How drug shortages have affected pharmacies, pharmacist...
December 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Jennalynn Fung, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 Drug shortages are not new; however, their frequency has significantly increased over the years. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease doctor and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, stated, “[i]t’s something that I’ve seen from time to time since I started practice about 20 years ago,… |
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Nationwide Albuterol Shortage: How Patients, Healthcare...
August 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics By: Celestine Van Sertima, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027 Addressing the Issue As the spring season leads the way to respiratory challenges, there have been growing concerns over the shortage of respiratory medications which have raised many problems for people’s health. Specifically, a lack of albuterol metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) has heavily impacted the asthmatic community. Albuterol… |
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U.S. Based Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, Eli Lilly &...
June 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics By: Urooj K. Malik, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 March 1, 2023 marked a substantial milestone in the United States’ (U.S.’) fight for affordable insulin. Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) has announced that over the next few months, they will be reducing the price of multiple insulin products as well as capping patient out-of-pocket costs at… |
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A Beacon of Hope for Multi-Drug Resistant HIV Patients:...
April 1, 2023 - Clinical By: Debika Kundu, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 and Jeilyn Nunez, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that targets one’s immune system and renders it weak against many diseases, such as influenza, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and cancer. HIV can enter one’s body through various modes of transmission, including anal or… |
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New FDA Approval of Bydureon for Treating Type 2 Diabet...
October 1, 2022 - In the News / Politics By: Kelly Lavery, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Increasing rates of childhood obesity remain a major risk factor behind a recently increased prevalence of diabetes in the pediatric population. This subject is of particular relevance in light of the ongoing coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has limited children to isolation and online learning… |
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FDA approves Vibegron (Gemtesa®) for the Treatment of ...
June 1, 2021 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Arya Firoozan, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition that causes a sudden and frequent urge to urinate. It is also associated with incontinence and nocturia. Nocturia refers to waking up at night due to the urge to urinate. OAB is diagnosed if there is no other current infection or… |
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Insulin Monitoring System for Pediatric patients...
April 1, 2021 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Lyana Sayilar, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 On August 31, 2020, the FDA approved the first automated diabetes management device for patients aged 2 to 6-years old. The MiniMed 770G System automatically adjusts basal insulin doses based on glucose levels, facilitating the lives of the patient and caregiver. Prior to its approval, patients and/or… |
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Fostemsavir: New drug for the treatment of HIV-1 resist...
April 1, 2021 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Bisma Sekhery, PharmD Candidate c/o 2021 Fostemsavir (Rukobia) is a new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved antiretroviral agent for the treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). It was approved in July 2020 for multidrug-resistant HIV-1. It is a pro-drug, metabolized to its active moiety, temsavir, which binds to the gp120 subunit within… |
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Usage of Ibuprofen and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme In...
June 1, 2020 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Evan Cheung, PharmD (c/o 2020) On March 11th, 2020, a research article was published in the Lancet journal that informed the public about a hypothesized issue regarding the use of ibuprofen in COVID-19 patients.1 Because of the information found in this article, patients and medical professions are wary of utilizing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs… |
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Basal-bolus vs. sliding-scale insulin in hospitalized p...
December 1, 2019 - Clinical , Featured By: Maria Sedky Saad (PharmD Candidate c/o 2021), Shivani Shah (PharmD Candidate c/o 2021) Hyperglycemia is a common condition in hospitalized patients whose glucose levels are normally controlled with oral antidiabetic medications, which are often discontinued upon admission. To circumvent hyperglycemic complications in hospitalized patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, glucose levels… |
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United States Department of Health and Human Services (...
June 1, 2019 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Michael Lim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2020 In 2017, 70,237 overdose deaths occurred in the United States. Of those deaths, 47,600 (sixty-seven point eight percent of all drug overdose deaths in 2017) involved opioids.1 As the current main driver of drug overdose deaths, opioids and their misuse and abuse represent an ongoing health epidemic… |
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The expanding role of the specialty pharmacy team in ca...
April 1, 2019 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Vasantha Kolluri, PharmD Candidate c/o 2019 With the recent advancement of oral oncology drugs, there has been an ever-growing need for specialty pharmacy services. Although these oral agents allow for patients to receive therapy at home, clinical outcomes heavily depend upon patient adherence and management. Specialty pharmacy is a niche area of pharmacy practice… |
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The role of evolocumab (Repatha ®) in the treatment of...
October 1, 2017 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Katie Lee, PharmD Candidate c/o 2019 – In 2015, FDA approved evolocumab (Repatha ®), a human monoclonal antibody of the PCKSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9) inhibitor class.1 Evolocumab is used to treat adult patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) or clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who need further lowering of their LDL-C levels,… |
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New FDA Approved Treatment in Patients With Hypoparathy...
June 1, 2015 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Dimitrios Savva, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – Hypoparathyroidism is a rare disease that affects approximately 60,000 people in the United States.1 People diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism are characterized as having insufficient levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH).2 A person with this disease does not produce or secrete enough of PTH, leading to a decreased level of… |
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The Dilemma of Using Beta-Blockers in Patients with COP...
April 1, 2015 - Clinical , Featured By: Syed Arafath, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015, AMSCOP at LIU – Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer.1 Many patients with COPD often present with multiple-organ dysfunction, especially cardiovascular disease.2,3 COPD and heart failure frequently coexist in approximately 30% of cases… |
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Aspirin in High Risk CV Patients Using COX-2 Inhibitors...
February 1, 2015 - Clinical , Featured By: Nancy Rizkalla, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – NSAIDs are effective agents used in the management of several types of pain. They mitigate the negative effects of inflammation by inhibiting two key enzymes called cyclooxygenase (COX)—COX-1 and COX-2—and their subsequent products. However, the inhibition of these enzymes’ other beneficial functions is associated with negative side… |
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Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Oncolo...
February 1, 2015 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Nicollette Pacheco, Staff Editor [Graphics-focused] – With an increase in the use of alternative medicine in the United States, the field of oncology is seeing a rise in the use of unconventional methods to treat symptoms in a wide range of cancers. Since 1990, it has been found that an increasing number of patients… |
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Usage of Codeine in Pediatric Patients...
January 1, 2015 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Azia Tariq, Section Editor – With the deaths of thirteen pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy occurring post operation between 1969 to 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed the safety of codeine in children in its August 2012 Drug Safety Communication. The FDA subsequently issued a black box warning and a contraindication… |
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Recombinant Factor IX (Alprolix) Brings Hope for Hemoph...
December 1, 2014 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Benedette Cuffari, BS Toxicology Candidate c/o 2015 – Hemophilia B is an inherited bleeding disorder that is caused by a substantially reduced or complete lack of blood clotting factor IX. Therefore, people suffering from hemophilia B experience bleeding episodes that cause pain, irreversible joint damage, and life threatening hemorrhages. Approximately 28,000 people are currently… |
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Off-Label Antidepressant Use in Pediatric Patients with...
November 1, 2014 - Clinical , Featured By: Jacqueline Meaney, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015, University at Buffalo: School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences — Psychotropic medications are typically used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy to treat behavioral problems that affect children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Symptoms of ASD typically include a need for routines (change intolerance), difficulty with verbal and… |
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Use of Donepezil in Patients with Delirium (but without...
July 1, 2012 - Clinical , Featured By: Lunbao (Jerry) Huang, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – Donepezil, brand name Aricept®, is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor indicated as monotherapy for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Cholinergic deficiency in the cortex and basal forebrain contributes to cognitive deficits in these patients. Donepezil reversibly, noncompetitively inhibits centrally active acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme responsible for… |
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Transplantation in HIV +/- HBV/HCV Patients...
June 1, 2012 - Clinical , Featured By: Jayoung Park, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – Traditionally, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients have generally been excluded from organ transplantation.1 One of the principal concerns was that immunosuppression would accelerate HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), resulting in increased mortality and a “waste” of organs.1 A study entitled, “Opportunistic Infections and Neoplasms Following Liver and… |
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Brilinta® vs. Plavix® in Patients with Acute Coronary...
February 1, 2012 - Clinical , Featured By: Ronik Saha, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – Clopidogrel (Plavix®) is a thienopyridine antiplatelet agent, which exerts its antiplatelet effects via in vivo conversion to an active thiol metabolite that irreversibly blocks the P2Y-12 component of platelet ADP receptors. This prevents activation of the GP2B/3A complex, thereby preventing platelet aggregation. Along with aspirin, clopidogrel reduces… |
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The First Lab-Grown Blood Transfusion...
February 1, 2024 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: John Ortiz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 What is a Blood Transfusion? A blood transfusion is a procedure where donated blood is intravenously administered to a patient. Generally, it is used to treat patients who are experiencing blood loss or a deficiency of integral blood components. In the United States, there are 21 million blood transfusions… |
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Pharmacy Benefit Managers 2023 Update...
February 1, 2024 - In the News / Politics By: Giavanna Carr, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 In March of 2023, Senators Maria Cantwell and Charles E. Grassley successfully passed the Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) Transparency Act through the Senate Commerce Committee.1 The PBM Transparency Act is projected to save taxpayers a total of $740 million dollars over a 10-year period, making this act a… |
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FDA Approves Bimzelx® for the Treatment of Moderate to...
February 1, 2024 - In the News / Politics By: Bhojranie Brahmanand, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 On October 18, 2023, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Bimzelx (bimekizumab) for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.1 Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease that is associated with cutaneous and systemic manifestations. The pathophysiology can be characterized by abnormal keratinocyte… |
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6th Year Perspective: From Pharmacy Student to Pfizer F...
February 1, 2024 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Frances Alexis Dela Cruz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 By: Celestine Van Sertima, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027 Frances Alexis Dela Cruz is a driven and dedicated PharmD candidate at St. John’s University who is anticipated to graduate in 2024. With a focus on pharmacy studies, Frances exhibits a passion for the pharmaceutical field and is… |
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An Oral Revolution in Treating Adults Diagnosed with Ty...
February 1, 2024 - In the News / Politics By: Samia Rahman Adity, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 Diabetes Facts and Statistics Type II diabetes (T2D) has been a consequential public health concern in the United States (US). It is a condition where patients have elevated blood glucose levels. Escalation in plasma glucose can lead to detrimental health effects, which include cardiovascular complications like coronary… |
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FDA Approves Jardiance® for the Treatment of Adults wi...
February 1, 2024 - In the News / Politics By: Urooj K. Malik, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Effective September 22, 2023, the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for empagliflozin (Jardiance®) 10 mg tablets for the treatment of adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) at risk of progression. This decision was based on the results of the EMPA-KIDNEY phase III… |
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Rho Chi Talks: Interview with the CEO of Cullinan Oncol...
February 1, 2024 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Nadim Ahmed, President and CEO, Cullinan Oncology By: Sairah Skeikh, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Nadim Ahmed is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Cullinan Oncology. He has always had an interest in oncology and the opportunity to help cancer patients and their families, which is demonstrated in his extensive prior experience working in… |
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Rho Chi Talks: A Peek Into Merck’s Division of Regula...
December 1, 2023 - Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Janelle Derbis, PharmD By: Serina Lin, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Janelle Derbis is a PharmD graduate of Drake University, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, located in Des Moines, Iowa. She is currently the Director of Regulatory Affairs at Merck & Co., Inc. She has prior extensive experience in the U.S. Food and Drug… |
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A Pharmacist’s Guide to Renal Transplant Therapeutics...
December 1, 2023 - Clinical , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Omar Elhoriny, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 and Nancy Yousry, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 The therapeutic space of solid organ transplantation holds great relevance to practicing pharmacists and yet is rarely a topic of discussion in didactic teaching. The field of renal transplant therapeutics has made remarkable strides over the years, offering new hope to… |
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RSV Vaccine: Furthering the Expansion of the Pharmacis...
December 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Ashley Medina, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 After decades of trial and error, science is ready to offer preventative measures against the respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV. Utilizing RSV vaccination tools that have become available will allow for a healthy, fun, and safe transition from winter to spring, often when RSV cases rise.… |
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Genetic Variants and its Link to Individuals Asymptomat...
December 1, 2023 - Clinical By: Ariella Zadrima, PharmD Candidate c/o 2026 Since coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first made its appearance in December of 2019, its pathology has been a topic of research for many years. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that can be spread through droplets. It is known that COVID-19 is caused by infection of severe acute respiratory… |
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Pharmacy Pearls: How to Identify a Ruptured Brain Aneur...
December 1, 2023 - Clinical By: Maha Sohail, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 In the United States, about 6.5 million, or 1 in 50 people, have an unruptured brain aneurysm, with one rupture occurring every 18 minutes.1 Worldwide, there are almost half a million deaths each year from this medical emergency, of which half the victims are younger than 50 years… |
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It’s in Our Blood: An Exploration of Gene Therapies f...
October 1, 2023 - Clinical By: Holly Nguyen, PharmD Candidate ℅ 2024 Hemophilia is a severe hereditary hemorrhagic disorder derived from gene mutations that make clotting factors VIII and IX for hemophilia types A and B, respectively.1 The sex-linked hemophilia recessive allele on the X chromosome gives sons a 50% chance of inheriting the hemophilia allele from a heterozygous or… |
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Health-Related Mechanisms Behind Exercise...
October 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics By: Sairah Sheikh, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Increased physical activity is often touted as a lifestyle choice that improves bodily health dramatically. Over recent years, there has been an increase in research showing that exercise can help to prevent chronic diseases. Physical activity exerts its benefit through a wide variety of mechanisms. Exercise can improve… |
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The Current Landscape of Treatment Options for Alzheime...
October 1, 2023 - Clinical By: Anureet Kaur, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an epidemic. Currently, the neurodegenerative disorder holds the title of the seventh leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.), disproportionately affecting older adults.1 The National Institute on Aging reports that the number of people with AD doubles about every five years beyond… |
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Efficacy of Cabozantinib, Nivolumab, and Ipilimumab Com...
October 1, 2023 - Clinical By: Shakhzoda Rakhimova, PharmD Candidate ℅ 2024 Introduction Renal-cell carcinoma (RCC) is a type of kidney cancer in which malignant epithelial cells are found in the lining of the renal tubules or renal cortex.1 Clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type, accounting for about 80% of all RCC cases.2 ccRCC is named aptly… |
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FDA Falls Behind on Sunscreen Approvals...
October 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics By: Ashley Dao, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Melanoma is the fifth most common cause of cancer in the United States (US). Unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the primary risk factor for developing melanoma.1 In order to reduce damage from UV exposure, the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends practices such as… |
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Zuranolone: An Oral Development in the Treatment of Pos...
October 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics By: Giavanna Carr, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 Postpartum depression, also known as PPD, is classified as perinatal depression, which is experienced by those who have recently given birth. PPD is the leading complication following childbirth, affecting 1 in 7 women worldwide.1 Oftentimes, this is the first time the mother suffers from any type of depression,… |
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The FDA’s Accelerated Approval of Lecanemab for Alzhe...
August 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics By: Imaan Sekhery, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 On January 6, 2023, the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Eisai’s Leqembi (lecanemab), an alternative treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The creation of the drug depicts a significant advancement within the small field of AD treatments. This disease state is known to begin with… |
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The Use of Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray in Mild COVID-19 In...
August 1, 2023 - Clinical By: Isabelle Lim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 and Hadeel Aldasooky, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 As the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to loom over the healthcare world, there is still a need to uncover new treatment options for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel’s current recommendation… |
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WeightWatchers Enters the Obesity Drug Market Upon Acqu...
August 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics By: Geraldine Ciaccio, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 The personalized weight-loss program WeightWatchers took a significant step into the newly popularized obesity drug market. As one of the leading weight-loss programs in the United States, WeightWatchers customizes diet plans according to individual health goals. To expand its weight management platform into clinical settings, the company agreed… |
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Rho Chi Talks: Transitioning to a PGY-2 Pediatric Pharm...
August 1, 2023 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Nicole Cernaro, PharmD, PGY-2 Pediatric Pharmacy Resident By: Urooj K. Malik, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Nicole Cernaro is a PGY-2 Pediatric Pharmacy Resident at St. Peter’s University Hospital located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She recently completed her PGY-1 pharmacy residency from St. Peter’s University Hospital as well. Nicole earned her Doctorate in Pharmacy… |
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Evaluation of Haloperidol for Treatment of ICU Delirium...
June 1, 2023 - Clinical By: Nancy Yousry, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Delirium is characterized as impaired cognition with a wide range of manifestations that are nonspecific to the state, making it harder to detect in its earlier stages.1 Inadequate management has frequently resulted from a failure to recognize the condition. Elderly patients are most often susceptible to delirium when… |
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6th Year Perspective: Industry Elective APPE with Pfize...
June 1, 2023 - Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Isabella Chow, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024By: Isabelle Lim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Isabella Chow is a sixth-year pharmacy student at St. John’s University. She was involved in various organizations on campus, including PLS, Rho Chi, LKS, Crafts Club, and VSA. She held leadership positions in multiple pharmacy organizations, including IPhO Director of Communications, DIA… |
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New Study Expands Pharmacists’ Role in Treating Opioi...
June 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics By: Geraldine Ciaccio, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 The role of pharmacists in public health has been expanding in recent years. The list of pharmacists’ responsibilities continues to grow with the treatment of the opioid crisis in the United States. In the past year, pharmacists newly received the authority to dispense naloxone under a standing order.… |
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Zavegepant: An Intranasal Breakthrough in Treating Acut...
June 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics By: Samia Rahman Adity, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 Migraine has been a throbbing topic of discussion and a serious public health concern in the United States (U.S.). As of 2018, headache was seen to be the fourth or fifth most common cause for patients to visit an emergency department.1 The National Institute of Neurological… |
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FDA Regulatory Change Expands Access to Mifepristone...
June 1, 2023 - In the News / Politics By: Ashley Dao, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Medical abortion is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to end intrauterine pregnancy through ten weeks gestation (i.e., within 70 days of the start of a patient’s last menstrual period). Mifepristone plays a major role in the termination of early pregnancies within the United States (U.S.).… |