Pharmacists Offer Patients Lifelines as Opioid Misuse Challenge Persists
As one of several defining public health crises of the 21st century, the opioid epidemic in the United States continues to claim tens of thousands of lives annually. Efforts to curb prescription opioid abuse have yielded positive results, but the rise of black market heroin laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can be deadly even in small doses, has added new challenges in recent years. Pharmacists […]
Read More ›Med Spas and GLP-1 Safety
Fraudulent drugs are a major safety issue affecting the United States medication supply chain, potentially exposing patients to dangerous substances. Although the US supply chain remains one of the safest in the world, falsified, unapproved, and unsafe drugs still make their way into legitimate pharmacies and medical facilities. In recent years, unregulated med spas have […]
Read More ›6 Topics Pharmacists Can Help Patients With
When patients pick up medication from the pharmacy, they are most likely asked, “Do you have any questions for the pharmacist?”, but are your patients aware of what pharmacists can help them with? Pharmacists are go-to experts on medication, knowledgeable about how medications work, what they treat, and how they interact with other products. Pharmacists […]
Read More ›Injectable Weight Loss Drugs Illegally Sold Online Pose Danger to Patients
Almost 75% of Americans are clinically defined as overweight or obese, and over 11% have diabetes. America’s obsession with weight loss and dieting is well-documented, with a staggering $30 billion spent each year on diet products. Because of this, it is no surprise that drugs like semaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide have “gone viral.” This class […]
Read More ›Understanding the Current Ketamine Landscape
What is Ketamine? Finding information online about ketamine can be overwhelming, leaving a lot of patients and their families confused about its approved uses. Simply put, ketamine is an anesthetic with some hallucinogenic properties and is classified as a Schedule III non-narcotic substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. It can only be prescribed by […]
Read More ›Diabetes Drug Shortages and Fake Ozempic
Injectable diabetes medications including semaglutide, namely Wegovy and Ozempic, have been in shortage since 2022, limiting patient access to the drug across the nation. Many other drugs have appeared on FDA’s shortage list in the past few years, including ADHD medications, chemotherapy treatments, and even antibiotics. However, the semaglutide shortage has been featured prominently in […]
Read More ›Xylazine and Opioid Overdoses Spur Government Action
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a disruption in access to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and recovery services, as well as increased social isolation and stress, contributed to a new surge of overdose deaths. The emergence of illicit falsified prescriptions containing synthetic opioids, notably fentanyl, has contributed to this crisis. Amid these continued […]
Read More ›Pharmacists’ Role in Treating Substance Use in Adolescents
Young People and Substance Use Disorder October is Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, highlighting prevention and treatment efforts to keep adolescents drug free. Although drug use has always been a concern for teens, there are specific challenges that today’s youth face. Thankfully, since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a National Institutes of Health survey has […]
Read More ›Tactics Criminals Use to Sell Drugs Online
The United States is home to one of the most secure drug supply chains in the world, but criminals still find pathways to buy and sell prescription drugs—including controlled substances—often using websites and social media platforms to do so. We compiled information from experts about how criminals use online platforms to sell these drugs illegally […]
Read More ›Navigating Drug Shortages: Pharmacists Help Patients Find Safe Alternative Sources
Since early 2020, consumers have faced countless shortages and supply chain disruptions throughout the economy, from personal protective equipment to infant formula to cars. Prescription medications are not exempt. In recent months, hospitals and other health care facilities have struggled to obtain sufficient stock of even basic supplies, such as saline, and national media outlets […]
Read More ›