SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Board of Directors of J M Smith Corporation has named A. Alan Turfe as the new CEO and Chairman of the Board, effective March 1, 2017, following the retirement of long-time Chairman and CEO William R. Cobb. Turfe was selected by the board following a nationwide search, and brings a wealth of experience in the life sciences, medical device, e-commerce and automotive industries.
I recently read a book, If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty, by Eric Metaxas. The book title is part of a quote from Benjamin Franklin in 1787, the year the Constitution was drafted.
The healthcare industry in its entirety is becoming more aware of what QS/1 has known for some time now; pharmacists are the heroes of healthcare. As heroes, pharmacists can intervene, nurture patient populations, help lower overall healthcare costs and decrease patient hospitalizations.
We often equate regulatory mandates to government overreaching that impose roadblocks, which prevent pharmacists from providing solid healthcare to patients. However, changes and goals stemming from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could actually give community pharmacies a new competitive advantage.
QS/1 is proud to be a participant in a pilot healthcare initiative that will enhance the role pharmacists play in providing integrated clinical services for patients. The collaboration is being facilitated by Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) to bring together health information technology and pharmacy management providers.
When the Meaningful Use process started, practices started being more diligent in collecting Business Associate Agreements from all their contractors who had access to their software.
The role of the pharmacy in patient care is constantly changing. It’s all encompassing from offering trusted advice to filling prescriptions and providing transitional care assistance. It’s more important now than ever to expand pharmacy services to reach more members of the community.
Healthcare is ever changing and with those changes must come adaptation. There is a focus on quality of care versus quantity of care. Team-based care and pay-for-performance models are on the rise and pharmacists are a part of the equation.
In the previous edition of Insight, I said, “One competitive opportunity that never changes in pharmacy services is the percentage of your current customers who would recommend you to others.” I also mentioned, “Accomplishing high percentage scores requires a full-court press inside your operation for every employee to excel.”
From drug and patient safety to cyber safety and personal safety – pharmacies must always be on top of their game. The healthcare industry is always evolving, from drug scheduling to processing credit card transactions. An article in Pharmacy Times explained it best, “Pharmacists are like the umpires of the health care game. They enter, verify, and triple check prescriptions, orders, and final products until they are satisfied.”
Earlier this year, QS/1 partners, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) and the Kentucky Pharmacists Association (KPhA), participated in a showcase to display the region’s overall capabilities to respond to a natural disaster or emergency and demonstrate services the state could provide, including fire, police, pharmacy and other disaster-response resources.
(Spartanburg, SC – December 26, 2016) QS/1 has been selected as a winner of Grocery Headquarters Magazine’s 2016 Pharmacy Trailblazer Award. The magazine also named QS/1 as one of the Top Pharmacy Companies of the Year. The Pharmacy Trailblazers Award recognizes innovation within the industry.