Archive for May, 2021

On April 13, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that out of more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine that had been administered, there were six reports of a rare and severe type of blood clot (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST)) combined with low blood platelet levels (thrombocytopenia) occurring in people after receiving the vaccine. When these two conditions occur at the same time, the resulting condition is known as thrombosis-thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). All six cases were in women ages 18 to 59. Reports indicated symptom onset began between 6 and 15 days after vaccination.

Because of these events, the FDA decided to place a pause on the Janssen vaccine so that they could examine available data and conduct an extensive outreach to healthcare providers to make sure they know the signs of this syndrome and how to properly treat it.

After 10 days, the pause on giving the vaccine was lifted on April 23 and both the FDA and CDC have confidence that this vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19. The available data shows that the benefit of receiving the vaccine outweighs the risk associated with it.

Due to the pause, there has been some hesitancy among people about getting the vaccine.

Here are some common myths about the COVID vaccines debunked:

Myth 1: We don’t know what is in these vaccines:

All three companies, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen have published their vaccine ingredients online and the list can be found on the CDC website:

• Different COVID-19 Vaccines

Most of the ingredients in these vaccines are similar to those found in the annual flu vaccine. The links listed below from the FDA and CDC are great resources to look at the ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccines, and those that are normally used in other vaccines.

• Description of each vaccine ingredient & purpose

• Common ingredients in US licensed vaccines

Myth 2: We can’t trust COVID-19 vaccines because they were rushed

The technology used to develop the vaccines is new to the public eye, but it has been researched for more than three decades. This technology has been developed quite well and tested in several animal models of infection over the years. Since COVID-19 is so prevalent, it took only a few months for researchers to gather enough data to make an evaluation, whereas with other vaccines for a less prevalent disease, it may take much longer because it can be so difficult to find participants.

Another contributing factor to the rollout speed of the vaccine was the massive government investment. Drug and vaccine trials take enormous amounts of money, and often companies have trouble with these expenses, so the government assistance in this instance was a big help.

Myth 3: The COVID-19 vaccine and the side effects are dangerous

The most common side effects of receiving the COVID-19 vaccines are tiredness, achiness, and fever, but these only last for a day or two. There is much evidence that supports the safety of the vaccines.

As mentioned above, the blood clot syndrome that resulted with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is an extremely rare side effect. Out of the approximate 7 million people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, only six people had this side effect. The clotting side effect is so rare that the chances are twice as rare as getting hit by lightning. It is also a complication that can happen if you’re infected by COVID-19, so it is not specific to the vaccine itself.

These two websites have more myths debunked and are reliable sources:

• Cleveland Clinic: 8 common COVID-19 vaccine myths explained
• News Tribune: Nervous about getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Dont believe these myths

Please call or stop in if you have any question regarding concerns over the vaccines, we will be happy to help!

Sources:

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Common Ingredients in U.S. Licensed Vaccines. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/common-ingredients-us-licensed-vaccines. Published April 19, 2019. Accessed May 4, 2021.

Commissioner of the. FDA and cdc LIFT Recommended pause on Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) Covid-19 vaccine use Following Thorough safety review. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-and-cdc-lift-recommended-pause-johnson-johnson-janssen-covid-19-vaccine-use-following-thorough. Published April 23, 2021. Accessed May 4, 2021.

Different COVID-19 Vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines.html. Published April 23, 2021. Accessed May 4, 2021.

Grace Dickinson TPI(TNS. Nervous about getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Don’t believe these myths. newstribune.com. https://www.newstribune.com/news/health/story/2021/may/04/nervous-about-getting-the-covid-19-vaccine-dont-believe-these-myths/869755/. Published May 4, 2021. Accessed May 4, 2021.

What’s in Vaccines? Ingredients and Vaccine Safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm. Published August 5, 2019. Accessed May 4, 2021.

9 Common COVID-19 Vaccine Myths Explained. Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/8-common-covid-19-vaccine-myths-explained/. Published March 18, 2021. Accessed May 4, 2021.

This month, we are joined at Happy Druggist on Karl Road by Meghanne White, a fourth-year pharmacy student from The Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy.

Meghanne will graduate in May 2022 and will then take the test to become a registered pharmacist. Meghanne will be with Kristie and the staff on Karl Road throughout May, so please stop by and meet her while she is in the store in Columbus.

Here is what Meghanne tells us about herself:

Hello everyone! My name is Meghanne White and I am a current fourth year (P4) Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) student at The Ohio State University with a graduate minor in Applied Clinical and Preclinical Research. I graduated a year early from Ohio State in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences as a STEM scholar. I originally chose Ohio State because I wanted a big state school with ample opportunities and research funding in a metropolitan area (and great school/football spirit!). I lived in Delaware, OH until the age of 7 when my family moved to the suburbs of Chicago.

Throughout pharmacy school, I worked as an inpatient pharmacy intern at Riverside Methodist Hospital. I enjoyed the inpatient world of pharmacy, specifically sterile IV compounding and medication reconciliation. I learned a lot from the residents and skilled pharmacists there who are practicing at the top of their licenses, especially during the pandemic.

I also worked the past four years at an independent pharmacy, O’Reilly Family Pharmacy in Worthington, OH. I loved my experience there and hope to continue working there post-graduation next May. Our pharmacy packages medications for assisted living facilities, while also providing traditional retail pharmacy offerings to our community. O’Reilly Family Pharmacy is currently enrolled in the Partners for Promotion program, as well as Flip the Pharmacy, where they focus on expanding their clinical offerings through collaborative practice agreements and point of care testing. This is the area I would like to help expand post-graduation and one day become board certified in, so my Partner for Promotion rotation at Happy Druggist aligns perfectly with this goal!

Outside of school, I love to cook! I recently discovered Indian food during quarantine and quickly became obsessed! I also love coffee and visiting independent coffee shops throughout Columbus. A few of my favorites are Staufs and Winans.

Additionally, I love to run! I ran the Columbus Half Marathon in 2018, and hope to train for another half marathon throughout my P4 year.

In the very scarce spare time that I have, I have been planning for my wedding in April 2022! My fiancé proposed to me on New Year’s Eve 2019; we thought 2020 might have gone a little differently. My fiancé and I have been together for 4.5 years and engaged for 1.5 years, so we are very excited for our friends and family to get vaccinated so we can finally be married next spring!

This month, we are also joined at Plain City Druggist by Laken Barnette, a fourth-year pharmacy student from The Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy.

In a previous post, we introduced you to Aricca Senkow, who is doing a rotation with Joe in Plain City this month, and now we’d like you to meet Laken.

Laken will graduate in December 2021 with her PharmD degree and will then take the test to become a registered pharmacist. Laken will be with Meghan and the staff here in Plain City throughout May, so please stop by and meet her while she is here.

Here is what Laken tells us about herself:

Hi all! My name is Laken Barnette and I’m a P4 (and a half) pharmacy student at The Ohio State University. I graduated from OSU in 2017 with a degree in pharmaceutical sciences and started in the PharmD program at the University that fall.

When I started my undergraduate coursework, my major was biochemistry/pre-med. I felt lost within that major. It wasn’t truly what I was looking for and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a physician. During my second year, I took organic chemistry and I immediately fell in love. One of my closest friends told me that he was majoring in pharmacy and that I should check it out. And I did and I loved it. It was exactly what I was looking for and I decided to apply to pharmacy school.

Once in pharmacy school, I was a bit overwhelmed. I had no idea all the things a pharmacist could do. At the time, I had only worked at CVS and that is all that I thought pharmacy was: big chain retail pharmacies.

I wanted to make the most of my four years in pharmacy school and find my true passion. I’ve worked multiple jobs throughout and got to have experiences that a lot of pharmacy students don’t get. I worked at Mount Carmel West for a little over a year and, even though, I loved making IVs, I knew that hospital pharmacy wasn’t for me.

During my third year, I got the unique experience of working at a medical marijuana dispensary under the Board of Pharmacy. Throughout the state and potentially the country, I was one of only two pharmacy students who had received this type of experience. I learned a ton working there and I felt that I was truly making a difference in patients’ lives. I was not only having one-on-one counseling sessions with patients on the products that we sold, but also their prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Since I was under a pharmacist’s supervision, I was able to answer questions that they may have not been able to ask their busy, overwhelmed local pharmacist when picking up their scripts. During my time there, I definitely found my calling. Expanding the role of pharmacists is extremely important to me. I want others to be able to have these types of unique experiences and open the door for pharmacists in different fields outside of traditional pharmacy.

During my P2 year, I decided that I wanted to explore the business side of pharmacy and thought doing a dual PharmD/MBA would greatly benefit me. I didn’t have much experience when it came to business, so I was excited to learn something new and out of my science-oriented comfort zone. I am officially halfway done with my MBA now and this is my fourth APPE rotation (which explains the P4 and a half). I will graduate with my PharmD “early” in December 2021 and my MBA in May 2022. My current plan for post-graduation is to work for CVS and continue to explore any unique opportunities that come my way.

P.S.: Just some fun things about me: I have 5 black kitties that my fiancé and I adore. I enjoy traveling, crafting, and gardening. If you can’t tell by my three degrees (and tons of loans), I love Ohio State.

Below are photos of two of my kitties, Spooky and Salem.

This month, Joe will be working on management issues with Aricca Senkow, a fourth-year pharmacy student from The Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy.

Aricca will graduate in May 2022 and will then take the test to become a registered pharmacist. Aricca will be with Joe and the staff at Plain City Druggist throughout May, so please say hello if you see her out and about with Joe. He plans to take her to his many, many meetings and show her what it looks like to own a pharmacy.

Here is what Aricca tells us about herself:

Hi there! My name is Aricca Senkow. I am a fourth year pharmacy student at The Ohio State University. I will be the student pharmacist on rotation here at Plain City Druggist for the month of May.

I am originally from upstate New York where I received my Bachelor’s degree at Nazareth College in biochemistry.

When I was interviewing for pharmacy schools and interviewing at Ohio State, it was love at first sight. I immediately fell in love with the area, the people, and all that both Ohio State and central Ohio have to offer. I have lived in Columbus for about three years now and hope to stay long after I graduate.

When I was younger, I originally wanted to be an ESPN sportscaster, but I didn’t like the idea of being in the limelight. As I got older, my interest grew towards the healthcare field. Pharmacy especially stood out to me because I could interact closely with patients. I could meet with patients, chat with them, and watch them grow.  

Another appealing aspect of going into pharmacy is the medication itself. It is amazing how one small little pill can help with someone’s blood pressure, diabetes, etc. It is wild to think how far science and technology have come to help us do these things!

During my time in pharmacy school, I have worked as an intern at Uptown Pharmacy in Westerville. I love pharmacies like Plain City Druggist and Uptown Pharmacy, because independent pharmacy environments allow me to connect with patients on a deeper level than most other settings.

I am excited to spend the month here getting to know new patients!

My rotation here at Plain City Druggist is my first of several rotations to follow. I am unsure of what I would like to do in the future, but I am excited to discover more throughout the year!

An ideal position I would like would be at an independent pharmacy or in the ambulatory care setting, but I am open to new experiences, as well. One of my passions is helping those with substance use disorders, and I would love if I could find a position that could combine these two together.

Outside of pharmacy, you can often find me at Cyclebar taking spin classes! I recently hit the 250 ride milestone and my next goal is to reach 500 rides. The atmosphere is positively contagious and sweating it out in a dark room with people has been my go-to stress relief during pharmacy school.

I also enjoy exploring new places around Columbus! Any and all recommendations for places to check out are welcomed! I especially love ice cream, tacos, and queso.

I also love sports. I am a huge Buckeye fan and a Green Bay Packers fan. Growing up, my Dad and I would connect through sports and I feel like I have learned some great life lessons through sports. One of my favorite things is the game-day experience when the Buckeyes are playing in the Shoe. The city becomes electric.

So that’s me! I look forward to getting to know everyone at Plain City Druggist this month and to learn new things!