CA Pharmacists Say They’re Overworked And It’s Resulting In Millions Of Dangerous Mistakes A Year
The California Board of Pharmacy estimates pharmacies make around five million mistakes each year, and those errors can be life-threatening, according to an investigative report from the Los Angeles Times. Mix ups have led to patients taking the wrong medications and have even led to injuries. Pharmacies are not currently required to track errors. Proposed legislation would change that, but big name pharmacies have pushed back. Many pharmacists on the frontlines support increased transparency, and they also want improved working conditions. They say pharmacies are understaffed to keep up with demand and it’s leading to errors. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the current state of pharmacies and what changes stakeholders want to see. Joining to discuss is Melody Petersen, investigative reporter covering healthcare and business for the Los Angeles Times, and Richard Dang, assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at USC and immediate past president of the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), which represents pharmacists and the profession.
We reached out to various big-chain pharmacy companies. CVS declined to participate in the discussion. Walgreens provided the following statement:
“Walgreens has a multi-step prescription filling process with numerous safety checks to minimize the chance of human error. However, when errors do occur, we also have a robust mandatory reporting system in place that allows us to quickly identify root causes and to implement process improvements to prevent future errors. In addition to our efforts to continuously improve patient safety, we likewise continue to assess new and innovative ways to reduce the workload of our pharmacy teams, including utilization of micro-fulfillment solutions and centralized services.”
Older Politicians Are Facing Scrutiny For Their Health – How Can We Determine If They’re Fit To Serve?
The very public health struggles of Diane Feinstein, 90, and Mitch McConnell, 81, have sparked a debate about the health of older elected officials. One presidential candidate, Republican Nikki Haley, has pushed for competency tests for politicians over the age of 75. It’s a delicate issue: while privacy concerns are very real, these are jobs of enormous power and influence. How can we determine when a politician is cognitively compromised? And in a world where Joe Biden would be 86 at the end of his second term, what guardrails might be needed to ensure public servants are still fit to serve? Joining us to discuss are Annie Linskey, White House reporter for The Wall Street Journal and Dr. Anand Kumar, professor and head of the department of psychiatry at the University of Illinois Chicago and former president of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.
Is Your Phone Really Listening? The Apps You Should Know About That Track You, And Those That Don’t
Millions of text messages are sent across the world every day, and most of the time we probably don’t consider who might be able to see or access them besides the recipient. And most of us have probably heard someone say to us “I think my phone is listening to me,” or even experienced the phenomenon ourselves on a social media platform when we see an ad for an item we might’ve just been discussing, or even thinking about. It’s not news that our phones and apps are using our data to advertise products or predict things we’ll be interested in…but how much should we really be worried?
Today on AirTalk, we’ll chat with the Washington Post’s Shira Ovide, who writes their “Tech Friend” newsletter, about her latest look into the messaging apps that track you, those that don’t, and what you need to know about how much information your mobile devices are really collecting.
Requiem For A Conference: With Pac-12 On Life Support, Alums Share Memories
Call it…the Pac-2? Major conference realignment in college sports has come to the West Coast, and within the last year and a couple months, we’ve seen 10 of 12 teams accept offers to join the Big 10, the Big 12, and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC in 2024) respectively, leaving only Washington State and Oregon State in the conference after this year. But the realignment also has major implications for the schools who are moving, beyond the draw of lucrative broadcast deals, more exposure and big rivalries. For student athletes, it will mean longer travel stretches that could cut into schoolwork and increase stress. And for alums of the schools who are moving, it means the end of an era of history, and a single conference that showcased the best college athletic programs on the West Coast.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk with ESPN staff writer and Washington State University alum Kyle Bonagura, who has covered the Pac-12 for several years and joins to talk about what the conference’s demise means from a professional and personal level.
How Have High School Movies Changed Over The Years & Stayed Interesting For Audiences?
High school movies have always been interesting depictions of people’s coming-of-age stories, despite the comedic hyperbole and adult actors who take on these roles. One of the biggest films that defined the genre was the 1955 film “Rebel Without A Cause,” a story about finding your footing and falling in love, starring leading man James Dean. Fast forward decades later, we find John Hughes making quintessential 80s teen movies hits like “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club,” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Then we reach the 21st century where things take a much more raunchier turn, with the American Pie series and Superbad. Fast-forward to now and we’ve been able to see more LGBTQ+ stories in the forefront with gems like “Booksmart” and now “Bottoms.” History lesson aside… what kept this tradition of teen comedies alive and beloved by general audiences?
Today on AirTalk, we get into the allure of teen comedies and high school movies, and why they strike a tone with folks of all age groups. Joining us today is LAist film critic Christy Lemire and Vulture tv critic Jen Chaney. Listeners also share which films and tv series they think are the best at depicting high school, or in some cases, satirizing it.
