Pharmacists all across the nation felt a boost when a law was passed in Maryland on May 3, 2023, allowing pharmacists in the state who are practicing within their scope of practice to be reimbursed by private and public health plans.

Loren Bonner

PrEP for HIV has made a significant impact in HIV prevention over the last decade. Since the combination of antiretrovirals tenofovir and emtricitabine (Truvada) earned FDA approval for the prevention of HIV in 2012, uptake among those for whom it is recommended has risen by an estimated 56% each year, according to data from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. But major gaps remain between the number of people who could benefit from PrEP and the number who take it.

Sonya Collins

ACIP gathered to discuss several vaccine recommendations in June 2023. As a result of the meeting, recommendations surrounding the influenza virus vaccine, adult respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, polio virus vaccine, and pneumococcal vaccine for children, among others, were all updated.

Lauren Howell, PharmD

Could point of care testing (POCT) services become as common as immunization services in pharmacies? Megan Smith, PharmD, lead author of a new study in JAPhA, thinks so.

Loren Bonner

Health benefits of the herpes zoster vaccine are well-documented, but lesser known are the economic impacts of a community pharmacy–based herpes zoster vaccination service in the United States.

Jonathan Little, PharmD

Approximately 1 billion cases of the common cold occur annually, making it one of the top five illnesses diagnosed in the United States. Bothersome symptoms lead patients to self-medicate, with an estimated $8 billion spent annually on nonprescription cold and cough products.

Pharmacies in some areas face challenges recruiting pharmacists to staff their practice sites. As an incentive for pharmacists to accept employment, pharmacies may offer a signing bonus.

David B. Brushwood, BSPharm, JD

Etoposide capsules are a cold-chain medication used for small cell lung cancer that must be stored under refrigeration between 2°C and 8°C (36°F–46°F). A specialty pharmacy reported an error that resulted in a carton of etoposide 50 mg capsules being left out at room temperature overnight for about 12 hours.

Institute for Safe Medication Practices, Horsham, PA

The results of a recently published study suggest that despite new discounts, insulin prices substantially increased from 2012 to 2015.

Lauren Howell, PharmD

Most pharmacists fully recognize the clinical benefits of providing OTC syringes to people who use drugs, particularly in reducing transmission of HIV and hepatitis C.

Loren Bonner