Nanoformulations (NF) are widely explored as potential alternatives for traditional ophthalmic formulation approaches. The effective treatment of ocular diseases using conventional eye drops is often hampered by factors such as: physiological barriers, rapid elimination, protein binding, and enzymatic drug degradation. Combined, these factors are known to contribute to reduced ocular residence time and poor bioavailability. Recent research studies demonstrated that NF can significantly enhance the therapeutic efficacy and bioavailability of ocular drugs, compared to the established ophthalmic drug delivery strategies. The research studies resulted in a number of patent inventions, reporting a significant increase in therapeutic efficacy for various chronic ocular disease states of both the anterior and posterior ocular segments. This article reviews these patent disclosures in detail and emphasizes the therapeutic advantages conferred by the following nanoformulation approaches: Calcium Phosphate (CaP) nanoparticles, Liposomes, Nanoemulsions, Nanomicelles, and Hydrogels. The nanoformulation approaches were shown to enhance the ocular bioavailability by reducing the drugprotein binding, increasing the corneal resident time, enhancing the drug permeability and providing a sustained drug release. Further, the article discusses United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved ocular drugs employing nanotechnology and future developments. It should be noted that, despite the potential therapeutic promise demonstrated by nanotechnology for ocular drug delivery, the bench to bed transition from patent inventions to marketed drug products has been insignificant. Majority of the discussed technologies are still in development and testing phase for commercial viability. Further, studies are in progress to assess ocular tolerance and nanotoxicity for prolonged use of NF.

To explore the perceptions of service workload among pharmacy faculty and administrators in the United States using a qualitative method. A survey was distributed to solicit pharmacy faculty for two types of focus groups: administrative and non-administrative faculty from accredited colleges and schools of pharmacy in the US. Participants were selected to ensure institutional representation across demographic parameters such as geographic location, funding status (public vs. private), age of program (pre-1995 and post-1995), and program structure (3-year, 4-year, 0-6). Based on the goal of balancing these parameters, participants were contacted to schedule their participation in semi-structured interviews via focus groups. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. A total of nine focus groups were conducted with 17 administrators and 10 non-administrator faculty members. Five major themes emerged from both faculty and administrators: assignment and allocation of service, definition of service, equity in service, transparency, and value for promotion. An additional theme, motivation for service, emerged from the administrator group. Sub-themes varied between the two groups, highlighting differing perspectives on issues such as flexibility in service assignments, recognition of clinical service, and the role of seniority in service allocation. This study revealed the complexities and challenges of pharmacy faculty service workload. The findings emphasize the need for clearer workload guidelines, equitable distribution of service assignments, transparency in workload assignment and allocation, and formal recognition of service in promotion and tenure decisions.

Recommendations for global pharmacy collaborations are predominately derived from US institutions. This study utilized semi-structured interviews of global collaborators to assess important partnership components. Interviewees stated personal connections and understanding of each other’s programs/systems were key components. Additionally, collaborators indicate that mutual benefits between partners can exist without the requirement for bidirectional exchange of learning experiences, and request and value partners and learners who are culturally aware, global citizens. This structured interview approach provided key insight into how to develop mutually beneficial, sustainable partnerships and provides additional confirmation that the five pillars of global engagement align with an international audience.