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  • The Pharmacists Deserve It Platform: A New Opportunity for OTC Manufacturers

    The Pharmacists Deserve It Platform: A New Opportunity for OTC Manufacturers
    2026/07/31
    In the concluding episode of this three-part series, Dr. John Papastergiou and Ajit Johal continue their conversation with Hanson, founder of the Pharmacists Deserve It platform (https://PharmacistsDeserveIt.com), shifting the focus to the opportunity for pharmaceutical manufacturers. Together, they explore how pharmacist-led OTC counselling creates value far beyond product sales by improving patient outcomes, generating meaningful real-world insights, strengthening relationships with pharmacists, and ensuring products are used appropriately. Hanson explains how participating manufacturers gain access to unique point-of-care data while supporting pharmacists for the clinical expertise they already provide every day. The discussion also tackles common manufacturer concerns, including budgeting, scalability, and fairness across competing products, while outlining Hanson's vision for a future where every OTC product supports pharmacist counselling. Whether you're a pharmacist interested in expanding clinical services or a manufacturer looking for innovative ways to engage healthcare professionals and patients, this episode offers a compelling perspective on the future of OTC care. Listen now and discover how pharmacists, manufacturers, and patients can all benefit from a better model for OTC counselling. This episode is presented with support from the Pharmacists Deserve It Platform (https://PharmacistsDeserveIt.com). Pharmacists Deserve It is helping transform OTC counselling by recognizing and supporting the clinical expertise pharmacists provide every day. Their innovative platform enables pharmacists to receive compensation for eligible OTC counselling interactions while helping manufacturers improve patient education, product utilization, and real-world insights at the point of care. By supporting pharmacist-patient conversations around OTC products, the platform aims to improve patient care while acknowledging the important clinical services pharmacists provide every day.
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    24 分
  • Beyond Statins: Helping Patients Reach Lipid Goals

    Beyond Statins: Helping Patients Reach Lipid Goals
    2026/07/23
    In this episode of The Pharmacists Are In, Ajit Johal is joined by Manjit Hansra, Founder at Rx for Renewal, and Kristen Stegehuis, Medical Sales at Mantra Pharma, to discuss practical approaches to lipid management in community pharmacy. The conversation explores the ongoing challenge of patients who are unable or unwilling to take statins, emerging opportunities for pharmacist intervention, and the growing role of evidence-based plant sterols in cardiovascular risk reduction. The guests review current lipid management strategies, discuss where CardioSmile fits alongside lifestyle interventions and statin therapy, and explain how pharmacists can confidently support patients using guideline-informed recommendations. They also share practical insights into counselling, patient selection, and integrating lipid management conversations into everyday pharmacy practice. The episode concludes with a discussion on pharmacist burnout, leadership, and the importance of maintaining personal wellbeing while continuing to expand pharmacy practice. We are grateful to RxLaw (https://rxlaw.ca) for their support of this episode, helping to advance the knowledge and professional development of pharmacists. With a team that combines legal expertise and firsthand healthcare experience, RxLaw offers practical, informed guidance that reflects the realities of clinical practice. Their commitment to supporting healthcare professionals and navigating complex regulatory environments helps strengthen the profession and promote high standards of care.
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    21 分
  • The Pharmacists Deserve It Platform: Compensating Pharmacists for OTC Counselling

    The Pharmacists Deserve It Platform: Compensating Pharmacists for OTC Counselling
    2026/07/22
    Pharmacists counsel patients on over-the-counter (OTC) products every day, yet these valuable clinical interactions have traditionally gone unrecognized and uncompensated. In the second episode of this three-part series on the Pharmacists Deserve It Platform, Dr. John Papastergiou and Ajit Johal welcome back community pharmacist and founder Hanson Lalani to take a closer look at how the platform works and the value it brings to pharmacists. The discussion explores how pharmacists can quickly sign up, access product-specific counselling resources, document eligible counselling interactions in seconds, and receive recognition for the expertise they provide every day. The hosts also discuss how the platform helps pharmacists build confidence in OTC counselling by providing concise manufacturer-approved counselling points that fit seamlessly into a busy workflow. More than just a new tool, the Pharmacists Deserve It Platform represents a new way of recognizing the time, knowledge, and clinical judgment pharmacists bring to patient care. By supporting pharmacists in delivering high-quality OTC counselling, the platform aims to strengthen pharmacy practice while encouraging greater patient engagement. This episode is presented with support from the Pharmacists Deserve It Platform (https://PharmacistsDeserveIt.com). The Pharmacists Deserve It Platform was created by pharmacists to recognize the clinical value of OTC counselling. The platform provides pharmacists with product-specific counselling resources from participating manufacturers, enables quick and compliant documentation of eligible counselling interactions, and recognizes pharmacists for the time and expertise they dedicate to helping patients make informed decisions about over-the-counter therapies. By supporting pharmacist-patient conversations around OTC products, the platform aims to improve patient care while acknowledging the important clinical services pharmacists provide every day.
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    23 分
  • The Pharmacists Deserve It Platform: Recognizing and Rewarding OTC Counselling That Improves Patient Care

    The Pharmacists Deserve It Platform: Recognizing and Rewarding OTC Counselling That Improves Patient Care
    2026/07/10
    Over-the-counter (OTC) counselling is one of the most common clinical services pharmacists provide, yet it has traditionally gone unrecognized and uncompensated. In this first episode of a three-part series introducing the Pharmacists Deserve It Platform (https://PharmacistsDeserveIt.com), Dr. John Papastergiou and Ajit Johal are joined by community pharmacist and founder Hanson Lalani to discuss a new approach that recognizes and rewards pharmacists for the expertise they bring to OTC patient care. The conversation explores how the Pharmacists Deserve It Platform enables pharmacists to document eligible OTC counselling interactions while helping manufacturers better support pharmacist education around their products. More importantly, it examines why these counselling conversations matter. From preventing medication errors and harmful drug interactions to ensuring patients select and use OTC therapies correctly, pharmacists play a critical role in improving outcomes every day. The hosts also discuss how better recognition of OTC counselling can encourage more patient engagement, strengthen pharmacy practice, and help reduce unnecessary strain on the healthcare system by ensuring patients receive the right advice at the right time. This episode is presented with support from the Pharmacists Deserve It Platform (https://PharmacistsDeserveIt.com). The Pharmacists Deserve It Platform was created by pharmacists to recognize the clinical value of OTC counselling. The platform provides pharmacists with product-specific counselling resources from participating manufacturers, enables quick and compliant documentation of eligible counselling interactions, and recognizes pharmacists for the time and expertise they dedicate to helping patients make informed decisions about over-the-counter therapies. By supporting pharmacist-patient conversations around OTC products, the platform aims to improve patient care while acknowledging the important clinical services pharmacists provide every day.
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    23 分
  • Beyond Dispensing: Prevention, Advocacy, and Practice Transformation

    Beyond Dispensing: Prevention, Advocacy, and Practice Transformation
    2026/06/17
    Recorded live at PharmacyU Toronto 2026, this episode features two pharmacy leaders helping shape the future of the profession: Molly Yang, Senior Director of Pharmacy Innovation & Professional Affairs at Wholehealth Pharmacy Partners, and Shelita Dattani, Chair and Advocacy Lead at Vaccine Alliance. Hosts Dr. John Papastergiou and Ajit Johal explore the growing role of pharmacists in preventive care, vaccination, travel health, chronic disease management, and professional advocacy. The conversation highlights the importance of pharmacist-led prevention strategies, the opportunities presented by expanding scope of practice, and the need for stronger advocacy to ensure pharmacists are recognized and valued for the care they provide. They also discuss PharmacyU's unique role in bringing the profession together, the evolving mindset of new pharmacy graduates, and what pharmacy practice could look like over the next three to five years. Whether your passion is immunization, chronic disease management, pharmacy ownership, or advancing the profession, this episode offers practical insights and an optimistic vision for the future of pharmacy in Canada. We are grateful to RxLaw for their support of this episode, helping to advance the knowledge and professional development of pharmacists. With a team that combines legal expertise and firsthand healthcare experience, RxLaw offers practical, informed guidance that reflects the realities of clinical practice. Their commitment to supporting healthcare professionals and navigating complex regulatory environments helps strengthen the profession and promote high standards of care.
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    14 分
  • Vaccine Confidence Under Fire: Dr. Paul Offit, Charlotte Moser, and the Fight Against Misinformation

    Vaccine Confidence Under Fire: Dr. Paul Offit, Charlotte Moser, and the Fight Against Misinformation
    2026/05/31
    In this episode of The Pharmacists Are In, hosts Dr. John Papastergiou and Ajit Johal welcome two of the most respected voices in vaccine education and public health: Dr. Paul Offit, Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Charlotte Moser, Co-Director, Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Together, they examine the rapidly changing vaccine landscape in the United States, including the impact of recent policy changes, the dismissal and restructuring of the ACIP committee, rising measles cases, and growing challenges around public trust in vaccines. The discussion explores how misinformation campaigns have evolved, why healthcare professionals remain essential sources of trusted information, and what pharmacists can do when faced with vaccine questions and hesitancy in everyday practice. Dr. Offit and Charlotte Moser also share practical communication strategies for frontline healthcare providers, discuss the importance of empathy when addressing concerns, and offer perspectives on the future of vaccine science and public health. For pharmacists, immunizers, and healthcare professionals navigating an increasingly complex information environment, this episode delivers timely insights and practical advice from two global leaders in vaccine education. We are grateful to Immunize.io Health Association (www.immunize.io) for their support of this educational program and their commitment to advancing immunization awareness, education, and access. Since 2018, Immunize.io has worked to improve vaccination rates through community outreach, healthcare professional education, workplace and community immunization programs, and initiatives that address vaccine confidence and accessibility. Their efforts help strengthen public health both locally and globally by supporting evidence-based immunization practices and expanding protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.
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    38 分
  • Beyond A1C: Rethinking Diabetes Management with Continuous Glucose Monitoring

    Beyond A1C: Rethinking Diabetes Management with Continuous Glucose Monitoring
    2026/05/14
    In this episode, Ajit Johal and Dr. John Papastergiou shift the conversation back to one of the most pressing challenges in pharmacy practice - diabetes management. With more patients presenting in community pharmacies and limited access to primary care, pharmacists are increasingly on the front lines of supporting those living with diabetes. The discussion explores the growing role of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), the limitations of relying solely on A1C, and the importance of focusing on time in range and hypoglycemia prevention. John and Ajit also unpack common misconceptions around CGM, practical onboarding strategies, and how pharmacists can start small to integrate this powerful technology into everyday practice. From identifying high-risk patients to leveraging real-time data for better outcomes, this episode offers practical insights to help pharmacists improve care without adding unnecessary complexity. We are grateful to Dexcom Canada for their support of this educational program, helping to advance the knowledge and professional development of pharmacists. Dexcom develops continuous glucose monitoring technology that supports patients and healthcare professionals with real-time glucose data to help inform diabetes management. Their commitment to innovation continues to support the evolving role of pharmacists in diabetes care across Canada.
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    26 分
  • Advocacy, Sustainability, and Scope: Smita Patil on the Future of Pharmacy in Ontario

    Advocacy, Sustainability, and Scope: Smita Patil on the Future of Pharmacy in Ontario
    2026/05/12
    In this episode of The Pharmacists Are In, Ajit Johal and Dr. John Papastergiou sit down with Smita Patil, Vice President, Retail Member Relations & Professional Affairs at McKesson Canada and candidate for the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) Board of Directors. Smita shares her 20+ year journey across frontline practice, operations, and government affairs, and how those experiences shape her approach to advocacy today. The conversation explores one of the most pressing challenges facing the profession - balancing scope expansion with sustainable funding. From newly funded vaccines to growing common ailments programs, the discussion dives into what it really takes to implement services at the pharmacy level. Smita emphasizes the importance of interoperability, workforce capacity, and ensuring funding and scope evolve together - not separately. The episode also highlights the role of grassroots advocacy, the importance of OPA membership, and why pharmacists must unify their voice to drive meaningful system-level change. With the OPA election underway, this is a timely and important conversation about leadership, representation, and the future of pharmacy in Ontario and across Canada. Listen in for a pragmatic, frontline-informed perspective on where the profession is heading and how pharmacists can help shape it. This episode is supported by Lampyon Health Communications, an agency at the intersection of health marketing and health education. Through strategic storytelling, education, and digital innovation, Lampyon helps bring important healthcare conversations - like this one - to life for pharmacists and the broader healthcare community.
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    24 分