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Articles

Researchers aim to understand patients’ perception of whether or not they have sufficient information on contraceptives.

Inadequate Contraceptive Information Hinders Equity in Reproductive Care

Videos

Explore effective strategies for managing menstrual pain, including diet, exercise, and nonpharmacological therapies, while embracing women's health awareness.

Pharmacists Emerge as Key Educators in Women's Health, Destigmatizing Menstrual Pain

Joanna Lewis, PharmD, MBA explores effective over-the-counter solutions for menstrual cramps, including NSAIDs, supplements, and tips for optimal relief.

Pharmacist Discusses Top OTC Strategies for Managing Menstrual Pain 

Abortion clinic closures impact reproductive health access, prompting a shift towards pharmacists for contraceptive care and highlighting urgent public health needs.

Patients Must Seek Pharmacists, Other Providers For Reproductive Health as Abortion Clinics Close

Drug Topics connects pharmacists across retail, health system, and specialty practice with clinical updates, pharmacy trends, and regulatory news.

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Clinical

In January of 2024, Bil Schmidtknecht’s son, Cole, entered a community retail pharmacy to learn that his asthma medication was no longer covered by insurance. Avoiding the $500-plus copay on his medication, Cole could not afford it and later experienced an asthma attack, leading to his eventual death 6 days later.

“It became my life mission to get justice for my son, Cole, and making sure no one else dies,” Schmidtknecht, who’s the founder of Patient Protector and director of patient experience at AffirmedRx, told 

. “I quit my job, started a patient protector organization, called Patient Protector. [A local pharmacist] and some various staff members got involved with us—all volunteer, nonprofit, grassroots, no pharma money, nothing.”

After his son’s tragic passing, Schmidtknecht began researching pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and just how complex prescription drug benefits in the US can be. Learning of PBM tactics like prior authorization and the step process that led to his son losing insurance coverage, Schmidtknecht has since dedicated his life to PBM reform and making the health care system in America more geared toward patients’ needs.

“I've worked in Illinois, Texas, Oregon, Missouri, all kinds of states. We touch about almost 10,000 pharmacies with our social media, our docu-series 

,” he continued. “We make it easy for a pharmacist to fight [for] PBM reform, if you want to say. It's just been a whirlwind.”

Stay tuned for weekly podcast episodes on 

 every Thursday afternoon. Check out our previous episode with 

pharmacy turnover for independent and chain locations

. He highlighted how these trends paint a bigger picture of the current retail pharmacy landscape.

Are you ready to elevate your pharmacy practice? Sign up today for our 

 and get the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips, straight to your inbox.

After experiencing tragedy in his personal life, Bil Schmidtknecht was led to join the community of independent pharmacists and industry advocates calling for PBM reform across both aisles.

How Real Patient Experiences Have Helped Bolster Advocacy for PBM Reform

With current industry trends leading to an unprecedented number of pharmacy shutdowns, the challenges surrounding pharmacy deserts are gradually impacting patient outcomes in communities across the US. Whether it be increased advocacy and awareness or key stakeholders enacting change in the business side of pharmacy, experts believe the trends in pharmacy deserts must be corrected to benefit patients’ access to essential services.

“It's important for us, whenever we see a problem or a disease, [that we] diagnose what's causing this problem or this disease,” said Michael Murphy, PharmD, MBA. “The reason that we're seeing pharmacy deserts close across the country is because there is a business failure in community pharmacy that's not the community pharmacies’ fault. It is because we've seen, over the past several years, a significant decline in pharmacies being able to generate revenue when they dispense medications to their patients.”

According to several experts and advocates, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have negatively impacted pharmacy revenue, owing to the “business failure” in community pharmacy that Murphy discussed. However, despite the scrutiny pharmacy deserts have received recently, the issue is not solely based on PBM control.

“We also need policy makers at the state and federal level to pass legislation that recognizes pharmacists as providers and allows for the reimbursement of those services so that pharmacists can provide services to those patients and patients are allowed to use their health insurance to receive those services as a covered benefit,” continued Murphy.

 was joined by Murphy, who is an assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and an advisor for state government affairs at the American Pharmacists Association. He joined us to offer his insights into the growing issue of pharmacy deserts and how they affect patients. He also discussed the best ways to move forward as a country from his perspective as a pharmacist.

, lead research director at the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science. He joined us to discuss the importance of his company’s report, Understanding the Use of Medicines in the US 2025.

Don’t get left behind: Sign up today for our 

 and get the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips delivered straight to your inbox.

Michael Murphy, PharmD, MBA, discusses the increasingly prominent impacts of pharmacy deserts, highlighting discrepancies in the term's definition and the financial pressures impacting sustainability.

Why Pharmacy Deserts Are Detrimental to US Communities

Within the ever-connected social media age the world is currently living through, the need for individuals to enhance their physical performance and appearance has exponentially increased. Internet culture has long perpetuated these needs, forcing patients around the world to think differently about their looks and their health as more and more social media content is created.

But with the sheer amount of content posted throughout all social media platforms, compounded with a growing need to be physically attractive or fit, many patients’ perspectives may become skewed, leading to potentially dangerous health outcomes.

“Now, again, with advertisements, the problem is, if you're promoting these drugs to people who wouldn't necessarily clinically need them, but you're leading them to believe you need them because you don't have this [physical] performance, the problem is, you can create psychological dependency from using these drugs,” said Luke Turnock, PhD, senior lecturer at the University of Lincoln.

With extensive research into 3 specific lifestyle drugs that are creating a buzz on social media, Turnock sat down with 

on the latest episode of Over the Counter to discuss the potential impact increased online advertising will have on patients around the world. The 3 drugs Turnock has specific expertise in are glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs for weight loss, sexual enhancement drugs like Viagra, and testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) normally attached to men’s health.

Turnock discussed these 3 therapies usually requiring a prescription, their significant prevalence on social media, and the potential normalization of drugs that are otherwise not approved for a majority of the global population.

Mark Garofoli, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, CPE, CTTS

, clinical assistant professor at the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy and host of the Pharmacy Podcast Network’s Pain Pod. He discussed current trends in OTC product use for pain management.

Pharmacy practice is always changing. Stay ahead of the curve: Sign up for our 

Hirst M, Turnock LA. Semaglutide, testosterone and sildenafil advertising on social media: the normalisation of lifestyle enhancement drugs. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.peh.2024.100303

Amid record levels of advertisements for lifestyle medications on social media, Luke Turnock, PhD, discusses the global impact these trends may have on patients.

The Normalization of Lifestyle Drugs on Social Media 

From the marketing of drugs with low-added benefit to manufacturers’ inability to follow FDA guidelines, direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs has increased in the US and is beginning to raise alarms.

“Under FDA guidelines, pharmaceutical companies are supposed to provide a balanced view of drugs in advertising in terms of their risks and benefits,” said Jenny Markell, BA, PhD Candidate of Health and Public Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “They're supposed to avoid any misleading information. It's illegal, for example, to overstate a drug’s benefits, misrepresent data from studies, or make claims that are not supported by adequate evidence.”

However, even after FDA attempts of holding manufacturers accountable, drug companies continue to skew the country’s perceptions of specific prescription drugs.

 to discuss her research on direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs. Aside from her academic research, Markell has published 2 articles in the 

Journal of the American Medical Association

 exploring various issues within drug advertising.

On the latest episode of Over the Counter, she shared her insights into how drug companies are marketing their products, common trends seen in some of the more notable drug classes, and what it all means for patients going forward. Markell helped us assess where drug advertising in the US exists now and where it might be headed in the future.

Diana Isaacs, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, BC-ADM, CDCES

, diabetes counselor and educator with years of experience working with GLP-1 medications. She discussed the sheer increase in GLP-1 use as well as the pharmacists’ role in counseling patients on the use of these medications.

1. DiStefano MJ, Markell JM, Doherty CC, et al. Association between drug characteristics and manufacturer spending on direct-to-consumer advertising. 

. 2023;329(5):386-392. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.23968

2. Markell J, Odouard I, Anderson GF, et al. Consumer perceptions of safety information in direct-to-consumer print advertisements for Alzheimer drugs. 

 2024;7(8):e2431110. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.31110

Throughout her research, Jenny Markell, BA, has uncovered some alarming trends within prescription drug advertising in the US.

The Rise in Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs

Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD and Madi Hartling, a 2025 PharmD candidate, discuss the lack of pharmacists in medical shows and how pharmacists are typically portrayed negatively.

The Regimen: Portrayal of Pharmacists in Media

Introducing The Regimen, a podcast now in collaboration with 

®, where Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, clinical professor of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy and academic collaborations officer at the Rhode Island Department of Health, talks with experts and pharmacy students about the latest public health issues, their solutions, and how pharmacists can make an impact.

In this episode, Jeff and Madi Hartling, a 2025 PharmD candidate at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, discuss the portrayal of pharmacists in the media. In TV shows, movies, and advertisements, pharmacists are frequently depicted as robotic professionals who simply count pills and hand over prescriptions. This narrow representation overlooks the critical role pharmacists play in health care, from providing medication counseling to ensuring patient safety.

While public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of pharmacists, the media still has room to improve in its portrayal of them. A more accurate depiction would showcase their deep knowledge of pharmacology, their collaboration with doctors, and their patient-care responsibilities. This could help the public gain a greater appreciation for pharmacists as essential health care professionals rather than just dispensers of medicine.

Listen on to hear Jeff and Madi discuss how the roles of pharmacists outside of traditional community practice are rarely represented, the lack of pharmacists in medical shows, how pharmacists are typically portrayed negatively, the lack of gender diversity, how it impacts the public’s view of the pharmacy profession, and more.

 for important conversations around improving population health, health equity, and patient care through advocacy and education. All episodes of The Regimen will be available on 

Are you ready to elevate your pharmacy practice? Sign up today for our

and get the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips, straight to your inbox.

Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD and Madi Hartling, a 2025 PharmD candidate, discuss the lack of pharmacists in medical shows and how pharmacists are typically portrayed negatively in media.

The Cut Hypertension Program was launched with the hopes of bringing necessary medical care to the communities in need of it most. With some pandemic-related challenges at the inception of the program, it has since been launched and partnered with nearly 15 barbershops in the Oakland and San Francisco Bay Area.

“What we're trying to do is bring medicine to the community instead of the other way around,” said Crystal Zhou, PharmD, APh, AHSCP, BCACP, Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of California, San Francisco, and the program’s lead pharmacist.

, Zhou joined us to discuss the program in depth and explain how initiatives like this can truly highlight the crucial role pharmacists play within the health care system. While her practice setting is unique, being in a barbershop, she hopes practice collaboration—like that of the Cut Hypertension Program—can be expanded within health care and help improve patient outcomes across the globe.

“It could be a barbershop, it could be a nail salon, it could be a church. I think this model of bringing care into the community for the people who need it most is what's really important and could make a huge impact in public health and really improve people's blood pressures.”

Listen to our full-length conversation with Zhou as she describes what it means to be lead pharmacist of 

, as well as her passion both for hypertension and for promoting non-traditional roles within health care.

“I'm an advocate for nontraditional roles,” she said. “I [thought], let's try to expand and think outside the box and see what else pharmacists are capable of doing. Because of my position here at [the University of San Francisco], I think I'm very fortunate and able to meet the right people and make this [program] happen.”

, co-author of a section titled “Navigating Generative AI: Opportunity and Risk” from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2025 Pharmacy Forecast. Nelson discussed AI’s role within health-system pharmacy and how pharmacists can use this technology to combat persistent practice challenges.

Chong S, Huynh B, Wong S, et al. Preferences and perspectives of Black male barbershop patrons on receiving health care in nontraditional settings. 

 2023 Dec 12;7(1):835-842. doi: 10.1089/heq.2023.0157.

The Cut Hypertension Program operates in barbershops across the Bay Area in California. The program’s lead pharmacist joined us to discuss main themes and goals of the new initiative.

How Barbershops Are Becoming Community Health Care Destinations

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) recently announced the formation of the Independent Community Pharmacy Consortium for Government Engagement. Designed to create a framework for pharmacies, organizations, and other entities within the pharmaceutical supply chain, NCPA is spearheading this consortium with hopes of alleviating future public health crises.

“Well, we're not trying to replace anything that exists and that functions well today,” said Kurt Proctor, PhD, RPh. “[The consortium] is more to be there and to be ready when something happens and somebody needs to engage independents broadly. Again, we’re the easy button for them to do that.”

To discuss this independent pharmacy “easy button,” Proctor joined 

. As President of the NCPA Innovation Center, he’s played a leading role in getting the consortium off the ground. From the COVID-19 pandemic’s direction on future public health issues to the constant readiness exhibited by independents across the country, Proctor explained exactly why he believes this is a win for patients and pharmacies in the US.

Stay tuned for weekly podcast episodes on Over the Counter every Thursday afternoon. Check out our previous episode with 

, also known as “The Nutrition Pharmacist.” She discussed new-year diets and the unique combination of pharmacy and nutrition.

PBMs Significantly Marked Up Specialty Generic Drugs

The new initiative is a way for NCPA to proactively engage its network of community pharmacies during a potential public health crisis.

NCPA's New Consortium Exemplifies Preparedness in Community Pharmacy

Andrea Sikora, PharmD, MSCR, FCCM, FCCP, BCCCP, chair of the committee presenting new guidelines, discussed her role in bolstering pharmacists’ support in the ICU.

Q&A: New ICU Guidelines Highlight, Confirm Role of Critical Care Pharmacists

Using results from the Rx for Change program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, researchers explored an integrative approach to cardiometabolic disease management among Black patients.

Community Health Programs Improved Outcomes Among Black Patients

Pharmacists advance equity by personalizing care and addressing health literacy to meet patients where they are.

Q&A: Equity in Pharmacy Means Meeting Patients Where They Are

Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to close health literacy gaps through clear communication and intentional patient education.

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