ASHPOfficial

ASHP chats with pharmacist Andrew Smith at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx and Attending Physician Jonathan St. George at New York Presbyterian Hospital about their experiences with airway management in patients during the COVID-19 surge. Listen in as they share their strategies for patient care and medication decision making during this evolving pandemic.

We chat with Lucas Schulz about what pharmacists should be evaluating when it comes to all of the rapidly emerging studies and data surrounding the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Our content matter experts provide recommendations on how to critically assess and potentially apply information to these studies into real practice situations.

Our ASHP members are in various stages of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the COVID-19 global pandemic. This is an extremely difficult time and as we – pharmacists, pharmacy residents, students pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians - continue to care for our patients, it is even more imperative to step-up our well-being for ourselves and the healthcare workforce community. Today, we chat with Lisa Wilhelm, Medication Safety and Compliance Specialist, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA,  on lessons learned and advice to share related to workforce well-being, maintaining health, and (trying to) stay resilient during these complex times.

Treatment approaches to COVID-19 are rapidly changing, often based on data that are based on case reports and studies that are poorly designed and not adequately powered.  There has been an increased interest in the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment based on COVID-19 based on studies where they have been found to be efficient on SARS-CoV-2.  This weekend, the FDA has approved the use of these two anti-malaria drugs to treat patients infected by the new coronavirus. While clinical trials are needed to provide scientific evidence that these treatments are effective and safe, pharmacists are starting to see patients taking these medications, often without a prescription and with no regard to dosing regimen and concurrent medication regimens. We chat with Bryan Hayes on the management of patients who present to the ED who may have taken toxic doses of these agents. 

Dave Warner, ASHP Director of the Center on Practice Development and Brad Pierson, ASHP Senior Director of CareerPharm discuss CareerPharm Rapid Connect, a new free service, to alleviate staffing shortages during this crisis.  With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic many areas such as NY, NJ, WA, and CA to name a few are hard hit to care for an enormous number of critically ill patients.  Many facilities are faced with staffing shortages due to sheer volume, staff illnesses, and caring for patients with or without COVID-19.  Dr. Warner and Mr. Pierson discuss this new platform to unite individuals and facilities to help alleviate staffing shortages.