Today's Perspective
Kristin Wiisanen, PharmD, FAPhA, FCCP, Pharmacy Today editor in chief
It is with the benefit of time and experience that we look back on days past. From this perspective, there are lessons to learn and wisdom to gain, which can and will shape our future. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are fortunate enough to look back on the encounters that have shaped us all emotionally, intellectually, socially, and professionally.
This month’s Pharmacy Today cover story focuses this backward lens on lessons learned in the past year with COVID-19 vaccinations, including insights from pharmacists who participated in the APhA COVID-19 Vaccine Confident Learning Collaborative, which was funded in part by CDC.
In this article, pharmacists speak about new opportunities to improve care by addressing patients’ questions and concerns and to protect countless people through vaccine administration. Stories of a profession whose members are united in a way never seen before highlight pharmacists who have been empowered to step up, speak out, and share with each other.
These pharmacists tell stories of adaptability and resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Taken together, all of these stories point to a profession that is learning, growing, and most importantly, leading the way in COVID-19 immunization efforts.
In this issue, you’ll also find the latest on treating insomnia, whether brain-boosting supplements live up to the hype, and new recommendations for zoster and pneumococcal vaccination. Keep current with recent clinical and practice trends with information on statins and diabetes progression and increasing sales of OTCs in vending machines. Stay up-to-date with your CPE and learn about legal and regulatory developments affecting pharmacy in 2021 in this month’s continuing education article.
If it is the wisdom of a year ended that allows us to look back, it is the anticipation of a new one beginning that permits us to look ahead. Although the challenges of the pandemic are not behind us, the opportunities and collaborations that have emerged within our profession, particularly during the past year, have allowed pharmacists to solidify their roles as a leading voice in preventive medicine and public health. As pharmacists, let us look forward to the future with a new level of professional confidence, knowledge, and shared experience during this coming year.
Have a great Today! ■