Social media has connected us in ways we could have never imagined. The explosive popularity of Facebook, founded less than 20 years ago in 2004, has transformed culture globally, and in fact many people use several social media platforms.

Although there are adequate supplies of COVID-19 vaccines, our vaccination rates are not nearly high enough to stop the pandemic. Until then, we’re at risk of surges in infection rates along with a higher possibility of new variants emerging. It is critical that we overcome the current vaccination plateau and work to increase vaccinations. In this post, we’ll look at ways we can overcome barriers to vaccinating the public.

In a recent post we talked about discussing the differences between brand and generic drugs with our patients. Perhaps equally important, but also less appreciated by many patients, is the difference between over-the-counter (OTC) medications and dietary supplements, which make up the majority of items stocked in pharmacies. In addition, they are often found next to each other on the shelves with similar labeling, making things even more confusing for patients.

The authority for pharmacy technicians to administer immunizations has come on fast. The first state to approve technician immunizations was Idaho in 2017, and other states have quickly followed suit. As pharmacists and also pharmacy technicians, we know that technician roles are expanding and technician-administered immunizations are here to stay. But most boards of pharmacy are not yet allowing technicians to independently administer vaccines.

Hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, is most commonly caused by a virus, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that millions of Americans are living with viral hepatitis and most don’t know they are infected. The most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, B, and C; the CDC has created a great visual guide with the basics of each one.

Anxiety disorders are extremely common mental health disorder in the US, experienced by nearly 1 in 5 Americans in any year and nearly 1 in 3 Americans over the course of their lifetime. Symptoms are both emotional (eg, restlessness, irritability, feelings of apprehension) and physical (eg, tachycardia and shortness of breath, urinary frequency and diarrhea). Subtypes include GAD, social anxiety disorder, PD, and phobias.

The sodium glucose contransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are a relatively new class of medications, less than 10-years-old; the first approval was for canagliflozin (Invokana) in 2013. Since then, they’ve become a mainstay of treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) including addition to professional society treatment algorithms; the SGLT2is also have demonstrated significant benefit in other health conditions in patients with and without T2D.

On-site insurance audits are a routine event that most community pharmacists will encounter at some point in their careers. Unlike Board of Pharmacy inspections, which are typically unannounced, insurance audits are usually scheduled and pharmacies are notified in advance. This is a huge advantage, because it gives them time to prepare for a smooth audit.

The pandemic isn’t over. Even if your pharmacy hasn’t started giving COVID-19 vaccines yet, there is still plenty of opportunity to support this historic initiative. As of June 9, there were 140.44 million people fully vaccinated in the United States out of a total population of 328.2 million; 63.8% of adults have received at least one dose, and kids 12 and older are now able to receive the vaccine. In addition, it is very likely we are going to need boosters in the future, and pharmacies will be critical in that effort.

All of us who’ve been in practice for a while have taken care of patients who insist on either a branded product or a specific generic manufacturer for at least one of their medications. As pharmacists, it’s important not only to be on top of the differences and similarities between these, but also to communicate this information to patients in an effective way. Let’s explore ways we can discuss branded and generic products with our patients.

The 340B program doesn’t seem to be mentioned much in pharmacy schools, yet it is a great business opportunity for community pharmacies and also a nontraditional career path for many pharmacists and technicians. I hadn’t even heard of the program as a community pharmacist until I started working in an outpatient pharmacy.

Since I started my side hustle in medical writing, I have come to realize that it is essential to diversify income sources. Few companies have all their revenue coming from one product, and virtually no investor would recommend having everything in just one type of investment. Yet many people are fine with all their income coming from one source. Even if you’re drawing a high salary, a layoff or an unforeseen situation where you are cut off from that income will result in earnings going to zero.

Pharmacy schools traditionally have focused on providing students the clinical skills and body of knowledge necessary to safely enter practice after graduation. This is, of course, critically important and should make up the bulk of pharmacy education; however, pharmacists who have been practicing understand that real life requires more than that.

When many pharmacists talk about developing their skills or advancing careers, they often talk about it within the context of clinical knowledge and skills: pursuing board certifications, moving into a more ‘clinical’ role (though I think it’s time to stop using that word), or taking certificate courses to enhance clinical knowledge. While these are all excellent pathways, in this post we’ll look at other, nonclinical career-enhancing skills that are often overlooked.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a surge in demand for health care, leading to widespread shortages of PPE, staffing, hospital beds, and more. During this time, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) issued a report that raised concerns about the alarming conditions, which one nurse described as ‘pandemic nursing,’ and which was increasing the risk for errors.

In my first job out of school, I worked as a float pharmacist for a national chain and was fortunate to be in an amazing district, where I learned a lot and had great experiences in numerous stores. After about a year, I got the chance to pursue my dream and move to Hawaii, where I worked for about 8 months as a staff pharmacist at a long-term care pharmacy, and then later became its manager. I’ve managed a couple of different pharmacies since.

You give a lot as a preceptor, but you get so much in return. Not only have I learned a lot from students working with me in pharmacy, but also the pharmacy practice and patient care have benefited as well. By helping catch potential errors, taking an active role in process improvement projects, jumping in the trenches with me during particularly busy times, and even making my job of hiring easy (I’ve hired a former pupil), students have left a lasting impact on rotation. Let’s look at how you can be sure your students are getting just as much out of being there as you’re getting out of them being there.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination campaign is thankfully in full force now in the US, with >128 million doses administered and almost 14% of the population having been fully vaccinated as of March 23, 2021. In Northeast Florida, where I work, we are aggressively vaccinating. The health system I work for, for example, has held clinics that have vaccinated close to 2500 people in 1 day (in addition to >5000 employees). Also, our health department, as well as other health systems,

Pharmacy practice has changed significantly in the past 10 years. There’s been a large shift as the industry becomes increasingly consolidated and mail-order pharmacies continue to take a larger share of the national prescription volume. In addition, pharmacists participate in more patient care activities like conducting MTMs, dispensing travel vaccines and contraceptives, and doing point-of-care testing.

In 2018 the opioid crisis led to over 67 000 deaths, and while improvements have been made, it is still a leading cause of death nationwide. Being on the front lines is where we can have the biggest impact. Florida, where I practice pharmacy, now even requires patients to be given a handout discussing alternative treatment options for pain each time they are prescribed an opioid.