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Pharmacy technician certification pathway established through Stepful partnership

Pharmacy technician certification pathway established through Stepful partnership

Daniel Longyhore In July 2024, Enterprise Pharmacy initiated a strategic partnership with Stepful Inc. to support pharmacy technicians employed at Geisinger in meeting certification requirements through structured training and examination preparation. This collaboration provides a formal pathway for technicians to pursue certification through either the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board or

Achieving excellence: The strategic growth of GHP Pharmacy Programs

Achieving excellence: The strategic growth of GHP Pharmacy Programs

Kelly Faust, Kristen Scheib, Tricia Heitzman and David Griffith The GHP Pharmacy Programs team was established in early 2020 with the strategic goal of developing and implementing initiatives aimed at enhancing pharmacy Star ratings, improving HEDIS pharmacy measure outcomes, and optimizing drug utilization reviews (DUR). Prior to the formation of

Navigating pharmaceutical tariffs: Preparing for price pressures and supply chain disruptions

Navigating pharmaceutical tariffs: Preparing for price pressures and supply chain disruptions

Jamie Miller Tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals are likely to lead to increased drug prices and potential shortages, impacting patients, providers and healthcare systems. While tariffs aim to protect domestic industries, public health experts anticipate that the costs of tariffs on imported drugs will likely be passed on to consumers, potentially

Medicare drug price negotiation: Preparing for maximum fair prices and their systemwide impact

Medicare drug price negotiation: Preparing for maximum fair prices and their systemwide impact

Jamie Miller The passing of the Inflation Reduction Act included a provision allowing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate maximum fair prices (MFPs) for specific drugs covered under Medicare Part D. The goal is to make medications more affordable for Medicare members and reduce overall costs

Centralizing oncology drug authorizations: Geisinger’s partnership with OncoHealth drives efficiency and savings

Centralizing oncology drug authorizations: Geisinger’s partnership with OncoHealth drives efficiency and savings

Authors: Jessie Bitler and Kimberly Clark OncoHealth began overseeing Geisinger Health Plan’s Medicare Part B oncology drug prior authorizations for non-Geisinger providers on May 23, 2024. This initial implementation represented a strategic advancement in optimizing the approval process for oncology therapies, yielding appropriate, efficient, cost-effective care for

Unlocking the power of pharmacogenomics: MyCode’s role in safer, smarter prescribing

Unlocking the power of pharmacogenomics: MyCode’s role in safer, smarter prescribing

Author: Ryley Uber The Geisinger MyCode® Community Health Initiative has been underway for nearly 2 decades, positively influencing our understanding of how genomics affect health while enabling pathways for clinical confirmation of genomic results. Yet a key question remains: How can MyCode pharmacogenomic (PGx) data be used to improve medication

Innovations in medical marijuana research at the Center for Pharmacy Innovation & Outcomes

Authors: Melissa Kern and Brian Piper The Center for Pharmacy Innovation & Outcomes (CPIO) continues to advance research in medical marijuana, also referred to as cannabis, through studies conducted at the national, state and local levels. These efforts are supported by grants from the Geisinger Academic Clinical Research Center and

Opioid Wizard: Advancing identification and engagement in opioid use disorder care

Opioid Wizard: Advancing identification and engagement in opioid use disorder care

Author: Eric Wright As part of a national initiative to improve care for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), Geisinger Enterprise Pharmacy contributed to the development and evaluation of Opioid Wizard — a clinical decision support tool embedded in the electronic health record. Designed to assist clinicians in identifying patients with

One year of CAR-T therapy: Advancing personalized cancer treatment at Geisinger

Authors: Lori Stopper, RPh, PharmD, Kayla Aufiero, RPh, PharmD Geisinger Medical Center in Danville and the Geisinger Cancer Institute have successfully completed the first year of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy infusions, treating 12 patients with the goal of achieving long-term remission — or even a potential

Geisinger Cancer Center Dickson City opens, expanding access to advanced oncology care

Authors: Justine Zuk and Ralph Ferraro On June 23, the new Geisinger Cancer Center Dickson City welcomed its first patient, marking a major milestone in the expansion of advanced cancer care across northeastern Pennsylvania. This momentous occasion reflects the culmination of months of tireless dedication and teamwork. Every member of

Tenecteplase is here: Navigating the shift of a stroke thrombolytic in the United States prior to FDA approval: a mini-review on rationale, barriers and pathways

Authors: Julian M. Burwell, Jason R. Howay, Lisa Wasko, Samantha Doucoure, Jamie L. Kerestes, Clemens M. Schirmer, David Ermak, Anthony Noto, Philipp Hendrix Until March 2025, alteplase (TPA) was the sole thrombolytic agent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke

Geisinger Pharmacy services: Our integrated pharmacy network

Author: Stephanie Gill Geisinger’s integrated pharmacy network continues to support high-quality, cost-effective, evidence-based medication therapy management across central, south-central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Serving more than 1 million residents in 45 counties, the network includes 50+ pharmacy locations encompassing inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory care, home infusion and

Smart automation in cleanrooms: Metasys enhances sterile compounding compliance at Geisinger

Authors: Nichole Varela-Gonzalez and Adam Castro In hospital cleanrooms, where sterile compounding and infusion medication preparation occur, maintaining strict environmental controls is essential to patient safety and regulatory compliance. As standards governing compounding spaces have become increasingly rigorous — particularly with the implementation of USP <797> and USP

Strategic system transition: GHIS adopts Epic to advance home infusion services

Authors: Ron Zsido, Anthony Dicriscio and Jessica Koch The year 2024 marked a transformative milestone for Geisinger Home Infusion Services (GHIS), as the organization initiated a strategic transition from its long-standing CPR+ operating system to Epic. This shift is expected to redefine workflows, elevate patient care and align GHIS