“Not all blood pressure kiosks are created equal,” said Josh Sarkis, general manager and chief strategy officer at PharmaSmart International, LLC, in Rochester, NY.

Clarissa Chan, PharmD

Pharmacists know patients are using cannabis or are taking cannabidiol (CBD) for things like insomnia and pain—use of these products is only growing as is the number of different cannabinoid formulations. But little is known about the unintended interactions between cannabinoids and medications.

Loren Bonner

This month, we at ISMP wish to bring attention to two important problems we have encountered. These two possible medication errors, which involve issues with formulating and explaining dosages, have the potential to cause serious overdosages in patients but can be avoided with proactive planning and prescription labeling.

Institute for Safe Medication Practices, Horsham, PA

Some corporate pharmacy policies forbid pharmacists from honoring opioid prescriptions that exceed specified limits for dose and/or duration, but these policies may interfere with a chronic pain patient’s access to needed opioid medications.

David B. Brushwood, BSPharm, JD

One in three health care organizations worldwide reported falling prey to a ransomware attack in 2020. In this type of cyberattack, software that is downloaded onto a health-system computer—typically by an unwitting authorized user—encrypts the files that run the computer. Hackers then demand a ransom from the hospital to decrypt the files and relinquish control of the computers.

Sonya Collins