5 Must-Read Pharmacy Blogs for NPs & PAs
The nerd in me really loves pharmacology. The subject pairs my clinical career with my undergrad studies in biology and chemistry. It hits home with my academic and professional interests. Not to mention, as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, we prescribe a lot of medications. Pharmacology is complex leaving us with questions about what and how to prescribe. As part of this month’s series on prescribing for pain, I thought it would be a good idea to share some resources that relate to prescribing in general.
Following blogs can be helpful in your practice. These quick, usually easy to read resources are a good way to keep up with practice updates and to further your learning on a daily basis – especially when your brain is too wracked from a long day to pick up a more serious journal article. Here are a few pharmacy blogs I’ve found helpful in my life as a NP.
Admittedly, I had no clue what tl;dr stood for until I looked it up on Urban Dictionary (“too long; didn’t read”). While written specifically for pharmacists, the tl’dr pharmacy blog provides tons of actionable tips and information NPs and PAs can use. From a blog post guide to oral diabetes drugs to a beginner’s guide to antifungals, clinical pharmacists Brandon Dyson and Samuel Oh describe medications with a sarcastic, easy to read wit.
Technically a toxicology blog rather than a general pharmacy resource, Tox and the Hound provides helpful information about medications, drug interactions, overdoses and more. The resource is written more for providers working in the inpatient setting but NPs and PAs practicing in outpatient clinics will also find a number of Tox and Hound’s satirical articles, like this one titled “Tramadont“, not only entertaining but also pertinent to practice.
Pharmacy Times is an all encompassing resource for pharmacists that publishes plenty of relevant information for NPs and PAs. From articles like “Common Features of Smart Bottles” to posts about recent recalls, FDA approvals, politics and polypharmacy, scrolling through Pharmacy Times is sure to keep your prescribing knowledge up to date.
4. Med Ed 101
From “Secrets of Opioid Tapering” to “Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended Release Products”, Med Ed 101 offers blog posts on an array of pharmacology topics. Pharmacist and textbook author Dr. Eric Christianson makes medication knowledge straightforward, accessible and applicable to day-to-day practice.
5. Therapeutics Education Collaboration
If audio rather than reading is more your style, check out the Therapeutics Education Collaboration (TEC). The company publishes a series of podcasts which are also available from the company’s website. Topics include many pharmacology-based subjects but also branch into exploring recent research studies (and debunking those that are total crap). Podcasts like “Getting higher than a kite with medical cannaboid evidence” and “Chew on this: Why gum is good for your post-operative bum” provide up to date clinical information with a bit of intertwined humor. TEC does require a membership to listen to some podcasts, but subscriptions are affordable.
What pharmacy blogs have you found helpful as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant?
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