Extravasation of noncytotoxic medications update A long time ago in a blogger far, far away, I wrote a short post about extravasation of noncytotoxic medications in the ED. But a new article in Annals of Pharmacotherapy has inspired a resurrection and update of this old post. At the time, I was reviewing a paper from Pharmacotherapy (Management of Extravasation Injuries: A Focused Evaluation of Noncytotoxic Medications). This article was a terrific resource for those in [...]

Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis in healthcare workers study Hydroxychloroquine didn’t know it was going to have such a year. The once limited use drug is on the minds of millions across the globe. While there are strong opinions on either side of the argument for its use in COVID19, there’s little to actually hold these beliefs up. Which is why the need for evidence is so desperate. We can determine, in an acceptable scientific manner, whether the [...]

Snake Bite Prevention Tips: Quarantine Edition Avoiding the emergency department is a good life goal. These days with a global pandemic afoot, there’s never been a better reason to avoid the hospital altogether. But as the weather turns warm in the South, hungry reptiles begin to emerge and hunt for food. Couple this with populations of individuals self-isolating at home, or otherwise outdoors and not at work, the risk of snakebite may be going up.  [...]

Remdesivir Clinical Evidence Phase 3 Studies Without a doubt, there is limited evidence to go off of for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. While we continue to wrestle with the foundations of evidence-based medicine, we're also recognizing the need to prioritize ongoing clinical trials and collectively assess and critically appraise the literature at hyper-speed. With that in mind, we must begin a review of the evidence before it is even published. That is why I've outlined [...]

Virtual Residency Interview Format The circumstances we find ourselves in currently with the COVID-19 pandemic are hard to believe. Yet, as we fight for our patients every day, we cannot forget about other responsibilities for the future strength of the profession. That is why ensuring residency interviews for the incoming class continues on. As long as the format with which they've traditionally been handled chances. While online and web-based meeting platforms are becoming more familiar [...]

Hydroxychloroquine COVID-19 Drug Interactions As we learn more each day about how best to beat SARS-CoV-2 (Corona Virus/COVID-19), hydroxychloroquine keeps being included in the discussion. While the interest in this drug is exploding, we have to be mindful of the potential hazards of the drug. Fortunately, we have a long history of knowledge with this drug, just for the treatment of malaria and rheumatologic disorders. Today, let’s focus on one issue - drug interactions While [...]

Emergency Medicine Pharmacists - A Rally Call I revisit this post from time to time. Right now, it's time to revisit it again. At a critical time in history, EM pharmacists need a rallying call to pull together and do what we do best. ***** There’s an analogy I like to make that helps identify the role of the pharmacist in the hospital and in the emergency department. However, the analogy does require prerequisite knowledge [...]

There’s an interesting series of books by Nicholas Nassim Taleb discussing events that cause a massive change in an environment or industry. While I didn’t love the books because it felt like I was being yelled at by somebody on a lot of cocaine for 600 pages, the message was salient. Right now, we’re seeing a massive change in the residency recruitment arena, and I don’t think it’s going to be a temporary [...]

Online Interview Tips and Tricks Phase 2 of the pharmacy residency match is challenging in any normal year. This year, it’s a uniquely difficult situation where no sensible person will be holding unnecessary in-person meetings. What the end result maybe is to conduct all interviews remotely and virtually. The infrastructure for this already exists online (and good for you if you already own LogMeIn stock…). But before you switch on the laptop camera and remove [...]