Massachusetts Pharmacists Association

07/22/2025

07/19/2025

Statins for Maintaining Cardiovascular Health in Diabetes Patients. Most diabetes patients initiate statins when that is recommended by their healthcare providers, but 20% do not. A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows why that is an unwise decision, finding that the rate of heart attack and stroke was reduced by one-third in those who promptly started taking the cholesterol-lowering medications. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.124.040464

07/18/2025

The FDA has approved Widaplik (telmisartan, amlodipine, and indapamide), a single-pill triple combination medication, for the treatment of hypertension in adults, including initial treatment for those likely to require multiple drugs. This is the first and only FDA-approved triple combination therapy for hypertension. The approval was based on positive results from two Phase 3 clinical trials, which demonstrated significant improvements in blood pressure and control rates compared to placebo and dual combinations of the component drugs. https://www.drugtopics.com/view/fda-approves-widaplik-for-treatment-of-hypertension

07/14/2025

According to a study published in Pulmonary Medicine, having rheumatoid arthritis is significantly associated with increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults in the United States. The findings emphasized the significance of early detection and the implementation of preventive strategies to alleviate the burdens and risk of COPD in patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1577180/full

07/13/2025

Congratulations to the 2025 MPhA Award Winners. Thank you for your service, passion and practice excellence in the profession of pharmacy.

07/07/2025

In a recent study, researchers sought to examine the correlation between mRNA vaccinations for COVID-19 and the risk for developing urticaria. The study found that recipients following a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine schedule were three to four times more likely to develop chronic hives or other types of hives compared with expected rates. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40439194/