“Paul” was sick with COVID-19 and starting to have trouble breathing. But when he went to the local emergency department (ED) on a Friday evening, they turned him away because they didn’t have any more beds. As a last resort, he went to De Queen Health and Wellness Pharmacy in De Queen, AR, where he heard he could get treatment.

September 9, 2021, was a busy day for the federal government and pharmacy stakeholders alike: Just a few hours apart, we saw significant developments in pharmacists’ COVID-19 pandemic practice authorities and prescription drug pricing. Both items yielded positive news for pharmacists and their patients.

In a recent conversation with a patient’s wife, Justin Ruffridge, PharmD, learned a lot more about the patient’s condition than he expected.

Alis Volat Propriis—“She flies with her own wings”—is Oregon’s state motto. The government first adopted the slogan in 1854 as a hat tip to the independent spirit of the pioneers who formed Oregon’s first government. The slogan was replaced by others over the years until lawmakers brought it back in 1987—arguing that it still reflected Oregon’s traditions of independence and innovation.