The initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic has worn off. Fast forward 3 years later to today, and a clearer picture has emerged of both the individual as well as broader organizational effects of prolonged stress from the pandemic. Some pharmacy personnel are leaving, others are experiencing apathy, and there are clear threats to patient safety.

Last October, Adderall (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine) and its generics entered shortage status. As prescribers scrambled to find alternatives for their adult and pediatric patients with ADHD, many other central nervous system stimulants have seen intermittent shortages as well.

In March 2023, FDA approved naloxone for OTC sale in a move that public health experts hope will dramatically increase access to the nasal spray and slash opioid overdose deaths.

The community pharmacy may be the very place where addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) can be a reality, not just a concept.

Many patients seek OTC relief for skin injuries each year.

A federal court in Missouri recently granted a pharmacist’s motion for a preliminary injunction after the pharmacist asserted that her constitutional right to free speech was infringed by a recently enacted state statute.

When a practitioner, patient, or caregiver accidentally instills ear drops into the eye, it may lead to an immediate burning and/or stinging sensation, and the patient may later experience pain, redness, swelling, or blurred vision.

In the spring of 2021, protesters gathered outside Sentinel High School in Missoula, MT. They waved signs and held out flyers that claimed the COVID-19 vaccine caused miscarriage and infertility. They screamed “baby killer” at every parent and student who rushed by on their way inside to the vaccine clinic.

Sonya Collins

As if the opioid epidemic in America couldn’t get any worse, a new “emerging drug threat” is contributing to the rise in overdose deaths around the country.

Loren Bonner

Despite pharmacy professionals having more clinical education and opportunities for specialization than ever before, job satisfaction for pharmacists remains low.

Olivia C. Welter, PharmD