January 24 Pharmacy Week in Review

This weekly video program provides our readers with an in-depth review of the latest news, product approvals, FDA rulings, and more. Our Week in Review is a can't miss for the busy pharmacy professional.

Nicole Grassano, Host: Hello and welcome to the Pharmacy Times News Network. I’m Nicole Grassano your host for our Pharmacy Week in Review.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed “Charlie’s Law,” which requires pharmacists to provide oral and written information on proper medication disposal, as well as a safe disposal method. The requirement applies to all controlled substances, Pharmacy Times reported. Approximately 72% of opioids prescribed for outpatient surgery go unused, and a key place for adolescents to obtain drugs is from their parents’ or friends’ parents’ medicine cabinets. Providing information and safe disposal methods can be an important tool in preventing medication misuse and curbing the opioid epidemic. Charlie’s Law requires the issuing pharmacist to make non-toxic disposal methods available to patients, either for free or for purchase. This could be through a pharmacy drop-box or kiosk, or through a drug deactivation system product that neutralizes the medication and disposes of it properly. The legislation is named in honor of Charlie Van Tassel, who died at 33 years old after fighting addiction for many years.

Children with ADHD are less physically active, Contemporary Clinic reported. Researchers studied data from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, a caregiver-reported survey conducted by the US Census Bureau. The final study population included approximately 35,000 children ranging in age from 6 years to 17 years. The study found that children diagnosed with ADHD had 21% lower odds of engaging in daily physical activity than nondiagnosed children, later qualifying that diagnosed children were increasingly less likely to participate in activity in 1-3 days, 4-6 days, and 7 days per week of exercise, respectively.

Despite the success of antiretroviral therapy in treating HIV, antigen specific memory to vaccinations occuring before infection does not recover, even after immune reconstitution, Specialty Pharmacy Times reported. An antiretroviral therapy regimen works by reducing viral replication and boosting CD4-T cell counts. However, antigen specific memory is inhibited in certain patients who are HIV-positive. Researchers believe that HIV-immune associated amnesia may provide an explanation for chronic inflammation and accelerated aging observed among patients with HIV. The study suggest that antiretroviral therpay may not be completely effective in restoring the immune protection resulting from viral infections or childhood vaccines prior to becoming HIV-positive.

Pharmacists may get more questions about Taltz, if patients have seen a recent commercial for the prescription medication. In the spot, called “See What’s Possible,” the narrator explains how when a patient’s psoriasis is bad, it can be hard to see what’s possible. According to the commercial, Taltz is the first- and only-treatment of its kind offering a chance of 100% clear skin for patients who suffer from moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

For more great coverage and practical information for today’s pharmacist, visit our website and sign up for our Daily eNews. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Thanks for watching our Pharmacy Week in Review. I’m Nicole Grassano at the Pharmacy Times News Network.