Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/365686
C h a i n D ru g s to re D a i l y Tu e s d a y, Au g u s t 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 2 6 IS YOUR PHARMACY IN COMPLIANCE WITH CDC GUIDELINES? It's no secret that retail pharmacies are offering a greater range of services to today's customers. Flu shots, shingles vaccines, pneumonia vaccines and other types of clinical testing and disease man- agement are delivered to patients every day. Community pharmacies have become essential to the healthcare con- tinuum. At the same time, they have become subject to many of the same state and federal guidelines, recommendations and requirements as more traditional healthcare providers. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has pub- lished very specific vaccine storage and handling guidelines. Everything from the proper procedures for logging in new vaccine shipments to specific features of storage equipment and vaccine tempera- ture monitoring is covered in the "Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit," a 135-page document available free from the CDC website. Continuous temperature monitoring is a key element of the CDC guidelines. In addition to mandated twice-a-day manual checks of the refrigeration or freezer temperatures and daily maxi- mum/minimum temperatures, the CDC recommends the use of a "digital data logger" to provide temperature readings at least every 15 minutes. The new PrimexTEMP monitoring sensor from Primex Wireless offers fea- tures that exceed the CDC guidelines. "Unlike traditional data loggers, the PrimexTEMP sensor is completely hands-free, requiring no manual inter- vention to monitor, log, transmit, docu- ment and analyze ongoing storage condi- tions," said Steve Deutscher, Primex Wireless Director of Sensor Products. "The new sensor offers 24/7 temperature monitoring, LCD display, local audible, visual and email alerts if temperature excursions are detected, low battery indi- cator, and a sleek new design suitable to professional retail settings." In accordance with the CDC guidelines, the PrimexTEMP sensor uses NIST-certified probe-based technology to monitor inter- nal temperatures of pharma- cy storage equipment and protect valuable assets. The sensor mounts outside the storage unit, allowing the probe to be placed as close to the middle of the interior as possible. Glycol or solid wax thermobuffers are available to provide the most accurate temperature readings and minimize false alarms. To meet CDC recommendations for documentation storage, the PrimexTEMP sensor communicates wirelessly with the SNS Application Management Platform (AMP), the soft- ware hub of the SNS platform. Within the web-based AMP, pharmacy person- nel can view real-time and historical data from monitored devices, view daily maximum/minimum and mean tempera- tures, define parameters for issuing email alerts when conditions stray out of range to minimize false alarms and generate com- prehensive reports. Trend reports and analysis of con- ditions over time highlight potential equipment prob- lems to allow staff to take appropriate action to head off the loss of valuable inventory. Incorporating 802.11n wireless connectivity, PrimexTEMP sensors meet today's strictest data security requirements, yet deliver the fastest available data transfer speeds with no loss of data integrity. The sensors also feature HTTPS communica- tion capability, allowing the software to be deployed in a hosted environment as well as a traditional on-premise deploy- ment. Three power options are available: Battery, AC-power or Power over Ethernet (PoE). Get a demonstration in booth 561. For more information, visit www.primex w i re l e s s . c o m / n e w - s e n s o r s / p r i m e x - temp, call 800-537-0464 or email info@primexwireless.com. HEALTHY SNACKING WITH ORGANIC CRUNCHIES Crunchies Food Company, America's leading producer of all-natural freeze- dried fruit and vegetable snacks, announces the debut of its USDA certi- fied-organic line, Organic Crunchies ® , in four favorite fruit flavors and one deli- cious veggie: Bananas, Mixed Fruit, Mango, Strawberries and Peas. Crunchies is introducing the line in response to consumer demand, at Crunchies' natural foods retailers, for organic snacks that deliver the same deli- cious and nutritious all-natural crunch that's the hallmark of the entire product portfolio, which now numbers 27 vari- eties. A healthy, all-natural and delicious replacement for high-calorie sweets or chips, Organic Crunchies contain no fat, cholesterol or sodium. In addition to being certified USDA organic, Organic Crunchies are all-natural and free of additives, chemicals, preserva- tives or unhealthy ingredients. They're wheat-free, gluten-free, certified kosher, raw foods compatible and natu- rally low fat. Organic Crunchies Bananas, Mixed Fruit, Mango, Strawberries and Peas each provide up to six servings of fruit and vegetables per serving, and will be available in natural food and mainstream grocery stores this summer. Packed in the handy resealable Grab-n-Go bag with a distinctive purple band, Organic Crunchies have an MSRP of $6.19 to $6.89. Crunchies are made in the U.S.A. through a unique freeze-drying process in which individually frozen fruits and vegetables are placed in a refrigerated vacuum chamber that removes up to 97 percent of the moisture. This special process gives Crunchies their crunchy texture and allows them to retain on average, 90 to 94 per- cent of their original nutrients and vir- tually all nutritious enzymes. (Air dry- ing retains an average of only 45 per- cent maximum of nutrients.) Plus, Organic Crunchies are typically more nutritious than even fresh produce, unless the fruits and veggies are eaten shortly after picking. About Crunchies Food Company, LLC Founded in 2006, Crunchies Food Company's leading line of all- natural, delicious, nutritious and convenient freeze-dried fruits and vegetables is redefin- ing healthy snacking for the 21st century. With an unmis- takably satisfying crunch of delicious concentrated all-nat- ural flavor, Crunchies are free of unhealthy additives, chemi- cals, preservatives or unhealthy ingredients, plus they're gluten-free, certified kosher, wheat free and naturally low-fat. Branded as "Nature's Ultimate Snack Food," Crunchies are available nationwide at leading retailers including Sprouts, Wegmans, Walmart, Rite Aid and Ralphs. Visit Crunchies at booth 2176. For more information, visit www.crunchiesfood.com or call 888-997-1866.