On June 19, 2013, Amber Pharmacy cut the ribbon to celebrate the Grand Opening of its new headquarters addition in Omaha, Nebraska. In a ceremony surrounded by employees, clients, business partners, and local agencies, Amber Pharmacy President Mike Agostino noted that the new building was constructed to accommodate the substantial growth experienced by Amber Pharmacy and its sister company Hy-Vee Pharmacy Solutions (HPS). He remarked that this growth was due to a number of factors, including "the ongoing entrepreneurial spirit and succes of the Kaplan Family," as well as the "dedication, loyalty, caring and hard work of both the Amber and HPS teams."

For the design and construction of their new building, Amber Pharmacy turned to TACKarchitects and MCL Construction, both locally based in Omaha. TACK’s design for the building utilizes precast concrete panels, steel, and glass for a strong, sleek appearance. To view a video created by MCL Construction documenting the finalized building, click here.

Amber Pharmacy's new student program began last May. Amber Pharmacy is now a practice site for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) for pharmacy students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). As the only specialty pharmacy that offers a rotation within the program, Amber Pharmacy hopes to provide a unique learning experience for participating students. APPE occurs during the fourth year of the program at UNMC and consists of a more in-depth knowledge and skill set. Students are required to complete 10 four-week rotations throughout their fourth year. Throughout the year, we will have 10 students, each for 4 weeks, that will come to Amber Pharmacy to learn the role of a pharmacist in the specialty setting. Amber Pharmacy clinical pharmacist and UNMC adjunct faculty member Nikki Moon PharmD, BCPS will be the primary preceptor for our students.  Amber Pharmacy's first student began on May 13th.

Medication compliance, or taking medication exactly as prescribed by your physician, is an important aspect of maintaining your overall health. However, for patients dealing with chronic, complex conditions, medication regimens can be overwhelming. A variety of reasons can contribute to medication noncompliance, including fear of side effects or experiencing actual side effects, a desire to save money, forgetfulness, confusion, and disbelief that a drug is necessary.

The first step you can take to help improve your compliance is learn valuable information about your medication before you take it. The Consumer Health Information Corporation suggests patients ask themselves the following questions before starting a new medication. If you do not know the answers to these questions, be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist BEFORE you start taking the medication.

1. What is this drug used for? How is it going to help me?
2. What is the brand name? The generic name?
3. How should I take this drug? For how long?
4. When should I take it?
5. What side effects may occur? How do I recognize these side effects? What do I do if they occur?
6. What does this drug interact with? What drugs, supplements, food, drink, activities should I avoid - and when?
7. How long does it take for this drug to work? How will I know that it is working?
8. What should I do when I miss a dose? What if I overdose?
9. Are there any precautions I should take when I am on this drug?
10. How should I store this drug?

If you find yourself struggling with forgetfulness or difficulty managing multiple medications, try integrating your medication regimen into your daily routine. Develop a schedule to take your medicines on time and simplify the process as much as possible by utilizing pill organizers, checklists, notes, and other self reminders. Amber Pharmacy includes many of these items in our free wellness kits that are distributed to all of our patients. We also provide refill reminder calls to our patients.

If you find yourself struggling financially to stay compliant with your medications, keep in mind that there are a variety of Patient Assistance Programs designed to help. At Amber Pharmacy, we research and facilitate enrollment in manufacturer co-pay, discount voucher, and foundation assistance programs to help manage out-of-pocket expenses for patients who qualify for the programs. For a listing of these organizations, click here.