Solving the Puzzle of Chronic Medication Shortages
Drug shortages in the United States have remained a serious and persistent challenge, with over 270 medications in active shortage as of March 2025. The number of shortages has been steady since a record-setting peak of 323 active shortages in the first quarter of 2024, the highest level reported since tracking began in 2001. These […]
Read More ›WellBeing First Challenge: Progress and Updates
Last year The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation made a great deal of progress towards safeguarding access to mental health services for health care workers. Through its WellBeing First Champion Challenge, as of September 1, 2024, 1 dental licensure board, 29 medical licensure boards, and 4 nursing licensure boards verified their licensing applications do not include intrusive […]
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 ›Revolutionizing Health Care: The Evolving Path of E-Prescriptions
Medication errors cause avoidable harm in approximately 1 in 30 patients, with 25% of these patients experiencing severe or life-threatening harm. Aiming to prevent these errors, Drug Enforcement Administration. provided prescribers with the option to use e-prescriptions for controlled substances (CS) based on an interim final rule published in 2010. Since this rule became effective, […]
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 ›What Trading Partners Need to Know Before the DSCSA Deadline
Full implementation of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) was to begin on November 27, 2023. However, on August 25, 2023, US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued what it refers to as a “Stabilization Policy,” — a one-year period of non-enforcement for certain DSCSA requirements. In our view, FDA expects drug supply chain […]
Read More ›How Buprenorphine Access Will Affect Pharmacists
Buprenorphine Legislation: From the X Waiver to the MAT Act The Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 waiver, also known as the DEA X-waiver, allowed clinicians to prescribe buprenorphine, a controlled substance medication, to treat opioid dependency. Established in 2000, the law required physicians to undergo specific training and register with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) […]
Read More ›The Changing Pharmacy Landscape and its Effects on Patient Safety
Though the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency declarations have officially come to an end, the effect of the pandemic and changes to professional roles and workplace standards will be felt by pharmacists and workers across many industries for years to come. In the post-COVID-19 context, the pharmacy landscape continues to evolve. Noteworthy demographic […]
Read More ›Lifelong Learning in the Role of a Pharmacy Inspector
Careers in pharmacy involve lifelong learning and adaptation to new situations. In this feature, a Virginia pharmacy inspector discusses her ever-changing role in the field. Amy Branson, PharmD, RPh Pharmacy Inspector, Virginia Department of Health Professions How long have you been serving as a pharmacy inspector for the Board? What was your prior role? I […]
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