By Leading With Evidence, Pharmacists Are Shaping Modern Patient Care

The role of the health system pharmacist has never been more demanding or more consequential. As the therapeutic landscape grows increasingly complex, staying current with emerging evidence is not merely a professional obligation but a patient safety imperative. Recent research and drug developments are reshaping clinical practice, and it is crucial that pharmacists are well equipped to handle the changing landscape.

For patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV), achieving a functional cure represents the ultimate treatment goal. This issue’s peer-reviewed paper found a functional cure rate of approximately 5.4% among patients on tenofovir-based antiretroviral therapy. This particular study also identified significant gaps in routine HBV lab monitoring, with labs collected at only 74% of eligible appointments, emphasizing a meaningful opportunity for clinical pharmacists to improve lab stewardship and ensure coinfected patients receive the systematic surveillance their complex disease burden demands.

Recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (rCDI) remains one of the most clinically challenging conditions pharmacists encounter, carrying a mortality risk nearly 10 times higher than an initial episode. The treatment armamentarium has expanded considerably, with fidaxomicin now preferred over vancomycin for both initial and recurrent disease. The approvals of 2 live fecal microbiota–based therapies have further broadened options for patients with multiple recurrences. Oral vancomycin prophylaxis offers an additional layer of protection for high-risk patients requiring systemic antibiotics, though the evidence base warrants cautious, individualized application. Pharmacists are well positioned to guide therapy selection and counsel patients across each of these evolving strategies.

In the area of psychiatric pharmacotherapy, a subcutaneous long-acting injectable (LAI) formulation of olanzapine (TV-44749; Teva Pharmaceuticals) may offer a safer alternative to the existing intramuscular formulation, which carries a well-documented risk of postinjection delirium/sedation syndrome (PDSS). In the phase 3 SOLARIS trial (NCT05693935), TV-44749 demonstrated significant improvements in symptom severity scores across all 3 dose groups, with no confirmed cases of PDSS among more than 600 patients and approximately 3600 injections administered. If approved, this formulation could expand LAI utilization in a population where adherence is a persistent clinical barrier.

Across each of these therapeutic areas, a common thread emerges: Pharmacists have the power to translate emerging evidence into better patient outcomes. Whether optimizing rCDI treatment regimens, closing surveillance gaps in complex infectious disease populations, or counseling patients and providers on next-generation psychiatric formulations, the health system pharmacist serves as an indispensable clinical partner. As science advances, our responsibility is to advance with it.