By: Sariah Grant, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027             The rise of glucagon-like peptide -1 receptor agonist medications have transformed the course of type 2 diabetes and weight loss therapy. Subcutaneous injectable medications such as  Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have become the new standard due to demonstrated efficacy. United States obesity rates have declined from…

By: Kevin Lee, PharmD Candidate c/o 2028, Angela Yin, PharmD Candidate c/o 2028             The American Thoracic Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), European Respiratory Society, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America recently published “Updates on the Treatment of Drug-Susceptible and Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: An Official ATS/CDC/ERS/IDSA Clinical Practice Guideline” in January 2025.…

By: Archana Murugan, PharmD candidate c/o 2029 Overview             Thiamine metabolic dysfunction syndrome (TMDS) refers to a broad term describing a group of rare errors of metabolism in newborns caused by a defect or deficiency in thiamine (vitamin B1). Thiamine (B1) is highly essential for cell function in our bodies, as it is utilized in…

By: Zurriya Faran, PharmD Candidate c/o 2031 The visible loss of skin pigmentation often indicates vitiligo, but what happens beneath the surface is far more complex. Traditionally, vitiligo has been explained as an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks pigment-producing cells. However, newer research suggests that one of the key factors driving…

By: Archana Murugan, PharmD Candidate c/o 2029 Overview Diabetes is a chronic disease caused by insufficient or absent insulin secretion leading to high blood sugar levels in the body. Diabetes is mainly characterized by two types: type 1 and type 2. In type 1, the body makes insufficient or no insulin and the immune system…

By: Aymon Choudhury, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027 Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) includes three clinical conditions: unstable angina, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). These conditions are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, requiring rapid diagnosis, timely intervention with reperfusion, guideline-directed drug therapy, coordinated transitions of care between healthcare…

By: Asmaa Hassanin, PharmD Candidate c/o 2026, Muskan Basra, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027, Madelyn Lombardo, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027, Aine Chen, PharmD Candidate c/o 2028  Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterised by repeated episodes of partial (hypopnea) or complete (apnea) upper airway blockage while sleeping. These repeated episodes lead to abrupt…

By: Aymon Choudhury, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027 Most people consider the emergency department (ED) a chaotic environment, where physicians and nurses scramble to efficiently treat patients under intense pressure. However, many are unaware of the significant contributions pharmacists make in this setting. In the fast-paced and unpredictable world of emergency medicine (EM), pharmacists bring specialized…

By: Alba Dona, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease caused by damage to the airways or other parts of the lung. The most common forms are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The damage can lead to inflammation and make it harder to breathe.1 The most common symptoms of COPD are…

By: Amanda Kastel PharmD Candidate c/o 2027  Sleep aid medications are widely used throughout the United States and have long been viewed as a “quick fix” to treat insomnia. In a survey conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, out of 2,010 adults in the United States, 20% reported using over-the-counter (OTC) medications to…

By: Sharupa Azmal, PharmD Candidate c/o 2026, Sarah El-Rowmeim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027, Akhila Ajith Kumar, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027, & Sophia Migias, PharmD Candidate c/o 202 Introduction Real-world evidence (RWE) is defined as clinical findings regarding the use, benefits, and risks of a drug outside of traditional clinical trials.1 These insights are derived from…

By: Sumaiya Chowdhury, PharmD Candidate c/o 2026, Daniyal Khan, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027, Wajiha Uddin, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027 & Riha Chowdhury, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027 Abstract Adderall is a prescription drug used to treat individuals diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy². However, the illegal use of Adderall has been observed among…

By: Mazal Borukhova, PharmD Candidate c/o 2026, Jacqueline Demirjian, PharmD Candidate c/o 2029, Alicia Lumia, PharmD Candidate c/o 2029, Hailey Sandoval, PharmD Candidate c/o 2029 Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease that occurs when the body is unable to regulate blood glucose levels. There are many risk factors that can contribute to…

By: Nower Chowdhury, PharmD Candidate c/o 2026, Anastasia Jairam, PharmD Candidate 2029, John Niewinski, PharmD Candidate 2028 INTRODUCTION Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic autoimmune condition that significantly impairs the quality of life for many individuals in the United States. In 2023, UC affected approximately 414 per 100,000 individuals nationwide. UC is a type of…

By: Sariah Grant, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027            In June 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, marketed under the brand name Wegovy. It was approved for adults facing obesity and other weight-related conditions.1 Initially developed for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), semaglutide’s use has expanded significantly due to…

By: Ariella Zadrima, PharmD Candidate c/o 2026 Introduction Cancer is a disease state in which abnormal cells in the body rapidly and uncontrollably divide to destroy body tissue. This growth occurs as a result of genetic changes and can affect many areas and systems of the body. The most common cancers involve breast and lung…

By: Sameen Siddiqui, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025, Madelyn Lombardo, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027, and Gabriella Lamantea, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027 Breast cancer, besides skin cancer, is the most common cancer detected in women and one of the most common cancers linked to female mortality.1 Due to the silent rapidity of the disease, breast cancer is…

By: Sameen Siddiqui, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025, Madelyn Lombardo, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027, and Gabriella Lamantea, PharmD Candidate c/o 2027 Breast cancer, besides skin cancer, is the most common cancer detected in women and one of the most common cancers linked to female mortality.1 Due to the silent rapidity of the disease, breast cancer can…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

By: Isabelle Lim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 and Justin Budz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an illness caused by severe acute respiratory system coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that primarily affects the respiratory system.1 In order to enter human cells, the virus’ spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) must bind to a cell membrane-bound…

By: Brian Chung, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024, Peter Chung, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024, and Kevin Kim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024               Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that affects an individual’s plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells located in the bone marrow that are responsible for producing antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins.1  Immunoglobulins…

By: Nancy Yousry, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024               Vitamin D is a multifaceted nutrient needed to maintain homeostasis and proper health. In addition to its role in building and maintaining healthy bones, vitamin D also regulates many important cellular functions in the body, serving as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and neuroprotective agent.1 In general, the two…

By: Justin Budz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023                  In the United States (US), heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women of most racial and ethnic groups, followed by cancer and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).1 About 659,000 people in the US die from heart disease each year, which encompasses about 1 in…

By: Angela Basir, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 and Muatasem Jaser, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023                  Sepsis is a clinical syndrome defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to an infection.1 Septic shock is a subset of sepsis in which underlying circulatory and cellular/metabolic abnormalities are profound enough to substantially increase…

By: Aamir S. Dave, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 Judith L. Beizer, PharmD, BCGP, FASCP, AGSF Alzheimer’s and Dementia              Dementia is characterized by the loss of memory and other cognitive abilities that interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurological disease and is the most common type of dementia, accounting for greater than 60-80%…

By: Justin Budz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023              On January 19th, 2020, a 35-year-old man in an urgent care clinic in Snohomish County, Washington was the first to be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be infected with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2…

By: Ashely Dao, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024               In early 2021, about 6 in 10 American adults had a chronic disease. Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States with 1 in 3 deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases (CVD).¹ The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has emphasized the impact…

By: Pallak Sharma, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 and Mia Cord-Cruz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022               Ketamine (Ketalar®) is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a general anesthetic, with additional indications listed within its package insert.1 Ketamine is a highly abused “street drug”, especially in China. To demonstrate, in Hong…

By: Jason Ifeanyi, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022               The liver is one of the most commonly transplanted solid organs in the United States (US) today. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is a mission-driven non-profit that leads the network of transplant hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and thousands of volunteers who are dedicated to saving…

By: Krishna Tamakuwala, PharmD candidate c/o 2023               Migraines are characterized by episodes of head pain that are often throbbing and frequently unilateral. Migraines are divided into two categories: migraines without aura, known as common migraine, and migraines with aura, known as classical migraine. Migraines without aura are oftentimes associated with typical symptoms like nausea,…

By: Jason Ifeanyi, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022               Epilepsy is a highly prevalent neurological disorder caused by unusual nerve cell activity, and is among one of the most common disease states encountered today in clinical practice. Each year around 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with epilepsy.1 Epilepsy is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as…

By: Nishanth Viswanath, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022              Multiple myeloma (MM)  is a hematological malignancy characterized by an accumulation and proliferation of monoclonal plasma cells in the bone marrow. 1 Throughout the course of the disease, malignant plasma cells induce an overproduction of non-functional immunoglobulin (paraproteins), which is evident during urine and blood screenings. 2…

By: Jeng Lee, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022               Throughout the past decade, there has been an increase in the prevalence of medical and recreational consumption of cannabis, also referred to as marijuana. 1 These numbers are expected to rise over the upcoming years in the United States as marijuana use is currently legalized in 33…

By: Cindy Van, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022, Shireen Farzadeh, PharmD, BCPS              Insomnia is a condition characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both, despite an adequate opportunity to sleep. Consequently, insomnia can lead to daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. This condition can be categorized into short-term and chronic insomnia. While short-term insomnia…

By: Tanay Maddula PharmD Candidate c/o 2022               Rybelsus (oral semaglutide) was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2019 to help control blood sugar in adult patients with Type 2 Diabetes alongside diet and exercise. It is the first oral GLP-1 (glucagon like peptide-1) agonist as typical drugs of this…

By: Zarnab Jillani PharmD Candidate c/o 2022              The link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a new and ongoing debate given the etiology of AD is still not fully understood. Diabetes continues to be a major public health crisis as diagnoses around the world continue to rise. Diabetes is a chronic disease that…

By: Pallak Sharma, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 and Rebecca Samuel, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022              Statins, some of the most well-known cholesterol lowering medications, have been demonstrating increasing evidence of safety and benefits to the elderly patient population. 5 Statins are a class of medication that can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)…

By: Bisma T. Sekhery PharmD. Candidate c/o 2025              COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the health, economic, and social aspects of life for every person. Currently, there is only one Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment for COVID-19–remdesivir (Veklury®). The lack of approved therapies makes COVID-19 difficult to treat and increases overall mortality…

By: Jeremy Mesias, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022              It starts with a simple cough or a wheeze. Suddenly, it escalates to tightness in the chest. Breathing gets quicker but shallower, making you feel short of breath. These are the most common and recognizable symptoms of an asthma attack.  Around the world, nearly 300 million people…

By: Darien Lee, Pharm D Candidate c/o 2021              Vancomycin, a glycopeptide antibiotic, is one of the most commonly used medications in hospitals. Its widespread use is attributed to its efficacy for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections caused by gram-positive bacteria. One of its most notable features is its coverage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus…

By: Nishanth Viswanath, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 Introduction   Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)  is a hematological malignancy of mature CD5 positive B-lymphocytes that primarily affects elderly patients.1 With the average age of diagnosis being 71, the incidence of CLL is relatively rare in younger populations, though cases have occurred in those under the age of 50.1…

By: Dana Weinstein, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022              Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection in humans is caused by two main species, Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare. These species are difficult to differentiate and therefore are collectively referred to as Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI).1 These acid-fast, atypical nontuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM) are the most common cause of lung disease in the U.S.2 MAC is…