Topic: OTC/herbal/natural

The cough and cold aisle can seem overly daunting to patients. Combination products abound and even trade names carry a variety of active ingredients. Too often, the response to inquiries about over the counter medications is simply, “It’s on Aisle 6.” As healthcare providers, however, we have so much more to offer. This session takes a comprehensive look at the items found in the ‘cough and cold’ aisle and identifies the major patient advisement points for these medications. Join us as we go beyond “aisle 6” and explore the ancillary opportunities that await.

Marijuana legalization is being emphasized in many state legislatures as the benefits of the drug are overcoming the stigma of the past. While the federal government continues to consider marijuana a Schedule I drug, several states have legalized medical use marijuana and 18 others have made recreational use lawful. Prosecutions by federal agencies are rare and usually limited to other criminal activities, while state prosecutions where marijuana is legal are almost non-existent. The courts are following the states’ initiatives, holding that pharmacist recommendations and counseling are legal.

Professor Pete’s family has suffered from hearing loss for many generations. His great grandfather used a “hearing horn”,  and his grandpa wore a large hearing aid he carried in his shirt pocket. His father had a behind the ear hearing aid, and Pete has used a receiver-in-canal hearing aid since 2014. Now that hearing aids are approved for OTC use, fellow pharmacists and technicians can use his many years of experience dealing with hearing loss. This presentation covers earwax accumulation, tinnitus, voiced and unvoiced letters, the McGurk effect, and the six types of hearing aids that are FDA approved.  Professor Pete also covers the screening questions necessary to help patients see if they are candidates to purchase hearing aids without consulting an audiologist.