Pharmacist News and Research

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There are many tasks that a pharmacist is responsible for each day. Pharmacists are some of the most accessible members of the healthcare team, as individuals can seek their advice quickly and easily, even without an appointment.

CDC expands recommendations for COVID-19 booster dose to include all adults

Today, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) expanded recommendations for booster shots to include all adults ages 18 years and older who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least six months after their second dose.

19 Nov 2021

New research finds disturbing lack of crucial blood cancer medication

New research in the November 2021 issue of JNCCN-;Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds fewer than one-third of hospitals had immediate availability of a crucial blood cancer medication called all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA).

16 Nov 2021

How rural communities are losing their pharmacies

Batson's Drug Store seems like a throwback to a simpler time. The independently owned pharmacy in Howard, Kansas, still runs an old-fashioned soda counter and hand-dips ice cream. But the drugstore, the only one in the entire county, teeters on the edge between nostalgia and extinction.

15 Nov 2021

Educational program on anticholinergic burden aims to improve health outcomes of older people

Falls, confusion, cognitive decline, dry mouth, constipation and urinary retention. In a new NPS MedicineWise podcast episode released today, Dr Kate Annear, NPS MedicineWise medical adviser and GP talks about the new NPS MedicineWise educational program on the cumulative effects of anticholinergic medicines.

15 Nov 2021

Flu season emerging against the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic

For the second straight year, flu season is emerging against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the number of flu cases was relatively low last year, experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine say that this year, it could be much higher.

11 Nov 2021

Clinic-based review board helps reduce opioid prescribing

An internal medicine clinic at Oregon Health & Science University has sharply reduced the amount of opioids prescribed though innovative use of a review board comprising a team of health care professionals from various disciplines to ensure patients' needs are being met.

9 Nov 2021

CDC expands COVID-19 vaccine recommendations to about 28 million children aged 5-11 years

Today, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) recommendation that children 5 to 11 years old be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine.

2 Nov 2021

Stimulant use linked with increased risk of cardiovascular events among older adults in the first month

New research led by Mina Tadrous, Assistant Professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto shows that use of prescription stimulant medications in older adults increased the risk of a cardiovascular events by 40 per cent within the first thirty days of medication use.

25 Oct 2021

Nationwide advertising campaign launches in the UK to urge people to get COVID-19 booster, flu jabs

A nationwide advertising campaign launches today (Friday 22 October) as part of the government's call to the public to get their COVID-19 booster and flu jabs, to protect themselves and their loved ones this winter.

21 Oct 2021

Additional supportive care services benefit older adults receiving chemotherapy, study finds

A clinical trial led by researchers at City of Hope, a world-renowned cancer research and treatment organization, showed that patients over 65 receiving chemotherapy experienced significantly fewer treatment-related side effects when a multidisciplinary team of experts analyzed each case and introduced personalized interventions.

30 Sep 2021

Alerting community pharmacy about canceled medications could help avoid safety events

Many prescriptions are sent to the pharmacy via electronic health record systems; however, correct routing of discontinued medications continues to be a problem, which increases the risk for medication safety events.

29 Sep 2021

COVID-19 vaccine-related allergies are rare, typically mild and treatable, finds study

Allergic reactions to the new mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines are rare, typically mild and treatable, and they should not deter people from becoming vaccinated, according to research from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

20 Sep 2021

NPS MedicineWise encourages people with dementia to take an active role in decisions about care

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety revealed shocking stories of the use of ‘chemical restraints’ in residential aged care and highlighted the need for reform across the sector.

1 Sep 2021

New AHA Presidential Advisory addresses opioid use and its effects on heart and brain health

The misuse of opioids in the United States continues to lead to high rates of dependency as well as a staggering number of deaths due to overdose.

19 Aug 2021

Have vaccines, will travel: On the road with a covid entrepreneur

While many businesses in this southwestern Montana "ghost town" reel in tourists with its mining and Wild West vigilante past, one businessman arrived offering a modern product: covid-19 vaccines.

17 Aug 2021

Pharmacies face extra audit burdens that threaten their existence

The clock was about to strike midnight, and Scott Newman was desperately feeding pages into a scanner, trying to prevent thousands of dollars in prescription payments from turning into a pumpkin.

6 Aug 2021

Reducing antibiotic prescribing in primary care alone may not stop drug-resistant E. coli infections

Strategies to reduce antibiotic prescribing in primary care are insufficient alone to halt the rise in drug resistant E. coli infections in England, a new report concludes.

4 Aug 2021

Restoring a sense of belonging: The unsung importance of casual relationships for older adults

In May, Vincent Keenan traveled from Chicago to Charlottesville, Virginia, for a wedding — his first trip out of town since the start of the pandemic.

2 Aug 2021

How one rural town without a pharmacy is crowdsourcing to get meds

The building that once housed the last drugstore in this town of fewer than 600 is now a barbecue restaurant, where pit boss Larry Holtman dishes out smoked brisket and pulled pork across the same counter where pharmacists dispensed vital medications more than 30 years ago.

1 Jul 2021

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations can help assess clinical skills of future pharmacists

A recent University of Arizona College of Pharmacy study suggests that Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) may be a valuable means of assessing clinical skills while providing learning experiences for pharmacy students in community pharmacy settings.