By: Zachary Piracha, PharmD Candidate c/o 2017 – BACKGROUND The pharmacy profession is constantly fortified by an ever-evolving process by which students of pharmacy become practicing healthcare providers licensed in their respective states. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) carefully regulates the dissemination of tests as well as the shifting forms of administration…

By: Amy Nguyen, PharmD Candidate c/o 2020 and Alex Chu, PharmD Candidate c/o 2019 – One of the most common problems with aging is the ability to maintain brain function. Dementia is a collective term describing conditions revolving the impairment of various brain functions.  Patients with dementia often experience progressive behavioral and neurological changes that…

By: Sal Monaco, PharmD Candidate c/o 2018 – In recent years, the state of California has remained at the forefront of innovative pharmacy practice by recognizing of the importance of pharmacists in healthcare. The state recently took action which puts them another step ahead and strengthens the support pharmacists in the state receive. On September…

By: Alex Chu, Staff Writer – On March 21 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved obiltoxaximab (Anthim®), an intravenous injection, for the treatment and prevention of inhalational anthrax toxicity for adult and pediatric patients. Developed by Elusys Therapeutics, obiltoxaximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the protective antigen of anthrax, which is…

By: Gabrielle Flavoni, PharmD Candidate c/o 2018 – Drug diversion has always been a golden target for our nation’s law enforcement agents, and a new level of overdose epidemic is taking center stage. Last month, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) issued a public health warning regarding a synthetic opioid known as carfentanil. Carfentanil is…

By: Nicollette Pacheco, PharmD Candidate c/o 2017 – It is an easy decision to include a black box warning on a drug label in response to clinically significant drug safety information. The decision to remove such a warning, on the other hand, has recently proven to be a more difficult decision. Varenicline (Chantix®) was approved…

By: Jack (Hongkai) Bao, PharmD Candidate 2018 – Metformin is an oral anti-hyperglycemic agent of the biguanide class and is FDA-indicated to treat type 2 diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).1 Metformin works by decreasing hepatic glucose production and simultaneously increasing peripheral tissue sensitivity to insulin. Unlike other oral anti-hyperglycemic agents such as the sulfonylureas,…

By: Zachary Piracha, Pharm.D Candidate 2017 – The following account is a case report I was involved with during my rotation at the FDA. On 06/21/16, the Consumer Complaint Coordinator division of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received a report from a consumer that had discovered an online seller of dietary supplements, and purchased…

By: Nicollette Pacheco, Staff Editor [Graphics-focused] – Brexpiprazole (REXULTI®) is a novel atypical antipsychotic that was approved in July 2015 for the adjunctive treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and as monotherapy in schizophrenia.1 Brexpiprazole is a serotonin-dopamine activity modulator with partial agonism at serotonergic 5HT1α and dopaminergic D2 receptors, as well as potent antagonism…

By:  Caitlyn Cummings, Pharm.D. and Maria Marzella Mantione, Pharm.D., CGP, FAPhA – From ordering food to requesting transportation, we trust app-based delivery services for everything, so it makes sense that medication delivery through an app would be next. Zipdrug is a new medication delivery service based in New York City which will pick-up and deliver…

By: Jack (Hongkai) Bao, Staff Editor – On December 21st 2015, the FDA approved selexipag (Uptravi®), marketed by Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc. for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in adults.1 Selexipag offers a newer treatment alternative for PAH, the conventional therapy of which originally included vasodilators such as Epoprostenol (Flolan®) and Treprostinil (Remodulin®)…

By: Svetlana Akbasheva, Section Editor (Clinical) – Despite the advances in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the incidence of HIV transmission remains alarmingly high, with about 50,000 new cases arising every year in the United States alone.1 Recently, HIV management has turned its focus on prevention for high-risk, uninfected individuals in addition to…

By: Alex Chu, Staff Writer – On November 5th 2015, the U.S Food and Drug Administration approved Genvoya®, a once daily tablet containing a combination of elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) for the treatment of HIV-1 infections in adults and pediatric patients age 12 or older.1 Genvoya® is a combination of antiretroviral drugs…

By: Kevin J. Choi, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – “Morning Sickness” – we have all heard of this term being associated with thalidomide, a drug particularly recognized for its antiemetic effect, but also for its notorious teratogenicity. However, it is worth re-familiarizing ourselves with the nature of the drug itself (and the clinical threats that…

By: Victoria Chirico, PharmD Candidate c/o 2018 – From I-STOP surveillance to vaccine administration, many changes have been made in the world of pharmacy, with more to come. Whether these changes are for the better or worse, they define the roles of a pharmacist in our world today. As the role of a pharmacist is…

By: Sherin Pathickal, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016, Rahul Patel, PharmD Candidate c/o 2017, and Sierra Swaby, PharmD Candidate c/o 2020 – The pharmacy profession is changing within the healthcare system by making pharmaceutical care one of its main responsibilities. Pharmaceutical care does not adhere to the way that pharmacists have traditionally practiced, but instead requires…

By: Dimitrios Savva, PharmD c/o 2016 – Digoxin is a cardiac glycoside used in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (Afib) and heart failure. Digoxin inhibits sodium-potassium ATPase, leading to an increase in intracellular sodium which in turn inhibits sodium-dependent calcium transport out of the cytoplasm and ultimately results in an increase in intracellular calcium.1 The…

By: Jacqueline Chirico, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder in which an antibody-mediated attack is directed against the nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors at neuromuscular junctions.1 About 85% of people with myasthenia gravis have antibodies to the ACh receptor, while the remaining 15% are seronegative. Although one is more common than…

By: Maryam Ahmed, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – While hospitals are a place where people can get their ailments cured, there is still room for improvement. According to the Institute of Medicine, over 1.5 million Americans are injured in hospitals each year.1 Hospital protocols are implemented to keep these errors to a minimum in order…

By: Nicollette Pacheco, Staff Editor (Graphics-focused) – Acetaminophen, an analgesic and antipyretic, has been widely used to relieve minor aches and pains since the 1950s. The drug exhibits these effects by inhibiting the enzymes COX-1 and COX-2, and acts in both the central and peripheral nervous systems.1 While acetaminophen is currently indicated for the relief…

By: Anthony Vecchione, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – Seizures are a well-described complication of acute brain injury and neurosurgery. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are frequently utilized for seizure prophylaxis in neurocritical care patients, but this practice is controversial because of the possible adverse effects of these drugs (which can affect patient outcomes). Practitioners have prescribed AEDs…

By: Tasnima Nabi, Co-Copy Editor [Content-focused] – Dear Readers, When I received Volume 1, Issue 1 of the Rho Chi Post in my inbox during my sophomore year, I knew that I wanted to contribute in every way possible. The Rho Chi Post has been the best experience throughout my education at St. John’s University.…

By: Jack (Hongkai) Bao, Staff Editor & Sang Hyo Kim, Section Editor (Puzzles) – In an atmosphere populated with restless pharmacy students, bright pink undertones illuminated and calmed the room. Students and faculty of great scholastic achievement filled tables throughout the venue and sat chatting away. As more attendees arrived to join their anxious colleagues,…

By: Ajla Dupljak, President-Elect, Rho Chi Beta Delta Chapter – Greetings! My name is Ajla Dupljak and it is with great honor and privilege that I write to you all as your new President-elect for the 2016-2017 Rho Chi Society Beta Delta Chapter. First and foremost I would like to congratulate all those who were…

By: Gabrielle Plaia, PharmD Candidate Class of 2016 – On Oct. 27 2015, the Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of talimogene laherparepvec, referred to by its brand name ImlygicTM, with an indication for local treatment of melanoma lesions that cannot be removed completely by initial surgery. The drug was created by Amgen.1 This…

By: Svetlana Akbasheva, Staff Editor – Dabigatran etexilate mesylate (Pradaxa®) is an oral anticoagulant that functions as a direct thrombin inhibitor. Like other anticoagulants, this medication carries the risk of serious bleeding and must be stopped temporarily before any surgical procedures, with the length of time depending on a patient’s creatinine clearance and invasiveness of…

By: Svetlana Akbasheva, Staff Editor – Naloxone (Narcan®) is a rapid-acting, potentially life-saving drug for acute opioid overdose. An opioid antagonist, naloxone displaces opioids from their receptors and helps reverse their effects, the most dangerous of which is respiratory depression.1 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 22,000 deaths in the United…

By: Maryam Ahmed and Lyudmila Krivovyaz, Pharm.D Candidates, c/o 2016 – Each year, more than 795,000 Americans suffer from a stroke, with almost 130,000 of those resulting in death.1 Traditionally, warfarin sodium (Coumadin®) has always been the drug of choice for treatment and prevention of clot formation. Over the last couple of years, however, newer…

By: Cyril Collantes, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by two predominant psychiatric components: obsession and compulsion. Obsession refers to the uncontrolled and recurrent thoughts, impulses, or images that can provoke significant anxiety, whereas compulsions are repetitive behaviors or rituals in response to the obsessive thought(s). OCD is clinically significant if…

By: Benedette Cuffari, B.S. of Toxicology Candidate 2016 – Affecting 10%-15% of the population in Western countries, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is most often categorized by altered bowel habits involving chronic or recurrent diarrhea or constipation.1 IBS patients with chronic diarrhea, sometimes referred to as IBS-D, exhibit abdominal pain and/or discomfort in addition to loose…

By: Svetlana Akbasheva, Section Editor – Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating condition in which the lungs become thick and tough with scar tissue and progressively lose their ability to efficiently deliver oxygen to the blood.1 That the disease has no established cause can make diagnosis difficult. However, the 2011 ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT guidelines2 provide three…

By: Nancy Simon, PharmD Candidate 2016 – Many of you may have seen Kim Kardashian West’s Instagram posts – most of which are ‘selfies,’ but recently, a particular post caught the attention of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this past August 2015. Kim posted a picture with Diclegis® (doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride), claiming…

By: Holly Sokol, PharmD Candidate 2020 – Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) can occur due to antibiotics changing the elements of the gut and thereby, increasing an organism’s inhabitance. Diarrhea is common in as many as 40% of critically ill patients. An even greater problem is Clostridium difficile (antibiotics-associated) becoming a leading cause of mortality in hospital-related…

By: Sylva Ohanian, Staff Writer – The FDA recently approved aflibercept (Eylea®) injection for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).1 Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and is a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is generally characterized by changes occurring in the…

By: Andrew Leong, Staff Writer – Quitting smoking greatly reduces the risk of many diseases such as lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke, all of which increase morbidity and mortality in patients. Currently in North America, there are three main pharmacological therapies used in the management of smoking cessation. The most recognizable one, nicotine…

By: Sang Hyo Kim, Section Editor – On April 28, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved aripiprazole, the generic of Abilify®.1 Aripiprazole tablets are used to treat patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.1 Although Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Abilify®, tried to block generic competition by requesting a temporary restraining order on one…

By: Azia Tariq, Section Editor – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved TissuGlu®, the first tissue adhesive approved for internal use. William Maisel, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Director of Science at FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health states, “The FDA’s approval of the first synthetic adhesive for internal use will help some…

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…

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: Nehali Parikh, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that results in interrupted neurotransmission throughout the body. It occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks myelin, the insulating layer surrounding nerve cells, causing the formation of scar tissue, called sclerosis. Fatigue, numbness, tingling, difficulty in walking, and dizziness are…

By: Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – On March 19, 2014, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved miltefosine (Impavido®) for the treatment of leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by leishmania, a parasite that is transmitted to humans through sand fly bites. Although the majority of people affected with leishmaniasis are from tropical…

By: Svetlana Akbasheva, Staff Editor – For years, the medications that have been the mainstay of therapy for chronic heart failure have been angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (or angiotensin receptor blockers), beta-blockers, loop diuretics, and aldosterone antagonists, with the occasional addition of digoxin or the hydralazine/isosorbide dinitrate combination.1 Now, a novel medicine is trying…

By: Azia Tariq, Section Editor – Myocardial infarctions, more commonly known as heart attacks, are prevalent in the United States. Each year, approximately 720,000 Americans suffer a heart attack.1 The approval of vorapaxar by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) presents an additional treatment option for patients at high risk for myocardial infarction and stroke.1,2…

By: Svetlana Akbasheva, Staff Editor –       Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS or Willis-Ekbom disease) is a condition that affects an estimated 2 to 3% of adults in the United States.1 Patients with RLS experience a strong urge to move the legs, which is more prevalent at rest and is usually alleviated by physical movement. Symptoms…

By: Benedette Cuffari, BS Toxicology Candidate, ‘16 – “Initial Prescription Free,” “FDA Approved,”  “Save Thousands!” and “Our Generic Drugs are Identical to Those Sold in the U.S.,” are some of the many advertising tools that thousands of websites around the world have been using to lure customers into buying illegal pharmaceuticals online. The U.S. Food…

By: Jacqueline Meaney, PharmD [PGY-1 Resident at Gainesville VAMC in Florida] – Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, and an inability to experience pleasure in activities that were enjoyable in the past.1 Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent mental disorders among adults…

By: Sean Caltabiano, Ramya Mathew & Praneeta Nagraj – Timeline Overview 5th Year: Start thinking about recommendations Your preceptors on rotations and faculty you have worked with are great people to ask for letters of recommendation July–October (or sooner): Research Start thinking about areas that you would be interested in pursuing (e.g., Regulatory Affairs, Medical…

By: Tyler Valente, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – A growing trend within our progressive society is the advancement of technology. Over the past few years, inventions that were mere fantasies just a decade or two ago have become a reality. Within the medical field, progress can be seen particularly in the development of medical devices.…