Resident Editors: Amy Aakhus, PharmD; Ameer El-Afandi, PharmD; Joyce Hu, PharmD
Faculty Editor: Lucas Cannon, PharmD
Research Updates
Beta-Blockers for Secondary Prevention of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events
Alyssa Rubey, PharmD, New Ulm Medical Center
The ABYSS trial challenged the continuation of beta-blocker therapy compared to the interruption of therapy in reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events after MI. With many other trials emerging on beta-blocker use after MI, how does this study contribute?
Tirzepatide in Reversing Cardiac Structural Changes in the Setting of Obesity Related Heart Failure
Bella Haake, PharmD, M Health Fairview
This substudy of the SUMMIT trial analyzed changes in cardiac tissue mass and volume when participants with obesity-related HFpEF were treated with tirzepatide. Could this mean a new clinical indication for GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists?
Therapeutic Thought
2024 American College Gastroenterology H. pylori Guidelines
Cara Helgeson, PharmD, CentraCare St. Cloud
The 2024 American College of Gastroenterology guidelines for H. pylori treatment offer updated strategies to address increasing antibiotic resistance, with key shifts in recommended first-line therapies and salvage regimens.
Miscellaneous News
FDA Review Results in Proposal to End Use of Oral Phenylephrine as Nasal Decongestant
Sarah Cava, PharmD, Allina Health
Does phenylephrine work as an oral decongestant? The FDA says “no” and shares what this means for the future of OTC cough and cold products.
The War on Drug Prices: Medicare Is Just Saying ‘No’ to High Costs
Jenna Knutson, PharmD, Broadway Family Medicine
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced maximum prices for 10 medications under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), marking a pivotal shift in U.S. prescription drug policy. While projected savings could have slashed Medicare spending by $6 billion in 2023, the negotiated prices still exceed international benchmarks. The big question: How much will Americans really save—and why are we still paying more than the rest of the world?
This edition was published March 7, 2025.