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Carl’s Drug Store, housed in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, was established on simplicity, as were most businesses from that time period. Aisles devoted to seasonal trinkets or “As Seen On TV” items did not exist. It is very difficult for us, as a contemporary society, to imagine just what life was like back in the 1800’s. However, due to the fact that our nation’s oldest running pharmacy was founded back in the 1800’s and is still in operation today, we can do more than imagine.

This year, Carl’s Drug Store will celebrate its 185th anniversary, a notable milestone for any non-corporate entity to successfully reach. The local phenomenon, although transient in location over the years, has remained a sustainable attraction for both native residents and those visiting the East Coast.

The family business began in 1825 when Adam B. Carl founded Carl’s Drug Store. Little did he know his enterprise would still be alive today. Adam B. Carl fathered a large family and his children went on to be very successful. Whether they were following in his footsteps by establishing their own retail stores or pursuing an education to eventually attain a career, his family had to have brought him much pride. Practicing medicine became a traditional occupation within the Carl family lineage. Adam B. Carl’s ideal that his store “made a sale of medicines a matter of conscience and not of profit” was influential in the way Carl’s Drug Store functioned.

Adam B. Carl’s grandson, Charles B. Carl, inherited the family trade in 1888 by purchasing the store from his grandfather. Three years later, Adam B. Carl died leaving behind his legacy and laying the foundation for his family business to thrive upon. Charles B. Carl ran the business until his passing in 1935 when his son, Edward Rhodes Carl, acquired the store. In 1974, Frank H. Ervin bought Carl’s Drug Store and currently manages it today.

The Carl’s are a testament to family values and work ethic. The institution they have created and upheld is representative of this nation’s capitalistic opportunities. Not only can Carl’s Drug Store symbolize our country’s perseverance through all these trying years, but it also captures the essence that is small business ownership.

Although the pharmaceutical industry has drastically changed since the 1800’s, there is something to be said for the importance of healthcare administration. Increased education and innovation allows for significant growth in the field. With of all of today’s distractions, we should stop to acknowledge that the past has influenced the present and will continue to shape the future.

What is a Discount Prescription Drug Plan?

The discount plan provides members significant savings through the use of their provided Discount Prescription Drug Card. At the point of sale, members simply present their card at a participating pharmacy and their discount is instantly applied. It’s that easy!

What is a Discount Prescription Drug Card?

The cards allow prescription drug users to save money on all types of prescription medications. At the time of purchase, members simply present their card at a participating pharmacy to instantly receive substantial discounts on their prescription drugs. It’s that easy.

How Do Discount Prescription Drug Cards Work?

These discount cards contain special electronic instructions that are entered into the pharmacy’s point of sale system. When the card information is entered, the price on the prescription is discounted based on the pharmacy’s agreement with the plan. This type of cutting-edge technology allows consumers to save money without encountering any hassles on the checkout line.

Who Needs a Discount Prescription Drug Card?

Any individual with limited or no prescription drug plan can benefit from the Discount Prescription Drug card. Instead of paying full price for medication, card members can save money whenever they purchase prescription drugs. People who already have an existing plan may still find the card useful, as it can discount medications that are not included in their plan.

What Kind of Savings Are We Talking About?

The plan offers substantial discounts on all brand-name and generic drugs. How substantial? In brief, we save members an average of 15% on brand drugs and 40% on generic drugs. Members may realize additional savings by taking advantage of our convenient home delivery mail-order service.

Additional Discount Prescription Drug Plan Advantages:

1.Unlimited use

2.Discount card(s) may be used by all family members

3.The vast majority of all prescription drugs are discounted

4.Generic substitution when allowed by prescribing physician

5.Top-quality, major-pharmacy mail order service

6.24-hour pharmacy help desk

7.No waiting periods

8.No claim forms to file

Where Can I Use the Discount Prescription Drug Card?

Your card is accepted at over 53,000 participating pharmacies nationwide. All chain pharmacies and most independent pharmacies have been given equal opportunity to serve you through our plan. Pharmacies are constantly being added, and our pharmacy directory is updated regularly.

Simply use the integrated Pharmacy Locator / Drug Pricing tool provided on www.rxsavings.org.

 Pharmacy Enrollment

If your pharmacy is not participating in this plan, but would like to enroll in our network, we cordially invite their participation. To enroll, simply have the pharmacy call the help desk number provided on the back of your card (800-847-7147).

The HealthCare Initiative’s Annual Hiring Survey reported that leaders from 47% of the organizations that responded claimed retaining key employees was an issue that keeps them up at night. Yet only 38% of organizations claimed to have formalized retention programs in place. Common sense would tell us that those organizations with retention programs in place would have higher rates of employee retention, right?

To our surprise, that wasn’t necessarily the case.  Rather, most organizations that reported low-turnover rates in pharmacy, 5% or below, claimed to not have formalized retention programs.  After digging a bit further, we finally uncovered a common theme among these institutions who consistently report low turnover rates.  It seems that the actual culture in the department was the most important factor contributing to the retention of employees.  As Suzanne Shea, Vice President of Pharmacy Operations for Cardinal Health Pharmacy Solutions best put it, “it’s the warm fuzzies that make people feel good”. It was also apparent that these executives, in an effort to foster a strong, positive culture, would rather cover shifts by relying on existing staff rather than making a hiring decision too quickly. “We don’t just hire to the minimum specifications and we will work short rather than just taking the next person off the street,” says Perry Flowers, System Executive, Patient Support and System Pharmacy, for Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas. Taking a step further in an effort to uphold a consistent, thriving culture, Mr. Flowers also went on to stress the importance of taking time during new-hire orientation to teach concepts related to business ethics, team member treatment, and philosophies upheld within the organization.   

In organizations that continuously struggle with turnover, mostly those reporting rates between 15-20%, management turnover rates were usually high.  Obviously, this leads to a lack of trust from employees which often is accompanied by lower morale, low employee satisfaction scores, and ultimately higher costs associated with having to recruit more employees.  A culture either company-wide or within individual departments starts at the top.  Like a game of Jenga, when pieces are unstable at the top, the rest of the unit is sure to suffer.

Top 10 Best Practices found at low turnover facilities:

• Complete orientation program in the hospital and pharmacy department with 30, 60, 90 day feedback.  Director of Pharmacy makes sure to remain visible to new hire and is available for questions and support.
• Dedicated mentorship either assigned specifically to the new hire, or within each unit of the pharmacy (e.g. IV Room, Decentralized Services, Central Pharmacy, etc.).
• Management takes the time to know each employee on a personal level.  “A family culture and not just a place to come get a pay check,” says Craig Frost, Director of Pharmacy at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas.
• Opportunities for reimbursement upon completion of continued education such as Board Certification.  Flexible PTO to attend leadership conferences in an effort to support continued professional development.
• Management and Peer recognition in the form of hand-written notes, verbal recognition at departmental or hospital-wide meetings.
• Monthly all-staff departmental meetings to keep employees informed on the latest happenings. Opportunity to present milestone awards and certificates of appreciation. Some organizations have even created a Rewards and Recognition Committee.
• Employee Satisfaction Surveys routinely taken allowing management to address concerns early and often.
• Management training programs providing opportunities for advancement within.
• Hold Directors accountable for both developing a forced ranking of employees (A, B, C) primarily based on job performance evaluations and an action plan to increase productivity from low-performers and continuously challenge high performers.
• Develop and maintain strong clinical programs.

The time we spent speaking with these Pharmacy Leaders has led us to believe that high retention rates are a result of a positive, inviting culture more than anything else. Birthday cake, a hello in the hallway, a “great job” announced in front of peers at a meeting, are all small gestures that apparently seem to go a very long way.  I encourage you to go back to your team today and take an objective look at the current state of your department’s culture. If you haven’t already, begin implementing some of the best practices noted above, and you will slowly but surely begin to see a difference in your rate of retention and overall employee satisfaction.

Barry Bleidt, PhD, PharmD, RPh
Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
 
Emily Coleman, MEd
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
 
Patricia E. Johnson, RPh
Director of Experiential Education
 
Ajoy Koomer, PhD, EMBA
Director of Assessment
 
David Matthews, PharmD, RPh, CGP
Chair of Pharmacy Practice and Assistant Dean for Interprofessional Education
 
Martha J. M. Wells, PhD
Chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Assistant Dean for Research
 
 
These members join Dr. Lanny Foss, the Founding Dean of the School of Pharmacy, and are working to prepare all of the accrediting documents, establishing the curriculum and setting up clinical site partnerships for the College.
 
“We are pleased with the leadership team that has been established. They have been working with Dr. Foss for the past six months and as a team since April,” said Dr. William B. Drake, Jr., President of Midway College. “They each have a tremendous amount of work before them but with their collective backgrounds and experiences they have hit the ground running and are exceeding expectations.”
 
Two additional positions for the Midway College School of Pharmacy have also been filled:
 
Amir Akhlaghi              
Administrative Assistant to the Dean 
 
Jason Kretzer, MSCS
Technology Coordinator
 
The Midway College School of Pharmacy, located in Paintsville, Kentucky, was formally announced in January 2010. The College is currently taking applications and will accept up to 80 students per year and serve 320 students annually when fully operational. It is expected to employ 100 faculty and staff members, and have an annual economic impact of more than $30 million on the region.
  
For more information about Midway College, contact Ellen Gregory at (859) 846-6046 (office) or (859) 338-1775 (cell) or email egregory@midway.edu.

“We disagree profoundly with the District Court’s ruling and will appeal this decision,” said Robert A. Armitage, senior vice president and general counsel for Lilly. “We continue to believe that our Strattera method-of-use patent should be found valid and should be upheld by the courts. The judge did not apply what we believe has been long-settled law on the legal issue of enablement. We will take every reasonable step to protect our intellectual property rights.”

As a result of today’s court decision, the company anticipates the near-term entry of generic atomoxetine in the U.S. market. Although today’s court decision will not cause the company to modify its current 2010 earnings per share guidance, the company does now expect revenue growth in the low- to mid-single digits, a reduction from its prior revenue growth guidance of mid-single digits.

“Although we are disappointed with today’s ruling, we remain confident in our ability to execute on our strategy and in our long-term business prospects,” said John Lechleiter, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive officer. “Assuming a launch of a generic version of Strattera in the U.S., the loss of revenue will undoubtedly add to the challenges we will face during upcoming patent expirations on other key products. At the same time, we are taking the actions necessary to meet these challenges, including lowering our cost structure by at least $1 billion by the end of 2011 and reducing our full-time workforce. As a result, we still expect to generate sufficient cash flow in the coming years to fund research and development, make necessary capital investments and to pursue anticipated business development opportunities. In addition, we do not intend to deviate from our plan to maintain our dividend at least at its current level.”

Lechleiter concluded, “We continue to be resolutely committed to our core strategy: accelerating the development of the promising molecules now in our labs. In addition to a diverse portfolio of medicines currently on the market, we have a robust pipeline of nearly 70 potential new medicines in clinical development, targeting areas such as diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other unmet medical needs. The promise of this pipeline bodes well for Lilly and the patients we serve.”

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers – through medicines and information – for some of the world’s most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com. C-LLY

This release contains forward-looking statements regarding the U.S. Strattera patent litigation. These statements are based on management’s current expectations but actual results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that the company will prevail in any appeal. Also, the company cannot predict whether generic atomoxetine will be marketed prior to the resolution of this litigation. Other risk factors that may affect the company’s results can be found in the company’s Form 10-K, dated February 2010, and Form 10-Q, dated July 2010.

Strattera(R) (atomoxetine, Lilly)

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company

Send your answer to stephen.grosch@rxtimes.com for a chance to be selected to receive a free RxTimes Magazine travel coffee mug!

Only confirmed subscribers are eligible. Please subscribe to RxTimes Magazine before submitting your answer.

Send your answer to stephen.grosch@rxtimes.com for a chance to be selected to receive a free RxTimes Magazine travel coffee mug!

Only confirmed subscribers are eligible. Please subscribe to RxTimes Magazine before submitting your answer.

Send your answer to stephen.grosch@rxtimes.com for a chance to be selected to receive a free RxTimes Magazine travel coffee mug!

Only confirmed subscribers are eligible. Please subscribe to RxTimes Magazine before submitting your answer.

Is a residency for me?

That is a question only you can answer, but now that you have finished your didactic career as a student, you must now step into the world of pharmacy. If you have considered doing a residency in pharmacy, now is the time to do so. If you tell yourself you are going to wait for a while and then decide, chances are you will have a very hard time giving up your career and going back to complete a residency receiving partial salary and working twice the hours.

Do I really need that flashy car?

Sure, it’s always nice to reward yourself after a big accomplishment, especially graduation.  Whether it’s a car or something else you’ve had your eyes on, it’s always better to make a large purchase after you’ve paid down your credit cards and begun repaying your student loans. At least you will know where you stand.

When do I want to retire?

Most of us won’t retire for years and years, but the sooner you plan, the sooner you will be able to accomplish this goal. As you fill out your new employment paper work you will be able to determine how much you can “kick” to your 401K or other long-term savings plan. Some recommend 10%, but I would recommend the maximum amount allowed if you can afford it. You will thank yourself when you are older!

Have I effectively negotiated my employment?

I know you might be excited to finally land that job you were looking for. After all, who wouldn’t be, since it’s something you’ve been looking forward to doing for at least half of your lifetime.  But don’t be too quick to jump right in. Negotiating salary, vacation time, and hours is something that you should focus on at the beginning. These things will affect your life for years to come as you enter your new career, so make an effort.  After all, you can’t go back and negotiate once you’ve been hired!

What are my goals as a pharmacist?

As a pharmacist, you are able to contribute to your profession, your community, and your employer on an infinite amount of levels. Your journey has only begun. Keep yourself in check. Constantly challenge yourself with new goals within the pharmacy profession, and I guarantee you have a rewarding and fulfilling career!