Rho Chi Talks: The Path to Pharmaceutical Industry...
October 1, 2023 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Fawad Piracha, PharmD, MBA, IgCP By: Holly Nguyen, PharmD Candidate ℅ 2024 Fawad Piracha is a ‘16 alumnus of the St. John’s University PharmD program and has since had a storied career. Dr. Piracha is the second of four family members who graduated from St. John’s University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (read… |
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FDA Grants Approval for AREXVY, the First Respiratory S...
October 1, 2023 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Urooj K. Malik, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 On May 3, 2023, the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Arexvy (RSVPreF3), the first vaccine to combat respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for adults aged 60 and older.1 Overview of RSV RSV is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms that… |
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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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6th Year Perspective: Conducting Research Projects and ...
August 1, 2023 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Urooj K. Malik, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 By: Isabelle Lim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Urooj is a sixth-year pharmacy student at St. John’s University. Throughout her time at St. John’s Urooj has held positions in organizations like the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, Phi Lambda Sigma, International Society of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes, Lambda Kappa… |
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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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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.).… |
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Rho Chi Talks: Tips to Acquirea Residency...
June 1, 2023 - Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Krishna Tamakuwala, PharmDBy: Justin Budz, PharmD Krishna Tamakuwala is a recent graduate from the St. John’s University Doctor of Pharmacy program, class of 2023. Krishna always knew she wanted to go into the medical field. Besides her passion for the sciences, Krishna also enjoyed cooking. She found it interesting how certain aspects of pharmacy… |
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Evaluation of Ivermectin for Treatment of COVID-19...
April 1, 2023 - Clinical 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… |
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Meet the Mentor: Debika Kundu...
April 1, 2023 - Professional Advice / Opinions My name is Debika Kundu and I am currently a P3 student pharmacist. On campus, I serve as the President of the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and a LEADS mentor for the Rho Chi Honor Society. I also work as an intern pharmacist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical… |
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Meet the Founders of the LEADS Initiative – Just...
April 1, 2023 - Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Justin Budz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023By: Isabelle Lim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Justin is a sixth-year pharmacy student and the current Editor-in-Chief of the Rho Chi Post. Justin views pharmacy as a healthy medium between science and healthcare. Studying pharmacy provided him with the opportunity to learn more about the biological processes behind medications… |
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Meet the Founders of the LEADS Initiative – Vassi...
April 1, 2023 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Vassilia Plakas, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 and Frances Alexis Dela Cruz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024By: Isabelle Lim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 *Meet Vassilia (Lia) Plakas Lia is a fifth-year pharmacy student and the current President of the Rho Chi Honor Society – Beta Delta Chapter. Lia decided to pursue pharmacy as a result of… |
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LEADS Initiative...
April 1, 2023 - Professional Advice / Opinions The LEADS Initiative is a pilot program developed in 2022 as a collaborative project between the Rho Chi Post Newsletter and the Rho Chi Honor Society – Beta Delta Chapter. The goal of the LEADS Initiative is to provide an academic mentorship program for pharmacy students to promote scholastic excellence, ethics, service, leadership, and an… |
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Meet the Mentee: John Ortiz...
April 1, 2023 - Professional Advice / Opinions My name is John Ortiz and I’m currently a P2 pharmacy student. Over the summer I was an orientation leader and currently serve as a content-focused copy editor for the Rho Chi Post, the service chair for PARE, and a career peer for Career Services. I also work at an independent pharmacy. Currently, I’m interested… |
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6th Year Perspective: APPE Rotations at the Westcheste...
February 1, 2023 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Justin Budz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023By: Isabelle Lim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Justin Budz is a sixth-year pharmacy student at St. John’s University. While at St. John’s, Justin participated in multiple organizations, which ultimately led him to discover the career path he wanted to pursue. Most notably, Justin served as the Development and Outreach… |
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Rho Chi Talks: Tips to Acquire a Post-Doctoral Fellowsh...
February 1, 2023 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Kamran Khan, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023By: Justin Budz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 Kamran Khan is a sixth-year pharmacy student at St. John’s University. Growing up, Kamran had a lot of family members in healthcare, instilling an interest in medicine from an early age. While at St. John’s, Kamran got to experience many different career… |
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Rho Chi Talks: Valuable Networking Opportunities at Alu...
December 1, 2022 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Amanda Murray, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 and Laura Cranston, B.S.PharmBy: Ashley Dao, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 Alumni Insider’s View (AIV) is an annual program held in Washington D.C. that provides students from St. John’s University with the opportunity to explore nontraditional career pathways in pharmacy. Students are able to network with pharmacists that hold… |
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Pediatric COVID-19 Immunization Schedules Updated with ...
December 1, 2022 - In the News / Politics By: Helen Li, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 On June 18, 2022, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director, Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendation to expand eligibility of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations to children 6 months through 5 years of age.1 On August 31, 2022,… |
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6th Year Perspective: Working with State Representative...
December 1, 2022 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Christina Swiger, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023By: Justin Budz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 Christina Swiger is a sixth-year pharmacy student at St. John’s University. Christina was inspired to pursue a career in healthcare by her mother who is a store manager at a community pharmacy. Growing up, Christina was able to aid in the care… |
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Mounjaro (Tirzepatide): Dual-Targeted Treatment for Typ...
October 1, 2022 - In the News / Politics By: Zarin Chowdhury, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 and Lauren Merkovich, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a long-term medical condition in which the body is unable to use insulin properly, resulting in abnormal blood glucose levels.1 More than 37 million Americans have diabetes (about 1 in 10); approximately 90 to 95%… |
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6th Year Perspective: The Establishment of RunnersRx...
October 1, 2022 - Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Ali Baig, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023By: Helen Li, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 Ali Baig is a sixth-year pharmacy student at St. John’s University. During his time at St. John’s, Ali cultivated skillsets in business management, starting with his own car detailing business and eventually opening his own franchise of Edible Arrangements. Ali’s interests in… |
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Paxlovid, the First Oral Antiviral Treatment for Covid-...
August 1, 2022 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Kirby An, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) is a virus that took the world by storm with its initial discovery in Wuhan, China in December of 2019. On January 20, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed the first case of Covid-19 in the United States (US) after a 35… |
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Balancing Early and Appropriate Antibiotic Therapy and ...
August 1, 2022 - Clinical 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… |
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Standing Order for Naloxone in Pharmacies in New York S...
August 1, 2022 - In the News / Politics By: Helen Li, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 On August 15, 2022, the New York State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Mary T. Bassett, implemented a statewide pharmacy standing order for naloxone.1 With this authorization, all pharmacists can assist in reducing mortality from opioid abuse, while optimizing the pharmacists’ continuous role in public health. In… |
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6th Year Perspective: Experiences in the Pharmaceutical...
August 1, 2022 - Professional Advice / Opinions Featuring: Khushbu Doshi, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023By: Justin Budz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 Khushbu Doshi is a sixth-year pharmacy student at St. John’s University. During her time at St. John’s, Khushbu has served on the boards of a variety of campus organizations and has had invaluable internships and APPE rotations pertaining to the pharmaceutical industry.… |
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YouTube Bans Misinformation About Approved Vaccines ...
February 1, 2022 - In the News / Politics By: Natalia Jucha, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 and Zarin Chowdhury PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 Effective September 29th of 2021, YouTube will be banning prominent anti-vaccine activists and blocking channels promoting anti-vaccine misinformation. The company recently announced its expansion of medical misinformation policies. This includes prohibiting the sharing of misinformation regarding currently administered vaccines that… |
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Molnupiravir: A Prospective Oral Antiviral for Treatmen...
February 1, 2022 - Clinical , Featured 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… |
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CDC Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Booster Shots ...
February 1, 2022 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Fatima Amjad, PharmD candidate c/o 2022 Pharmacists have truly taken on the role of superhero during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As of April 6, 2022 more than 239.1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered by community pharmacies across the United States.1 Community pharmacists have gone above and beyond immunizing eligible… |
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A Review of A Randomized Trial of a Transglutaminase-2 ...
February 1, 2022 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Natalia Jucha, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 and Helen Li, PharmD Candidate c/o 2023 Celiac disease is classified as an autoimmune disorder and occurs in individuals who cannot tolerate gluten. Dietary gluten induces an immune response and causes damage to the small intestine, particularly the duodenum and proximal jejunum. A small peptide called gliadin,… |
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Combating Chronic Diseases with a Plant-Based Diet...
December 1, 2021 - Clinical , Featured 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… |
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An Aspirin A Day Keeps the First Heart Attack Away… N...
December 1, 2021 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Jun Suh Hong, PharmD candidate c/o 2022 Aspirin belongs to a class of medications called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Known by many for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as its association with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, aspirin plays an essential role in stroke prevention. As such, it has a crucial role in… |
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Cabenuva: A Monthly Injectable for the Treatment of HIV...
December 1, 2021 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Sharon Joseph PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 and Salma Hewady, PharmD Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a single-stranded retrovirus that attacks the immune system, predisposing the host to opportunistic infections and malignancies. If not properly treated, HIV can progress to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Goals of therapy include restoration of immune function, suppression of… |
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Ranitidine (Zantac®) Making a Comeback...
October 1, 2021 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Mandy Zheng, PharmD Candidate c/o 2024 “Where can I find Zantac?”. From April 2020 to May 2021, the answer was, you cannot. On April 1, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered for all ranitidine (Zantac®)- containing products to be removed from the U.S. market.¹ Ranitidine was a popular over-the-counter (OTC) and… |
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Opioid Addiction During a Public Health Crisis...
October 1, 2021 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Anjali Rana, PharmD Candidate c/o 2025 and Katharine Russo, PharmD The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to pose challenges, both nationally and worldwide. Many countries that were facing public health crises prior to COVID-19 have subsequently seen a worsening of these crises, as much of the funding and attention previously available has… |
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Pharmacy Meets Technology: Pharmacy Informatics...
October 1, 2021 - In the News / Politics , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Tiffany Dominic, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 As student pharmacists, there is no doubt that we have been hearing the words “pharmacy informatics” more frequently. However, a big concern remains. Many pharmacy students are not exactly sure what informatics is or only have a general understanding of the topic. Well, look no further and… |
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Drug Information Questions: Vaccines are Drugs Too...
August 1, 2021 - In the News / Politics By: Aisa Mrkulic, Maria Michael and Svetlana Bachayev, PharmD Candidates c/o 2022 With the surge of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines sweeping the nation, there have been many concerns surrounding their safety and impact on everyday life as we adjust to the new normal. During our Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) at Long Island… |
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CAR T-cell therapy for Multiple Myeloma...
August 1, 2021 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Lyana Sayilar, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 Multiple myeloma is characterized by an accumulation of abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow and the formation of tumors in bones. An insufficient quantity of healthy blood cells are produced in the bone marrow leading to a weakened immune system.1 The exact cause of multiple myeloma… |
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Pharmaceutical Breakthrough for the Treatment of Duchen...
June 1, 2021 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Rubab Hassan, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder that causes muscle degeneration and weakness along with various other symptoms. It is predominantly caused by deletions of one or more exons, which lead to mutations of the dystrophin gene. Dystrophin stops muscle fibers from being degraded by proteases.… |
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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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New Drug Update: Lemborexant (Dayvigo ®)...
April 1, 2021 - Clinical , Featured 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… |
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Daniel Schneider RPh.’s crusade against OxyContin...
February 1, 2021 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Alisha Kuriakose, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 “The Pharmacist” is a Netflix documentary that showcases pharmacist Dr. Daniel Schneider’s crusade against OxyContin® abuse. It highlights his discovery of a corrupt doctor who exploited her medical license and destroyed communities in Louisiana. It also illustrates his fight to expose Purdue Pharma of falsely reporting the addictive… |
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FDA Approves GlaxoSmithKline’s Combined Formulation o...
February 1, 2021 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Edwin Gruda, PharmD Candidate c/o 2022; Aiśa Mrkulic, PharmD. Candidate c/o 2022 Over-the-Counter (OTC) medications are typically used for mild pain relief. Many patients rely on their OTC medications to treat headaches, fevers, muscle pain, tooth aches and mild arthritis. In March of 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new… |
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Dangers of the High-Sodium Diet...
February 1, 2021 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Anjali Rana PharmD. Candidate c/o 2025 While too much of any food or substance is not good, sodium-rich diets are especially harmful to the body causing increases in blood pressure and fluid retention. Sodium is found in majority of the foods consumed. People should be cautious of processed goods and restaurant meals which… |
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Asthma, Alveoli, and Albuterol: A General Overview of A...
December 1, 2020 - Clinical , Featured 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… |
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Transition of Care: A New and Emerging Pharmacy Special...
December 1, 2020 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Sami Barakat, PharmD. and Natalia Jucha, PharmD. Candidate c/o 2022 Since the publication of the Institute of Medicine report To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, there has been a growing movement to improve patient safety. The report revealed that more than 7000 deaths occur annually due to medication errors.1 It… |
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Vancomycin Monitoring for Serious MRSA Infections in Ad...
December 1, 2020 - Clinical , Featured 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… |
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Antibiotic Resistance: Why It’s Important to Educate ...
December 1, 2020 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Natalia Jucha PharmD Candidate c/o 2022 Due to the overuse and misuse of these medications, antibiotics are no longer as effective against their intended pathogens.1 In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its AWaRE Classification Database which stands for “Access, Watch and Reserve”.2 Clinicians use this database as a guide to appropriately… |
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Next Up in the World of Hyperlipidemia: Nexletlol TM...
December 1, 2020 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Preethi Samuel, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o of 2021 In the United States, at least one person has a heart attack every 40 seconds and 1 of every 5 is silent.1 Heart attacks are commonly a result of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Preceding plaque buildup in arterial walls can potentially lead to a heart attack… |
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Provider Status: What is it?...
October 1, 2020 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Katharine Russo, PharmD Candidate c/o 2021 As of July 1, 2000, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) mandated for the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree to be the sole degree required to enter pharmacy practice in the United States. ¹ With this advanced degree came the complex education, training, and clinical practice… |