By: Tamara Yunusova, Senior Staff Editor – After a lengthy fifteen-year hiatus in recombinant drug approvals, FDA-approved Recombinant Coagulation Factor IX (Rixubis) has mounted to the forefront of Hemophilia B drug therapy. The recombinant coagulation factor gained orphan drug approval on June 26, 2013 for routine prophylaxis, control of bleeding episodes, and perioperative management in…

By: Hayeon Na, Co-Copy Editor [Content-Focused] – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on July 26th that oral dosage forms of ketoconazole (Nizoral®) should no longer be prescribed as first-line therapy for any fungal infections.1 The label and indication for oral ketoconazole were updated, and a new medication guide was added. Other dosage forms…

By: Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – On March 29th 2013, the U.S Food and Drug Administration approved canagliflozin (Invokana®), a new form of a diabetic drug for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.1 Canagliflozin is in a new class of medications called sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and is the only oral, once-daily…

By: Ada Seldin, Staff Editor – Emily Whitehead, a 7-year-old girl who fought off relapsing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), has captured the hearts and prayers of the masses. Her story is an inspiration to those battling any disease with a poor prognosis and particularly holds promise for the 15% of children with ALL resistant to…

By: Katharine Cimmino, Editor-in-Chief and Erica Dimitropoulos, Senior Staff Editor –       Just last month, St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences kindly welcomed a new Dean into our family, Dean Russell J. DiGate. Dean DiGate is a highly experienced educator and academic leader. He attended the University of Rochester, where…

Samad Tirmizi, Pharm. D. Candidate c/o 2014 – Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a clot formation that occurs within deep veins, generally in the legs. This can cause swelling and pain due to the engorged vessels, and can eventually result in further complications such as a pulmonary embolism. Patients at high risk for DVT are…

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 Davidta Brown, Staff Editor – For post-operative pain treatment, few drugs are as trustworthy, as tried-and-true, as codeine. Prescriptive confidence in the analgesic has promoted its use in children recovering from uncomplicated surgeries, but the spate of injuries and deaths of young children who had been given codeine after undergoing adenotonsillectomies has provoked a…

By: Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – This year, on July 23rd, FDA advisers voted 7 to 6, with one abstention, in favor of approving the drug certolizumab (Cimzia®) for the indication of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). axSpA is a chronic imflammatory condition that includes ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic axial spndyloarthristis (nr-axSpA).1,2 axSpA, AS and…

By: Aleena Cherian, Co-Copy Editor [Graphics-Focused] – Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurological behavior characterized by persistent patterns of inattention and/or hyperactive behavior, resulting in a wide range of emotional, functional, and neurocognitive impairments.1,2 First line therapy for ADHD consists of stimulant medications together with non-pharmacologic interventions, and has been shown to improve…

By: Nathan Trustman, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013, AMSCOP at LIU – Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater. It is thought to be the result of an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, possibly due to a number of genetic and environmental factors.1 It is estimated…

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…

By: Tamara Yunusova, Senior Staff Editor – Approximately 3.2 million Americans have chronic hepatitis C infection.1 While acute cases are not common, rates of chronic hepatitis C continue to surge due to the recent discovery of the virus in 1989 and consequently, the establishment of a test screening for HCV antibodies in 1992.1 HCV has…

By: Erica Dimitropoulos, Senior Staff Editor – Lupus is highly unpredictable and occurs without warning; there is no known cause and no known cure. It affects over 1.5 million Americans, 90% of whom are women between the ages of 15 – 44.1 No two cases of lupus are alike, making it a very difficult disease…

By: Andy Zhang, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – On March 28, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of Tecfidera™ (dimethyl fumarate) for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults.1 Tecfidera™ (dimethyl fumarate) will be the third oral drug used for the treatment of MS. The manufacturer Biogen…

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: 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: Erica Dimitropoulos, Senior Staff Editor – Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful and often debilitating autoimmune disease characterized by symmetric polyarthritis, most commonly of the proximal interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints, elbows, knees, ankles, and spine.1 Its clinical manifestations vary, from a slowly progressing onset of fatigue and musculoskeletal discomfort to a sudden and worsening destruction…

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: Tasnima Nabi, Staff Editor – Merck & Co. will pay $688 million to settle two lawsuits filed in December 2008 over their patent-protected statin, Vytorin®.  The suits state that Merck and Schering-Plough delayed releasing the results of their ENHANCE study to avoid a decrease in revenue.1 Vytorin® is a combination drug of simvastatin and…

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 Nancy Rizkalla, PharmD candidate c/o 2015 –        Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with subsequent stent implantation is a highly effective approach in reducing the risk of death or ischemic complications following a myocardial infarction as well as improving the quality of life in patients with stable angina. PCI is ultimately performed in 60 –…

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: Bethsy Jacob, PharmD Candidate 2014 – On January 18, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new approval for Botox, generically known as OnabotulinumtoxinA. Patients diagnosed with urinary incontinence due to an overactive bladder can be prescribed Botox, if they are unable to take or are unresponsive to anticholinergic medications.  This…

By:  Miriam Maltz, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013, AMSCOP, Long Island University – Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia that is pursuant to insulin resistance, defects in insulin secretion, or both1. Chronic hyperglycemia is associated with detrimental effects on various organ systems that can increase mortality and impact the patient’s…

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:  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: 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: 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: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi, Associate Student Editor – Many of us have prepared for influenza season by receiving the flu vaccine.  (If you have not, please speak to your doctor or pharmacist soon!  Remember: even if you do not need it for your protection, get it for your patients’ well-being).  However, for the youngest members…

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: Elsa Thomas, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – Atropine is an anticholinergic used to treat various conditions, such as bradycardia, neuromuscular blockade, mydriasis, nerve agent poisoning, and salivary hypersecretion.1,2  Pharmacologically, it inhibits smooth muscle and glands innervated by postganglionic cholinergic nerves.1,2  It also has functions in the central nervous system (CNS); it could stimulate or…

By: Jessica Lee, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue, causing inflammation of the joints and potential harm to other organs.1  It affects 0.5-1% of the adult population and is more prevalent in the seventh decade of life.1  These patients tend to…

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: Shannon Tellier, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome has been reported in all categories of antidepressants after an abrupt interruption of therapy.1  Symptoms usually occur within a few days of stopping or reducing the dosage of the antidepressant, and rarely occur with therapy of less than five weeks.1  If left untreated, most…

By Sunhae Chang, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – When patients complain of heartburn, the blame usually shifts to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).  Therefore, patients receive the “standard therapies for GERD”: antacids, histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), or prokinetics.1,2  Luckily, most patients respond well to these agents.1,2  Unfortunately, the not-as-lucky ones, despite PPI…

By: Neal Shah, Co-Editor-in-Chief – Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a last-line procedure in the treatment of refractory depression, among other neuropsychological disorders.1 By inducing a seizure, neurotransmitters are released and the disease state may feature a modest mitigation in symptoms.1 Seizure medications such as benzodiazepines and barbiturates are prescribed to increase or heighten the seizure…

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: 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…

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: Addolorata Ciccone, Co-Copy Editor – Acute Coronary Syndromes Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a myocardial ischemia caused by obstruction of coronary arteries.  ACS is stratified into three types, based on electrocardiogram (EKG) changes and the presence of cardiac biomarkers (e.g. troponin, creatinine phosphokinase, and myoglobin).  To guide treatment plans, it is important to identify…

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: James W. Schurr, PharmD Candidate c/o 2014 – Nutrition Support Pharmacy is a specialized practice pertaining to the needs of patients receiving Parenteral (PN) or Enteral Nutrition (EN).  Nutrition Support Pharmacists (NSPs) are integral members of the nutritional support team and bring valuable skills and knowledge to the clinical practice setting.  The Board of…

By: Steve P. Soman – Mirabegron (Mybetriq®), known also by the brand name Betanis®in Japan, is a new once daily oral drug.   First in its class, it is a selective β(3)-adrenoceptor agonist that improves symptoms associated with over active bladder (OAB) such as urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency by enhancing storage function and relaxing…

By: Lunbao (Jerry) Huang, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – Donepezil, brand name Aricept®, is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor indicated as monotherapy for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.  Cholinergic deficiency in the cortex and basal forebrain contributes to cognitive deficits in these patients.  Donepezil reversibly, noncompetitively inhibits centrally active acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme responsible for…

By: Mohamed Dungersi, Associate Student Editor –  What is diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)? Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute complication of uncontrolled diabetes or hyperglycemia. It is usually observed in cases of extreme hyperglycemia (usually in excess of 500 mg/dl, though it can occur over 250 mg/dl).1,2  It is usually characterized by the presence of hyperglycemia,…

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: Stanley Saji, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – I had a preconceived notion that advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) were just an application of concepts and therapies learned in pharmacy school.  Little did I know how real APPEs became… During my third rotation, I worked with Dr. Maha Saad, Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department…