Patient safety seems to often focus on actions taken by health care providers within the confines of medical facilities. The Joint Commission has long felt that another group should also be involved: patients. Through their Speak Up campaign, originally launched in 2002, they are attempting to ensure that the dialogue includes patients as active participants in the delivery of their own safe medical care. The campaign offers patient-centered infographics, videos, and additional resources that address a variety of hot topics.
As it relates to the purpose of the PharmAid newsletter, bringing special attention to medication safety seems important.
Speak Up About Your Medications encourages patients to be members of the team, along with their doctor, pharmacist, and other caregivers to ensure they get “the right medication, take the correct dosage, and avoid bad reactions.” The resources available to patients includes detailed information that is both useful and practical, written and displayed in formats suitable for a broad range to patients. Overall the educational themes include:
The printable infographic covering these topics is superbly done and could be easily printed and distributed at each one of your patient encounters. Consider taking a look and including it within your practice setting.
Ensuring safe medical care is critical in our mission to care for our patients. By including them in the journey, we can help ensure safety is considered every step of the way.
On August 8, 2024, Abbott Medical sent an urgent notification to retail partners announcing a recall for its Freestyle Libre 3 sensors.
The Freestyle Libre 3 system is comprised of sensors which are worn on the skin, a reader to receive the data, and an app for data storage and management. The recall involves a select few lots of Libre 3 sensors (readers and app are NOT affected).
Abbott has learned that the sensors in question may provide inaccurate high glucose readings which may lead patients and/or providers to make treatment decisions that could result in harm.
Affected lot numbers include:
It is important to note that the Freestyle Libre 14 Day, Libre 2 and Libre 2 Plus systems are NOT affected by the recall.
If patients are in possession of sensors from the impacted lot, they are instructed to stop wearing the sensor right away and discard any remaining sensors they may have from that lot.
If patients experience symptoms that are not consistent with their readings/data, they should verify the readings with a fingerstick test using any glucometer (including the built-in glucometer for the Freestyle Libre 3 reader, which uses Precision Neo test strips).
Patients may request replacement(s) for any affected sensors by visiting www.FreeStyleConfirm.com and click on “Confirm Sensor Serial Number”. If the sensor is determined to have been impacted by the recall, the consumer will be prompted to share their contact information to receive replacement(s) free of charge.
*Serial numbers can be found in the app or reader. They may also be found on the bottom of the sensor carton, as well as the applicator label.
Background ---Question from the clinic: What can I recommend to help my patients to start exercising when they have limitations that prevent them from traditional physical activity such as walking or biking (joint pain/obesity/disability), swimming (lack of access to a body of water), joining a gym (lack of access to transportation), etc?
Answer: Get them to start moving their body with YOGA!!!
Why: There is a growing body of scientific evidence to support that yoga practice can improve health outcomes without interfering with conventional medical treatments. Current evidence supports yoga for:
Review more on Basic Research and in special populations
In my practice, I have a dotphrase that I use to introduce Yoga and my favorite beginner websites and phone applications for our patients that can benefit, especially when they are reluctant or physically unable to get moving in more traditional physical activities. Before I provide this, we have a conversation about the importance of body function and taking baby steps to learn about ways to breathe, center yourself, and start stretching in healthy ways. The BEST way to avoid improper alignment is to learn from a certified yoga instructor, ideally in person, so they can help the person to make accommodations for their specific needs. For people unable to get to an in-person class, find my suggestions here:
Getting Started with YOGA!
What is yoga?
Yoga is an ancient practice that connects the body, breath, and mind through breathing exercises, meditation, and physical postures to help build strength, stamina, balance, flexibility, concentration and improve overall health. It is good for both physical and mental health (stress relief!), and is available for people of all fitness levels and sizes. It is HIGHLY recommended within the healthcare system, and a wonderful way to connect your body and mind.
How is it different from stretching?
Stretching focuses on one muscle group at a time, while yoga includes full body movements, using more than one muscle group, combined with awareness of your whole body and a focus on your breathing to help center your mind and body to work better together.
What do I need to get started?
Some comfy clothes and a place to practice (quiet room, chair, floor space). There are many different types of yoga to explore. A good starting place is with a gentle beginner practice, or with a supported practice such as chair yoga, or seated yoga. This lets you learn the basics of breathing and moving together while you are comfortably seated. As you get more in tune with your body and the movement, you can then start to try more postures for balance, flexibility, and building strength. Practicing with a friend or family member can also make it more fun!
Where do I find practices?
In-person classes:
On-line:
You Tube (it’s free!) and available on your TV, tablet, or phone – simply get started with a search to see the variety of available instructors and classes. There are MANY free videos, so do not feel like you have to sign up for anything or pay to view them.
You-Tube Favorites: Favorite FREE YouTube yoga instructors:
APPS!!! Phone Applications for Free Yoga:
Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner in Primary Care
Mike Grunske, PharmD, BCPS
Mike Grunske is a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS). Mike transitioned his practice to the Clement Zablocki VA Medical Center where he has since practiced in the Primary Care Clinics as a Clinical Pharmacist Practioner. Within this role, his practice involves direct care and management of patients’ medication regimens. He has worked as an active preceptor for both pharmacy students and residents throughout his entire career. Mike is also Past-President and former Foundation Chair of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin (PSW).
Mike is married to a fellow PharmAid contributor (Vanessa Grunske). Together they have a teenage daughter and son. He enjoys traveling with his family, attending his kid’s cheer, baseball, and basketball events, and spending any available leftover time running and hunting.
Pharmacist at Advocate Aurora Health
Vanessa Grunske, PharmD, BCACP
Vanessa practices with Advocate Aurora Health in Milwaukee, where she sees patients at Aurora Sinai Medication Management Clinic and maintains a dispensing practice at St. Luke’s Medical Center. Board-certified in ambulatory care pharmacotherapy, her practice interests include diabetes, hypertension, smoking cessation, geriatrics, improving health literacy, and medication adherence. She particularly enjoys and spends a good share of her work hours teaching and mentoring pharmacy students, family medicine residents and pharmacy residents.
She and her husband, Mike, live in the Milwaukee area with their two teenage children. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, baking, visiting our national parks with her family or relaxing on a beautiful Caribbean beach.
Professor at Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy
Beth Buckley, PharmD, CDCES
Beth Buckley, PharmD, CDCES (Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist), is a Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy, where she has a teaching role within all years of the curriculum with a focus on Applied Patient Care Skills Lab, Diabetes Pharmacotherapy, and electives in the areas of diabetes and wellness. Her current role is ambulatory care pharmacist where she works with a Collaborative Practice Agreement to provide chronic disease state management within a primary care clinic.
When not working, she enjoys reading, gardening, traveling with her husband, volunteering within the community, and active fun: hiking, biking, dog walking, practicing yoga, mindfulness, and living with intention and gratitude.
Disclaimer: The Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians (WAFP) has entered into a business relationship with Pharm Aid to offer our members discounts and exclusive savings. This or other affinity program relationships presented by the WAFP in no way implies a WAFP endorsement of the program, supplier, or vendor.
