PodcastRx

Dyslipidemia – It has an outsized presence in correctional health settings and can be tough to manage for those patients. Fortunately for providers across all settings, managing dyslipidemia is becoming more streamlined with a new set of guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association. Chris is here to break down these 2026 dyslipidemia guidelines, highlighting update...

Drug shortages aren’t just temporary supply hiccups—they can become full-blown healthcare crises that can last for years and directly impact patient outcomes (especially in correctional settings). We look at all the dimensions of drug shortages, from manufacturing failures and fragile supply chains to economic and regulatory challenges. Chris highlights notable examples such as heparin and norepin...

This March episode might be a day late, but it's definitely not short on content. In addition to last month's heartburn and gastric reflux discussion, Chris's provider friend/friend of the show wanted to hear an episode devoted to anticonvulsants. Anticonvulsants sit at the intersection of several challenging issues in the corrections environment, including medical necessity, mental health, and di...

For the first time on PodcastRx, we're (finally) addressing some listener feedback! One of Chris's correctional provider contacts wanted to hear a show devoted to "all things heartburn and gastric reflux", and we were more than happy to oblige. For the main discussion, Chris covers the differences among treatment classes for heartburn and reflux medications, the latest treatment guidelines, whethe...

With the approval of oral Wegovy making headlines in the new year, it was timely to catch up with Chris on this and many other exciting developments in the realm of GLP-1s. In our main discussion, Chris talks about the immediate impact of oral Wegovy and some small but important differences from its injectable predecessors. He also gets into the application of GLP-1s outside of weight loss, the pr...

We apologize for the hiatus! Things have been busy the last few months, both personally and professionally. Now that everything is slowing down for the holidays, it's a perfect time to touch base and let you all know that we're still here and that we have new episodes in the works for 2026. Speaking of the new year, Chris takes a moment to share his personal pharmacist wish list for 2026. (New GLP...

After two jam packed episodes dedicated to disease states, we’re back for a corrections-focused look at medication non-adherence. While the failure to take medication as prescribed affects patient outcomes across every healthcare setting, Chris zeroes in on the unique “societal” factors that drive non-adherence behind bars. He gives us a rundown of clinical pharmacist strategies to promote adheren...

In this episode, we’re diving into a condition that affects over 10 million Americans but often flies under the radar—osteoporosis. Following up on last month’s discussion on insomnia, we’re once again tackling a silent, underdiagnosed condition that has major implications for older adults. Chris breaks down the basics of bone biology, the surprising impact of fractures—especially hip fractures—an...

For this episode, Chris takes an eyes wide open look at insomnia, particularly as it affects older adults. We talk about causes, the first line importance of non-pharmacologic treatments, and of course, the primary medications used for sleep onset and sleep maintenance and their clinical and cost considerations. We also digress briefly into insomnia management in the corrections environment and ex...

When it comes to managing hypertension and reducing adverse cardiovascular events, what is the ideal blood pressure figure clinicians should target? OPTICS pharmacist Henry So joins Chris for some back and forth around this question. They look at the evolution (and proliferation) of blood pressure guidelines, examine controversies around certain studies, share some of their own personal experience...

Chris is heading to the Spring NCCHC Conference in Louisville, KY to rep Diamond/OPTICS and give a presentation on overweight and obesity management in the correctional setting. As revolutionary weight loss treatments take hold in the community and in the popular consciousness, Chris is seizing on the moment not to just to talk about GLP-1s, but to review weight management as a whole, pharmocologi...

For the first #PodcastRx episode of 2025, Chris - in the spirit of New Year's resolutions- explores some common sense but effective tenets for improved clinical decision making. Ahead of that, he details a few noteworthy expanded drug approvals (Vtama, Nemluvio, Zepbound) and revised treament guidelines (diabetes, metformin, borderline personaility disorder). And to close things out, he looks back...

With our hosts in a holiday mood and 2024 hurtling to a close, Chris reflects on the clinical, professional, and regulatory wants and wishes he'd like to see come true in 2025. We cover: Potential drug approvals Provider status for pharmacists Biosimilar substitution Relieving drug shortages A brief digression on Wegovy vs. Zepbound Before that, Chris highlights the expanded approval of Bimzelx fo...

There's no better occasion than American Diabetes Month to dive into practical treatment recommendations for Type 2 diabetes. Using the ADA's Pharmacologic Approaches to Glycemic Treatement as a roadmap, Chris breaks down his clinical approach to 8 of the most common glucose-lowering medications. We also discuss the pharmacist recommendation process, correctional environment concerns, and benchmar...

October is American Pharmacist Month, and to help recognize the many ways pharmacists care for communities, we talk to Chris about the influence and increasing importance of the clinical pharmacist in correctional and institutional healthcare settings. Chris details the primary strategies he and the OPTICS team use to impact patient care, reflects on the evolution of the clinical pharmacist role,...

Just one episode into the new PodcastRx with Chris Bender and we already have a special bonus for you! Chris breaks down must-know information surrounding COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and pneumonia vaccines ahead of respiratory disease season! And we learn some fun pharmacy trivia about the historical (and kinda gross) precursor to vaccination, variolation. Please rate and review where you listen to...

It's the debut episode of PodcastRx with Chris Bender! Regular listeners know Chris is a clinical pharmacist with Diamond's Office of Pharmacy Therapeutics and Integrated Clinical Services (OPTICS) team and a repeat guest many times over on PodcastRx. We liked his appearances so much that we asked him to stay permanently- and he accepted! We're pleased to bring you a more segment driven-show cente...

Nancy Chia from the OPTICS team is back for another psychiatric pharmacy care conversation. This time we focus in on the role of benzodiazepines for treating anxiety disorders. We touch briefly on the characteristics of some common anxiety disorders and then take a closer look at the reasons why benzodiazepines are a preferred treatment option for their acute symptoms. We also examine the downside...

As a young girl in West Africa, Nancy Chia was fascinated by the seemingly “magical” properties of medication to treat everyday illness. Now as a clinical pharmacist with Diamond’s OPTICS team, Nancy continues to parlay her childhood curiosities around medication into making a difference for vulnerable patients, especially regarding mental health care in the corrections environment. Nancy joins us...

On this episode, Chris Bender from the OPTICS clinical pharmacy team stops by to preview his upcoming NCCHC spring conference presentation on proper inhaler use. With some 38 possible inhaler therapies available for asthma and COPD, providers can be easily overwhelmed and out of breath with the choices. I talk with Chris about demystifying inhaler therapies for better patient and cost outcomes, al...

In November of 2023, Diamond's sister company InnovaScript became the official pharmacy partner to the Victoria's Voice Foundation, a non-profit drug education and addiction prevention support organization founded in memory of Victoria Siegel, a young woman who tragically lost her life to an accidental drug overdose. At the heart of this new partnership is the #GetGiveSave campaign, a national eff...

On this episode, we welcome (for the first time) executive consultant pharmacist Tim Welsh. As a youngster growing up in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh, Tim’s fascination with drug stores and his admiration for a local pharmacist set him on a career path that made stops at Duquesne University, retail chains, and ultimately Diamond. With almost 26 years at Diamond now under his belt, Tim looks b...

For this final episode of 2023, we welcome back regular contributor Chris Bender from the OPTICS clinical team to pick up our conversation about GLP-1 weight loss medications. With the FDA approval of Zepbound (or tirzepatide) for weight loss in November, the profile of these potent and high-profile medications only continues to rise. We take a closer look at tirzepatide- how it compares to semagl...

On this episode, Diamond nurse practitioner and infection control coordinator Debi Yackuboskey returns to discuss the outlook for the 2023-24 respiratory disease season. We talk about all three "tripledemic" respiratory diseases - influenza, COVID, and RSV- and what's new and/or noteworthy about each in terms of basic virology, prevention, and treatment. With the debut of the RSV vaccines and newl...

On this episode, we welcome back Henry So, clinical pharmacist for Diamond's OPTICS team. As we recorded this, Henry was days away from giving an NCCHC conference presentation on evaluating high cost therapies for type 2 diabetes patients. We discuss why he was inspired to develop a presentation around this topic, look at the use of different diabetic agents in special patient populations, and div...