Drug diversion threatens patient and staff safety—and preventing it requires a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach. In this episode, Dr. Ruth Igwegbe and Shealee Mitchell of JPS Health Network join host Carolyn Liptak to share how their organization transformed a fragmented diversion process into a high-functioning, collaborative program. From building trust with frontline teams to using AI software and proactive data monitoring, Ruth and Shealee highlight how culture, consistency, and communication are essential to effective diversion prevention. Tune in for actionable strategies that elevate both patient safety and professional accountability.

Guest speakers:

Dr. Ruth Igwegbe PharmD, MBA,

Pharmacy medication safety officer

JPS Health Network

Shealee Mitchell, BS, RN, MJur

Pharmacy medication safety officer

JPS Health Network

Host:

Carolyn Liptak, BS Pharm, MBA 

Vizient

Show Notes:

[01:02-02:32] Ruth and Shealee Backgrounds

[02:33-04:46] Background on diversion detection and prevention program at JPS

[04:47-06:55] Shealee's clinical background and how it shaped how she works with teams across the organization

[06:56-09:20] How the JPS diversion response team evolved

[09:21-13:55] Advice to our listeners to strengthen their own diversion prevention programs

[13:56-16:03] Where our listeners should go to get more information about drug diversion prevention and detection programs

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The Vizient Summer 2025 Spend Management Outlook (SMO) provides an integrated perspective on trends, factors and future expenses providers will face across the various dimensions of healthcare. In this episode, Dr. Carina Dolan and Dr. Jeni Hayes join host Carolyn Liptak to discuss pharmacy insights from the SMO including declining drug price inflation and how autoimmune conditions have surpassed oncology in total pharmacy costs. They also touch on pediatric spend drivers, biosimilar competition, and the impact of novel therapies. Tune in to VerifiedRx for practical insights to help pharmacy leaders plan for what’s ahead.

Guest speakers:

Carina Dolan, Pharm. D., MS Pharm, BCOP Associate Vice President, Clinical Oncology, Pharmacoeconomics and Market Insights Vizient Jeni Hayes, PharmD, MS Pharm, BCPS Senior Clinical Manager, Market Intelligence Vizient  Host:  Carolyn Liptak, BS Pharm, MBA VerifiedRx Host

Show Notes:

[01:13-02:41] Key pharmacy trends emerging from the Summer SMO

[02:42-04:00] Current pharmacy trends

[04:01-05:55] Pharmacy spend for autoimmune conditions has exceeded that of oncology

[05:56-07:36] Key takeaways

[07:37-08:47] Significant trends in this latest therapeutic insights update

[08:48-10:04] Challenges in gene and cell therapy space

[10:05-11:33] The Therapeutic Insights webpage for pediatrics

[11:34-13:41] Other reflections from the SMO

[13:42-14:49] How to locate the SMO

Links | Resources:

Vizient Spend Management Outlook

Vizient Therapeutic class insights

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Drug shortages continue to be a significant issue in the healthcare system, affecting various aspects of patient care and imposing substantial costs on hospitals and health systems. According to Vizient's 2024 drug shortages survey, U.S. hospitals are spending approximately 20 million hours annually managing these shortages, resulting in nearly $900 million in associated labor costs. The survey highlights that 74% of facilities reported exceeding their pharmacy budgets due to drug shortages, with pediatric facilities facing particularly significant financial and labor strain.

Kyle Hoelting, director of pharmacy supply assurance and stewardship and Nikola Markoski, director of pharmacy sourcing strategic solutions and analytics join host Katie Korte, vice president Vizient Reserve to delve into the results of Vizient’s 2024 drug shortage survey.

Guest speakers:

Kyle Hoelting, Pharm.D, BCPS

Director, Pharmacy Supply Assurance & Stewardship

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

Nikola Markoski, Pharm.D, MBA

Director, Pharmacy Sourcing Strategic Solutions & Analytics

Vizient

Host:

Katie Kortie, Pharm.D, MHA, BCPS, BCCCP

Vice President, Strategy & Program Lead, Vizient Reserve

Vizient

Show Notes:

[00:47-01:14] Kyle and Niko Backgrounds

[01:15-05:04] What's different about this year's survey and what made 2023 a critical year in the drug shortage landscape

[05:05-08:27] How data was collected, what did the mix of information tells us and the biggest insights or patterns that surfaced in the survey

[08:28-12:25] What Vizient’s built or enabled that’s made a difference in this space

[12:26-15:55] How best to prepare for and respond to shortages from an inventory perspective

Links | Resources:

• Beyond the Shortage: The Hidden Cost of Drug Supply Chain Disruptions
• Drug shortage stewardship: A novel solution for an old problem
• Vizient Key performance indicators for the management of drug shortages
• Vizient Essential Medications List

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We all know that clinician burnout negatively impacts the quality of patient care. That's why pharmacy residency accrediting bodies now emphasize resident well-being and professional sustainability as core components of residency training earlier in clinician careers. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Accreditation Standards for PGY1 and PGY2 Pharmacy Residencies include a formal requirement for programs to address resilience, well-being, and burnout prevention, reflecting the increasing recognition of burnout in healthcare. Joining us to talk that out are Tony Huke, Senior Pharmacy Executive Director with Vizient Pharmacy Advisory Solutions and Kendra Gage, Inpatient Clinical Pharmacist and the PGY 1 Residency Program Director at UCHealth, University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Colorado.

Guest speakers:

Tony Huke, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP

Senior Pharmacy Executive Director

Vizient Pharmacy Advisory Solutions

Kendra Gage, PharmD, BCPS

Inpatient Clinical Pharmacist

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director

UCHealth

Host:

Kerry Schwarz, PharmD, MPH

Senior Clinical Manager, Evidence-Based Medicine and Outcomes

Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence (CPPE)

Show Notes:

[01:11-03:25] What’s new at the national level in terms of pharmacy resident resiliency and well-being

[03:26-03:56] The intentionality of well-being in pharmacy residency programs

[03:57-05:12] Examples from Kendra’s program

[05:13-06:40] Program expectations to address resilience

[06:41-08:33] Assessment and potential metrics of resiliency programs

[08:34-11:06] The role of pharmacy leadership and residency program directors in resiliency

[11:07-12:34] Impact of resiliency programs so far

Links | Resources:

Accreditation Standards for PGY1 and PGY2 Pharmacy Residencies

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Information on COVID vaccines is moving fast. On May 27th, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that COVID vaccines will no longer be universally recommended for healthy children or healthy pregnant women. That's a big shift, and understandably, it's raised a lot of questions. We're going to cut through the noise and take a look at where things really stand, who's getting vaccinated, how current guidance is evolving, and what this means for both children and adults as we look ahead to the next respiratory season. Joining us to help sort it all out is Dr. John Schoen, Senior Clinical Manager of Drug Information at Vizient.

Guest speakers:

John Schoen, PharmD, BCPS

Senior Clinical Manager of Drug Information

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

Host:

Stacy Lauderdale, PharmD, BCPS

Associate Vice President

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

Show Notes:

[01:38-05:32] What changed in the recent CDC update for healthy children

[05:33-09:32] Discussion of COVID-19 outcomes and vaccination in children

[09:33-11:47] Specific risk factors for pediatric patients

[11:48-12:47] Is the US an outlier for not universally recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and making no recommendation in healthy pregnant women?

[12:48-14:03] The FDA’s proposed regulatory framework for COVID-19 vaccine approval

[14:04-15:18] FDA’s approach to implementing revised requirements for randomized controlled trials

[15:19-16:57] Key discussion points from the May meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee

[17:00-18:27] Topics requiring further clarification about COVID-19 vaccine

Links | Resources:

Vizient resources:

• Minute Market Insight: Potential ACIP COVID-19 recommendation changes April 2025: https://www.vizientinc.com/download?342668
• Minute Market Insight: May 2025 COVID-19 vaccine recommendation and policy updates: https://www.vizientinc.com/download?352336

Additional resources:

• FDA perspective piece published in NEJM: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsb2506929
• ACIP meeting information: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/index.html
• CDC childhood immunization schedule: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/imz-schedules/child-adolescent-age.html
• CDC adult immunization schedule by medical condition: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/imz-schedules/adult-medical-condition.html
• CDC RESP-NET: https://www.cdc.gov/resp-net/dashboard/
• WHO COVID-19 dashboard: https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/deaths
• MMWR - COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations and Maternal Vaccination Among Infants Aged <6 Months: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7338a1.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• MMWR – MIS-C, US 2023: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7310a2.htm

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Pharmacy reverse distributors play a key role in making pharmaceutical returns more efficient, helping with processing, financial settlements and delivering helpful data. They're in a unique spot to support efforts to prevent diversion, speed up inventory returns, and even contribute to sustainability goals. Kyle Hoelting, director of pharmacy supply assurance and stewardship at Vizient, along with Paige Ivey, senior national accounts director, and Houston Blankinship, senior director of customer experience for healthcare product operations at Inmar Intelligence join host Carolyn Liptak, pharmacy executive director in Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence and host for today's conversation.

Guest speakers:

Kyle Hoelting, Pharm.D, BCPS Director, Pharmacy Supply Assurance & Stewardship Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

Paige Ivey Senior National Accounts Director Inmar Intelligence

Houston Blankenship Senior Director of Customer Experience for Healthcare Product Operations Inmar Intelligence

Host: Carolyn Liptak, MBA, RPh Pharmacy Executive Director Vizient

Show Notes:

[01:05-03:33] Background for Kyle, Paige, Houston [03:34-05:10] How the pharmaceutical supply chain works and how everything is interconnected [05:10-09:32] How reverse distribution specifically supports pharmacy operations [09:33-11:16] How data that comes from reverse distribution can offer some great insights for pharmacy leaders [11:58-13:57] How data that comes from reverse distribution can give insight to drug shortages [13:58-16:42] Inmar's role with insight into drug shortages [16:43-21:05] Go-to resources for those wanting to explore more on stewardship and protective purchases

Links | Resources:

Drug shortage stewardship: A novel solution for an old problem

Vizient Essential Medications List

Vizient Key performance indicators for the management of drug shortages

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Recently, there has been a lot of interest generated by a new FDA approval. Suzetrigine (Journavx) was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the management of pain. Although there is a lot of excitement about having a new tool in the toolbox, there are certain limitations that are important to consider. In this episode of Verified Rx, Dave Peterson, pharmacist and drug information specialist for the University of Utah Health joins us to discuss this exciting new non opioid medication.

Guest speaker:

Dave Peterson, PharmD, BCPS

Drug Information Specialist

University of Utah Drug Information Service

Host:

Kerry Schwarz, PharmD, MPH

Senior Clinical Manager, Evidence-Based Medicine and Outcomes

Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence (CPPE)

Show Notes:

[00:54-02:24] Information about Suzetrigine

[02:25-04:06] What distinguishes suzetrigine from other non-opioid analgesics

[04:07-05:09] What suzetrigine is indicated for

[05:10-06:14] How suzetrigine is being studied

[06:15-08:40] Surgical models and the endpoints that we commonly see in these studies

[08:41-10:25] Making sense of discordant study results

[10:26-12:02] Moving beyond the evidence to real world utilization of suzetrigine

[12:03-14:03] How cost factors into real-world utilization

[14:04-16:21] What Dave is keeping his eye on in terms of clinical concerns

[16:22-17:28] What Dave is excited about with the advent of suzetrigine

Links | Resources:

No pain, much gain?

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Traditional drug spending in the U.S. has surpassed specialty drug spending, and the primary force behind this trend is GLP-1 receptor agonists. These incretin-based therapies are transforming both the clinical and economic landscapes, from diabetes to obesity.

In this episode of the Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence’s VerifiedRx podcast, host Tori Richie, Senior Consulting Director of Intelligence at Sg2 is joined by Vizient colleagues Stacy Lauderdale, AVP of Evidence-Based Medicine, Heather Pace, Senior Clinical Manager of Ambulatory Care, and Emily Fitt, Intelligence Consultant at Sg2. They delve into a comprehensive discussion on GLP-1s, covering topics from telehealth services and patient management strategies to the unique attributes that set these therapies apart.

Grab your coffee and get comfortable. This isn’t just a conversation; it’s a front-row seat to how GLP-1s are reshaping the future of obesity management.

Guest speakers:

Stacy Lauderdale, Pharm.D, BCPS

Associate Vice President

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

VerifiedRx Host

Heather Pace, Pharm.D

Sr. Clinical Manager of Ambulatory Care,

Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

Emily Fitt, MHA, MPH

Consultant

Sg2

Host:

Tori Richie

Senior Consulting Director, Intelligence

Sg2

Sg2 Perspectives Host

Show Notes:

[02:24-04:50] How GLP-1 medications differ from traditional treatments and shift from use in diabetes to obesity management

[04:51-05:54] The most common side effects of GLP-1 therapies and how clinicians can effectively manage patients

[05:55-08:49] Treatment teams for obesity management and the role of the pharmacist in the management of GLP-1 medications

[08:50-10:51] Challenges providers face integrating GLP-1 medications into practice

[10:16-13:20] Quality or outcome concerns with individuals who receive GLP-1 medications from telehealth providers

[13:21-15:01] Trends shaping this landscape

[15:02-21:14] Best practices that providers should deploy

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