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MonthlyJune 2016

CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE – EMPIRE TEAM MOVES TO NEW OFFICES

J&J DIRECTOR: “STELARA FOR TREATMENT OF CROHN’S“ IN Q4 – According to Lesley Fishman, senior director of investor relations at Johnson & Johnson, the Food and Drug Administration is due to the pharmaceutical company’s drug, Stelara, for a new indication. “Stelara for the treatment of Crohn’s Disease was filed for regulatory approval with the FDA at the end of 2015,” said Fishman, “and under normal review times would expect to be approved in the 4th quarter of 2016.” Stelara was developed and has been used by physicians to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis symptoms. In the last month, an Empire patient has been approved by United Healthcare for treatment. A Mayo Clinic study found that Stelara induced remission in patients.

BORAWALA EARNS MAY HONORS– Management wishes to congratulate Anup Borawala for being named May’s Employee of the Month. Anup has shown excellent leadership during the restructuring of the Specialty Department. Well done!

HEPATITIS C DEATHS IN U.S. ROSE IN 2014, BUT NEW DRUGS HOLD PROMISE – May 4, 2016, New York Times Deaths from hepatitis C in the United States continued climbing in 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Wednesday. The agency also found that more Americans died from complications of hepatitis C in 2013 than from 60 other infectious conditions combined, including H.I.V., tuberculosis and pneumococcal disease. The rising deaths are largely among baby boomers who contracted the virus decades ago and have deteriorated over time...Continued on page 4

– Years of planning and execution have final paid off as the staff of Empire Specialty Pharmacy have moved into their new building on Bergenline Avenue in West New York, New Jersey. The move has allowed for the Empire team to expand so to match the growth of the business. The two story building has been fully renovated from inside out. The freshly painted steel façade and newly installed logo and sign make for one of the finer buildings on Bergenline Avenue. The lower level of the building has been completely gutted and remodeled into a full service pharmacy. The Empire team will be happy to find a break room complete with brand new amenities so that they may enjoy their meals in peace. Empire Veterans have

reported that the new office on the second level is a tremendous upgrade from the building at 6601. With over 2000 square feet and twenty work stations, the flow of the operations between departments is sure to be enhanced. On May 23rd the new pharmacy was inspected and approved, marking the official date of completion. Empire Specialty Pharmacy has begun a new era with a beautiful new building worthy of its tremendous team.

“Quote” of the Month“Success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard for twenty-two minutes to make sense of something that most people would give up on after thirty seconds.” ―

Malcolm GladwellOutliers: The Story of Success

The specialty team moved into the new offices in the last week of May

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MonthlyJune 2016

EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION PROGRAM INITIATED AT EMPIRE

– Beginning in May 2016, Empire Specialty Pharmacy initiated an employee appreciation program to honor standout employees. Last Month Pharmacist Anup Borawala was chosen as the first to be honored. Honorees will be selected by a panel of management team members based on the following criteria: performance of duties including customer service, attendance, punctuality, general attitude and willingness to go above and beyond.  Each month’s honoree will receive an official certificate from Empire's President, a $50 VISA/Amex gift card, a paid day off not deducted from payed time off and their name on the Employee Appreciation Award wall plaque. Normal procedure will remain in place for the honoree’s day off, a request form should be filled out and sent to Bianna as usually. Management would like to thank you all for your continued efforts, we are all proud of the work that this team does. We hope that everyone enjoys the program and takes advantage of the opportunity to earn this company honor.

GREEN POLICY BRINGS SPEED, SAVES ELECTRICITY– Charlie Green reminds all employees to shut down PrimeRX and their PC’s after the work day per Empire Specialty Pharmacy policy. Doing so reduces the chance of unauthorized use, saves on energy costs and allows for a faster network. A log will be kept of repeat offenders, the consequences for them have yet to be announced. Thanks to those who have been diligent in complying.

HIPAA AND TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION

When you call a patient, confirm their identify with 4 pieces of information:• Name• Date of Birth• Address• Medication in File /

DiagnosisNEVER LEAVE A MESSAGE WHICH REFERS TO THE DISEASE STATE, INSTEAD SAY:“Hi, this is _____ from Empire Specialty Pharmacy calling for Patient _________ ; please return our call regarding your prescription. Thank you!” We must follow these procedures in order to avoid breeches of personal information belonging to our patients. We can never be sure that when we leave a message, it has been left for the correct person. This policy spans all forms of communication whether it be phone, e-mail or texting. Managers will be listening for phone etiquette and

management does have the right to check in during a live call to evaluate as well. As we are a team, we all should be sure to remind new hires if the forget the policy.

NEW PTO POLICY BEGINS AS OF MAY 23RD – As of May 23, 2016, all hourly and/or non contracted employees will begin their PTO (paid time off) as 'new'. Every employee who has completed 90 days of employment, will have 10 days PTO, in their 'vacation, personal, sick' bank. The PTO days must be used within the calendar year and will not accrue for the next calendar year.   PTO time will be automatically applied to early leaves (leaving before shift ends) and all call outs. The prior policy and procedure for requesting time off will still apply. All PTO used will be recorded by Julissa, Administrative Assistant. Also, we will document all early leaves and call outs for our records.  Employees who are salaried and/or have a different agreement with Empire in regards to PTO, can continue to follow their agreement terms.

OFFICE SUPPLY REQUESTS FOR EMPLOYEES– Employees in need of office supplies should e-mail Julissa a "Supplies Requisition Form.” Pens, pencils, notebooks etc. can be requested. If you do not have a copy of the form, e-mail Julissa and she will send you one. Our official supplier is Staples so visit their website to browse. Basic supplies can be found upstairs on the shelves across from the ladies’ bathroom. Please speak to Eugene prior to requesting high-cost items.

Company Policy News

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MonthlyJune 2016

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION VITAL, IMPROVEMENTS BEING MADE

ESPN REPORTER TWEETS PLAYER'S MEDICAL CHARTS, ETHICAL QUESTIONS ERUPT

New York Giants player Jason Pierre-Paul had a finger amputated on Wednesday. The reason we know that -- the publication of a private medical record -- is now the subject of a robust debate. On Wednesday evening Adam Schefter, a reporter and analyst for ESPN, posted images from Pierre-Paul's medical charts on Twitter. He said the images were "obtained" by ESPN. The medical records detailed what was happening to the finger -- which was hurt in a fireworks incident on July 4 -- and even included the exact time of the procedure. ESPN's web site also posted a story about the surgery, saying that "medical records show the procedure took place Wednesday afternoon," but did not republish the medical charts.On Twitter, there was an immediate outcry about Schefter's tweet, depicting it as a gross violation of privacy and a possible legal breach. The letters "HIPAA" started trending -- an abbreviation for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a 1996 law that protects medical records. Did Schefter or ESPN violate HIPAA? The short answer is no -- "HIPAA laws apply to a very specific list of medical professionals," said Kelly McBride, a media ethics expert at Poynter Institute. She was a former ombudsman for ESPN. But if a health care worker leaked the medical information to Schefter, that person almost certainly violated the law. If identified, the person could lose his or her job and face jail time and fines. The records "should not be released without his explicit consent," said Arthur Caplan, the director of the medical ethics division at NYU's Langone Medical Center.Caplan concurred that HIPAA "only applies to health care personnel and payers," but said, "theft is a more serious matter." ESPN did not respond to a request for comment about whether it stood by the decision to share Pierre-Paul's records. And it is unclear how Schefter obtained them in the first place. McBride said that even though the HIPAA law does not apply to news organizations, "he could find himself being scrutinized in a legal investigation or civil suit" if a source violated the law. And the player "could have a reasonable expectation of privacy here specifically around his medical records." Caplan said something similar: Pierre-Paul's wishes "ought to be respected as to when he wants to say something. His doctors should not say anything either. When he wants to tell us his medical state, he will."

Compliance News

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MonthlyJune 2016

EMPIRE HIRES FOUR TO EXPAND SPECIALTY DEPARTMENT

– On May 2nd, Compliance Officer Delilah Scott has the pleasure to announce that the hiring of four new Patient Care Coordinators. The new PCCs will be fulfilling the tasks of patient refill, new prescription calls and intake. After working six years as a medical assistant, Jenny Pincay, has joined Empire Jenny will be responsible for patient intake in our clinical data system. Jenny has experience with insurance verification, coordination of benefits and data entry.your new team members and thank you all in advance for helping to make their transition a smooth and pleasant experience.

May 26th - Jenny

28th - Usama

30th – Jeanette

June5th – Nana

9th – Julissa

20th – Peter

HEPATITIS C DEATHS IN U.S. ROSE IN 2014, BUT NEW DRUGS HOLD PROMISE continued… “They’ve progressively become ill with liver damage and other conditions” caused by the virus, said Dr. John Ward, the director of the C.D.C.’s Division of Viral Hepatitis. “They’re now succumbing before they receive the care and treatment that could avert those diseases.” The agency counted 19,659 deaths caused by hepatitis C in 2014, a record. Many older people with hepatitis C acquired it from blood transfusions that they received before 1992, when donated blood was not screened for the virus. “We’ve been expecting a tsunami of liver cancer and cirrhosis that would crest right around now,” said Dr. Ira Jacobson, a hepatitis specialist who is the chairman of the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. “What I’m optimistic about is that we’re going to make a major dent in the mortality much sooner than we would

have with newer therapies.” Dr. Jacobson noted that the latest death statistics were from 2014, the first year that the newbreakthrough drugs for hepatitis C patients became widely available, and that the number of people being cured has multiplied since then. Since 2012, the C.D.C. has recommended that all people born between 1945 and 1965 be tested for hepatitis C, but Dr. Ward said many still have not. Dr. Ward said the agency’s goal was a decline of at least 15 percent in deaths associated with hepatitis C over the next five years. But public health officials face another huge challenge in slowing the rapid rise of hepatitis C infection among young people swallowed by the opioid epidemic. Acute cases of hepatitis C have more than doubled since 2010, according to the agency. Dr. Ward said the agency believed as many as 30,000 people were acquiring hepatitis C each year.

Pharma-Phunnies

Team News

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MonthlyJune 2016

PROMISING BRAIN CANCER TRIAL GIVEN BREAKTHROUGH STATUS BY FDA

– A bold experiment to kill a vicious form of brain cancer has been granted breakthrough status by the Food and Drug Administration. Results in the earliest stage of testing have been so remarkable, the FDA wants to fast track the treatment to speed it to market. The therapy uses the polio virus to attack glioblastoma. CBS News’ "60 Minutes" has been following patients in the clinical trial for the last two years. One of those patients was Stephanie Lipscomb. In 2011, Lipscomb was a 20-year-old nursing student with headaches. A doctor told her she had a glioblastoma tumor the size of a tennis ball and that she had months to live. She had 98 percent of the tumor removed. Then in 2012, the doctors told her the cancer had come back. With recurrent glioblastoma, there were no options except the one that had never been tried. Lipscomb became the first volunteer for Duke University's experiment with the polio virus. The virus is the creation of -- or, the obsession of -- molecular biologist Matthias Gromeier. Gromeier re-engineered the virus, removing a key genetic sequence. The virus can't survive this way, so he repaired the damage with a

harmless bit of cold virus. This new modified polio virus can't cause paralysis or death because it can't reproduce in normal cells. But it can reproduce in cancer cells, and in the process of replicating, it releases toxins that poison the cell. This process also awakens the immune system to the cancer it never noticed before. "Why didn't the immune system react to the cancer to begin with," CBS News' Scott Pelley asked Gromeier. "All human cancers, they develop a shield or shroud of protective measures that make them invisible to the immune system," Gromeier explained. "This is precisely what we try to reverse with our virus. So by infecting the tumor, we are actually removing this protective shield. And enabling the immune system to come in and attack." It appears the polio starts the killing, but the immune system does most of the damage. Stephanie Lipscomb's tumor shrank for 21 months until it was gone. Three years after the infusion, something unimaginable had happened. An MRI in August of 2014 showed no active cancer cells at all. Scott Pelley will have more on Duke University's breakthrough trial, Sunday on "60 Minutes.“ Visit CBS News’ website to learn more

JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL NAMES 1ST FEMALE PRESIDENT – She is a doctor, a mother and an administrator. Now Dr. Redonda Miller is about to become the first female president at Johns Hopkins Hospital in its 127-year history. WJZ’s Mary Bubala caught up with Dr. Miller at Hopkins. “If we can have an example for our young women leaders in medicine, that’s terrific. Day to day, I don’t think gender will play a role,” said Dr. Miller “But certainly, being a role model is something I embrace.” The 49-year-old first came to Hopkins as a medical student almost 30 years ago. Since that time, she has served in many leadership roles and earned her MBA in 2004. In his announcement, current hospital president Ronald Peterson said:“Redonda’s extraordinary combination of exceptional medical prowess, years of progressive administrative experience, and the well-earned respect of senior clinical and administrative leadership

will serve us all well,” Peterson wrote. “Her deep understanding and appreciation of The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s culture and her working knowledge of the Maryland financial rate-setting system make her extremely well suited to lead at this time in our history.” Dr. Miller says her priorities will be hospital employees, patient care and the community. “We feel a strong responsibility to care for our local community — that was one of the principles on which we were founded — so I think providing jobs and focusing on wellness, but also taking care of the health of our local population is really important,” she said. Dr. Miller plans to continue seeing patients — something she knows will keep her grounded. That, and her two young daughters. Bubala: “Are they grasping the significance of it?” Miller: “Slowly. When you are seven, it’s a little hard to separate being president of the hospital from your American Girl doll, but we’re working on it!”

News in Medicine

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MonthlyJune 2016

“YOU HAVE TO HAVE GREAT FORTITUDE AND FIERCE RESOLVE”

EMPFLIXMOVIE OF THE MONTH AVAILABLE ON NETFIX

SOMETHING VENTURED tells the story of the creation of an industry that went on to become the single greatest engine of innovation and economic growth in the 20th century. It is told by the visionary risk-takers who dared to make it Steve Jobs, Don Valentine, Arthur Rock, and others. The film also includes some the United States’ finest entrepreneurs sharing how they worked with these venture capitalists to grow world-class companies like Intel, Apple, Cisco, Atari, Genentech, and Tandem. Beginning in the late 1950′s, this small group of high rollers fostered a one-of-a-kind business culture that encouraged extraordinary risk and made possible unprecedented rewards. They laid the groundwork for America’s start-up economy, providing not just the working capital but the guidance to allow seedling companies to reach their full potential. Our lives would be dramatically different without the contributions that these venture capitalists made to the creation of PCs, the Internet and life-saving drugs.

JAMIE DIMON, CEO OF JP MORGAN CHASE & CO. ADDRESS TO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

TOPICS:

• Self-discipline, a work ethic, and a dedication to continuous improvement

• Fortitude and a penchant for action• The ability to set high standards of

performance and integrity. "Compare yourself to the best," he advised, "and treat other people the way you treat your parents. Do the right thing, not the expedient thing.“

• Analytical skills that take a hard, honest look at all the facts, including "things we're not doing well.“

• A willingness to share information with others and to use it as the basis for making the right decision. For that to happen, everyone a leader works with should feel free to engage in open, uninhibited conversations and discussions. "Have many truth tellers around you, not just one.“

• A sense of the importance of loyalty, meritocracy, and teamwork in the context of the success of the entire organization. If someone is not doing the job, loyalty to organization trumps loyalty to the individual, Dimon explained.

• A feel for a firm's morale - something that can be severely damaged by organizational bureaucracy and politics

• Respect for everyone at every level, from the CEO on down

• A sense of humility, based on the acknowledgement that no one rises to a leadership position without the help of others, beginning with one's parents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T9Kp4NE5l4

Professional Development