Semaglutide once-weekly: improved efficacy with a new safety warning.

Semaglutide once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) injection has been approved as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Areas Covered: The safety and efficacy of the semaglutide once-weekly injection are reviewed using results from preliminary pharmacology studies and later-phase randomized control trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses. Semaglutide once-weekly is compared to placebo and active comparators for T2DM in the SUSTAIN clinical trial series, with outcomes of: glycemic control, weight loss, major adverse cardiovascular events, and adverse effects.

Primary prevention aspirin use in high-risk patients: A pharmacist intervention and comparison of risk stratification tools.

Objectives: The objectives of this project are 1) to describe aspirin use for primary prevention in an underserved, minority population; 2) to determine the impact of a pharmacist-led intervention on the prevalence of aspirin use for primary prevention; and 3) to compare aspirin indications based on Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score.

Methods: Men and women age 45-79 and 55-79 years, respectively, without ASCVD were screened for aspirin use. An FRS of 10% or greater and low risk for a serious bleed were considered indications for primary prevention aspirin on the basis of guideline-directed medical therapy recommendations.

White Paper on Natural Products.

The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) published an initial white paper on herbal products in 2000. Since then, the global market for natural products has continued to expand, with tens of millions of consumers using such products on an annual basis in the United States alone. However, despite this expansion, natural products remain largely unregulated compared with prescription medications, have moderate- to low-level clinical evidence for efficacy, and continue to have safety concerns, including adulteration and misbranding.

Comparison of dietary supplement product knowledge and confidence between pharmacists and health food store employees.

Objectives: To determine pharmacists' and health food store employees' knowledge about the safety and efficacy of common, nonvitamin, nonmineral dietary supplements in a retail setting and confidence in discussing, recommending, and acquiring knowledge about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Central and western New York in May and June 2012.