As I write this week’s blog, I’m preparing for commencement addresses at two schools of pharmacy: Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy, and Howard University School of Pharmacy. Walking around college campuses this time of year reminds me of the hope of the future, and as I strolled around the Loveliest Village on the Plains it hit me that there is a stark contrast between this week and next month for these graduates.

WASHINGTON, DC—Today the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) announced the election of Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD, FNAP, FAPhA, of Pasadena, MD, as 2025–2026 APhA president-elect. Rodrigeuz de Bittner will succeed Randy P. McDonough, BS, PharmD, MS, BCGP, BCPS, RPh, of Iowa City, IA, in the office of APhA president on March 30, 2026, at the conclusion of the 2026 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition in Los Angeles, CA.

Law enforcement seizures of illicit fentanyl increased dramatically in number and size between 2017 and 2023 in the United States, especially in tablet form, according to a new study funded by the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse. The findings, published online in International Journal of Drug Policy on May 13, 2024, highlight the illicit drug supply and the risk of tablets not coming from a pharmacy.

Despite concerns about patients regaining weight after stopping GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide, new research suggests that such gains aren’t necessarily the case. The key, the findings suggest, lies in gradually weaning off the drug instead of withdrawing abruptly and completely, and then continuing to make healthy choices.