What Every Pharmacist Needs to Know about RSV Prevention

Fever, runny nose, cough, congestion… If you sing it to yourself, it sounds a bit like that old Pepto-Bismol commercial (“Nausea, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrheaaa!”). Or maybe that’s just us being pharmacy nerds. Regardless, these are surely not a fun constellation of symptoms, especially when they worsen and lead to hospitalization of our youngest and oldest patients. Come take a deep dive into newly approved measures to shield patients from one of their most common causes: RSV.

Clinical, Pharmacy School, Practice, ResidencyStephanie KujawskiJanuary 2, 2024RSV vaccine, RSV monoclonal antibodies, RSV prevention infants and older adults, is there an RSV vaccine for babies, FDA approval of RSV vaccine, how effective are the RSV vaccines, how safe are the RSV vaccines, should I have my baby vaccinated for RSV

Acute Stabilization of Severe Bleeds Part 2: Initial Management of Traumatic Brain Injuries & Intracranial Hemorrhages

Pressure, pushing down on me, pressing down on you… Maybe Freddie and David were actually singing about what happens when that pressure pushes on the brain due to a bleed. Maybe. Ok, probably not, but it’s a ridiculously important question! In order to learn how to manage this critical situation, you need to come get some need-to-know info. Let tl;dr guide you through both the non-pharm and pharm management of brain bleeds.

Clinical, Pharmacy School, Practice, ResidencyStephanie KujawskiDecember 19, 2023traumatic brain injury TBI, intracranial hypertension hemorrhage ICP ICH, hypertonic saline for elevated ICP ICH, mannitol for elevated ICP ICH, how to manage a brain bleed, drugs used for brain bleeds

The Art of ADHD

You open the C-II cabinet at work, and your eyes cross. There are FIVE MILLION medication options stocked for ADHD. How on earth are you supposed to keep them all straight? Why are there so many?? WHO LET IT GET THIS OUT OF CONTROL??? Don’t worry, tl;dr is here to give you the rundown on the world of ADHD pharmacotherapy so you can wade through the mire of meds.

Clinical, Pharmacy School, Practice, ResidencyStephanie KujawskiDecember 4, 2023ADHD, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, treatment management of ADHD, pharmacotherapy of ADHD, what are the differences between ADHD medications, stimulants versus non stimulants for ADHD, how do ADHD meds work

NICU Series Part 5: Vaccination Considerations in the NICU

If you have children, you probably remember the feeling of seeing your poor little new bundle look like a pin cushion for their 2 month vaccines. (Hard but worth it in the long run…!) But have you ever wondered how prematurity affects vaccine administration? Are the vaccines still given per usual or should the schedule be adjusted, and is it a blanket recommendation for all vaccines? Let tl;dr give you crucial information on infection prevention for our littlest of littles!

Clinical, Pharmacy School, Practice, ResidencyStephanie KujawskiNovember 21, 2023neonatal ICU vaccines, vaccines for newborns, how to protect infants from infectious diseases infections, when to give vaccines to infants in NICU, passive versus active immunity pregnancy, RSV vaccines monoclonal antibodies, Beyfortus Synagis

A Pharmacist's Primer on Orphan Drugs

We spend a lot of time talking about the major pharmacotherapeutic targets: hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, etc. But what about those disease states that aren’t quite so common? How are therapies for those conditions developed, and what kind of regulatory support exists for manufacturers? Let tl;dr shed some light on rare diseases and their orphan drug treatments!

Pharmacy School, Practice, ProfessionalStephanie KujawskiNovember 14, 2023orphan drugs, rare diseases, FDA approval of orphan drugs, CDER, ARC rare diseases, GARD rare diseases, why do drug companies develop orphan drugs

Continuous Glucose Monitors and Insulin Pumps: A Guide for Pharmacists

Maybe it’s for your diabetic patient. Or maybe it’s just your otherwise healthy patient trying to get a better read on their metabolic health. Either way, you’ll likely come across CGMs or Insulin Pumps sooner or later. This patient-friendly article will help get you up to speed.

Clinical, Practice, Pharmacy SchoolBrandon DysonOctober 24, 2023continuous glucose moniotors, insulin pumps, managing insulin pumps

Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine Part 1

How many of you have heard a patient state that they need “the blue tablet” because nothing else works? Have you ever wondered whether there’s some underlying truth to their request? Before you get too exasperated trying to figure out which NDC they’re talking about, consider the possibility of a nugget of truth there. Although all humans are astoundingly genetically similar, we’re also clearly not clones. So it stands to reason that our genetic differences could also cause variability in our reactions to medications. Welcome to pharmacogenomics! Let tl;dr introduce you to this field and the opportunities that await.

Clinical, Pharmacy School, Practice, ResidencyStephanie KujawskiAugust 15, 2023pharmacogenomics, genes and drugs, genetics and medications, how to optimize medication therapy using genetics, why isn't pharmacogenomics more popular, how can pharmacogenomics improve patient care

NICU Series Part 2: Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) in Premature Neonates

Have you ever stopped to marvel at how some of our littlest patients have the biggest hearts? Having just entered the world and without a clue about what’s going on, they so often fight, Fight, FIGHT for life! Total miracles. Even so, sometimes those big little hearts just don’t quite mature the way they need to, so we have to give them a little extra help. Let tl;dr give you the scoop on how a couple of common adult medications can be put to unusual uses for the neonatal heart.

Clinical, Pharmacy School, Practice, ResidencyStephanie KujawskiJuly 31, 2023NICU pharmacology, neonatal ICU patent ductus arteriosus PDA, ibuprofen indomethacin neonates, NSAIDs in neonates, NSAIDs neonates PDA, cardiac issues in neonates NICU pharmacy, premature baby PDA NSAIDs COX inhibitors

Acute Stabilization of Severe Bleeds Part 1: Reversal of Anticoagulation

There was a time several years ago that we here at tl;dr might have seemed a smidge obsessed with anticoagulants. (Because, tbh, we were. They were all the rage. We liked writing about them. A lot. And often.) Now, after a slight hiatus, we’re back with still more anticoagulant fun! Except this time, we’re turning the tables. What do we do when anticoagulation goes awry, and we need to hit the power button to turn it OFF? Let’s explore!

Clinical, Pharmacy School, Practice, ResidencyStephanie KujawskiJuly 17, 2023acute severe bleeding anticoagulation, anticoagulation reversal, how to stop bleeding while on anticoagulant, how to reverse effects of anticoagulant, reversal of warfarin DOACs heparin dabigatran, clotting cascade anticoagulation, reversal of anticoagulation for bleed, hemorrhage on anticoagulation

The Pharmacist's Rundown on Pediatric Vaccines

For those of you who enjoyed our rundown on adult vaccines this past March and were just hoping and waiting for a similar overview for children, guess what - wish granted! Let tl;dr give you the need to know info on how the immune system develops in infants, as well as what vaccines kids should receive (and why, of course!). Spoiler alert: we rather like vaccines around here.

Clinical, Pharmacy School, Practice, ResidencyStephanie KujawskiJuly 3, 2023pediatric vaccines, pediatric immune system development, pediatric immunoglobulin types levels, children and vaccines, can pharmacists give pediatric vaccines, how to manage vaccine reactions in kids

NICU Series Part 1: Respiratory Issues in Premature Neonates

After a bit of a break from the world of pediatrics, tl;dr is diving back in! And we’re diving not just into general pediatrics but the specialty world of neonates. (We don’t play around here. Go big or go home, right?). So come with us for the start of our first ever NICU mini-series with a post on respiratory issues in the smallest of our precious gifts.

Clinical, Pharmacy School, Practice, ResidencyStephanie KujawskiJune 19, 2023NICU pharmacology, medications used for neonates, neonatal ICU respiratory issues, NICU babies apnea, NICU babies BPD CLD, NICU caffeine citrate Cafcit

The Pharmacist's Dos & Don'ts of Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI)

As pharmacists, there are maaaaany topics for which we have the luxury of time to investigate and double check answers. (You know we love that lovely phrase, “I’m not sure, but I’ll look it up and let you know.”) That being said, there are also some situations in which this extra time just isn’t on the table, and we need to have that knowledge in our hip pockets (sometimes literally!). Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) is one of these time-sensitive topics, so let tl;dr give you the need to know info.

Clinical, Pharmacy School, Practice, ResidencyStephanie KujawskiJune 6, 2023rapid sequence intubation, RSI drugs, intubation drugs and doses, sedation for RSI, induction for RSI, use of paralytics in RSI intubation