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Dietary supplements, including vitamins and herbal products, are often used to treat self-diagnosed conditions and/or to promote health. We conducted a community-based survey in a rural population to assess consumers' knowledge, practices, and attitudes regarding the use of dietary supplements. A total of 526 adults (≥ 18 years) completed the survey. Information collected included product(s) used, frequency and use in combination with prescription or over-the-counter medications, and perceptions of efficacy and safety. Most respondents (71.5%) indicated a preference for dietary supplements over conventional pharmaceuticals to maintain health. Most (71.1%) reported daily or almost daily use of conventional pharmaceuticals use as well. Most respondents (>86%) indicated they were comfortable discussing the use of supplements with their physician or pharmacist; there was weaker agreement regarding perceived potential for drug-supplement interactions or adverse effects, indicating that these issues may be under-recognized. These results indicate that dietary supplements are often used in combination with pharmaceuticals and there is continuing need for clinicians to assess patients' use of these products and to provide direction for their appropriate place in therapy.

The need for increased testing is pivotal in the response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Recently, through the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act, pharmacists were given the ability to order and administer COVID-19 tests, giving them a better opportunity to engage in the pandemic response across the nation as well as in Idaho. This survey sought to determine Idaho pharmacists' willingness to provide different COVID-19 related services, assess needed resources to provide such services, and identify and prioritize other unmet community needs. We conducted a ninequestion, cross-sectional survey distributed to pharmacists with addresses located in Idaho. All questions in the survey were optional and focused on pharmacist's willingness to provide services, what resources and additional training they would need, difficulty with 90-day prescriptions, and solicited additional feedback using an open-ended question. A total of 229 responses were received, representing all areas of pharmacy practice, with approximately half from community settings. The majority of respondents (70%) were willing to provide COVID-19 testing. Adequate staffing, changes to workflow, and the need for billing and clear reimbursement mechanisms were most frequently cited as barriers to contributing to the COVID-19 response. In summary, we found that pharmacists are very willing to help during this crisis, but their involvement may be better facilitated with the removal of barriers.

Following an educational intervention for Idaho Medicaid patients identified through retrospective DUR, a trial of a migraine prophylactic drug was initiated for approximately one-third of potential candidates.

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