Led by the moderator, the expert pharmacists examined the broad differential diagnosis for systemic mastocytosis (SM), including non-clonal mast cell activation syndrome, neuroendocrine tumors, myeloid neoplasms, and cutaneous mastocytosis, alongside the evolving landscape of KIT D816V mutation testing — from allele-specific PCR and digital droplet PCR to next-generation and Sanger sequencing — each with distinct sensitivity trade-offs.
Led by the moderator, the panelists discussed long-term complications such as osteoporosis, organ involvement, and recurrent anaphylaxis, along with common triggers including NSAIDs, opioids, alcohol, and physical exertion, highlighting symptom journaling as a practical tool for patient education.
Jennifer Griffin, PharmD, MS, outlines a listening-first approach to vaccine-hesitant patients and explains how delegating immunizations and non-clinical tasks to trained technicians has transformed her pharmacy's workflow.
In Outpatient Bispecific Initiation: Emerging Trends, Eligibility Criteria, and Operational Readiness, our panel of experts address a critical question.
In this episode, 'Sequencing in Focus: Pharmacists Reflect on the Impacts of MajesTEC-3 and MajesTEC-9 Data in Myeloma,' the oncology pharmacists explore the following questions:
Framing systemic inflammation as a “slow burn” helps patients see why SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1s work across diabetes, heart failure, and CKD.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in diabetes is often caught late. Standardized eGFR and UACR screening plus thoughtful sequencing can slow progression and cut CV risk.
From dietitian referrals to setting realistic weight-loss expectations, Cornell maps the pharmacist's place on the MASLD team.
UNC Health's Stacey Cutrell breaks down the PREVENT calculator, secondary-cause screening, and special-population guidance for pharmacists.
Scott Soefje, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, FCCP, FHOPA, discusses how Inlexzo and increasingly complex urologic cancer therapies are driving closer coordination between urology and oncology pharmacy.
Jennifer Griffin, PharmD, MS, discusses how pharmacists' accessibility and trust position them to fight vaccine misinformation and help close a coming gap in health care access as physician shortages loom.
The conversation centers on colorectal cancer screening, at-home COVID and flu testing, and fertility testing, with McPhillips and James stressing that pharmacists shouldn't shy away from uncomfortable conversations or treat self-tests as a substitute for further care.
Learn how pharmacists spot systemic mastocytosis sooner—using sensitive KIT testing, WHO/ICC criteria, and smarter referrals to improve outcomes.
Learn how pharmacists spot systemic mastocytosis sooner—using sensitive KIT testing, WHO/ICC criteria, and smarter referrals to improve outcomes.
Finally, Winter and Maroney synthesize the most critical practical lessons for pharmacy professionals and health care providers caring for patients with EDS in narcolepsy and OSA. They provide the essential roadmap pharmacists need to optimize outcomes for patients with EDS—from initial identification through long-term therapy management.
Winter explores how solriamfetol's emerging pipeline (ADHD, binge eating disorder, major depressive disorder, shift work disorder) may reshape the future of CNS pharmacology and the pharmacist's evolving role in this space.
Maroney outlines the key safety considerations pharmacists and clinicians should weigh when prescribing solriamfetol for EDS in narcolepsy or OSA. She highlights the drug's favorable interaction profile—since it isn't a substrate for major CYP enzymes, unlike modafinil, armodafinil, and pitolisant—making it a practical option for patients managing comorbidities on polypharmacy regimens.
Maroney discusses practical strategies for navigating coverage determinations and prior authorizations for patients prescribed solriamfetol. Current data show roughly 95% of commercially insured patients already have access to the drug, suggesting access barriers, while real, are often surmountable
Winter examines the TONES 5 randomized-withdrawal trial, discussing how sustained efficacy over 6 months factors into clinical decision-making and patient adherence in a chronic condition like EDS.
Winter breaks down the TONES clinical trial program, discussing ESS and Maintenance of Wakefulness Test end points. He covers how these benchmarks translate into what patients actually experience as functional improvements in their daily lives—helping pharmacists understand the real-world significance of the trial data.
Winter explains solriamfetol's distinct pharmacological profile as a dopamine-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor—the first and only agent in its class approved specifically for EDS—and discusses why this mechanism matters clinically compared to other available wakefulness-promoting options.
Winter opens the discussion by highlighting that millions of Americans with narcolepsy and OSA suffer from undertreated EDS. He sets the stage for understanding the unmet need that solriamfetol addresses.
Zahra Mahmoudjafari expressed optimism about the remarkable evolution of multiple myeloma management over her career while acknowledging the significant responsibility that accompanies the expanding therapeutic landscape, emphasizing the need for operational infrastructure that ensures appropriate access, continued advocacy around Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) programs, and strong cross-specialty partnerships such as those with ophthalmology that are critical to safely delivering agents like belantamab mafodotin.
Zahra Mahmoudjafari outlined best practices for pharmacist-led patient education across all three BCMA-directed therapy classes, emphasizing the importance of tailored, proactive counseling that accounts for the unique toxicity profiles of each agent, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity risk with CAR T-Cell therapies and bispecific antibodies, ocular symptoms such as blurred vision and dry eye with belantamab mafodotin, and infection risk across all modalities, while also stressing the critical role of care partners in recognizing and escalating adverse events early.
Winter opens the discussion by highlighting that millions of Americans with narcolepsy and OSA suffer from undertreated EDS. He sets the stage for understanding the unmet need that solriamfetol addresses.
Andrew Bzowyckyj, PharmD, explains how the CKM framework turns albuminuria, ejection fraction, and inflammation into patient-specific risk stratification.
This episode, titled 'Availability, Patient Preference, and Linvoseltamab: What Pharmacists Need to Know About the Evolving Bispecific Landscape,' features oncology pharmacists discussing the following critical questions:
In 'Patient Selection and Line-of-Therapy Navigation: Practical Insights for a Complex Myeloma Treatment Landscape,' our panel of experts delve into the following critical questions:
From double-dipping GLP-1s to off-label pioglitazone, Susan Cornell, PharmD, breaks down where the metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) drug evidence stands today.
James and McPhillips unpack the everyday barriers that keep patients from addressing health concerns and make the case for at-home testing as a way around those barriers, then turn to how pharmacists can improve their counseling once a patient shows up with results in hand.
