By: Andy Zhang, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – On August 1st, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a new warning of serious acetaminophen associated skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP).1 Acetaminophen is one of the most widely used over-the-counter (OTC) medication, and…

By: David Ong, PharmD Candidate c/o 2014 – Manipulating the renin-angiotensin system is one of the many ways drugs are used to treat hypertension. By blocking key steps in the renin-angiotensin cascade, blood pressure decrease may be achieved. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) represent one of the drug classes that utilize the aforementioned mechanism. ARBs…

By: Praneeta Nagraj, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – Summer is a great time to recover from the school year through reflection and relaxation, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to develop your career and discover where you belong within the pharmacy profession, which can be realized through work or an internship. What if I told…

By: Beatrisa Popovitz, Staff Editor –  You may have heard the countless horror stories passed on by upperclassman of how D&Ds seep into the crevices of our brains and take over our psyches to inevitably make us breathe, sleep, and speak pharmacy.  Stressing out over exams and investing what may seem like all of your…

By: Kristin M. Cheng, PharmD candidate c/o 2014  –       The Drug Information Association (DIA) 2013 Annual Meeting took place from June 23rd to June 27th at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Twenty-one students from the St. John’s University DIA student chapter attended this year. The purpose of the meeting was…

By: Aleena Cherian, PharmD Candidate c/o 2014 – Although opioid analgesics are among the most effective drugs to treat pain, they are associated with a growing number of public health issues including addiction and severe, often fatal, overdoses. The recent increase in incidences of opioid overdose is directly correlated to rapidly increasing and widespread use…

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: Tina Chang & Helen Dong PharmD Candidates c/o 2014   Ever been to a conference where all you do is tweet all day? That’s exactly what we did at the New York State Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference, where this year’s focus was on the role of health information technology in…

By: Jacqueline Chirico; Pharm D Candidate c/o 2016 – The reasons behind the choice to study pharmacy here at St. John’s University vary from student to student. Some are interested in helping patients, while others are interested in the science behind how drugs affect the body. For me, it was the experience that I had…

By Taryn Mondiello, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – From June 7th to June 9th, pharmacists from all over New York State gathered at the LaGuardia Marriott in East Elmhurst for the 135th annual PSSNY summer convention. The Pharmacists Society of the State of New York, better known as PSSNY, was founded in 1879 and is…

By: Tasnima Nabi, Content-focused Co-Copy Editor – The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has officially launched a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program and accepted applications for Fall 2013. Public Health has become an increasingly important area of study over the years as our country experiences rising numbers of chronic disease, health care…

By: Ada Seldin PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – On April 16th, 2013, the FDA approved the labeling change for the reformulated OxyContin® (oxycodone hydrochloride controlled-release) tablets, made by Pharma L.P. This change reflects the abuse-deterrent properties of the reformulated OxyContin®, which were not present in the original formulation approved by the FDA in 1995. OxyContin®…

By: Ada Seldin and Moisey Rafailov, PharmD Candidates Class of 2015 – The “Coffeehouse Chats” is an annual Rho Chi Society Event that serves as a steppingstone to fostering professional relationships between students and faculty. The event provides a platform for students and professors to exchange experiences and ideas. This year, the event took place…

By: Steve Soman, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – Q: I see that you got your PharmD at the University of the Pacific. Looking back, what made you choose pharmacy and how has this changed over the years of your practice (if it has)? A: I became a pharmacist because I like to care for others…

By: Helen Dong, PharmD Candidate c/o 2014  – Pharmacy Day, or Legislative Day, is a whole day affair for pharmacy students to meet and speak to members of the federal and state legislature in order to discuss issues that affect pharmacists and to lobby for our profession. This year’s talking points were expanding immunization rights…

By: Tasnima Nabi, Senior Staff Editor – On May 2nd, St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences hosted the “Pre-Finals Relax, Refresh, Recharge Luncheon” on the Great Lawn. The event took place from 12:00 pm till 3:00 pm, with an array of activities. Students were able to picnic on the Great Lawn with…

Dear Readers, The past two years have been an exciting opportunity for us as editors and, more recently, as Editors-in-Chief of the Rho Chi Post. Your contributions, comments, and articles have inspired and enabled us to set a high standard for student publication platforms across the nation. We want to take this opportunity to thank…

By: Mitesh Patel, PharmD Candidate 2014 – $1.2 trillion- This is what the United States spends on healthcare. At 17% of GDP, this sector accounts for more spending in the U.S. than education, defense, welfare, and pension.1 By 2016, our expenditure on healthcare will rise to $1.6 trillion.1 As our health care spending increases, Americans…

By: Diana Gritsenko, Pharm D. Candidate c/o 2015 – Most of us who work in a community pharmacy setting will usually get a few scripts a month for an Epi-pen™.  An Epi-pen™ is a device that autoinjects epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) into a patient who is experiencing anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe, whole-body allergic…

By: Bansri Patel – As of May 1st 2013, Plan B®, the brand name emergency contraception pill will now be available to women aged fifteen and older. It will also be sold in the drug store aisles, as opposed to its current location behind the pharmacy counter. When levonorgestrel (Plan B®) first entered the market,…

By: Steve Soman – The St. John’s University Honors Program features small classes, faculty mentoring, and an impressive number of academic and cultural opportunities for students to excel. These opportunities range from performances at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, and the New York Philharmonic to museum visits and Manhattan walking tours. For students…

By Taryn Mondiello and Frances Trosa, Pharm. D. Candidates c/o 2015 – On Saturday, April 13th, there was a Red Storm on campus. This Red Storm, however, was probably not the one you are thinking about. While the people were in fact wearing red, they were actually participants of the APhA-ASP’s event “Run for the…

By Beatrisa Popovitz, Staff Editor, Why does that pharmacist have to be two and a half feet higher than everybody else? Who the hell is this guy? “Clear out everybody I’m workin’ with pills up here. I’m taking pills from this big bottle and then I’m gonna put them in a little bottle! That’s my…

By: Diana Gritsenko, Pharm D. Candidate c/o 2015 – Every flu season, it is the same story: long lines at doctors’ offices and pharmacy counters as patients scramble to get the year’s vaccine before supplies run out. Year after year, doctors and pharmacists groan while explaining over and over again to patients why they need…

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: David Ong, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2014 – There are many research opportunities available for pharmacists after graduation. However, most pharmacy students do not know enough about these opportunities as they progress through pharmacy school. Jason Lee, a guest speaker at the monthly Drug Information Association meeting, explained the different aspects of industry and industry…

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: Nandini Puranprashad, PharmD Candidate; Sibyl Cherian, PharmD Candidate; Tracey Cannova, PharmD Candidate; and Olga HilasPharmD, MPH, BCPS, CGP  – Adverse drug reactions are estimated to occur in 10-20% of hospitalized patients and in 7% of the general population.1 One-third of these reactions are of an allergic or pseudo-allergic nature. The consequences of these hypersensitivity…

By: Tamara Yunusova, Staff Editor – On December 3, 2012, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals became the first court in the nation to authorize off-label drug promotion under the First Amendment.  The heavily-disputed ruling, which is headed for further appeal, will have far-reaching implications for pharmaceutical companies and drug regulation policy. In a…

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:  Tasnima Nabi, Associate Student Editor – St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has collaborated with the Union Square Academy of Health Sciences (U. S. A.) to prepare high school students for the pharmacy profession.  This partnership is one of the many projects of the “Urban Pharmaceutical Care, Research and Education Institute,”…

By:  Erica Dimitropoulos, Assistant Student Editor – Although clinical trials can affirm the efficacy and advantages of all marketed medications, it is obvious that patients cannot benefit from a drug that they choose not to take. Therefore, promoting medication adherence is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to improve treatment outcomes. In order…

By:  Bethsy Jacob, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – On January 24, 2013, Rho Chi Beta Delta Chapter successfully conducted its annual induction ceremony, welcoming forty-four new members into the chapter.  Membership was granted to students who ranked in the top 20% of their class. This year’s inductees included 4th and 5th year PharmD students as…

By:  Maria Sorbera, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013, AMSCOP, LIU – Hepatitis C is the leading cause of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, presenting a global health challenge.  Approximately 170 million people worldwide, 3% of the population, are infected with the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), roughly 3.2 million of whom reside in the United States.  The…

By:  Jena Marion, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – It was a few weeks into the spring semester of my freshman year at St. John’s University when I earned my wings.  I was on a plane trip, flying cross-country to San Diego with friends that I had only known for a few months, on my way…

By:  Monica Correia, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – This past year of advanced pharmacy rotations, has been a tremendous learning experience for me; I was exposed to the day to day functions and roles of pharmacists in a multitude of environments.  While each experience allowed me to focus on a different aspect of pharmacy, the…

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: Maria Sorbera, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 at AMSCOP (LIU) – Author William S. Burroughs states in his novel, “The question is frequently asked: Why does a man become a drug addict?  The answer is that he usually does not intend to become an addict. You don’t wake up one morning and decide to be…

By: Tasnima Nabi, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – The most memorable moment of a professional’s career is when he or she is handed a symbol of what represents the culture and esteem of the chosen profession. For pharmacy students embarking upon a very intensive yet rewarding path, a white coat welcomes us into the pharmacy…

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: James Schurr, Stephen Argiro, & Michael Cronin, PharmD Candidates c/o 2014 – This October, we had the privilege of attending the New York State chapter of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) annual meeting held at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.  The purpose of this event was to orient members…

By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi – The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of the Rho Chi Post, Rho Chi Beta Delta Chapter, or St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.   For the past few months, I have been on rotation at…

By: Addolorata Ciccone, Student Copy Editor – As a fifth-year pharmacy student researching and ranking advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) sites, I felt excited at the prospect of taking the knowledge and skills I obtained in the classroom and applying it to real world patients and scenarios.  My years of work in community pharmacies were…

By: Shannon Tellier – When applying to St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences five years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would have the opportunity to study abroad twice while obtaining my PharmD degree. At the end of my freshmen year, there were rumors about second year pharmacy students having…

By: Mohammad A. Rattu, Pharm.D.  [PGY-1 Resident at VA NYHHS] – We sometimes need to step back and look at our foundations for success.  Without the support of past and present Rho Chi executive boards, there would be no Rho Chi Post newsletter.  From our May to September issues, we will learn about each of…

By: Nandini Puranprashad, Pharm D. Candidate c/o 2013 – I’m sitting in a quaint coffee shop in Cherokee, North Carolina, sipping a dirty chai tea with some of my roommates with 1970s music chiming in the background as I write this article and words cannot describe my experiences at this rotation.  The most surprising aspect…

 The College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions has officially changed its name to the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.  This is the college’s second name change since it was established in 1929. In order to truly encompass the current and future educational goals of the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, the…

By: Mohamed Dungersi, Associate Student Editor – The following address was delivered by one of our student editors on behalf of the students at the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences as a welcome to St. John’s University to students of the classes of 2016 and 2018. Dean Zito, Administrators, Faculty Members, and students of…