Expert Insights

High blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors for stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease.1-2 With approximately one in three of all US adults having hypertension the disorder remains one of the leading causes of cardiovascular morbidity.1  Clinical trials have shown benefit of…

Community pharmacies often are a central component of health care in rural counties.  The US health care system realizes the importance of pharmacists to patient welfare.1 Recent studies have shown the benefit of community pharmacist involvement in patient care.  Primary care providers believe that…

Chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is associated with high risk of thromboembolic events.  Potential mechanisms for increased thrombosis include, but are not limited to, activation of thrombin-related pathways1 and blood stasis in dilated hypokinetic cardiac chambers, and…

Despite many bumps along the road, a case that began with a mail order pharmacy error in 2013 appears to be headed to trial in early 2020. In the years since the pharmacy was sued, the case has been in and out of courts, dismissed, and finally reinstated by the United States Court of Appeals for…

Medication errors are not uncommon, and they result in numerous deaths per year. However, pharmacists are rarely directly sued. Usually, other medical professionals such as physicians, or the pharmacy itself is sued. This month we look at a case where the pharmacist was sued, after admitting to the…

As pharmacists, we routinely discuss all aspects of medications with our patients including generic versus brand differences, adverse effects, and drug interactions. However, what do we say to the patient who becomes aware that a medication they have been taking for years was or may have been…

Earlier this year, a national pharmacy chain agreed to pay the government $535,000 to resolve allegations that some of its pharmacies had filled dozens of forged prescriptions. This turned out to be the second settlement in the past 3 years by this pharmacy chain to resolve similar charges. The…

Ranolazine is approved as an antianginal and is used as a second-line therapy in stable ischemic heart disease.1 The agent blocks the late sodium channels (INa) preventing a downstream rise in cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations.2  This translates into a decrease in left ventricular wall tension and an…

When can a pharmacist’s comments to a patient be considered slander? This is an issue that is arising more frequently, and it’s important for pharmacists to understand what constitutes slander or defamation, and what doesn’t. Just the Facts The case involved a physician, two different CVS…

As pharmacists we continue to struggle with trying to demonstrate our value in the health care arena. We continue to publish our evidence in journals focused on the profession of pharmacy. However, I feel that we fail to publish our information or demonstrate any large meaningful outcomes where key…