Media Hub / January 15, 2024
PharMerica Chief Clinical Officer TJ Griffin was featured in the Framework Focus Podcast to discuss the challenges faced by long-term care pharmacies and advancements in pharmacy practice, including an expanded scope and additional opportunities for pharmacies.
Griffin shared his journey in pharmacy from his early days in retail pharmacy in Florida to his now 20-year career at PharMerica.
“I wish I had learned about long-term care pharmacy in pharmacy school,” Griffin remarked. “But part of my effort now is talking to students going to pharmacy school… and trying to get the word out and get more kids excited about long-term care pharmacy.”
Griffin offered details about his role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among many highlights, his pharmacy was among the first to receive COVID-19 vaccinations as well as a supplier of more than $20 million in personal protective equipment to assisted living facilities. In addition, Griffin was a part of Operation Warp Speed. Operation Warp Speed was a public/private partnership initiated by the United States government to facilitate and accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
“It’s been an amazing journey through COVID,” Griffin noted. “I think our skilled facility partners… were heroes coming to work every day with everything they had to deal with.”
Later in the episode, Griffin offered his take on the expanded scope of practice in LTC Pharmacy as well as the additional opportunities for pharmacists to participate more in patient care.
“It has increased our ability to have a hospital-like formulary environment in certain states,” Griffin said. “Those changes don’t always happen quickly… but I think you’re seeing a little bit of that in every state.”
Listen to the full podcast here.
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