Global pen pal education intervention among student pharmacists: A pilot project.

Introduction: Global health, a practice that prioritizes improving health and achieving health equity for all people worldwide, is a priority for pharmacists, schools, and pharmacy colleges. Several initiatives aim to enhance faculty and student exchanges while promoting projects and initiatives among thriving universities and under-resourced countries and institutions. While many organizations recognize the benefit of global collaboration, as demonstrated by the adoption of the 2012 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Strategic Plan, which calls for increased global experiences for faculty and students, the COVID-19 pandemic created a demand for international engagement within pharmacy practice.

Letter frequency analysis of proprietary prescription drug names in the United States: Minding the Zs and Qs.

Background: Proprietary or brand names of prescription drugs are generally with letters that are unusual in common English. There is little academic research exploring if this perception is true, despite the fact that manufacturers pay millions of dollars to research and develop drug names that conform to regulatory standards while remaining marketable.

Objectives: To assess the extent to which letters used in prescription drug names may deviate from common English and to test if prescription drug names show measurable trends in letter frequency over time.

Evaluation of a pharmacy technician-based medication prior authorization program.

Background: The roles of pharmacy technicians in clinical practice are being explored. Medication prior authorizations (PAs) from insurers can lead to delays in pharmacotherapy.

Objective: To assess the efficiency of our clinical pharmacy technicians in processing PAs for medications.

Review of purchases of unapproved medications by the Veterans Health Administration.

Purpose: Many medications that were marketed prior to 1962 but lack Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval are prescribed in the United States. Usage patterns of these "unapproved medications" are poorly elucidated, which is concerning due to potential lack of data on safety and efficacy. The purpose of this project was to characterize purchases of unapproved medications within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) by type, frequency, and cost.

Receipt of Overlapping Opioid and Benzodiazepine Prescriptions Among Veterans Dually Enrolled in Medicare Part D and the Department of Veterans Affairs: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Overlapping use of opioids and benzodiazepines is associated with increased risk for overdose. Veterans receiving medications concurrently from the U.S.