Turning the Corner on COVID-19

Happy Spring! As we head into March, things appear to be looking up on the COVID-19 front. Hospitalizations and deaths are down nationwide, and mask mandates are being lifted across many states, towns, and school districts.

Since early 2020, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other pharmacy employees have been on the front lines of this pandemic, which appears to be moving into the endemic stage. But COVID-19 is likely not going away any time soon, and nor is pharmacy professionals’ role in combating the disease.

For instance, during the State of the Union address on March 1, 2022, President Joseph R. Biden announced that a major part of the new National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan is “Test to Treat,” which will enable Americans to get tested for COVID-19 at pharmacies and receive free antiviral pills “on the spot” if they test positive.

Count on Pharmacy Timesto continue providing the latest news and actionable information on COVID-19 and on the many other topics that are of interest to pharmacy professionals.

One such topic is mental health, the spotlight for our March issue. Our look at mental health includes the cover feature by Kathleen Kenny, PharmD, RPh, who explores the link between hypertension and cognitive decline and how pharmacists can help patients get regular checkups, use blood pressure machines correctly, and improve adherence. Other articles examine the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 and how adequate training can help pharmacy technicians recognize the signs of drug abuse.

Elsewhere in the issue, we discuss ways to help patients overcome insomnia, skinny labeling for generic drugs, and the third and final part of the Pharmacy Times 2021 Salary and Job Satisfaction Survey.

In addition, our Future of Pharmacy resource center is now live at PharmacyTimes.com. Among the video interviews is one with David P. Zgarrick, PhD, FAPhA, a professor at Northeastern University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, who addresses what the future of the profession may look like. You can also peruse articles such as “The Future of Patient Safety Is in Automation, Digital Health.” We will continue to add valuable content over the coming months, so check out the resource center (https://www.pharmacytimes.com/clinical/future-of-pharmacy).

Be sure to look at the robust content housed within PharmacyTimes.com’s many other resource centers, which encompasses topics ranging from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder to herpes zoster. We also have content organized by clinical role, such as retail, specialty pharmacy, students, and technicians.

Thanks for reading.