Vitamin aisles at pharmacies typically contain a daunting amount of options. There are standard multivitamins, multivitamins with multiminerals, men’s multivitamins, women’s multivitamins, prenatal vitamins, children’s vitamins, silver multivitamins, various specialty vitamins, and so on. To make matters more confusing, these are all also available in multiple brands with differing ingredient combinations. There’s no singular definition […]

In today’s market, the sheer number of cough and cold products available for purchase make it arduous to know how to differentiate between options in the cough and cold section of a pharmacy. However, between all of the products available, they tend to have similar active ingredients. These products may simply vary by dose or […]

From family and friends on social media that post head-scratching medical advice, to a variety of websites that offer information stemming from questionable sources, and to misinformation being spread via word-of-mouth, it is easy and all-too-common to obtain false medicine information.  Below is a listing of trustworthy resources to utilize while seeking information about medicines […]

Similarly to medical doctors, pharmacists work in a wide variety of specialties and practice settings. However, in order to work in different settings, varying types of post-graduate training and certifications may be needed to hold various pharmacist positions. This post focuses on the different types of certifications needed to practice as a pharmacist in the […]

Do you ever walk into the aisles at your local pharmacy and feel… overwhelmed? The vitamin aisle specifically offers no exception. Vitamin sections for online retailers generally fall into the same trap. There are so many vitamin types, brands, and so many different possibilities to consider when going to purchase a vitamin. This article will […]

Joshua has pharmacy practice experience in the community and corporate settings, the outpatient clinic setting, and in the patient care research setting. Joshua’s primary pharmacy-related interests are related to oncology, specialty pharmacy, and community pharmacy. In his free time, Joshua enjoys travelling, frequenting the gym, playing soccer, and exploring fun new weekend destinations. Joshua is […]

Disclaimer: Mandeep Sohal, PharmD and Joshua Murdock, PharmD are employees of CVS Health. Any statements contained herein are solely the opinions of the authors and do not reflect the views of CVS Health, Aetna, CVS Caremark or any of CVS Health’s affiliates or subsidiaries. Are you a healthcare professional? Read the healthcare professional version of […]

Pharmacists are popularly known for helping patients control and improve various conditions, disease states, and other related ongoings through medication-based treatments alone.  However, as pharmacists, it is also our duty to help ensure that patients are getting the care they need from a more holistic approach. That is, an approach that combines medications, social-based resources, […]

Pharmacists are one of the most accessible healthcare providers and they play a crucial role on the healthcare team. Most Americans live within a 5-mile radius of a pharmacy. Yet, many patients still have unmet chronic and preventive health needs.  For years, pharmacists and pharmacy organizations have been advocating for provider status, which would result […]

Preface: this article marks the onset of a new Pharmacist Consult series that highlights a handful of news releases on a monthly cadence that are relevant to the world of pharmacy and public health.  With ongoing news cycles contrastingly seeming both cyclic and endless, it is easy to potentially lose track of what events happen […]

After months of rapid vaccine development, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. This comes about a week after the United Kingdom authorized the same vaccine – the first governing body in the world to do so.  The Pfizer-BioNTech […]

Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are entities that manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of health insurance plans. PBMs, thus, can be considered as extensions of health insurance plans. This oversight can include commercial health plans, self-insured employer health plans, Medicare Part D plans, union plans, state government employee plans, managed Medicaid plans, and so on.  […]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is recommended to get an influenza (flu) vaccine by the end of October every year.  The CDC goes on to recommend that everyone 6 months of age or older should receive a flu vaccine every season with certain rare exceptions; this has been recommended […]

The advancement of medical science, and the extent to which healthcare professionals (including pharmacists) can understand and treat medical conditions, depends in large part on reliable clinical trial results and outcomes. Although the specific participants chosen for clinical trials varies depending on the study type, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the situational research question at-hand, […]