By: Valentina DiGangi,PharmD Candidate c/o 2017, Brandon Hu, PharmD Candidate c/o 2018, Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor, Samantha Lau, PharmD Candidate c/o 2018, and Seowoo Yoon, PharmD Candidate c/o 2018 – What does a clinician do when there is limited access to a particular drug, such as morphine? Should they treat a patient who is…

By: Ada Seldin, Staff Editor – Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) is indicated for the treatment of intractable spasticity caused by spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, spinal ischemia or tumor, transverse myelitis, cervical spondylosis, cerebral palsy, and degenerative myelopathy.1 Baclofen inhibits both monosynaptic and polysynaptic reflexes at the spinal cord level by decreasing excitatory neurotransmitter release from…

By: Sabrina Ahmed, PharmD Candidate c/o 2017 – Over the decades, one of the biggest mysteries encountered by researchers has been why so many CD4 T-cells die when one is infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).1 CD4 T-cells are an integral part of the immune system as they locate pathogens and signal other immune cells…

By: Tamara Yunusova, Senior Staff Editor – Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) are acid-reducing agents that have multiple uses in the treatment and prophylaxis of conditions such as peptic ulcer diseases, H. Pylori infection, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, GERD, and NSAID gastroduodenal ulcers. Their versatility in treating a wide range of conditions, unparalleled efficacy over their Histamine-2-receptor antagonist…

By: Jenny Park, Pharm. D. Candidate c/o 2015 – As the Affordable Care Act brings health care to many people who are currently uninsured, healthcare providers should expect an increase in the number of patients who don’t understand their plan, disease states, and medications. Health literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals have…

By Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – Angelina Jolie, the actress recognized for her charismatic beauty, revealed to the New York Times that she had undergone double mastectomy, the surgical removal of the breasts. Because her mother died of ovarian cancer at 56, when Jolie learned that she had a mutation in her BRCA1 gene,…

By: James W. Schurr and David Gao, PharmD Candidates 2014 – A recent Op-ed in Newsday by Allen Frances, MD (of Duke University School of Medicine and chairman of the task force that produced the DSM-IV, the current guidelines for psychiatric disease diagnosis) criticizes the American Psychiatric Association for being “extravagantly indifferent to all matters…

By: Bhavini Shah, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013  – Fycompa® (perampanel) has received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures with or without secondarily generalized seizures in patients with epilepsy aged 12 years and older.1  The drug, manufactured by Eisai Inc., is already approved for use in Iceland,…

By:  Christina Tarantola, PharmD, PGY-1 Resident at Kings Pharmacy – The New York State Department of Health issued a health advisory on November 8, 2012 in response to Hurricane Sandy. The document outlined guidelines on recommended immunizations and disaster relief efforts for volunteers and the general public. Due to an increased risk of exposure to…

By: Tamara Yunusova – On Wednesday, July 25th a petition signed by the reform group Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP) called on the FDA to implement opioid label changes that would restrict Chronic Non-Cancer (CNCP) opioid treatment for patients with severe pain only.  It wasn’t too long before another petition signed by PROP’s adversary,…

By: Mohamed Dungersi, Associate Student Editor – A recent We the People petition on the White House official website has reached the 25,000 signature threshold needed to trigger an official response.  The petition tilted “Recognize pharmacists as health care providers”, was initiated by the current editor in chief of the Rho Chi Post, Steve Soman.1 …

By: Tamara Yunusova, PharmD Candidate c/o 2017 – Gene therapy? You scoff in disbelief as thoughts of designer babies, liberal eugenics, clones, and ruthless dystopian societies begin to reel in the back of your mind. Perhaps you may even stop to recall a scene or two from Jurassic Park or Star Trek. Undoubtedly, gene therapy…

By: Steve Soman, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – Bisphosphonates are proven to enhance bone density and reduce fracture incidence in post-menopausal women but recent data suggests they may have adverse effects with regards to bone quality.  The drugs in this class can be differentiated as non-nitrogen containing (older generation) and nitrogen containing (newer generation) medications.…

By: Lunbao (Jerry) Huang, Pharm.D.  Candidate c/o 2013 – Pain is a very difficult condition to manage, as clinicians have only subjective findings to work with.  Opioid medications are currently the cornerstones for the management of moderate to severe pain; however, it is often problematic to determine a patient’s real ‘need’ for opioids.  Physicians’ clinical…

By: Ebey P. Soman – The World Trade Organization (WTO) and its member nations met in Uruguay in 1994 to establish international norms for trade, economy, and development. They developed the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), which provided patent protection for pharmaceutical companies to make brand name medications and market those…

By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi – Heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump blood efficiently to adequately perfuse tissues. It is often associated with serious consequences, such as kidney failure, liver dam-age, heart attack, and stroke. Patient care is focused on preventing these complications. Recently, attention has turned to other concerns: studies…