Thursday, November 30, 2017

The Future Facing the US Pharmaceutical Industry


Ashok Pinnamaraju is a well established Roanoke, Virginia, pharmacy owner who guides operations at Williamson Road Pharmacy. Focused on providing quality services to prescription customers, Ashok Pinnamaraju keeps current on evolving industry trends

Americans spend the most per capita for prescription drugs worldwide, with the $1,112 per person spent annually significantly outpacing Japan, Canada, and Germany, all of which inhabit the $740 to $800 range. 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimates that spending in this category will increase more than six percent annually through 2025. This is healthy for the pharmaceutical industry, but at the same time it places pressure on the federal budget, as some 40 percent of retail drugs consumed are covered through US government programs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' figures for 2015 put retail prescription drug expenditures at $325 billion, which constituted approximately 10 percent of total national health care costs.

One complex equation that many people believe needs to be balanced encompasses health insurance premiums, R&D incentives for the creation of new drugs provided by 20 year patent terms, and the cost advantages offered by generics as they come online.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

NCPDP’s RxReconn Keeps Subscribers Up-To-Date on New Legislation





A dedicated pharmacist with more than a decade of experience, Ashok Pinnamaraju is the owner and pharmacist at Williamson Road Pharmacy in Virginia. In this capacity, he oversees all operations at his pharmacy and ensures customer care remains a top priority. Active within his professional community, Ashok Pinnamaraju belongs to such organizations as the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP).

As part of its efforts to promote health care standards and improve outcomes, NCPDP offers several products and services designed to improve pharmacy operations. One such product is RxReconn.

Powered by the leading Government Relationship Management System, FiscalNote, RxReconn provides subscribers with real-time updates of issues relating to the industry. The tracking tool compiles all federal and state regulatory and legislative activity relating to such topics as biosimilars, ePrescribing, mail-order pharmacy, and off-label drug use.

To ensure subscribers receive information pertinent to their business, RxReconn allows individuals to customize the reporting tool. Custom summaries and legislative reports can be created and exported through the tool, and subscribers can keep track of upcoming results and hearings related to the topics they select. Meanwhile, FiscalNote maintains a legislative outlook tool that subscribers can access, and RxReconn maintains an interactive advocacy map.

Subscribers to RxReconn are also given access to the tool’s legislative database. Bill number or keyword can be used to search for bills, and professionals have the ability to search legislative trends on social media. Further, NCPDP provides subscribers with weekly updates on the specific topics selected by each individual.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Increasing the Speed of a Tennis Serve


A pharmacist with over a decade of experience, Ashok Pinnamaraju leads Williamson Road Pharmacy as its owner and pharmacist. When he’s not busy overseeing the concern and serving his customers, Ashok Pinnamaraju enjoys playing tennis.

Regardless of a tennis player’s accuracy or skill, his or her overall game can be hugely impacted by the speed of his or her serve. The following are a few ways that players can increase the speed of their service:

- Change grip. By far the best grip for increasing serving speed, the continental grip can accommodate several types of serves and is frequently used by players who are known to have a powerful serve. Further, players should try loosening their grip to allow their racket to move more freely as they swing it forward.

- Experiment with wind-ups. Depending on the wind-up players choose, the tennis ball may move in different ways. Classic wind-ups, which involve bringing the racket down and back, are more standard and allow players to move more smoothly. However, shorter wind-ups, which bring the racket up and back, result in a more powerful serve.

- Check point of contact. This is the most basic component of the tennis serve. While players can alter their grip and wind-up, having a poor point of contact dramatically decreases a serve’s speed. Ideally, players are fully extended when the ball touches the racket face to ensure their body generates as much power as possible.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Improving Customer Service at Pharmacies

The owner and pharmacist of Williamson Road Pharmacy in Virginia, Ashok Pinnamaraju, possesses more than a decade of experience in the field. He began his career as a pharmacist at Walgreens and later served as the owner of Lexcare Pharmacy. Throughout his career, Ashok Pinnamaraju has maintained a strong commitment to customer service and both he and his company have a reputation for providing superior patient care.

Good customer service plays an essential role in maintaining and increasing customer satisfaction and retention for pharmacies. Fortunately, there are several simple ways to ensure pharmacy customers receive top-quality service. Below are a few examples:

- Train employees well. Although many pharmacy owners try hiring employees with great people skills, these skills still need development through ongoing training. All pharmacy employees should receive routine training to maintain standards of positive and friendly behavior toward customers.

- Listen. Few things infuriate customers as much as feeling ignored. Combat this by giving customers a chance to share their feelings or express concerns. Further, pharmacies can request feedback from customers about what they should improve and interact with their customers through social media.

- Take responsibility. Taking responsibility for a mistake allows pharmacies to demonstrate that they value their customers. Any problems or complaints should be handled quickly, and customers should receive a personal notice if their prescription is delayed. Apology notes, small discounts, and gift cards also show customer appreciation following an issue.

- Go the extra mile. Offering extra services can help a pharmacy stand out from the competition and demonstrate customer value. Whether a pharmacy special orders a product or home delivers prescriptions to a customer without a car, customers notice the extra effort and are more likely to return.

Monday, May 15, 2017

The Importance of Dynamic Warm-Ups for Tennis Players


As the owner of Williamson Road Pharmacy in Roanoke, Virginia, Ashok Pinnamaraju leverages 12 years of pharmacist experience to meet the needs of clients. In his free time, Ashok Pinnamaraju enjoys staying active by playing tennis.

Warming up before any sport lowers your risk of injury and better prepares you to engage in rigorous activity. In tennis, dynamic warm-ups take on even greater importance. 

Dynamic warm-ups involve the athlete remaining in motion throughout stretching rather than holding static positions. Not only do dynamic exercises stimulate and loosen the muscles needed to move across a tennis court, but they can also help achieve full joint movement. Try the following dynamic warm-up exercises before your next match -

1. Calf Stretch - Using a stretch band, lie down on your back and tuck the band under the ball of your foot. After bringing your leg straight up, flex your foot forwards and backwards to stretch the muscles. 

2. Knee Tuck - This exercise should fully engage the hip and groin area. Start by raising your leg up toward your chest and holding your knee with your hands. In one fluid motion, rise onto the ball of your other foot and take a step forward onto the tucked leg. For an added stretch, end the move by holding a lunge for three seconds before moving to the opposite leg. This exercise will help you extend and mobilize multiple parts of your body at once for a full stretch.

Friday, April 21, 2017

Common Tennis Grips


For more than a decade, Ashok Pinnamaraju has been working as a pharmacist. Starting his career at Walgreens in Minnesota, he soon became part-owner of a Lexcare Pharmacy and now serves as owner of the independent Williamson Road Pharmacy in Roanoke, Virginia. When he’s not overseeing the daily operations of his business, Ashok Pinnamaraju enjoys playing tennis.

Tennis players employ several racket grips over the course of a game. The grip depends on which bevel the heel pad and index knuckle of the hand rest upon when holding the racket. Here are a few of the more popular tennis racket grips:

- Continental. Also known as the hammer or chopper grip, the continental grip is ideal for serves, overheads, slices, and volleys. Although it is the standard grip for many shots, the continental lacks consistency and makes adding topspin difficult. For this grip, both the index knuckle and heel pad are on bevel two.

- Eastern forehand. With the index knuckle and heel pad on bevel three, this grip is best suited for fast, flat shots. Due to the hand positions, most shots made with an eastern forehand grip come from waist level. Unfortunately, players using this grip cannot control high balls very well.

- Semi-western. Used for both forehand and backhand swings, the semi-western has become the preferred grip for forehand swings due to its ability to provide power and topspin while maintaining control. To hold a semi-western grip, the index knuckle and heel pad must be on bevel four.