Think Before Prescribing: Using the Beers Criteria in Advanced Practice
Prescribing for older adults requires more than knowledge of drug therapies — it demands careful evaluation of medication safety. The 2023 American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Beers Criteria helps APRNs identify potentially inappropriate medications in older adults who face increased risks due to physiologic changes, polypharmacy, and heightened drug sensitivity. As highlighted in a PharmCon freeCE educational activity led by Carolyn O’Brien, PhD, AGPCNP-BC, the Beers Criteria is a clinical guideline, not a mandate. It supports individualized decision-making, particularly when managing high-risk medications such as anticholinergics, benzodiazepines, certain sulfonylureas, and NSAIDs. APRNs must weigh fall risk, delirium potential, cognitive burden, and overall quality of life while considering safer alternatives and deprescribing strategies. Using Beers thoughtfully strengthens medication safety, improves geriatric outcomes, and reinforces advanced pharmacology competency in high-stakes prescribing situations.
Use of Epinephrine in Emergency Situations (Anaphylaxis): Part 2
Fear, not pharmacology, is often the biggest barrier to timely epinephrine use. In Part 2, we explore how needle phobia shapes patient behavior, refill patterns, and real-world outcomes, and why intranasal epinephrine may represent a meaningful shift in anaphylaxis treatment design.
Use of Epinephrine in Emergency Situations (Anaphylaxis): Part 1
Epinephrine saves lives in anaphylaxis, yet hesitation, needle fear, and device complexity still delay use. This article explores the real-world barriers pharmacy teams see every day and why intranasal epinephrine may represent a meaningful shift in emergency care delivery.
Point-of-Care Testing Isn’t “Extra” Anymore: How Pharmacy Technicians Are Becoming Essential to POCT
Point-of-care testing is no longer an “extra” service in pharmacy. From flu and COVID testing to A1C and cholesterol checks, POCT has become part of daily workflow. And behind every successful testing program are trained pharmacy technicians. Learn how POCT is expanding technician responsibilities and why proper training makes all the difference.
The Value of Point-of-Care Testing Services
Pharmacy technicians are an essential part of the healthcare team, providing support to pharmacists and ensuring that medications are dispensed safely and accurately. In recent years, pharmacy technicians have also become increasingly involved in point-of-care (POC) testing services, which are diagnostic tests that can be performed at the point of care, rather than being sent […]