Today's Perspective
Kristin Wiisanen, PharmD, FAPhA, FCCP, Pharmacy Today editor in chief
According to a recent report, up to 11% of young adults with medical conditions use some form of cannabis on a daily basis. Although the prevalence of its use decreases with age, an increasing number of older adults are also relying on cannabis or cannabis-based products, many for pain relief. However, combining cannabis with some commonly prescribed medications opens up the door for unexpected interactions and questions from patients and providers.
The cover story for this issue of Pharmacy Today digs more deeply into this topic to provide examples of common drug-drug interactions and reference resources for patients using cannabis-based products. Paul Kocis, PharmD, MPh, a clinical pharmacist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, drove the creation of a new online tool to help patients and providers learn more about potential drug interactions with cannabis. Kocis advocates for patients to tell their health care providers about use of cannabis-based products to help identify potential interactions. As pharmacists, we should also proactively seek information about cannabis including cannabidiol (CBD) use in our conversations with patients. Many interacting medications are used commonly, such as fluoxetine, which inhibits the CYP2C19 enzyme and may increase CBD bioavailability or its risk of adverse effects. Check out this story to learn more about this tool and find other resources for talking to patients and health care providers about cannabis and cannabis-derived products.
In this issue, you’ll also find the latest on pharmacist-prescribed Paxlovid (Pfizer) and newly approved drugs, learn the ins and outs of I.V. vitamin therapy, and get resources for addressing ongoing misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccination. You’ll also learn more about options for managing perspiration, and the latest aspirin recommendations for older adults. Claim your CPE credit for this month with our update on migraine management.
In many ways, pharmacy has explored uncharted territories in recent years. From unprecedented increases in cannabis use to a need to handle exploding pandemic-related patient care and vaccine questions and needs. These issues require pharmacists to stay current with medical literature to make therapeutic decisions that, in some cases, are linked to strongly held individual beliefs on a therapy’s social or moral implications. As America’s most accessible health care providers, it is imperative that we are prepared to answer questions that arise in the midst of new frontiers in science and medicine. Fortunately, tools and resources are increasingly available to learn more and successfully navigate these advances to help your patients. And that help is what truly matters.
Have a great Today! ■