Use of modafinil by college students to remain functional while sleep deprived (from Brenda Green)
Locate articles that discuss pharmacies restricting access to over-the-counter pseudoephedrine in order to limit the illegal production of crystal meth. How many states have passed legislation on the matter? Are there any reported outcomes yet (i.e. less meth on the streets, fewer lab busts, etc.)? (from Stewart Brower)
Clients in your pharmacy keep asking you whether the new Sudafed PE is better or worse than classic Sudafed – particularly since they have to jump through a lot of hoops to purchase the older drug. You decide to do some research into the relative efficacy of pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine. (from KT Vaughan)
Locate articles on the medical science behind the recent decision by Merck to pull Vioxx from the shelves. How long have we known about the possible risks of heart attack for users of Vioxx and other COX-2 inhibitors? (For Web of Science or Google Scholar searchers, what is the most-often cited article?) (from Stewart Brower)
Locate articles that discuss pharmacists refusing to distribute the “morning after” pill, otherwise known as emergency contraceptives. Are there any official remarks or statements from professional pharmacists associations? What is the AMA’s position? Is this a U.S.-only problem or are there issues elsewhere? (from Stewart Brower)
You work in a diabetes clinic in Tipton County. You notice that when uncontrolled type II diabetes patients (normally controlled on oral medications) are given insulin in addition to their Actos (pioglitazone) therapy that many of them develop congestive heart failure (CHF) within several months. You wonder if this occurrence is medication-related and decide to conduct a literature search. (from Lin Wu)
An ophthalmologist calls in a prescription to your pharmacy for cyclosporine ophthalmic drops for the treatment of keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye). You only have cyclosporine capsules. Is there literature that discusses the compounding of cyclosporine into an ophthalmic drop? (Note: there might be more than one correct answer. List only one) (from Lin Wu)
I would like to research on the value of pharmacists’ interventions to correct prescription errors. I would also like to know whether there were any review articles. (from Lin Wu)
Herbal medicine in treating diabetic foot. (from Lin Wu)
I would like to know any literature on drug interactions of oral contraceptives and phenytoin. (from Lin Wu)
What evidence can you find for using acetylcysteine for contrast media-induced nephropathy? (from Marlene Dorgan)
Is there any evidence/literature on inhaled furosemide used for the treatment of dyspnea? (from Marlene Dorgan)
What evidence/literature can be found for using dextromethorphan in the treatment of dyskinesias? (from Marlene Dorgan)
Are there dosage adjustments required in obese patients receiving enoxaparin for thromboprophylaxis or treatment of DVT? (from Marlene Dorgan)
With all of the concern about Avandia lately, you’ve decided to see what information is known about another type 2 diabetes drug, Actos (pioglitazone). In particular, you want to know if there is a connection known between heart health and this drug. (from KT Vaughan)
A patient recently received the meningococcal vaccine. Could this have caused her to develop Guillain-Barre Syndrome? Find any English case reports dealing with human adolescents. (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)
A patient is taking lovastatin. Could this have caused her to develop rhabdomyolysis? Find any review articles written in the last 3 years in English about a human population. (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)
A patient is taking aspirin and clopidogrel. Could this have caused her to develop a duodenal ulcer? Find any review articles written in English about the effect in the middle-aged. (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)
A patient is taking dapsone. Could this have caused him to develop hemolytic anemia? Find any review articles or case reports written on the topic in English and dealing with humans. (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)
A doctor wants to treat a patient who has hyperhomocysteinemia. Would Vitamin B Complex be appropriate to recommend? Find any English RCTs looking at its efficacy in an 80+ year old population. (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)
A doctor wants to treat a patient who has ulcerative colitis. Would infliximab be appropriate to recommend? Find any RCTs written in English on a human population. (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)
A patient has renal cell cancer. She recently read that taking vitamin C will help. Would vitamin C be appropriate to recommend? Find any English review articles on the topic. (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)
A doctor wants to treat a patient who has carpal tunnel syndrome. Would steroids be appropriate to recommend? Find any English RCTs conducted on adult humans. (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)
A patient is receiving a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and receives a new prescription for linezolid. Should the patient be monitored for a possible drug interaction? Find any review articles or case reports. (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)
A patient who is receiving Pravachol presents with a prescription to add TriCor. Should the patient be monitored for a possible drug interaction? (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)
A patient who is stabilized on digoxin presents with a new prescription for Paxil. Should the patient be monitored for a possible drug interaction? (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)
A patient who is receiving interferon alfa-2b presents with a new prescription for gemfibrozil. Should the patient be monitored for a possible drug interaction? (from Jonathan Koffel for PubMed)