By: Hayeon Na, Co-Copy Editor [Content-Focused] – On March 22, 2013, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) aired an episode of “Need to Know” on the safety of low to moderate risk medical devices. The episode closely followed the lawsuit of patient Linda Gross who has pelvic organ prolapse and was advised by her doctor to undergo…

By: Ada Seldin – An impending storm is threatening to stagger the health care system and the nation at large. Alzheimer’s disease, which now affects as many as 5.1 million Americans, is projected to triple its toll by 2050, to 13.8 million Americans.1 These sky-rocketing rates can be attributed to aging of the ‘baby boomers.’2…

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: Bharat Kirthivasan – The UK government might soon become the platform for an explosive debate on the utility and ethics of three-person in vitro fertilization (three-person IVF). According to the Human Fertilization & Embryology Authority, there is no evidence to suggest that any form of IVF is unsafe for the mother or the fetus.…

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: 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:  Lila Ahmed, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – In the past, numerous research efforts have attempted to prove the benefits and risks of calcium and multivitamin supplements with little success. Most of the studies performed were inconclusive and did not provide us with significant data; while some studies have found that calcium is beneficial for…

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: 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: Katie Cimmino, Pharm D. Candidate c/o 2015 –  With the start of the New Year the French government is enacting a new law concerning contraceptives. Now girls between the ages of 15 to 18 will be able to obtain free birth control.  Not only will they have access to it, but the French government…

By: Alexandra Alleva, PharmD candidate c/o 2013 – As of December 28th, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer’s brand name oral anticoagulant, Eliquis® (apixaban), attained FDA approval.1  This occurred one month after its approval in  Europe and Canada, following longer than expected waits in the US due to further investigation requests by the FDA.2 The much-anticipated anticoagulant is…

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: 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: James W.  Schurr & Stephen Argiro, PharmD Candidates c/o 2014 – Patients frequently utilize non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for a wide variety of conditions, including but not limited to arthritis, headaches, and generalized pain.  Despite an excellent safety profile, NSAIDs are associated with certain toxicities, including renal complications (particularly among at risk populations).1  Acute…

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: 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: Marina Yermolayeva, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – “I’m allergic to the generic; I need the brand name medication,” is a common claim heard by many health care providers.  Managed care organizations get numerous calls from doctors and patients requesting prior authorizations to approve brand name medications whilst there are generic alternatives available on formulary.…

By: Michael Cronin, Pharm.D.  Candidate c/o 2014 – The Drug Information Association (DIA) student chapter at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences began in March of 2012 to provide a local forum for cultivating awareness of opportunities within the pharmaceutical industry among doctor of pharmacy and allied health professions candidates.  Within two…

By: Michael Maddalena, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2016 –       Michael is the upcoming president of the Phi Delta Chi Professional Pharmaceutical Fraternity Beta Alpha Chapter at St.  John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions. The term sophomore comes from a compound of the Greek sophos, meaning “wise”, and moros, meaning “foolish”.  Hence, as…

By: Marie Huang –       Each month, the Rho Chi Post has the wonderful opportunity to sit down with an inspiring leader among the student pharmacists here at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences – someone who is not afraid to stand apart from the crowd and can be the change he…

By: Jena Marion, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – I have traveled a lot these past few years.  I have packed and unpacked suitcases, measured three-ounce bottles of liquids, and printed plenty of boarding passes.  Most of my trips were for business, but a few were for pleasure.  Pharmacy, however, followed me along on each one…

By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi, Associate Student Editor, with Special Thanks to Dr. Tomasz Jodlowski for his contributions to this article – In the 1990s, major urban and rural areas across the United States grappled with a common problem: drug addiction.  At that time, the drugs of choice were illicit substances (i.e. heroin).  In order to combat…

By: Lauren Kaveski, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – We see proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) used in many medication regimens, but it is unknown whether the majority of patients receive these medications for appropriate durations or indications.  For all labeled indications, other than Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (a rare condition characterized by damaging gastrin hypersecretion and subsequent hydrochloric…

By: Marie Huang – Each month, the Rho Chi Post has the wonderful opportunity to sit down with an inspiring leader among the student pharmacists here at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions – someone who is not afraid to stand apart from the crowd and can be the change he…

By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi – In previous issues, we discussed prescription drug abuse and several bills currently on the floor of the NYS Legislature, sponsored by Sen. Hannon which addressed the issue. On February 7th, I sat down with Sen. Hannon’s director of communications, Mr. Phil Hecken, and his legislative aide, Mr. Timothy Broschardt to…

By: Lunbao (Jerry) Huang, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – Counterfeit prescription medications are becoming a great concern for us. They have increased worldwide costs and endangered our public safety. Activities related to counterfeit drugs cost our healthcare system an estimated $75 billion in 2010. Many patients were seriously injured and died due to counterfeit medications.…

By: Shannon Tellier – In December 2011, a report written to the United States (U.S.) Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, discussed the importance of pharmacists in the healthcare system.  The objective of the report was to obtain support for expanding the roles of pharmacists in patient care, primary care, and public health services.  This evidence-based…

By: Marie Huang – Each month, the Rho Chi Post has the wonderful opportunity to sit down with an inspiring leader among the student pharmacists here at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions – someone who is not afraid to stand apart from the crowd and can be the change he…

By: Mohamed Dungersi – On February 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved important safety label changes for the class of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins.  Aligned with the FDA’s goal to provide the public with more information for the safe and effective use of statins, the agency made several modifications to the…

By: Shannon Tellier – Dr. Tran is an assistant clinical professor at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, and a clinical pharmacy manager in Internal Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian: Columbia University Medical Center.  She received her BS in Public Health and Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel…

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…

By: Bethsy Jacob, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2014 – On November 16, 2011, Dr. Joia Mukherjee, Medical Director of Partners in Healthcare (PIH), presented for GlobeMed at Columbia University.  Manzi Anatole, a hired nurse in Rwanda, accompanied Dr. Mukherjee.  Along with a handful of her students, Dr. Joanne Carroll arranged a trip to the open event. …

By Jena Marion, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – On December 12, 2011, the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) ruled to place carisoprodol (Soma®) into Schedule IV of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).  Carisoprodol has been in use since it was approved for marketing in the U.S. in 1959 with the indication of “relief…

By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi – We have all heard the mortifying tales of recent attacks on pharmacies by addicts looking to steal prescription pain-killers. Most notable perhaps, was the case of David Laffers. Mr. Laffers walked into Haven Drugs in Medford, NY and killed the pharmacist, a store clerk, and two customers, who happened to…

By: Marie Huang – Each month, Rho Chi Post has the wonderful opportunity to sit down with an inspiring leader among the student pharmacists here at St. John’s University – someone who is not afraid to stand apart from the crowd and can be the change he or she wants to see in the world.…

By: Nandini Puranprashad – As primary advocators of patient care, student pharmacists and pharmacists are well on their way in changing the public’s impression of us staying behind the counter at the corner drugstore doing nothing but “counting, licking, and sticking.” It is time to step out of the classroom and from behind the counters…

By: Alisha Kumar, PharmD Candidate c/o 2012 – HIV transmission via organ transplantation is rare in the United States. However, after a public health investigation in 2010, a case of HIV transmission via kidney transplantation was confirmed. The kidney recipient had no history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), injection drug use, sex with injection drug…

By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi, with special thanks to Dr. Tomasz Jodlowski – Drug shortages have plagued health care institutions in recent years; they present a serious problem to health care delivery on a national scale. In 2004, there were 58 drug shortages; now, in 2011, this number has increased to 198. Due to limited access…

By: Dr. Olga Hilas – Foreword: Dr. Olga Hilas is an Associate Clinical Professor at Saint John’s University and a Clinical Pharmacy Manager in internal medicine and geriatrics at Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Hilas agreed to provide feedback to in response to Ebey’s article entitled, “Big Pharma vs. Developing Countries: Debating Generic Drugs and…

By: Ebey P. Soman – Dr. Abu Serajuddin is a true inspiration for student pharmacists who wish to enter the pharmaceutical industry setting. He attained his Bachelors of Pharmacy with honors at Dhaka University in Bangladesh and majored in Pharmaceutics to get his Master of Sciences degree at Columbia University in New York. He obtained…