Though both Republicans and Democrats have named high drug prices as policy priorities, hyperpartisanship in what’s sure to be a brutal election year could mean continued gridlock: Both parties are loath to give their opponents successes to tout on the campaign trail.

Rachel Balick

A West Virginia pharmacy received an Immediate Suspension Order (ISO) from DEA, abruptly suspending the pharmacy’s registration to dispense controlled substances.

David B. Brushwood, BSPharm, JD

With National Poison Prevention Week coming up March 15–21, 2020, pharmacists have a chance to properly display and hand out those familiar 800-222-1222 poison control help line stickers. But there are more ways—besides the sticker—for pharmacists to engage with poison control.

Loren Bonner

Over the past 5 years, states have adopted pharmacy-based naloxone laws at rapid-fire pace, allowing pharmacists to dispense the opioid overdose antidote without a prescription.

Loren Bonner

Suicide rates in the United States are increasing among males and females, yet community pharmacists who regularly see and provide medications to those suffering with mental health conditions remain an untapped resource for risk reduction efforts, according to a commentary published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine in November 2019.

Charnicia Huggins, PharmD

CBD & cannabis: The basics

Rachel Balick, Loren Bonner, and Leah Sera, PharmD, MA, BCPS

Updates from FDA

New data published by CDC show that maternal influenza vaccina-tion rates for pregnant women remain low, with only about one-half of women getting the vaccine.

Maria G. Tanzi, PharmD

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met in Atlanta on October 23–24, 2019, to discuss the current in uenza sea-son and vaccine effectiveness; updated recommendations for pertussis, Ebola, orthopoxvirus, dengue, and rabies vaccines; measles outbreaks; and a variety of other immunization topics.

Stephan L. Foster, PharmD, FAPhA, CAPT (Ret)

In the hopes of reducing liquid medication dosing errors in children, a new study is providing insight into the kinds of dosing tools parents and caregivers are using.

Loren Bonner

Headache is one of the most common complaints worldwide, with a substantial economic impact.

Daniel L. Krinsky, RPh, MS

Many lab tests, particularly those used to diagnose thyroid and heart disease, use biotin immunoassay technology and are potentially affected by biotin in a patient’s blood sample.

Mary Warner

A comparative effectiveness analysis published in Lancet found that thiazide or thiazide-like diuretics were superior to ACE inhibitors as first-line medications for management of hypertension.

Maria G. Tanzi, PharmD

Trending Topics in Health-System Pharmacy

Preventing infectious disease transmission among health care workers and patients is a critical component of safe health care delivery in all settings.

Joey Sweeney, PharmD, BCPS

New data from an observational study conducted by CDC showed that first-line antibiotics were prescribed in only 50% of visits to retail clinics, emergency departments (EDs), urgent care centers, and offices for conditions such as pharyngitis, sinusitis, and acute otitis media.

Maria G. Tanzi, PharmDMaria G. Tanzi, PharmDMaria G. Tanzi, PharmDMaria G. Tanzi, PharmDMaria G. Tanzi, PharmD

The International Consensus Group recently updated the 2010 recommendations for managing nonvariceal upper GI bleeding (UGIB). The guidelines, which focus on resuscitation, assessment, bleed management, and secondary prophylaxis for recurrences, are presented as 15 statements with 38 corresponding recommendations based on the quality of evidence evaluated by voting participants.

Joey Sweeney, PharmD, BCPSJoey Sweeney, PharmD, BCPSJoey Sweeney, PharmD, BCPS

In 2019, federal legislative and regulatory activities continued to shape and advance the practice of pharmacy, with the Trump Administration and Congress focusing heavily on prescription drug prices and implementation of measures to counter the opioid epidemic and provide support for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD).

APhA Member News

Rob Maher, PharmD, and his bedside delivery transitions-of-care phar-macy team was asked to fill prescriptions for “Ruth,” an older adult patient who was awaiting discharge at a nearby hospital.

Sonya Collins

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