Written by Sarah Abdulameer, PharmD and Kris Denzel Tupas, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP The Power of Networking in Pharmacy Networking is a cornerstone of professional growth in pharmacy, opening doors to mentorship, collaboration, and career opportunities. The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Annual Meeting is one of the best events that allows pharmacy students to engage with experts, explore various career paths, and build meaningful professional networks. If networking

Written by Ardis M. Copenhaver, PharmD, MS, BCPS Some of Medicare Part D changes from the passage of Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 have come into effect in January 2025. The goal of this legislation is to provide further support on prescription drug benefits for the adults aged 65 and older and those individuals with qualifying disabilities. The two big 2025 changes include the elimination of the “Donut Hole” with the reduction of out-of-pocket (OOP) costs and the launch of

Written by Ally Rhea, PharmD Candidate 2027; Sai Wright, PharmD, MBA, MSPH; Laurel Uhomba, PharmD, MBA, MPH Nearly 12 million adults over the age of 40 in the United States are living with vision loss, which may significantly impact their ability to manage medications safely.(1) Prescription labels are often printed in small fonts that are not accessible to visually impaired individuals. Without the ability to read medication names, instructions, or warnings, patients may fa

Written by Chelsea Huppert, PharmD, BCACP; Aaron Brown, PharmD; Christina Berg, PharmD; Jessica Witt, PharmD, BCACP So, you want to be an academic? Maybe you’ve been dreaming about this for years or you fell into this by chance. Maybe you’re new to this or have been practicing for decades. Any which way, you’re here. Now what? The world of academic pharmacy can be intimidating. You have many priorities to balance and people vying for your time. So, how do you start?  How do y

Written by Ardis M. Copenhaver, PharmD, MS, BCPS Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a respiratory virus that usually causes cold-like symptoms and tends to occur between the beginning of October and end of March in the United States.(1) It is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections in children younger than 1 year of age and the leading cause of hospitalization among infants.(1) The highest rate of hospitalizations occurs during the first months of life w

Written by Christina Berg, PharmD; Chelsea Huppert, PharmD, BCACP; Aaron Brown, PharmD Those who remember the tedious process of pulling outdates in their local community pharmacy as a young intern may recall their first encounter with glucagon. Back in the pharmacy, likely in a corner on the bottom shelf, there resided a red plastic kit covered in dust that was almost always expired. If you were filled with curiosity, you may have asked your pharmacist what this was used for

Written by Kathryn P. (Litten) Lin, PharmD, BCACP As an ambulatory care pharmacist and faculty member, I wear many hats—clinician, educator, preceptor, research project manager, and service leader. As a mentor to students and as I stepped into a new leadership role within a professional organization, I recognized I had never had formal leadership training. I knew there were opportunities to hone skills that could aid in several of my professional roles, particularly in financ

Written by Alex Flores-Xie, PharmD Candidate 2026 and Adenike Atanda-Oshikoya, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES, CTTS HFpEF: A Growing Challenge Heart Failure (HF) is a heterogenous syndrome defined by structural or functional cardiac abnormalities impairing the heart’s ability to meet metabolic demands.(1,2) HF is classified by left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) into: HF with reduced EF (HFrEF, LVEF <40%), HF with preserved EF (HFpEF, LVEF ≥50%), HF with mildly reduced EF (HFmrEF

Written by Braylee Wardwell, PharmD and Marissa Salvo, PharmD, BCACP, FCPA, FCCP What is Cirrhosis? Cirrhosis is a condition where healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue. As cirrhosis progresses, scar tissue can block blood flow to the liver and cause liver failure.(1) Leading causes of cirrhosis include hepatitis B and C infections, excessive alcohol consumption, and metabolic dysfunction due to diabetes, obesity, hypertension or lipid disorders. There are two stage

Written by Qabas Al-Jobori, PharmD Candidate and Adenike Atanda, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES, CTTS   Drug-induced myopathy manifests as myalgia, muscle weakness, or, in severe cases , rhabdomyolysis following medication exposure. It may also present as asymptomatic elevation of serum creatine kinase (CK), with resolution achieved following the discontinuation of the offending agent.(1) While mechanisms such as direct myotoxicity and, more rarely, immune-mediated myopathy explain so

Written by Kellie Ball, PharmD, MPH, BCACP and Danielle Dennis, PharmD, BCPS What is Pulmonary Hypertension (PH)?   PH is a complex, often fatal condition characterized by abnormally high pressures in the pulmonary arteries caused in large part by smooth muscle and endothelial cell proliferation.(1) If left untreated, these complex and multifactorial processes may lead to right ventricle dysfunction, heart failure, and death.(2) PH describes a group of disorders that fall int

By Wiam Ouahab, PharmD Candidate 2025 and Helen Berlie, BHS, PharmD, BCACP Introduction Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is essential to...

By Megan Makovsky, PharmD Candidate 2025; Nikki Polivka, PharmD Candidate 2025; Kimmy Nguyen, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM, TTS Have you ever said to yourself, “ I don’t belong here. Everyone else is so much smarter than me?” That fraudulent feeling is known as imposter syndrome, and nearly 70% of people have experienced it at least once. It primarily affects those who are high-achieving and successful (including those in pharmacy), and it is often characterized by insecurity, self-

By Sarah Rinehart, PharmD, BCACP Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are often treated with biologics or small molecules, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–α antagonists and corticosteroids.(1,2)  Patients on these regimens with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are at risk for reactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis  to active tuberculosis (TB) disease.(3) Screening for LTBI using either   TB blood tests (Interferon Gamma Release Assays [IGRAs] including

By Alexis Richardson, PharmD Candidate and Adenike Atanda-Oshikoya, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES It is estimated that 20% of adults in the United States experience mental health conditions every year, and 46% of adults aged 18 or older with any mental illness (AMI), received inpatient or outpatient mental health services or took prescription medication to treat a mental health condition in the last year.(1) These conditions include anxiety disorders, depression disorders, attention d

By Andrea Lenear, PharmD Candidate 2025 and Adenike Atanda-Oshikoya, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES What is Diabetic Kidney Disease? Chronic kidney...

By Dave Ferris, PharmD Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a devastating disease and, until recently, had no treatment.  With the introduction of mavacamten, symtoms not only improve but disease progression can be reversed.  This medication poses significant drug interactions and possible complications.  With  medication-related expertise,  pharmacists have the opportunity to improve patient safety and care for patients with HOCM who initiate this therapy . The

By Sydnie Twillmann, PharmD Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)/GLP-1 receptor agonists have been making the headlines recently, for more reasons than one.  Over the past few years, due to both appropriate and inappropriate use, the demand for and use of GLP-1 and GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists have increased substantially, leaving drug manufacturers struggling to keep their supply sufficient to meet these incr

By Hannah Vitale, PharmD Candidate 2024 and Kimmy Nguyen, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM, TTS Introduction In the US, there are over 1,400...

By Devon Hess, MBA, PharmD Candidate 2024 and Rachel Long, PharmD, BCPS, CPP, CDCES Advancements in technology have revolutionized...