Top 5 Pharmacy Stories You Might Have Missed This Month

Here are the top trending pharmacy stories you might have missed in April:

#5. 4 Things Pharmacists Should Know About Elizabethkingia

Three states are reporting an outbreak of a rare bloodstream infection caused by Elizabethkingia anophelis bacteria.

Wisconsin has been hit the hardest with 59 confirmed cases, including 18 deaths, according to the CDC. In addition, Michigan and Illinois have each reported 1 death potentially linked to Elizabethkingia.

A few other Wisconsin samples have tested positive for Elizabethkingia, but it’s not yet known whether they’re connected to the original outbreak because that E. anophelis strain is no longer available for testing, Contagion reported.

CDC spokesperson Melissa Bower told Pharmacy Times that the agency couldn’t identify a role that pharmacists can play in preventing the infection at this time, mostly because the culprit behind the outbreaks is still unknown. The CDC also didn’t have any predictions about potential Elizabethkingia outbreaks in other states.

#4. When Is the Best Time for Pharmacists to Start a Family?

Female pharmacists looking to start a family should perhaps consider waiting until they’re 30 to have their first child.

New research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that women who wait until they’re 30 years old to have a child minimize their lifetime career income losses. This finding holds true for both women who graduated from college and those who didn’t.

The researchers acknowledged that childbearing could cause career interruptions and income reductions for female workers. Previous research has shown that women without any children often earn more than their counterparts with children.

Through their research, the study authors uncovered lifetime labor income gains associated with having a first child at age 31 or older. These gains were 14% of average annual income for college-educated women and 50% for non-college-educated women.

#3. Pharmacist Ranks Among Best Jobs in 2016

Pharmacist ranked as the 29th best job in the United States in 2016, according to CareerCast’s latest ranking of 200 careers.

This ranking was a slight dip from last year, when pharmacist was slotted as the 27th best job out of 200.

CareerCast gave pharmacists a work environment score of 48.2, a stress score of 14.7, and a hiring outlook of 3.6, which suggests a somewhat poor outlook. Pharmacists’ income was estimated to be around $121,170.

Pharmacy technicians landed the 42nd spot on CareerCast’s list, with an income around $30,000. Their work environment score was 44.7, their stress score was 9.1, and their hiring outlook was 10.25.

#2. Fentanyl Disguised as Norco Strikes Sacramento Community Hard

The Sacramento County Division of Public Health is warning the public about a sharp increase in opioid-related overdoses in the past 2 weeks.

So far, 42 overdoses have been reported to the Division of Public Health, and 10 people are suspected to have died because of pills that were disguised as acetaminophen/hydrocodone (Norco) but really contained fentanyl. Nine of the deaths were in Sacramento County, and 1 was reported in Yolo County.

Some of the patients who were hospitalized for overdose have returned home. Those who used the drugs said they received them from strangers, neighbors, or friends.

Fentanyl is especially dangerous because it is odorless and is not easily distinguishable from a product that is not contaminated with fentanyl. It’s around 80 times as potent as morphine and “hundreds of times more potent than heroin,” according to the Division of Public Health.

#1. Prince Visited a Pharmacy the Day Before His Death

Music icon Prince made 4 trips to a pharmacy in the week before his death on April 21, 2016.

TMZ shared a photo of Prince leaving a Walgreens pharmacy near his residence in Minnesota around 7 PM on April 20, 2016.

TMZ’s sources said Prince was a Walgreens customer for years. However, individuals from the store told the entertainment news outlet that he looked “more frail and nervous than usual” the day before his death.

TMZ also reported that multiple sources said the “Raspberry Beret” singer had been treated for a drug overdose less than a week before he died. Prince’s private jet made an emergency landing in Illinois on April 15, 2016, even though the plane was scheduled to touch down 48 minutes later.