When the Change Healthcare cyberattack occurred on February 21, 2024, pharmacy staff at Moose Pharmacy of Monroe in North Carolina initially thought insurance processing was down.

Loren Bonner & Corey Diamond, PharmD

Student pharmacists can be dismissed from their pharmacy program for a variety of reasons, including poor academic performance and academic dishonesty. Most dismissals are relatively easy to support based on objective evidence. The dismissal of a student pharmacist for lack of clinical skills and for unprofessional conduct during APPE courses is more subjective and is more difficult to justify.

David B. Brushwood, BSPharm, JD

“How do I find good pharmacy technicians? How do I hold onto them?” These are the questions on a lot of pharmacists’ minds today. Technician turnover is at an all-time high and pharmacies are struggling to fill pharmacy technician positions.

Loren Bonner

In January 2024, GSK discontinued sales of its Flovent HFA and Flovent Diskus inhalers. The company attributed the change to the availability of generic alternatives that work just as well but for a potentially lower price. However, few insurance companies cover the authorized generics, leading to serious challenges in finding an acceptable replacement for the drug, particularly for parents of some small children.

Sonya Collins

Updates from FDA

Antimicrobial-resistant ringworm made headlines last year when a New York City dermatologist notified public health officials of two patients whose ringworm did not improve with oral terbinafine. Since then, stubborn strains of the fungus, which causes itchy, scaly patches of skin, have appeared in at least 11 states, including New York.

Terri D’Arrigo

During a March 2024 meeting, FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) made recommendations on which influenza viruses would be best to include in influenza vaccine compositions for the 2024–2025 flu season.

Olivia C. Welter, PharmD

More than 39 million people in the United States experience migraine, according to the American Migraine Foundation. For some, the condition is an infrequent one, but for millions of others, it may be disabling, occurring so frequently and with such ferocity that nearly every aspect of their lives is affected.

Elizabeth Briand

In February 2024, FDA approved Exblifep (cefepime hydrochloride/enmetazobactam—Allecra Therapeutics), a new antibiotic that is indicated for complicated UTIs, including pyelonephritis, in individuals 18 years and older.

Lauren Howell, PharmD

Recent buzz around a veterinary medicine company developing drugs to extend the lifespan in dogs by targeting the underlying causes of aging has some wondering, if it works for dogs, will it work for humans? The promise of eternal youth has renewed interest in oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) supplementation.

Mickie Cathers

When allergies cause congestion, itchy and runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes, most patients reach for antihistamines and decongestants. While both are available as tablets and capsules, nasal sprays are also readily accessible and often work much faster than pills. Several types of nonprescription decongestant, antihistamine, and corticosteroid sprays are convenient and suitable for allergy relief.

Mary Warner

Despite FDA approval of seven next-generation antibiotics geared toward gram-negative infections between 2014 and 2019, clinicians still frequently treat resistant gram-negative infections with older, generic antibiotics that have suboptimal safety efficacy profiles.

About a third of American adults in their 60s and 70s take five or more prescription drugs regularly. Often, some of these drugs are the result of prescribing cascades, which can be unnecessary and may cause avoidable adverse effects and adverse events.

Sonya Collins

In January 2024, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology published a systematic review that included a detailed examination of randomized controlled trials exploring the efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and when they should not be considered standard treatment.

Corey Diamond, PharmD

For years, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) has been crafting strategies to tackle medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ), formerly known as bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws. In an update published in the March 2024 issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, experts from AAOMS explain revised diagnosis and management protocols, medication comparisons, and preventive measures aimed at empowering health care providers and enhancing patient care.

Aiya Almogaber, PharmD

Vital signs, the measurements of the basic functions of our bodies, grant a preliminary picture of our overall health. They include temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and, of ever-increasing concern—weight. Weight issues are exceedingly common for a variety of reasons and can lead to serious health complications.

Christopher R. Piszczatoski, PharmD, BCPS

APhA Member News

Crossword Challenge