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Objective. To detail strategies reported in the literature for strengthening both health disparities and cultural competency (HDCC) instruction within various portions of pharmacy curriculum and co-curriculum.Findings. An appraisal of current strategies for incorporation of HDCC into each aspect of the pharmacy curriculum and co-curriculum revealed a paucity of literature describing processes for incorporation of both health disparities (HD) and cultural competency (CC) teaching throughout the pharmacy student's experience. Classroom strategies involved a single or series of courses in HDCC. Activities found to be effective involved case-based and community engagement exercises. Described recommendations for experiential education included preceptor development in areas of HDCC in order to assess student understanding of health disparities concepts, increasing student engagement with diverse patient populations, and implementation of cross-cultural communication models at clinical sites. Co-curricular and interprofessional (IPE) portions of pharmacy training were found to permit greater methodological flexibility, as they often confronted fewer time or space constraints than classroom endeavors. Documented methods for teaching of HDCC within co-curricular and IPE experiences included service learning, study abroad, symposia, and forums. Summary. Findings suggest that conceptual frameworks for HDCC should be utilized throughout the pharmacy curriculum, with learning activities mapped to relevant pharmacy education standards to ensure coverage of important practice competencies. Best practices also involve the use of contemporary tools, strategies, and resources from a crosssection of disciplines that provide opportunities for learners to correct misconceptions and biases through active situational problem-solving.

Objective: We review here the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, dosage and administration, potential drug-drug interactions and place in therapy of brigatinib for abnormal anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) specific non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Data Sources: A literature search using PubMed was conducted using the terms brigatinib and ALK positive NSCLC from January 2013 to November 2018. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language articles evaluating brigatinib were analyzed for this review. Data Synthesis: Brigatinib was granted approval for the treatment of patients with metastatic ALK+ NSCLC who have progressed on or are intolerant to crizotinib. It is administered at a dose of 90 mg orally once daily for the first 7 days then, if tolerated, increased to a dose of 180 mg orally once daily. Common adverse effects include nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, increased creatine phosphokinase levels, headache, dyspnea, and hypertension. Serious treatment-emergent adverse effects were pulmonary related. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: This article discusses the clinical trials that led to the accelerated approval of brigatinib for its ability to overcome crizotinib-resistant mutations and for its increased central nervous system penetration properties. Conclusion: Brigatinib was granted accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with metastatic ALK+ NSCLC who have progressed on or are intolerant to crizotinib. In a subset of NSCLC patients, brigatinib increases survival for approximately 1 year; however, side effects were detected.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention and awareness to existing health disparities in underrepresented minority communities. Not only were minoritized populations disproportionality negatively impacted by COVID19, but history of mistrust and other systemic barriers prevented access to treatment, testing, and even impacts access and acceptance of the current vaccines. Pharmacists are essential to the provision of care for the population, particularly during global crises. Minoritized pharmacists play an even greater role, as partners with public health officials to translate science and build trust in minoritized community members who are hesitant about vaccine development, safety, and efficacy. Dedicated to representing the views and ideals of minority pharmacists on critical issues affecting health care, the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA) has been at the forefront of the pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, NPhA has prioritized the role of underrepresented practitioners, striving to improve awareness and access to underrepresented communities. While delivering education and information about the COVID-19 vaccine: clinical trials, population prioritization, and federal funding to our service areas and target populations, NPhA continues to challenge healthcare myths, address historical conflicts and systemic racism that often dictates the access to treatment and quality healthcare.

These interdisciplinary outreach events provided health information and access to care in a novel setting and led to a high rate of planned health behavior changes.