By: Azia Tariq, Staff Editor – The first recorded outbreak of the Ebola Zaire (ZEBOV), a strain of the ebola virus, occurred in 1976. Since then, three additional types of the deadly virus have been discovered: Sudan Ebola virus (SEBOV), Reston Ebola virus (REBOV), and Côte d’Ivoire Ebola virus (CIEBOV).1 The initial outbreak had, until…

By: Sherin Pathickal, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – The mandatory receipt of vaccinations as a preventive public health measure has long been a controversial issue in our society.1 Despite the popular use of immunizations, many reservations about vaccine constituents and their safety have prevailed, leading to increasing numbers of unvaccinated people.1 Opponents of vaccinations have…

By: Hamid Razaki, PharmD – Drug shortages seen across pharmacies in the United States continue to be an issue in patient care. A drug product shortage is defined as a supply issue that affects how the pharmacy prepares or dispenses a drug product, or that influences patient care when prescribers must use an alternative agent.1…

By: Davidta Brown, Staff Editor – When the seasons transition from winter into spring every year, healthcare providers brace for a shift into a time of increased sneezes, requests for cough medication, and vaccinations, otherwise known as flu season. The rounds of illness that pass each year are usually more of an annoyance than a…

Davidta Brown, PharmD Candidate c/o 2017 –      The debate on the nature of compounding practice and the extent to which it ought to be regulated has come to the forefront of public attention.  Those who regularly follow American news and politics are familiar with the series of events that have led to the present…

By: Fawad Piracha, Pharm. D Candidate c/o 2016 – The 2012-2013 influenza season has developed into one of the greatest nationwide flu outbreaksof the decade.1 Amid this crisis, many flocked to healthcare providers with flu-like symptoms, while others scoured doctors’ offices, clinics, and pharmacies for the vaccine. With the flu claiming many lives throughout the…

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: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi, Associate Student Editor – For the past few weeks, we have heard about the terrible breakout of fungal meningitis from contaminated methylprednisolone acetate vials manufactured by the New England Compounding Center (NECC).  Approximately 14,000 patients received medication from the contaminated lots.  So far, over 400 cases have been reported and over…

By: Ebey P. Soman – Since its discovery in Tanganyika (modern day Mozambique and Tanzania in Africa) in 1952, Chikungunya virus outbreaks have been documented in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.  Due to recent globalization and increased travel, infection has also spread outside of tropical regions and even into western nations (such as the…