Story Ideas for a Health System Newsletter Column

In each article, be sure to describe the role and responsibilities of pharmacists and encourage patients and caregivers to contact the pharmacy department with any medication-related questions.

• Meet [Health-system]'s Pharmacist[s]. Introduce the Director of Pharmacy by name, indicate where he or she is located in the building, and explain the role of the health-system pharmacist on the health care team.
• "Using Antibiotics Wisely." This article would review the importance of the proper use of antibiotics. ASHP's fact sheet on antibiotics provides key points for this article [PDF] .
• "Preventing Misuse of Medications." Discuss reasons for and suggest ways to prevent the misuse of medications. Use the recommendations for preventing medication errors as a resource [PDF] .
• "Medication Dos and Don'ts." This series would also focus on the misuse of medications, but would address specific patient populations, such as nursing mothers, people with high blood pressure, diabetics, and people on chemotherapy.
• "Alternative Medicine and You." This piece would include specific information on potential adverse drug reactions between some alternative medicines and prescription drugs.