COVID-19 has changed almost everything in pharmacy practice. Pharmacists are providing the patient care services they have been trained for, but inadequate staff and far-from-ideal working conditions have brought many to a breaking point during the pandemic.

Loren Bonner

In July 2021, a new REMS platform was initiated by FDA to merge divergent registries into one, and recertification of health care practitioners was supposed to be completed by November 15, 2021.

Institute for Safe Medication Practices, Horsham, PA

In December 2021, this column discussed a case in which a hospitalized patient with COVID-19 requested ivermectin and the court refused to require the hospital to honor the patient’s request.

David B. Brushwood, BSPharm, JD

Pharmacists may be seeing an increasing number of smartwatches on the wrists of patients as they pick up their prescription bags off the counter.

Sonya Collins

An estimated one in three Americans struggles to afford their medical bills. Who do they go to for help finding solutions to this common problem?

Sonya Collins

In December 2021, the APhA Board of Trustees issued a statement addressing the intense burnout that pharmacists and other pharmacy team members are currently experiencing.

Johanna Taylor Katroscik, PharmD

Updates from FDA

APhA Staff

Federal agencies like FDA and CDC have cited the need for higher doses of naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses, especially as fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have crept into illegal drugs, causing overdose deaths to skyrocket.

Loren Bonner

This season, pharmacists should review the differences among COVID-19, influenza, the common cold, and seasonal allergies since many of the signs and symptoms are similar. Here’s what pharmacists need to know to guide patients in identifying and seeking relief for their illnesses.

Clarissa Chan, PharmD

Chronic pain is common in the U.S. population and one of the main reasons patients seek medical care. Between 10% to 60% of adults 18 years and older report experiencing chronic pain or persistent pain lasting at least three to six months, according to a November 2021 study by Michaud and colleagues published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine.

Clarissa Chan, PharmD

In December 2021, FDA permanently lifted a major restriction on medication abortions that had been temporarily lifted earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, patients were required to pick up mifepristone in person from a certified prescriber.

Sonya Collins

In December 2021, FDA approved tezepelumab-ekko (Tezspire–Amgen Inc. and AstraZeneca), a first-in-class medication indicated for patients with severe asthma.

Johanna Taylor Katroscik, PharmD

Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in the body and is used in numerous cellular functions. It acts as a cofactor in enzymatic reactions, is an important part of energy production and glycolysis, contributes to bone development, and participates in the active transport of potassium and calcium ions across cell membranes.

Johanna Taylor Katroscik, PharmD

Chronic scaly dermatoses include dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis. These disorders involve the epidermis, the uppermost layer of skin.

Daniel L. Krinsky, BS, MS, RPh, FAPhA

Trending Topics in Health-System Pharmacy

APhA Staff

Automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) seem like simple devices, but there is an astounding number of decisions needed to enable their safety and efficiency.

Joey Sweeney, PharmD

A drive-through point-of-care international normalized ratio (INR) testing model in a rural community during the pandemic promoted patient engagement and achieved maintenance of INR time in therapeutic range (TTR) above the benchmark for anticoagulation management, according to recent data published in the January 2022 issue of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.

Maria G. Tanzi, PharmD

Studies generally observe that about one-third of all direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) prescriptions contain at least one dosing error. Could hospital practitioners benefit from pharmacist DOAC dosing consultations?

Corey Diamond, PharmD

After recent FDA-approved changes to the clozapine REMS program and the isotretinoin REMS program known as iPLEDGE, users of both programs are experiencing issues.

Maria G. Tanzi, PharmD

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, use of OTCs to manage COVID-19–related symptoms increased along with people’s interest in using dietary supplements.

Maria G. Tanzi, PharmD

APhA Member News

APhA Staff

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