Reinventing How Pharmacy Educators Connect as a Community.

The onset of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has added a new layer of complexity to an already difficult period for academic pharmacy. The need to follow social-distancing guidelines has resulted in rapid adoption of technology-enabled communication strategies. While these technologies provide unprecedented ways in which we can connect as an academic community, we must consider their effectiveness in not only promoting exchange of information, but also creating inspiration within the community and supporting the level of interdependence required to tackle the difficult challenges that lie ahead.

The Death of Freddie Gray and Its Impact on Homicides in Baltimore and Maryland.

This study evaluated the impact that Freddie Gray's death on April, 19, 2015, had on homicides within Baltimore, Prince George's County, and the rest of Maryland. The numbers of these deaths were compared in the 2 years prior and after his death. The average number of homicide per month in Baltimore and Prince George's County, but not the rest of Maryland, showed a statistically significant increase in the 2 years after his death, with a sudden spike in homicides in Baltimore immediately following his death.

Addressing Population Health: Regional Partnership.

Since the 1970s, the state of Maryland has operated on a different payment system for Medicare than that in the rest of the country. Known as the Maryland Waiver, recent terms have focused on reducing cost and waste while increasing value and scope toward population health. This article describes a partnership between 2 community hospitals in Maryland to meet the goals of the waiver.

Personal Statements in General Surgery: An Unrecognized Role in the Ranking Process.

Objective: Personal statements are a requirement of general surgery residency applications. Yet, their role in an applicant's final rank within a program remains unclear. This study explores the language used in personal statements to differentiate applicants in the general surgery residency ranking process.

Antibiotic de-escalation on internal medicine services with rounding pharmacists compared to services without.

Background Antimicrobial stewardship programs ensure antibiotic therapy is used appropriately and includes de-escalation when clinical status or culture data indicates broad-spectrum agents are no longer needed. Although the impact of infectious diseases clinical pharmacists has been well documented, there is limited research evaluating the impact of adult internal medicine clinical pharmacists on broad-spectrum antibiotic de-escalation while rounding on internal medicine teams. Objective To determine if broad-spectrum antibiotics were de-escalated more regularly and more rapidly in patients on internal medicine services with a rounding pharmacist at the bedside compared to internal medicine services without rounding pharmacists.

Effects of Food on Bioavailability of Analgesics; Resulting Dosage and Administration Recommendations.

Objectives: To evaluate currently approved analgesics, that is, opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), anticonvulsants, and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) used as analgesics, for 1) differences in pharmacokinetic parameters under fed vs fasting conditions and 2) factors involved in dosage recommendations in relation to food.

Design: Systematic review.

Results: Food effect on the rate, extent of absorption, or shape of concentration-time profile can alter the onset of action, duration of action, or tolerability of a medication.

Implementation of an Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Distribution Training in a Pharmacist Laboratory Course.

To describe the instructional design, implementation, and evaluation of an opioid overdose response program (ORP) and opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) training program to third-year pharmacy (P3) students. Using the 5-E learning cycle during a three-hour laboratory session, the authors developed an OEND training program. The training began with an engagement exercise encompassing validated pre-Opioid Overdose Knowledge Scale (OOKS) and pre-Opioid Overdose Attitudes Scale (OOAS) assessments.