hot topics in pharmacy research 2022

• Cannabidiol (CBD)
• Digestive Health
• How to strengthen your team’s role as a trusted clinical advisor
• Immunization
• Important Steps You Need To Take Before Choosing A Pharmacy Software Vendor: Not All Review Sites Are Created Equal
• Improving Care For Every Patient
• Infectious Disease
• Protecting Public Health Through Quality in Vaccine Inventory Storage
• Optimizing Treatment Strategies for Diabetes
• Proper Injection Technique Ensures Positive Outcomes Among Patients With Diabetes
• Special Report: Pharmacy Finances
• The Evolving Landscape of Influenza Immunizations
• The Power of Community: Pharmacists Share Their Experiences With Service Expansion
• Rethink Medication Adherence With Sustainable Multidose Packaging

• Conferences
• Publications
• Practice Type

2022 Pharmacy Trends

As change continues to sweep the industry, we take a closer look at the trends that may be coming to a pharmacy near you.

The long reach of the COVID-19 pandemic has engulfed every industry, including pharmacy. Although many industries have worked to adapt or survive, the variety of issues affected by the pandemic has triggered positive shifts in community pharmacy practice overall, according to Bri Morris, PharmD, senior director of program development at the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) in Alexandria, Virginia.

Across the country, many pharmacists have long been waiting to practice closer to the top of their licenses. These emerging trends offer community pharmacists unprecedented opportunities to do exactly that. Here are some potential pharmacy trends to watch in 2022.

Expect to See an Uptick in Point-of-Care Services

Community pharmacies increased their point-of-care testing services during the pandemic—a feat that Morris says many pharmacists have “embraced…to meet their patients’ immediate needs.”

“Now that so many pharmacists have [obtained] their CLIA [Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments] certificates of waiver and introduced COVID-19 testing into their regular practice, there is an opportunity to branch into other acute infectious disease and chronic disease management,” Morris told Drug Topics®. “In many states, pharmacists are able to test and treat these patients for minor ailments as well.”

Immunization Services Are Here to Stay

Immunization services have been trending in pharmacy for years, and the surge in recommended infectious diseases immunizations has only increased patient demand. Yet despite the apparent opportunity, providing these services remains a significant pain point for pharmacists on the front line, who often operate under the mounting pressure of meeting high prescription volumes with minimal staff support. Morris, though, is optimistic that recent technological interventions and logistic strategies have helped alleviate some of the pressure.

“Now community pharmacies have adopted scheduling platforms and designed a staffing workflow to integrate immunizations into pharmacy workflow,” she said. “Gaps still exist in routine immunizations for both adults and children, and community pharmacies can meet those gaps.” The numbers speak for themselves: As of November 9, 2021, community pharmacies and federal programs had administered and reported nearly 163 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, according to data collected by the NCPA. This number does not include the data for vaccine doses administered and reported by state-administered programs.

Expanding Roles for Pharmacy Technicians

The soaring demand for immunizations has expanded roles for pharmacy technicians. Much like the pharmacist’s role, that of pharmacy technicians’ has evolved over the years, and the concept of expanding the services that technicians provide is not new either. 1 The COVID-19 pandemic led to the declaration of the Public Readiness and Preparedness (PREP) Act. Initially enacted by Congress on December 30, 2005, the PREP Act endows the secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services with the authority to declare the act whenever an emergent event poses a threat to public health.

In the pharmacy world, the PREP Act allows medical professionals to engage in the provision of services that may exceed their ordinary scope of services under usual circumstances, in an effort to address the shortage of responders and improve the availability of services and resources. 2 On February 2, 2021, Acting Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Norris Cochran moved to amend the PREP Act declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic to define the list of individuals able to prescribe, dispense, and administer vaccines. The amendments culminated with one defining pharmacy technicians as “qualified persons” able to administer the seasonal influenza vaccine to adults in the state in which they are legally allowed to practice.

Secretary Xavier Becerra was responsible for the final amendment, which also grants pharmacist interns similar authority to administer seasonal influenza vaccines to the adult population. The act also allows pharmacy technicians to facilitate point-of care testing during the pandemic. Both pharmacy technician–provided immunizations and point-of-care services require pharmacist supervision. Morris anticipates that these services temporarily allowed by the PREP Act are the gateway for an entire suite of services that pharmacy can expect to fall under technician ownership.

“This expansion of scope combined with increased workforce demands brings about new roles for pharmacy technicians,” Morris said. “Medical billing specialist, immunization administrator, med sync [medication synchronization] lead, and community health worker are just a few of the titles we can expect technicians will have in the coming years.”

At Home Services Will Expand

“With more than 10,000 Americans aging into Medicare daily, providing medical-at-home services to keep patients who might otherwise be in a nursing home in the familiarity of their homes is a patient care no-brainer, and many pharmacies are currently caring for these patients,” Morris explained. “Currently, the incentives and payment don’t match the effort.”

However, Morris anticipates that the historically poor reimbursement for the services that pharmacies provide will change with services that allow patients to age in place. For example, a new clinically integrated network focused on helping patients age in place, combined with advocacy efforts led by NCPA’s long term care division, helps pharmacies capitalize on potential business opportunities.

According to its website, 3 NCPA has asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to formally “recognize medical at-home pharmacy services regardless of where the patient resides.” The Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Networks (CPESN) USA started CPESN At-Home, a new network that contracts for enhanced services designed to address the needs of patients. Such patients would otherwise be candidates for a nursing facility, including those who are homebound, have trouble accessing a pharmacy, or require some level of caregiving assistance.

“You, as the pharmacist, are able to provide the same level of care that that same patient would receive in the nursing home, but you’d provide it at their home,” Morris said.

Improvements in a pharmacists’ longstanding battle for formal recognition by the US government and payors as health care providers continues, and with that comes the challenge not only of seeking compensation but also of gaining respect. However, a 2021 article by Deloitte, The Pharmacist of the Future, 4 suggests that a lack of the latter may prove advantageous from an accessibility standpoint.

“Pharmacists are not seen as authority figures the way that doctors are seen,” said an anonymous educator and research scientist who was quoted in the article.” [I]in a way, that’s probably sad, but what it means is that the pharmacist is more approachable than the doctor, and that can be really useful.”

The article’s authors also highlighted how pharmacists’ approachability, coupled with frequent patient contact, automatically enhances the opportunity to build trust. The patient-pharmacist rapport establishes a gateway into the patients’ worlds, with pharmacists able to form a bond that allows them to take a deep dive into their patients’ experiences and collect vital problem-solving information.

Being central figures in the health care equation uniquely allows pharmacists to identify additional resources for their patients and help them navigate the health care system. Watching these and other trends unfold over the past year suggests the consulting firm’s crystal ball is quite clear. Only time can tell how the industry will truly take shape.

Patient Education Is Key to Reducing Adverse Effects of OTC Analgesics

Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are accessible over the counter, but do patients know all the risks associated with these medications?

Top Pharmacy Innovations of 2021

From medication to legislation, multiple developments have advanced the pharmacy profession this year.

Cannabis Consulting: Are You Ready?

Most pharmacists are moderately to not-at-all comfortable answering patient questions about cannabis. That needs to change.

Pharmacist Intervention Helps Combat Chronic Opioid Use, Misuse

Pharmacists discuss the best methods for postoperative opioid prescription management.

2021 Pharmacy Salary Survey Results: Stress and Workload Continue to Increase

Each autumn, Drug Topics® surveys its readers from across the country to take the pulse of the pharmacy profession before heading into the new year. This year, 1123 respondents were more eager than perhaps ever before to share their feelings on important workplace issues.

Vaccine and Pain Management Updates from ACR Convergence 2021

Highlights included updates on COVID-19 vaccine tolerance in individuals with rheumatic diseases, the latest data on medical cannabis use in fibromyalgia, and more.

2 Commerce Drive Cranbury, NJ 08512

609-716-7777

• Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology

Explore the latest in clinical pharmacy and pharmacology, including topics in drug safety, development, pharmacogenetics, and pharmacoeconomics.

Publication

Article type.

This JAMA Insights examines the adverse effects of homelessness on physical and mental health and suggests strategies to improve access to health care, services, and housing for people experiencing homelessness.

This case report describes dusky red to violaceous lesions with desquamation on the wrists and dorsal surface of both hands and near the Achilles tendon that occurred after intravenous paclitaxel treatment for invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.

This cross-sectional study investigates the scope and breadth of artificial intelligence use in drug development.

This randomized clinical trial examines the efficacy of ivonescimab plus chemotherapy vs chemotherapy alone for patients with advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer with the epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) variant.

This narrative review discusses psychological, attitudinal, and educational factors among both health care professionals and payers that may play a role in slowing biosimilar uptake.

This economic evaluation compares the cost-effectiveness of durvalumab for maintenance treatment of stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) across the US, Brazil, Singapore, and Spain.

This economic evaluation assesses potential Medicare Part D savings on ophthalmic generic drugs if discount coupon prices are used.

This case series study examines clinical outcomes of isotretinoin among transgender and gender-diverse individuals receiving gender-affirming hormonal therapy.

This cluster randomized clinical trial investigates whether a government-led, mailed, direct-to-consumer educational brochure reduces prescription opioid use among community-dwelling adults with long-term opioid prescriptions.

This cross-sectional study examines the levels of lead in household drinking water of individuals with kidney failure.

This cohort study investigates whether antenatal magnesium sulfate (MgSO 4 ) administration prior to early preterm birth is associated with changes in functional connectivity in the neonatal brain in a cohort of neonates who participated in a multicenter randomized clinical trial.

This post hoc analysis of the ELAN randomized clinical trial investigates whether infarct size modifies the safety and efficacy of early vs late direct oral anticoagulation initiation after ischemic stroke in individuals with atrial fibrillation.

This randomized clinical trial investigates the safety and effectiveness of immediate- vs delayed-intensive statin in patients with acute cerebral ischemia from atherosclerosis.

This randomized clinical trial investigates the magnitude of the effect of maternal progesterone therapy on neurodevelopment for fetuses with congenital heart defects (CHDs).

This cohort study examines the prevalence of and factors associated with glucagon-like peptide 1 agonist discontinuation among new users.

This cohort study examines the implications of physician-pharmacy integration for the use of, cost of, and adherence to anticancer drugs among patients with late-stage cancer.

This nonrandomized controlled trial assessed the benefits and toxic effects of intensity-modulated reirradiation therapy with nivolumab in the treatment of patients with recurrent or second primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

A 70-year-old woman with hypertension and dyslipidemia presented with slow communication and difficulty walking 90 days after 6 courses of postoperative chemotherapy following right breast cancer surgery. What is your diagnosis?

This cohort study evaluates the risk for pregnancy onset during valproic acid treatment across indications and assesses the use of contraception during treatment among US women of childbearing age.

This cohort study examines patterns of melatonin use among participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study and characterizes factors associated with use.

Select Your Interests

Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.

• Academic Medicine
• Acid Base, Electrolytes, Fluids
• Allergy and Clinical Immunology
• American Indian or Alaska Natives
• Anesthesiology
• Anticoagulation
• Art and Images in Psychiatry
• Artificial Intelligence
• Assisted Reproduction
• Bleeding and Transfusion
• Caring for the Critically Ill Patient
• Challenges in Clinical Electrocardiography
• Climate and Health
• Climate Change
• Clinical Challenge
• Clinical Decision Support
• Clinical Implications of Basic Neuroscience
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Consensus Statements
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Critical Care Medicine
• Cultural Competency
• Dental Medicine
• Dermatology
• Diabetes and Endocrinology
• Diagnostic Test Interpretation
• Drug Development
• Electronic Health Records
• Emergency Medicine
• End of Life, Hospice, Palliative Care
• Environmental Health
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Facial Plastic Surgery
• Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Genomics and Precision Health
• Global Health
• Guide to Statistics and Methods
• Hair Disorders
• Health Care Delivery Models
• Health Care Economics, Insurance, Payment
• Health Care Quality
• Health Care Reform
• Health Care Safety
• Health Care Workforce
• Health Disparities
• Health Inequities
• Health Policy
• Health Systems Science
• History of Medicine
• Hypertension
• Images in Neurology
• Implementation Science
• Infectious Diseases
• Innovations in Health Care Delivery
• JAMA Infographic
• Law and Medicine
• Leading Change
• Less is More
• LGBTQIA Medicine
• Lifestyle Behaviors
• Medical Coding
• Medical Devices and Equipment
• Medical Education
• Medical Education and Training
• Medical Journals and Publishing
• Mobile Health and Telemedicine
• Narrative Medicine
• Neuroscience and Psychiatry
• Notable Notes
• Nutrition, Obesity, Exercise
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Occupational Health
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Otolaryngology
• Pain Medicine
• Palliative Care
• Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Patient Care
• Patient Information
• Performance Improvement
• Performance Measures
• Perioperative Care and Consultation
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Pharmacogenetics
• Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacology
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Physical Therapy
• Physician Leadership
• Population Health
• Primary Care
• Professional Well-being
• Professionalism
• Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
• Public Health
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Regulatory Agencies
• Reproductive Health
• Research, Methods, Statistics
• Resuscitation
• Rheumatology
• Risk Management
• Scientific Discovery and the Future of Medicine
• Shared Decision Making and Communication
• Sleep Medicine
• Sports Medicine
• Stem Cell Transplantation
• Substance Use and Addiction Medicine
• Surgical Innovation
• Surgical Pearls
• Teachable Moment
• Technology and Finance
• The Art of JAMA
• The Arts and Medicine
• The Rational Clinical Examination
• Tobacco and e-Cigarettes
• Translational Medicine
• Trauma and Injury
• Treatment Adherence
• Ultrasonography
• Users' Guide to the Medical Literature
• Vaccination
• Venous Thromboembolism
• Veterans Health
• Women's Health
• Workflow and Process
• Wound Care, Infection, Healing
• Register for email alerts with links to free full-text articles
• Access PDFs of free articles
• Manage your interests
• Save searches and receive search alerts

Pharmacy Forecast 2022 Anticipates Lasting Impact From Pandemic

Health-system pharmacists responded to COVID-19 disruptions to healthcare by expanding their role in patient care, and these pandemic-related changes will impact the profession in years ahead, according to the 2022 ASHP/ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Forecast Report , released during the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition.

“The Pharmacy Forecast is a unique and vital strategic planning tool to help pharmacy leaders and practitioners better serve their patients and to continue to position their pharmacy departments for success now and in the future,” said ASHP Chief Executive Officer Paul W. Abramowitz, PharmD, ScD (Hon), FASHP. “This year’s Forecast report reflects the ongoing challenges associated with COVID-19, and the related opportunities for pharmacy professionals to continue to enhance their leadership and advance their practices in service to their patients and communities from the bedside to the home and all points throughout the continuum of care.”  

According to the Pharmacy Forecast , COVID-19 experiences may affect healthcare, medication use, and the pharmacy profession in the next five years in the following ways:

Pharmacists’ Role Grows in Emergency Preparedness

Health system and pharmacy leaders must be prepared for future disasters and emergencies, including natural or man-made events, such as pandemic outbreaks or terrorist attacks that may result in organizational and community-wide disruptions. While continuing to participate in their health systems’ emergency-preparedness plans, pharmacy leaders must also be embedded in preparedness planning with local, regional, and national interdisciplinary public health teams. Within health systems, pharmacy leaders will need to create contingency staffing plans to “right size” staff in response to significant health-system patient volume shifts.

The 2020 Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act allowed pharmacists to expand their roles in providing vaccinations, administering COVID-19 tests, and organizing and overseeing mass vaccination programs. Pharmacy leaders and pharmacy organizations should advocate to expand and continue changes made possible by the PREP Act.

More Strategies to Solve Supply Chain Issues Are Explored

Early in the pandemic, it was unknown how many patients would be hospitalized with COVID-19 and which treatments would be effective—circumstances that exacerbated ongoing drug shortages. Further analysis of the shortages and disruptions to the pharmaceutical supply chain are needed to improve production forecasting and create dynamic allocation strategies to ensure medications are distributed appropriately by a hospital and region. In-house or regional continuous manufacturing processes could mitigate future drug shortages; or health systems may be able to collaborate with manufacturers to develop demand surge strategies like demand contracting and regional warehousing.

Equitable Access to Digital Tools Expands

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed to the forefront the need for more accessible and effective communication technologies. However, the lack of technological access and literacy negatively affected underserved populations during COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Voice-assisted technology is already being incorporated in healthcare—for example, in diabetes management, medication management, and refill reminders. Pharmacy leaders should advocate for equitable access to digital tools to ensure underserved populations benefit from technological advances .

Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Play Growing Role in Medication Management

The pandemic accelerated the use of telehealth, increasing the likelihood health systems will use digital health solutions and artificial intelligence to optimize medication management. Pharmacists are likely to be called upon to lead efforts to streamline digital health solutions into current workflows to take advantage of potential gains while also mitigating unintended consequences of new technology. Pharmacists will also manage chronic conditions from remotely generated health data.

New Care Models Get Traction

The pandemic required changes in how care is delivered. For example, health-system pharmacists helped deliver vaccinations to patients’ homes, at drive-thru locations, and to schools. In addition, pharmacists and health systems pivoted to manage patients with chronic illnesses remotely when in-person visits were too risky. New care models, including hospital at home, will continue to develop and evolve. Health systems will increasingly be required to offer advanced care in the home, and pharmacy leaders will be expected to participate in the design and implementation of remote patient care technology.

“One of the most salient lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is the need for pharmacy leaders to make investments in areas that will allow their organization to effectively respond to disruptions caused by unforeseen events like a global pandemic while also supporting the health system’s overall preparedness efforts,” said Joseph T. DiPiro, PharmD, editor of the Pharmacy Forecast . “Topics covered in the most recent edition of the Pharmacy Forecast examine the areas that present the greatest challenges for healthcare organizations and offer critical insights for pharmacy leaders as we work to advance health outcomes, healthcare delivery, and pharmacy practice.”

Report authors developed the Pharmacy Forecast through a “wisdom of the crowd” process that started with a list of pressing issues generated and refined by an advisory committee and then fielded as a survey to 387 pharmacy leaders from around the country. Complete responses were submitted by 311 pharmacists representing a variety of leadership roles, hospital sizes, and geographic regions. The report provides wide-ranging insights on topics from providing value, disparities in care, preparedness, and workforce issues. 

Related Content

Concerns increasing about new omicron variants of sars-cov-2, osteoporosis, fractures plague asthma patients on steroids, some covid-19 inpatients might later exhibit a range of psychiatric symptoms, aspirin alone helps prevent post-knee replacement blood clots.

• Advertising Contacts
• Editorial Staff
• Professional Organizations
• Submitting a Manuscript
• Privacy Policy

• Classifieds

Pharmacy News

Glp-1 could reduce risk for chronic kidney disease and adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Does taking the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide for blood glucose control also lower the risk of clinically important kidney and cardiovascular outcomes? In the FLOW clinical trial, researchers found that of the 3,533 patients diagnosed with both T2D and chronic kidney disease, those taking semaglutide had a 24% lower risk of a primary-outcome event in the intervention group compared with the controls.

UF Health will lead CDC-backed hypertension pharmacists’ program

University of Florida Health has been awarded a stipend by CDC to run a program that aims to connect patients with high BP to community pharmacists.

Fentanyl tablet seizures have quadrupled in 6 years

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.

Coming off GLP-1s slowly could be key to preventing weight regain

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.

For smoking cessation, increasing dose may help improve abstinence

Most people who smoke don’t quit on their initial attempt. What’s the best course of action, then, if an initial smoking cessation attempt fails? Results from a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network found that for individuals who did not quit after being treated with varenicline, increasing the dosage enhanced abstinence. For nonabstainers who were initially treated with combination nicotine replacement therapy, a dosage increase or a switch to varenicline enhanced abstinence.

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• v.14(8); 2022 Aug

An Overview of the Current State and Perspectives of Pharmacy Robot and Medication Dispensing Technology

Asmaa r alahmari.

1 Computer Science Department, Faculty of Computing and Information Technology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, SAU

Khawlah K Alrabghi

2 Department of Pharmacy, Al Qurayyat General Hospital, Al Qurayyat, SAU

Ibrahim M Dighriri

3 Department of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Taif, SAU

It has been widely reported that a large number of patients die from cases of errors in the issuing of medication prescriptions. These cases occur due to a wide range of things, but the common denominator in all of the cases is humans. A hospital pharmacy has a very critical task, especially with growing patient numbers. The increasing number of prescriptions needed to be filled daily reduces the amount of time that the staff can use to focus on each individual prescription, which may increase the human error ratio. The need for robotic-assisted pharmacies is arising from here to distribute drugs to eradicate or substantially reduce human error. The pharmacy robot is one of the most significant technologies that play a prominent role in the advancement of hospital pharmacy systems. The purpose of this review paper is to cover the pharmacy robot concept and the published literature reporting on pharmacy robot technology as one of the most important applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in pharmacology. Although the outcomes of the impact of the pharmacy robot have been increasingly beneficial in overall improvement, staff morale, and functionality of pharmacies, there are still mechanical errors occurring. The errors, in turn, require human intervention. The key takeaway from this study is that robots or machines cannot replace human duties in their entirety. This in turn means that those human interventions will have an impact on the workflow and throughput.

Introduction and background

Introduction

The aim of a hospital pharmacy is to provide patients with the prescribed medication when the medication is scheduled according to the professional’s instructions. However, this is not an easy task, especially with growing patient numbers. Although patient safety and care are the ultimate and possibly only priorities, the impact of human error in the process of issuing medication to patients can be, at times, deadly. These errors occur in various ways, such as the incorrect dosage being issued or the medication not being issued at the correct time. Nonetheless, all of these can and do have serious consequences. In addition, this is a major logistical concern as the pharmacy delivers drugs by various dispensing methods and delivery routes to all the hospital units [ 1 , 2 ].

There are many different types of technologies available inside a hospital pharmacy framework that work to enhance patient safety by reducing prescription mistakes and missing drugs. The pharmacy robot is one of the most significant technologies that play a prominent role in the advancement of hospital pharmacy systems [ 1 - 5 ]. The pharmacy robot is almost flawless in medication administration, and the correct algorithm allows the application of the five rights as published in a study [ 6 ]. These rights refer to the only way to avoid errors by ensuring the correct patient received the correct medication and dosage in the correct administration at the correct time.

Using robots ensures a considerable decrease in the time, costs, and production of overall waste in pharmaceutics and other biological research fields [ 2 , 7 ]. The time needed to prepare the prescription is also one of the significant advantages of using robotic technologies [ 7 ]. Besides, robotics reduces the percentage of medication errors [ 8 ].

Even though robots can provide unattended operations for the handling of pharmaceutics, they need the attention of an operator as machine errors still occur, albeit rarely. Thus, a large concern is that artificial intelligence (AI) will displace humans in their duties, and although there are ethical questions when implementing AI in the healthcare sector, it is inevitable that human intervention will continue. These human interventions do, however, affect both the workflow and throughput. Human intervention could take the form of an operator who needs to direct, load, or unload products. Mechanical issues, defined as errors within the system, continue to occur, which then require intervention from an operator. Mechanical errors were recorded as varying problems, such as material problems, which included vials or fluid bags not falling within the weight parameters, misshapen needles, or the inability for the robot to successively grip or hold a vial due to manufacturing defaults in the assembly of the robot. Other errors occurred due to manufacturing changes whereby measurements of syringes or other items were incorrect. Barcode and vial recognition failures were also reported, and this is due to the limitations of the robot's being able to overcome multiple simultaneous versions of a task. All of these errors required the intervention of the pharmacist or technician in order to verify necessary data, adjust parameters, or repair manufactured defaults [ 9 ]. The purpose of this article is to review pharmacy robot technology as one of the most important applications of AI in pharmacy.

What Are Artificial Intelligence and Pharmacology?

In simple terms, AI is the ability of a system, mostly computers, to act intelligently and therefore perform tasks that would normally require human intervention. There are many things that power these systems; they can be simple things like rules, machine learning, or even deep learning [ 10 ]. Pharmacology refers to the chemicals used in the treatment of illness and disease [ 11 ].

What Is a Robot?

According to various sources of literature, a robot is considered an intelligent agent, either virtually or mechanically. This agent can then carry out tasks either under the supervision of guidance, typically via remote control, or automatically. An automaton, which is the common name for an autonomous robot, refers to a robot that can undertake various tasks in environments that are either structured or not. The robot is able to perform these tasks without human supervision. Robotics has seen substantial advances over the past years leading to its increased applications in numerous real-world complications including automated industrial manufacturing, healthcare and medical robots, and self-driving vehicles [ 12 ]. Today’s society has seen the use of these robots across various applications, fields, and sectors. Examples include the transportation, medical, military, and banking sectors, to name a few. Relevant to this study is the use of robots within the pharmaceutical sector; these robots that are usually functioning autonomously can be programmed and configured in order to make the distribution of prescription drugs more effective and efficient, therefore reducing the need for human intervention and, in turn, reducing the risk of human error [ 13 ].

Robots make use of map-making algorithms in order to create a map of their environment. These algorithms allow the robot to have an accurate display of its environment, which is essential for the effectiveness of the application. These maps are used in the same way that humans use maps. The robots use the maps for guidance to “see” their environment. The accuracy of these maps is important as it forms the basis of the practical applications needed to be carried out by the robots [ 13 ].

As with all technology, the aim of this kind of technology is to ensure effective, efficient, and accurate application within the setting. This in turn means that the pharmacy robot will be able to take the art of traditional medical dispensing into the next era. The benefits of this particular application include increased productivity; a medical dispensing fault-free environment; pharmaceutical operations that are effective, safe, and secure; shortened patient "waiting period," and a germ-free and safe environment [ 14 ].

Pharmacy Robot's System Architecture

For efficiency, the best fit across multiple areas is usually custom. From the view of the system architecture, each application, robot, or system is custom designed and built based on the needs and functions of the system. All aspects involved within the application are carefully considered when an automation system is built. In this section, in order to understand the system architecture, we will explain in detail the pharmacy robot system architecture by giving an example of a pharmacy robot that was introduced by some authors [ 13 ]. As we see in Figure ​ Figure1, 1 , the robot communicates autonomously and directly with a physician, assistant, or intermediary. The robot then scans the inventory of stock in order to assess the availability of the prescribed medication. When the prescribed medication is available, the robot will fill the container with the medication and store the filled container. This is all done by the robot referencing and interacting with its environment using the internal map created with the map-making algorithm. The specific robot in this article makes use of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). When the patient or representative arrives to collect the prescription, the robot will validate the identity of the individual receiving it. The patient or representative then presents the prescription, and the robot will then issue the prepared medication over to the patient. As mentioned above, this specific robot makes use of AI and SLAM in order to interact with a variety of things. Not only does SLAM allow the robot to have a clear and accurate map of its surroundings, but it also allows the robot to update the map when needed, keeping an accurate and updated “vision” of the current locations of inventory [ 13 ].

Figure  2 illustrates the physical architecture of the pharmacy area; this is often referred to as an embodiment. Multiple customers may enter and choose an available room. These rooms are individually secure as they can be locked from within [ 13 ]. Over and above this, the vault, which is the store for a variety of medications and dispensers, can be controlled according to specific requirements, such as light and temperature. This allows for the control and reduction of the deterioration of various medicines that require refrigeration, etc. This setup allows the servicing of multiple people at one time [ 13 ].

Figure ​ Figure3 3 is to clarify the interactions between the robot and medical staff such as doctors or assistants like nurses [ 13 ]. The patient is consulted and examined by a doctor. The patient is then issued a prescription from the doctor. This prescription will contain an authentication mark (barcode, signature, etc.) [ 13 ].

Figure ​ Figure4 4 clarifies the interactions between the robot and clients or patients [ 13 ]. If the prescribed medication is in stock, the robot authenticates the prescription by accessing the patient’s file on the network [ 13 ].

The retrieval and storage of functions of the robot could be as follows in the sequence as shown in Figure ​ Figure5 5 [ 13 ].

Patients are verified and validated using their biometrics on file. Once complete, the patients can access their medication as shown in Figure ​ Figure6 6 [ 13 ].

The objective of the current review paper is to cover the published literature reporting on pharmacy robot technology as one of the most important applications of AI in pharmacology. The exploratory search process covered the most relevant organizations in the pharmacology community. The search was conducted using the IEEE Computer Society Digital Library, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. These search engines cover the majority of published pharmacology studies as of April 20, 2020. These search results were screened and filtered to include studies of any design, which reported an outcome measure of interest that was related to the technology of the robot pharmacy. Publications in English that were published in 2010 to date were included. The title, abstract, and full publications were used to identify citations of interest. Once the full review of the publications was completed, several eligible publications were selected for inclusion in our review.

Why a pharmacy robot?

According to www.youhaverights.com , in the United States, it is estimated that 30 million pharmacy errors occur annually. An estimated 7,000 patients die from these cases of errors and thousands of severe complications each year. These errors occur due to the misinterpretation of the prescription by the pharmacist with regard to medication name or dosage, to name a few. The reasons for the occurrence of these errors usually seem to stem from the overworked pharmacy employees. These employees operate under extreme pressure and have ever-increasing workloads. The increasing number of prescriptions needed to be filled daily reduces the amount of time that the staff can use to focus on each individual prescription. The most common pharmacy errors are incorrect dispensing of medications, incorrect dosage being administered due to the failure of staff to instruct consumers on specific medication usage, and incorrect delivery and preparation of IV (intravenous) drugs to patients in hospitals [ 15 ].

So, the need for robotic-assisted pharmacies arises from here to distribute drugs to eradicate or substantially reduce human error. The advantages of robotics in pharmacy are to improve and add to the current patient care and therefore increase revenue, improvement in the overall functionality and operation of pharmacies, and effective management and storage of medication as well as patient data. Overall enhanced productivity leads to increased dispensing speed and, therefore, decreased patient waiting time. It allows for the decentralizing of pharmacy services and the evolution of ward-based medicine management. This allows the elimination or significant decrease in the number of errors and contamination. Therefore, using barcoding and photo verification increases patient safety and decreases the risk of litigation. This improves dispensing efficiency and enables the re-engineering of pharmaceutical services, which leads to maximum utilization of space in hospital pharmacy departments [ 16 - 18 ]. The use of AI is an improvement of the traditional pharmaceutical dispensing system. Although we have seen the evident improvement and efficiency that technology adds to various systems, such as the reduction or absence of human error, as with anything that is not perfect and has been created by man, it would be unwise to not take into account the disadvantages that technology presents. These disadvantages include the following: computer literacy and staff competencies may impact their ability to manage or program the dispensing robot. This could lead to extensive input of training over a significant period of time. The dispensing robot requires accurate programming as incorrect programming may lead to errors. As with most technology, there are sizable startup costs, maintenance costs as well as the need for continuous software updates. It is well known that with the evolution of technology, systems can be considered out of date quite quickly, which will then require updating. Although robots will bring increased and improved efficiency and productivity, the redundancy of pharmacists will never occur. Where there is a limited pharmacist and patient interaction, it might make patients reluctant to use the service. These dispensing robots rely on computer programs that can fail at any time. The maintenance and upgrade of software as well as the connection of the dispensing robot to the pharmacy’s system could be timely and will require meticulous detail in order to avoid any repercussions and errors.

Examples of pharmacy robot

The following are some of the most widely known unit dose drug automation systems in the world. These are Pyxis and Rowa Speedcase automation systems. Their advantages and disadvantages can be summarized as follows in Table ​ Table1 1 [ 1 , 19 , 20 ].

A comparison between robot pharmacies and traditional pharmacies

Pharmacy robots are mechanical devices that conduct planned, sophisticated, and repetitive manipulations that mimic human behavior without continual input from a human. As part of their treatment, the majority of patients require medication. Various technology-based solutions, such as computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and patient barcoding (BC) systems, have been implemented in hospitals to increase patient safety. According to current evidence, documenting, dispensing, and giving drugs to patients are all high-risk steps in taking medicine [ 21 ].

Automated methods have been introduced in many pharmaceutical distribution systems to address the risks of manual dispensing and administration systems. In addition, there is a lot of pressure to cut expenditures and reallocate time from manual distribution. Putting these resources toward greater clinical work has been a success. New methods and procedures must be developed to reduce patient wait times, provide drug therapy information to physicians and pharmacists, and increase productivity by automating administrative tasks [ 22 ].

van Doormaal et al. reported that manual medication evaluation revealed 57 pharmaceutical overdose errors and 143 therapeutic errors, 46 of which were drug-drug interactions. A total of 297 safety alerts regarding overdose and 365 safety alerts involving drug-drug interactions were generated using CPOE and basic clinical decision support systems. The clinical rules yielded 313 safety alerts, accounting for 39% of all overdoses and treatment mistakes discovered in the manual assessment. The patients in 23% of the warnings generated by a clinical rule required a medication adjustment, as indicated by the manual evaluation [ 23 ].

Amodeo et al. reported that the median error detected during reconstitution, dilution, and final therapy of medications made by the I.V. Station® was less than 5%, with narrower error ranges than drugs prepared manually. Unlike the manual technique, the I.V. Station® consumed fewer materials, lowered expenses, cut preparation time, and streamlined the medicine process as the number of preparations increased [ 24 ]. Table 2  shows a comparison between robot pharmacies and traditional pharmacies.

Obstacle avoidance by hospital ward inspection robots in a complex environment

Laser radars, vision modules, ultrasonic radars, and infrared radars are the principal sensors used to identify obstructions. There are two types of laser radar: 2D and 3D laser radars. Because of the narrow detection range of infrared radars, they have little value for warning ahead of time. Similarly, ultrasonic radars have little use for warning ahead of time due to ultrasonic reflection and poor orientation performance [ 38 ].

Detection of Obstacles

With the laser sensor carried on its own body, the robot identifies dynamic and static impediments and establishes the laser sensor's detection model. Using a multilayer perception strategy based on the potential field exclusion approach, the robot judges the obstacle's perception layer in terms of different distances between the robot and the obstruction and then pushes itself to execute different mobility strategies. The design of the threshold value between each layer is dependent on the robot's running speed, deceleration, acceleration, the current electric amount of power, and the corridor's size [ 39 , 40 ].

Conclusions

AI applications have left visible marks in many different fields. With robots, hospital pharmacies will increase their performance, increase prescription filling levels, improve counting accuracy, minimize drug errors, increase safety, ensure adherence to patient doses, automate their supply chains, and avoid delays in supplies and stock outages. Besides, robots can also help them minimize costs as they do not need to hire additional staff to support the extra load at peak times. The advantages are apparent, but what this means for humans and their sustainability is a concern. If robots are able to perform better, there will be no need for humans, and large-scale unemployment could occur. The famous late Stephen Hawking said, “This may mean the end of the human race." It would therefore be essential to create AI to work with humans rather than independently. AI can ensure accuracy within the parameters of the task, and humans will be able to have a broader reach when making decisions. Clinical decisions can be improved with AI and thus drive further research. The important goals of our future research will be to cover more studies related to pharmacy robots and medication dispensing technologies. We are also interested in comparing the studies with analysis and critical evaluation. It would be interesting to see how smart hospitals embrace this growing trend in the future.

The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

5 Hot Topics for Community Pharmacists in 2023

As a new year approaches, pharmacists have so much to look back on and be grateful for, and a world of opportunity in front of them. Here are a few things to be ready for right away in 2023.

It’s that time of the year again. Time for independent pharmacists to reflect on our amazing accomplishments and think about what we’ve learned so we can make what’s ahead even better.

You don’t need a crystal ball to see the opportunities and challenges headed our way. Many of the hot topics on the horizon have been brewing for a while. Pharmacy technology, tech-savvy consumers, data security—it’s all picking up speed, and pharmacists need a plan. To get the process started, let’s take a look at 5 topics for 2023 that should be on every pharmacist’s mind.

1. Find a partner, not just a vendor

Pharmacists play an important role in improving patient health, but to reach our full potential, we need to expand beyond medication dispensing. Chronic disease management, point-of-care testing, and patient education all are opportunities, but a lot to take on.

A true business partner can help a pharmacy be the dependable health resource their community deserves. Gone are the days of hiring a vendor with little knowledge of your business or vested interest in the people you serve. More than ever, it’s all about trust.

2. Artificial intelligence (AI) is key to pharmacy profitability

High-deductible health plans continue to grow in popularity. This is forcing customers to ramp up their search for new ways to save on their medications.

Pharmacists need a pricing solution that keeps customers happy and builds the bottom line. That’s where AI comes in. It provides data-driven insights that take that guesswork out of drug pricing and enhances the pharmacy experience. The buzz around AI in the pharmacy is growing —look for it to get even louder in 2023.

3. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) will be under a bigger microscope

It’s a nationwide problem: Pharmacies are going out of business due to the predatory business practices of traditional PBMs . Up until now, PBMs have operated completely in the dark.

With no accountability or transparency, they obscure the true cost of drugs, and the consumer often pays higher prices. But FTC investigations are set to shine a brighter light on these nefarious practices.

By pushing for change, the FTC can help pharmacists run a profitable business, and help consumers make better choices for their health. Look for FTC hearings and their impacts in the coming year.

4. Consumers want more technology and transparency Today’s tech-savvy consumers see the benefits of a simpler, more transparent medication shopping experience. Prescryptive’s recent Independent Pharmacy Trends study showed 72% of consumers would be likely to use their mobile phone to compare drug prices, and 85% believe knowing the price in advance would improve their pharmacy experience.

By providing mobile-friendly solutions and transparent pricing options, you’ll drive more customers to your counter. The coming year is the time to invest in new technology.

5. Data security takes a front row seat

Nearly 50 million people in the United States had their sensitive health data breached in 2021. Hackers are everywhere, and community pharmacies are seen as relatively soft targets.

Advanced security protections have never been more important. Find a technology partner who can protect your patients’ data while helping your business grow in 2023.

But the real bottom line will never change

No matter what comes our way in 2023, one thing that will always stay the same: Our focus on the patient. Taking care of people is at the center of everything we do. With the right technology, trusted partnerships, strategic thinking, and a ton of hard work, independent pharmacists will thrive and help build healthier communities.

About the Author

Paige Clark, RPh, is the VP of Pharmacy Programs and Policy at Prescryptive, overseeing the company’s policy work to drive awareness, utilization, and scope of trusted independent pharmacists nationally. Prior to Prescryptive, Paige spent 11 years at Oregon State University's College of Pharmacy, driving policy initiatives for the state’s licensed pharmacists, including the prescribing of birth control and tobacco cessation services. Paige also worked as the Staff Pharmacist Consultant for the Oregon Board of Pharmacy, managing rule writing, legislative endeavors, and regional and national policy work. She is a frequent speaker and presenter at national industry conferences and a multi-award winner, including several Pharmacist of the Year recognitions.

Study: Tezepelumab Reduces Annual Rates of Exacerbations Related to COPD

Public Health Matters: Getting Involved With State Pharmacy Associations, Advocating for Pharmacists, Promoting Professional Development

Study: Prevalence of Diabetes Expected to Increase by 59.7% in 2025

Pharmacy Focus: Community Pharmacy's Role in Social Determinants of Health

Study Finds No Association Between Physical Activity, Coronary Artery Calcium Progression

Study Finds Adults Who Use ENDS Have Increased Risk of Asthma Incidence at Earlier Ages

2 Commerce Drive Cranbury, NJ 08512

609-716-7777

Conferences in Moscow 2024

•   |  
• Conference by Moscow

Top Categories in moscow

Engineering and Technology

Business and Economics

Engineering

Health and Medicine

Interdisciplinary

Mathematics and Statistics

Physical and Life Sciences

Regional Studies

Social Sciences and Humanities

International conferences in moscow 2024-2025.

Are you looking for updates on upcoming international conferences in Moscow 2024-2025? You're in the right place. International Conference Alerts offers the latest alerts on the best international conferences, events, and workshops in Moscow. Our platform is a hub for academicians and scholars who want to connect, communicate, and expand their ideological veracity in their domain of interest. Our incredible conference listings in Moscow can help scholars to strengthen their professional build-out and explore new career prospects. You can find out in-depth details about all international conferences, including their venue, date, speakers, organizers, and more.

In addition, you can submit your papers to get diversified opinions and a feedback from industry specialists. Academicians can travel, network, and get access to like-minded propositions from these academic events. Additionally, it can ensure personal branding by boosting the resumes of all attendees. It's also useful for mentoring prospects to absolute novices. So, if you want such a career boost in your academic life in Moscow, subscribe to International Conference Alerts and get instant email alerts for upcoming conferences. If you're an organizer, utilize our platform to add any upcoming Moscow conferences for promotion.

List of Upcoming Conferences in Moscow 2024

Conference by month.

Popular Countries

• Brunei Darussalam
• Czech Republic
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Myanmar (Burma)
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Palestinian Territories
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Puerto Rico
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Switzerland
• Vatican City

Popular Cities in Russia

• Nizhny Novgorod
• Novosibirsk
• Rostov-on-Don
• Saint Petersburg
• Yekaterinburg

Popular Topics in Moscow

Business & economics.

• Banking and finance
• Business Ethics
• Human Resources
• Architecture
• Artificial Intelligence
• Bioinformatics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biotechnology
• Computer Software and Applications
• Computer Vision
• Data Mining
• Electronics and Electrical
• Image processing
• Information Technology
• Internet and World Wide Web
• Manufacturing
• Nanotechnology
• Nano Technology and Smart Materials
• Polymers and Plastics
• Renewable Energy
• Space Environment and aviation
• Systems Engineering

SHOW MORE »

• Distance Education
• Higher Education
• Lifelong Learning
• Teaching and Learning

Health & Medicine

• Alternative Health
• Dermatology
• Disability and Rehabilitation
• Family Medicine
• Food Safety
• Gastroenterology
• Gerontology
• Infectious diseases
• Medical ethics
• Medicine and Medical Science
• Nutrition and Diabetes
• Public Health
• Palliative Care
• Children and Youth
• Communications and Media
• Complex Systems
• Conflict resolution
• Disaster Management
• Film studies
• Gender studies
• GLBT Studies
• Globalization
• Human Rights
• Public Policy
• Sexuality and eroticism
• Spirituality
• Sport science
• Urban studies

Mathematics & Statistics

• Mathematics

Physical & Life Sciences

• Agriculture
• Aquaculture
• Archaeology
• Biodiversity
• Earth Sciences
• Environment
• Meteorology
• Oceanography
• Waste Management
• African Studies
• American Studies
• Asian Studies
• European Studies
• Anthropology
• Art History
• Information science
• Interdisciplinary studies
• Islamic Studies
• Linguistics
• Local Government
• Multidisciplinary Studies
• Museums and heritage
• Occupational Science
• Religious studies
• Social Sciences
• Social Work

Engineering & Technology

• Computer Software & applications
• Civil Engineering
• Computer Science Engineering
• Electrical & Electronics Engineering
• Engineering Chemistry
• Electronics and Communication Engineering
• Life Science Engineering
• Marine Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Paint Technology
• Software Engineering

International Conference on Scientific Marketing and Marketing Strategies (ICOSMMS )

International Conference on International Law and Human Rights (ICILHR)

International conference on military engineering (icmile), international conference on catholic church and history (iccch), international conference on computational economics, statistics and econometrics (iccese), international conference on business and industrial statistics (icbis), international conference on wireless sensor networks and engineering applications (icwsnea), international conference on social computing and networking (icscn), international meet on neurology and orthopedic surgery (icnos), international conference on public health nursing and modern public health (icphnmph), international conference on computer science, machine learning and algorithms (iccpsmla), international conference on nutritional management of gastrointestinal disease (icnmgs), international conference on mathematics, informatics and statistics (icmis ), international conference on domestic tourism and economy (icdte), international conference on climate change and european law (icccel ), international conference on diabetes and metabolism (icdam), international conference on hands-on science. advancing science. improving education (ichsasie), international conference on advertising effectiveness and marketing (icaem), international conference on research challenges in science and technology (icrcst), international conference on general practice & primary care (icgppc), international conference on multidisciplinary social studies, anthropology, history and archaeology (icmssaha), international conference on emerging social problems in north african countries (icespnac ), international conference on educational statistics and statistical methods (icessm), international conference on biomedical waste management and sustainability (icbwms), international conference on education sciences, distance education and educational technology (icesdeet), international conference on catholic church and liturgy (icccl), international conference on trade, business, economics and law (ictbel), international conference on breast radiology and radiopharmaceuticals (icbrr), international conference on life sciences (iclisc), international conference on computational methods in applied sciences and engineering (iccmase), international conference on applied medical sociology (icoams), international conference on architecture, landscape and urban studies (icalus), international conference on business and commercial law (icbcl), international conference on multidisciplinary studies and education (icmsae), international conference on biochemical pharmacology and industrial pharmacy (icbpip), international conference on nanomaterials and materials physics (icnmp), international conference on mechanical engineering technologies (icomet), international conference on urban forestry and statistics (icufs), international conference on leadership and management (iclm ), international symposium on teaching, education, and learning (stel), international conference on therapeutic architecture and design (ictad), international conference on mechanical, robotics and aerospace engineering (icmrae), international conference on sports medicine, physiotherapy and regenerative therapies (icsmprt), international conference on contemporary asian studies (iccas ), international conference on soft computing, mathematics and control (icscmc ), international conference on multidisciplinary filipino studies (icomfs), international conference on transnational studies and american literature (ictsal ), international conference on urban geomorphology and regional studies (icougrs), international conference on ancient history and art (icaha), international conference on gender studies and culture of gender (icgscg), international conference on amorphous metals synthesis in chemistry (icamsc), international conference on forms of gifted education for gifted students (icfgegs), international conference on enterprise resource planning and financial management solutions (icerpfms), international conference on environmental chemistry & water resource management (icecwrm), international conference on machine learning and cybernetics (icmlc), international conference on contemporary american philosophy (icocap ), international conference on mobile marketing applications (icomma), international conference on environmental and natural resources law (icenrl ), international conference on african philosophical thought (icapth ), international conference on hiv/aids (ic-ha), international conference on recent advancements in computer, communication and computational sciences (icracccs), international conference on distance learning and special education (icdlse), international conference on substantive rights and humanitarian law (icsrhl), international conference on mathematics, probability and statistics (icomps), international conference on applied physics and mathematics (icapm), international conference on evolutionary genetics and biodiversity (icegb), international conference on chinese language and literature studies (icclls), international conference on language, literature, culture, and education (icllce), international conference on diabetes, disease control and prevention (icoddcp), international conference on african studies and global africa (icasgaf), international congress on education and learning (cel), international conference on biological physics for the health and life sciences (icbphls), international conference on marketing management (icomm ), international conference on sports science and medicine (icssm), international conference on gastroenterology and urology (icgu), international conference on administrative science and human resources management (icashrm), international conference on online collaborative learning and design implications (icocldi), world conference on educational sciences (wcoes), international conference on urban geography and cultural studies (icugcs), international conference on european law and climate change (icelcc ), international conference on plant & soil science (icpss), international conference on computational science and mathematics (iccscm), finance, business & banking symposium (fbbs), international conference on wearable technology and preventative healthcare (icwtph), international conference on healthcare simulation and medical education (ichsme), international conference on renewable energy sources and sustainability (icress), international conference on advances in education and social sciences (icaess), international conference on bacterial cell biology and research (icbcbr), international conference on homological algebra (icha), international conference on african problems (icoapms), international conference on healthcare modeling, medical sciences and technology (ichmmst), international conference on data mining and applications (icdma), international conference on business incubation and innovationâ  (icbii), international conference on special needs education, teaching and different approaches (icsnetda), international conference on english language teaching (icenlate), international conference on economics and business (icebus), international conference on problem based learning pedagogies in higher education (icpblphe), international conference on industrial chemistry and engineering (icice), event starts on.

Important Dates

Select month.

• Russian Federation

Popular Cities in

Popular topics.

• Architechture

Engineering & Technology

Search for conference.

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

1850 W Pullman Highway

Moscow, ID 83843

You Might Also Consider

Famous Footwear

0.07 miles away from Hot Topic

Tommy K. said "It's a pretty good shoe store with a decent selection. Keep in mind it's no footlocker, so they won't have your Jordan's or your air forces, but they have a good amount of name brand shoes. One annoying thing is that at checkout…" read more

in Accessories, Sports Wear, Shoe Stores

Grocery Outlet

7.3 miles away from Hot Topic

Sharon D. said "This place is great. I can find most of what I need there. They have any spice you could need and plenty of produce and meats. They even have dog and cat food and treats. I have found plenty of organic foods for all. The only caveat…" read more

in Grocery, Discount Store

Amenities and More

Ask the community.

Ask a question

Yelp users haven’t asked any questions yet about Hot Topic .

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

Nice people. Funny geeky stuff. Bit pricey but isn't everything these days?

Great hot topic with an amazing selection. They were helpful and apologized whenever an item I was looking for wasn't in stock and helped me find an alternative on the website or told me about closer hot topic stores that might have it. All staff wore masks and made sure customers were wearing masks as well.

Went in yesterday with my granddaughter. The person at the register around 3 p.m., I'll call him "man bun" not once acknowledged our presence. He spent the entire 20 minutes we were in the store on the phone grunting 1 word answers into it. When my granddaughter approached the register with her purchase he didn't acknowledge her either. I had to say things like "Welcome to our store." "Here's your total" While he scanned her purchase and took her money. When he was done he finally hung and said "Sorry, I was on the phone with another manager." What a crock. Another manager would've understood if "Man bun had said 'excuse a second, I have a customer to tend to." I know guys who wear 'man buns' are social misfits but c'mon, a little courtesy to young customers in your store please.

Never had a hot topic not work with me on doing a return, so be cautious when making a purchase. I bought a dress with no intention of returning it and discarded the receipt, by my car had a major issue that same day and I needed the money back. I've had hot topic managers from 2 other states work with me before on returns without a receipt, but this one wouldn't even consider other options or workarounds. That being said, the clothing selection at this store is minimal and lacking and the staff is not always helpful.

People Also Viewed

The Yarn Underground

Lily Bee’s Consignment Shop

Michelle’s Closet

Tri-State Outfitters

Crimson and Gray

Ross Dress for Less

Palouse Mall

Browse Nearby

Restaurants

Thrift Stores

Other Places Nearby

Find more Accessories near Hot Topic

Find more Men's Clothing near Hot Topic

Find more Women's Clothing near Hot Topic

People found Hot Topic by searching for…

Dress Stores Moscow

Related Cost Guides

share this!

June 4, 2024

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

peer-reviewed publication

trusted source

Chasing down a cellular 'short circuit' sheds light on how certain diseases begin

by University of California - San Diego

A group of researchers at University of California San Diego has identified the cause of a "short-circuit" in cellular pathways, a discovery that sheds new light on the genesis of a number of human diseases.

The recent study, published in the journal Science Signaling , explores the biochemical mechanism that can interrupt the cellular communication chain—a disruptive interaction that Pradipta Ghosh, M.D., likens to a game-ending "buzzer."

Ghosh, a professor in the Departments of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, and Irina Kufareva, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California San Diego, are the corresponding authors on the paper.

The paper explains the mechanism of "cross talk" between two cellular pathways , one initiated by proteins known as growth factors and one by their cellular receptors. The second pathway is mediated by a completely different G protein-coupled set of cellular receptors (GPCRs). Both classes of receptors deliver molecular messages from outside to inside the cell and signal cells to change in some way. Kufareva says that members of the GPCR family are targets of around 34% of all the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"GPCRs are important drug targets mainly due to their involvement in signaling pathways related to many diseases," she explained, citing mental and endocrinological disorders, viral infections, cardiovascular and inflammatory conditions, and even cancer.

Growth factors enable a second, equally important communication pathway inside the cell that makes the cells grow and divide. Whereas GPCRs act through intracellular molecular switches (G proteins), growth factor receptors are conventionally thought to bypass the switches. However, Ghosh and Kufareva note that researchers had been suspicious about some kind of a potential conflict between the two pathways, and careful research allowed the UC San Diego team to identify it.

Ghosh said the conflict stems from problematic phosphorylation, the attachment of a phosphate group to the G protein molecule. She explained that the team used advanced mass spectrometry techniques to map all occurrences of phosphoevents, the sites on G proteins that were phosphorylated when cells were stimulated by growth factors. Then they checked how this changed the ability of G proteins to perform their normal job downstream of GPCRs.

"Whatever aspect of GPCR signaling we looked at, it was negatively impacted by almost all phosphoevents on the 'switch' protein—the G protein—that would be introduced by growth factors," Kufareva said. "That was understandable when we looked at how these phosphoevents distorted the G protein structure. Growth factors effectively 'steal' G proteins from GPCRs and in this way paralyze their signaling."

Further testing of the phosphoevents showed that one single amino acid was responsible for the G protein theft. Ghosh said the amino acid known as tyrosine is located at position 320 within the G protein, which happens to be on the side of the G protein that makes contact with G protein-coupled receptors.

"This specific tyrosine was identified almost a decade ago as a special 'trigger point' for G protein-coupled receptors to relay their signals. We began to think about the importance of such a coincidence," Ghosh explained. "That's when a light bulb went off in our heads: If cell communication were a game, the tyrosine at position 320 on the G protein would be the buzzer. If the growth factors got to it first and phosphorylated that site, the G protein-coupled receptors simply had no shot."

Kufareva and Ghosh say that the group's discovery has implications for the development of new therapies for a number of conditions, including cancer. Ghosh said that many pharmaceuticals on the market are effective in treating a wide range of diseases because the drugs target G protein-coupled receptors. But there remain a number of conditions without good drug therapies—fibrosis, chronic inflammation and cancers—because until now the interaction of these two pathways has not been understood.

"We believe our findings are likely to be both important and timely, and will contribute to other emerging studies mapping the landscape of these two major signaling pathways that control practically every process in our cells," Ghosh said.

"Our work is especially relevant in that growth factors, their receptors, and G-protein-coupled receptors appear to be highly co-expressed in many cancers," added Kufareva.

All authors on the paper are associated with UC San Diego. Suchismita Roy, Saptarshi Sinha and Ananta James Silas are members of the School of Medicine's Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, while Majid Ghassemian is a member of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biomolecular and Proteomics Mass Spectrometry Facility.

Journal information: Science Signaling

Provided by University of California - San Diego

Explore further

Feedback to editors

The importance of the paradise fish in evolutionary and behavioral genetics research

6 hours ago

A cracking discovery: Eggshell waste can recover rare earth elements needed for green energy

Study suggests germanium isotope really does have an 11-day half-life

8 hours ago

Fighting fires from space in record time: How AI could prevent a repeat of Australia's devastating wildfires

Atomizer of history: How perfume research has shaped a century of scientific innovation

Elephant seal outbreak marks first transnational spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in mammals

Flapping frequency of birds, insects, bats and whales predicted with just body mass and wing area

9 hours ago

Study finds US Islamist extremist co-offenders form close-knit groups driven by mutual contacts, homophily effects

Study finds simple headlines attract more online news readers

Researchers solve 2,000-year-old mystery of the destructive shipworm

10 hours ago

Relevant PhysicsForums posts

How do fetuses breathe in the womb.

7 hours ago

Universal wing- and fin-beat frequency scaling

A dna animation.

May 29, 2024

Probability, genetic disorder related

May 28, 2024

Looking For Today's DNA Knowledge

May 27, 2024

Covid Vaccines Reducing Infections

More from Biology and Medical

Related Stories

PH-binding motifs as a platform for drug design: Lessons from protease-activated receptors

May 24, 2024

G-protein coupled receptor findings could accelerate research and development of new cancer treatments

Dec 5, 2022

Researchers visualize communication of G protein-coupled receptors, paving way for new drug discovery

Jun 6, 2023

Chemical tool illuminates pathways used by dopamine, opioids and other neuronal signals

Apr 23, 2024

Protein engineers navigate toward more targeted therapeutics

Mar 16, 2023

Coupled proteins: How human cells react to external signals and further process them

Jul 1, 2019

Recommended for you

Scientists identify 'missing piece' required for blood stem cell self-renewal

11 hours ago

Large-scale study reveals functional diversity of DNA transposons and expands genome engineering toolbox

12 hours ago

Food security: Researchers discover gene for resistance against a disease that ravages rice and wheat crops

Antibiotic discovery effort uses AI to uncover potential new antibiotics in the global microbiome

Let us know if there is a problem with our content.

Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form . For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines ).

Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request

Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors.

Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages.

E-mail the story

Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form.

Newsletter sign up

Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties.

More information Privacy policy

Donate and enjoy an ad-free experience

We keep our content available to everyone. Consider supporting Science X's mission by getting a premium account.

E-mail newsletter