Pharmacists Step Up: New Initiative Aims to Streamline Tick Bite Management and Reduce ER Overload

A groundbreaking initiative, “Orientation in teh healthcare system” (Osys), is revolutionizing how tick bites are managed in France, empowering pharmacists to play a more central role in patient care and easing the burden on emergency services. Launched in 2021 by the Association Pharma Quality System (PHSQ), Osys seeks to curb unneeded emergency room visits by equipping pharmacists with the tools to assess and manage specific health situations.

Martine Costedoat, Director General of PHSQ and the driving force behind the Osys project, explains the core objective: “The goal is to avoid the useless use of the emergency room and identify the situations that require consultation with a doctor.” Currently, the program is experimentally covering four distinct health scenarios, with tick stings being a prominent focus. What began as a pilot in Brittany has now expanded, as of January 2024, to include three additional regions: Occitanie, Center-Val de Loire, and Corsica.

A Patient Under Pharmacist Surveillance

Over 200 pharmacies are now participating in the Osys program. When a patient presents with a tick bite, the pharmacist employs decision-making trees to effectively sort the situation. This process involves the careful extraction of the tick, photographing the affected area, and monitoring for the potential development of a “migrant erythema,” an early indicator of Lyme disease.

“For the moment, pharmacists are not allowed to issue antibiotics in this context,” clarifies Costedoat. However, in the absence of any concerning signs, pharmacists are tasked with conducting post-bite follow-up at D+3 and D+30. As the inception of the experiment, a significant 9,500 sorting procedures have been conducted, with approximately 29% of thes directly related to tick removal.

The Potential for Antibiotic Prescription

Beyond the Osys framework, pharmacies typically cannot independently manage tick bite situations unless they are part of a local cooperation protocol within a structured, coordinated healthcare setting.The Borie pharmacy in Saint Géry-Vers (Lot) serves as a prime example. Pharmacist olivier Bories has established a prosperous partnership with local doctors at the multidisciplinary health center (MSP) to which his pharmacy is affiliated.

“From spring to fall, tick bites are a recurring situation in our area. It seemed relevant to us that I could handle it directly,” Bories states. This collaboration allows him not only to perform tick extraction and skin disinfection but also to prescribe antibiotics when a migrant erythema is present. Bories reports managing around fifteen such cases per season, with each intervention requiring between 15 to 30 minutes.

Conditional Funding for Local Innovation

This innovative operational model, in place for nearly two years, received prior validation from the Regional Health Agency (ARS) Occitanie. Alexia Brahic, a project manager for cooperation protocols within ARS Occitanie, emphasizes the rigorous oversight: “We make sure that all security and quality requirements are respected.”

This type of collaborative healthcare approach is eligible for conditional funding from the ARS, contingent on the identified needs and utility within a specific territory. Brahic explains the financial framework: “We can benefit from funding up to €25 per protocol, up to €6,000 per year for the MSP.” While this initiative is currently localized, its broader implementation at a national level would necessitate approval from the High Authority for Health and an extension via ministerial decree.

Is the shift to GA4 a strategic move to eventually introduce paid features, mirroring Google’s past practices wiht other tools?

Is a Paid Mission on the Horizon?

Understanding the Shift in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

For years, Google Analytics – initially the free version, Worldwide Analytics, and now Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – has been a cornerstone of digital marketing. Though, recent developments and Google’s evolving strategy are leading many to ask: “Is a paid mission on the horizon?” The sunsetting of Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023, and the mandatory transition to GA4 signaled a significant change.While GA4 remains currently free, the landscape is shifting, and understanding the potential for paid features is crucial for data-driven businesses. This article explores the factors suggesting a move towards a paid model, the current limitations of the free GA4, and how to prepare your analytics strategy.

The Free vs. Paid Analytics Debate: A Past Context

Google has a history of offering free analytics tools, frequently enough as a gateway to its paid advertising platforms like Google Ads. This strategy allows Google to collect valuable data,improve its ad targeting,and ultimately drive revenue.

Early days of Analytics: Initially, web analytics was a niche field. Offering a free tool like google Analytics democratized access to data.

Universal Analytics & Google Ads Integration: The integration between Universal Analytics and Google Ads became increasingly seamless, incentivizing users to invest in paid advertising.

GA4 & the Future: GA4 represents a basic shift in data collection and analysis, focusing on event-based tracking and machine learning. This complexity, coupled with Google’s financial pressures, makes a paid tier more plausible.

While GA4 offers a robust set of features, several limitations are becoming apparent, hinting at potential areas for paid upgrades. These limitations aren’t necessarily dealbreakers for all users,but thay highlight where a paid version could add significant value.

Data Sampling: GA4 frequently employs data sampling, especially for larger websites, which can impact the accuracy of reports. A paid version could offer unsampled data.

Data Export Limits: Exporting raw data from GA4 has limitations. Businesses needing thorough data for advanced analysis or integration with other tools may find these limits restrictive. Paid plans could offer increased export capabilities.

Advanced Analysis & Reporting: While GA4’s Exploration reports are powerful, they can be complex to use. A paid tier might include pre-built, advanced reports and dashboards tailored to specific industries or business needs.

Dedicated Support: support for GA4 is primarily through online documentation and community forums. Businesses requiring dedicated support from Google experts could benefit from a paid support package.

BigQuery Integration Costs: While GA4 offers integration with Google BigQuery for advanced data warehousing, BigQuery itself incurs costs based on storage and query usage.A premium GA4 tier might include a bundled BigQuery allowance.

Enhanced Attribution Modeling: GA4’s attribution modeling is improving,but advanced attribution models (beyond data-driven attribution) might be reserved for paid users.

Unsampled Reports: Access to 100% of your data, eliminating the inaccuracies of sampling.

Advanced Analysis: More elegant analysis tools and reporting capabilities.

Dedicated Account Management: Personalized support from Google Analytics experts.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Guarantees regarding data accuracy and uptime.

Data Sampling: using a subset of data to estimate results, potentially impacting accuracy.

event-based Tracking: GA4’s core data collection method, tracking user interactions as events.