an important role in the trajectory of our lives, we need to figure out how to deal with unlucky moments. Here's what I think is the most important thing to do.

A study in Italy tells all. The results are surprising and highly applicable to our daily decisions... Check it out!

Experts are worried that mental health issues in the city are getting out of hand. The CEO of the hospital is not doing anything about it and the psychiatrists are finally speaking up.

Here is the not-so-short and sweet intro to the common vitamins and minerals I get asked about. Remember to check with a healthcare professional to see if it's right for you!

Uber wants to help patients improve compliance by providing them with rides to the clinic. This will hopefully reduce healthcare costs by increasing checkups, vaccinations, etc.

Men aren't as simple as we thought. There are things in the male psychy that prevents them from really thriving and leading a healthier life. Listen to these issues and make sure you don't do them.

Today, I meet with an alcoholic. I'm asked by his wife to address his drinking. He is unaware of his wife's concerns.

Bad news for us all. In 2010, there was a study that concluded it took an annual income of $75000 to reach peak happiness. The newest study shows that it's increased to $105000! Yikes!

Loneliness is correlated to DEATH. Research has shown that the lonelier you are, the more likely you'll die or develop certain chronic diseases. This is especially relevant for the elderly population as about 17% of the seniors in America report that they're either lonely or isolated. Reach out to someone who's lonely today!…

CNN reports, "In a tweet Thursday, President Donald Trump described someone who would shoot up a school as a "savage sicko." At CNN's town hall on the Parkland, Florida, school shootings on Wednesday, NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch described the gunman as "an insane monster" who is "nuts" and crazy." And at a White House briefing Thursday, the Preside…

Meditation sounds like pseudoscience...But is it really? Should you try? I go over some facts and some common techniques for meditating.

Health isn't on top of everyone's mind. In fact, it's probably not on top of most people's priorities. What will interest you more?