By: Irene Li, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – Postherpetic neuralgia is the most common chronic complication of herpes zoster that affects one million people annually in the United States.1 It is defined as dermatomal pain lasting at least 90 days after the appearance of an acute herpes zoster rash. The rash is usually unilateral. Although…

By: Svetlana Akbasheva, Staff Editor – This March, both the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) and American Pharmacists Association (APhA) updated their official positions regarding the pharmacist provision of drugs for lethal injections as part of executions.1,2 The IACP stated that “while the pharmacy profession recognizes an individual practitioner’s right to determine whether to…

By: Andrew Leong, Staff Writer – Hyperkalemia is defined as a serum potassium level of greater than 5.0 mmol/L.1 In a majority of cases, the cause is renal in nature with over half of all patients with hyperkalemia suffering from chronic kidney disease.2 Other causes include an increase in diet potassium, tumor lysis syndrome, and…

By: Sylva Ohanian, Staff Writer – Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious yet treatable lung disease, which affects 210 million people worldwide and is expected to be the third leading cause of death in the world by 2030.1 Symptoms, such as wheezing and coughing, can negatively impact breathing, especially during daily activities.1, 2…