Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1: Why Medication Adherence Is Harder for Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment

A qualitative study of 116 adults aged 55+ uncovered some unique barriers to medication management in those with cognitive impairment who live alone. Participants described issues such as lacking medication reminders, fearing adverse effects when alone, and encountering logistical difficulties without advocates around to help. With these roadblocks identified, the focus can shift to identifying those with cognitive impairment and implementing strategies to mitigate medication management challenges.

2: Ocrelizumab Works — Even in Advanced MS

A phase 3b trial published in The Lancet found that ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) reduced disability progression by 30% compared to placebo in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, including older patients and those with more advanced disease who are typically excluded from trials. Notably, the benefit was strongest in patients who were already largely wheelchair-dependent, with a 49% reduction in disability progression. Hand function was a key focus: ocrelizumab cut the risk of worsening manual dexterity by 41%, a meaningful outcome for patients whose independence hinges on upper-limb function.

3: A Cholesterol Guideline Refresh Worth Revisiting

In case it got lost in your feed: US guidelines on dyslipidemia got their 1st major overhaul since 2018 earlier this year. The 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guideline brings back specific LDL-C targets, for very high-risk patients with established cardiovascular disease, the goal is now LDL-C under 55 mg/dL and non-HDL-C under 85 mg/dL. It also recommends measuring lipoprotein(a) at least once in every adult and pushes for earlier, more aggressive treatment overall.

Shelf Watch 🏥

Drug Shortages ⚠️

Apo-Ramipril (ramipril), 2.5 mg

• Actual start: April 14, 2026

• Estimated end: June 26, 2026

• Remaining: ~3 weeks

• Additional details: Apotex has reported an actual shortage of the 2.5 mg capsule due to a manufacturing disruption. Only 30-count blister packs are currently available.

ACH-Atorvastatin (atorvastatin), 20 mg

• Actual start: May 30, 2025

• Estimated end: Unknown

• Additional details: Accord Healthcare has reported an ongoing shortage of the 20 mg tablet due to GMP compliance requirements.

3 Wealth Mistakes Pharmacists Don’t Realize They’re Making 💰

For many pharmacists, their pharmacy is their retirement plan. 

For many, this is not going to be enough. 

And while owning a successful pharmacy can absolutely create wealth, relying too heavily on one asset can also create risk.

Because what happens if:

• You want to slow down earlier than expected?

• Burnout or an unexpected illness or death occurs?

• The value of your pharmacy is lower than anticipated years from now?

You could end up spending years reinvesting back into the business, while doing very little to build wealth outside of it.

That’s why investing outside of your pharmacy matters. Not because your pharmacy is a bad investment. But because true financial flexibility comes from diversification.

At RX Dental Wealth Management, we specialize in helping pharmacists across Canada build long-term wealth strategies designed specifically for pharmacists. 

Here are 3 common financial planning mistakes we see pharmacists make time and again.

1. Keeping Too Much Cash Inside the Corporation

One of the most common things we hear is: “Most of my money just stays in the corporation.”

And while that may feel safe or tax-efficient, many pharmacists are not fully maximizing what that money could be doing long-term.

Too often, excess cash sits:

• In savings accounts

• In GICs

• Uninvested for years

Over time, this can create missed opportunities for:

• Long-term wealth growth

• Retirement planning

• Estate planning

• Tax efficiency

• Financial flexibility outside of the pharmacy

Your pharmacy may generate the income. But investments outside the business are often what creates long-term financial freedom.

2. Your Accountant and Advisor Are Not Talking to Each Other

This is one of the biggest issues we see.

Your accountant handles taxes. Your advisor manages investments. But often, they are not actually communicating with each other.

You’re stuck in the middle trying to coordinate everything when they should be working mutually to your benefit.

The result?

• Disconnected advice.

• Missed opportunities.

• Financial decisions are being made in isolation.

For pharmacists with corporations, these decisions are all connected:

• Salary vs. dividends

• Corporate investing

• Personal investing

• Retirement planning

• Passive income

• Estate planning

• Holding companies

Too often, decisions are made only to reduce taxes today, without considering long-term wealth goals.

Small decisions now can create massive differences years from today. That’s why coordinated planning matters.

3. It’s Never Too Late to Start Planning

Many pharmacy owners want to retire with $200,000–$300,000 in annual income for the rest of their lives.

For example, if your goal is $250,000 annually, a common rule of thumb suggests you may need approximately $6.25 million invested to generate that income over the long term.

The question is: Where will that money come from?

Will the value of your pharmacy be enough? Do you plan to keep the store and continue drawing income from it? Or do you plan to sell and live off the proceeds?

Every owner’s situation is different.

That’s why it’s important to start planning early. If most of your wealth is tied up inside your pharmacy, you may need to build an investment portfolio alongside the business to help fund retirement.

Financial freedom starts with a plan. What is your number? When do you want to retire, and what needs to happen between now and then to get you there?

This is exactly what we help pharmacy owners do. 

Small Missed Opportunities Add Up Quickly

Let’s recap the examples above:

• Excess corporate cash sitting idle

• Disconnected tax and investment advice

• No clear retirement plan

Individually, each issue may not feel urgent. But over time, these small missed opportunities can quietly cost pharmacists hundreds of thousands of dollars in long-term wealth potential.

Frustrated with disconnected financial advice? It may be time for a more coordinated strategy.

At RX Dental Wealth Management, we help pharmacists across Canada build coordinated financial strategies tailored to your needs and goals.

Hot Off The Press 🗞️

1:🩸 For decades, hepatitis B treatment has mostly meant control, not cure. But now a new drug is allowing about 1 out of 5 patients to stop treatment. The drug — bepirovirsen or “bepi” — suppresses viral replication and the hepatitis B surface (“S”) protein, while also stimulating the immune system. Experts aren’t sure how long the remission-like state lasts. But so far, this “functional cure” has proven to last at least up to 3 years.

2: 🛌 A bad night’s sleep could affect more than just the immune system. It could be a previously overlooked risk factor for early-onset cancer. Analyses of over 18 million US adults aged 18–50 found that an insomnia diagnosis was associated with a higher 5-year risk of several early-onset cancers, including colorectal, breast, uterine/endometrial, and ovarian cancers. These findings could help researchers understand the global rise in cancer among younger adults. It’s important to note the study suggests an association, though — not causality.

3: 🦟 Could anything make a bloodthirsty, disease-spreading, parasitic species even worse? Maybe an ability to learn. Researchers discovered that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can learn to associate DEET with a blood meal, causing what’s meant to be a repellent to become attractive. In the lab, 60% of mosquitoes that fed on warm blood while exposed to DEET later tried to bite when exposed to DEET alone. But, according to the authors, mosquito training isn’t easy, and they’re most likely to learn after the repellent starts to wear off. So don’t ditch the spray this summer — just reapply it as directed.

4: 🧪 And just like that, another COVID-era pharmacy service has quietly ended. As of June 1, Ontario has ended publicly funded COVID-19 PCR testing in community pharmacies. Pharmacies that previously collected swabs and billed the Ministry of Health are no longer able to provide or submit claims for PCR testing under the public program. Testing is now being redirected primarily to hospitals and designated assessment or clinical centres, marking another step away from pandemic-era pharmacy services and back toward core dispensing and clinical care workflows.

RxBriefly Picks 💊

🍗 Make: this Jamaican jerk chicken. A spiced marinade with allspice, thyme, scotch bonnet, and browning sauce that you blitz, rub on bone-in thighs, and let sit overnight before cooking low and slow on the BBQ.

🛒 Buy: something from PopSci’s 2026 Father’s Day gift guide — 30+ picks that skip the usual tie-and-beef-jerky fare, from a $60 pocket knife with a built-in tick remover to a $100 campsite lantern that looks good enough to leave on a nightstand.

💰 Save: on a lawn mower upgrade if you need one. This Greenworks 16″ cordless model is on sale. No cords, no fuel, just a straightforward battery mower and shorter grass.

👀 Watch: this standing ovation from 9,000 oncologists. At ASCO this week, researchers presented phase 3 results for daraxonrasib showing significantly longer survival in patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer compared to chemotherapy.

🧠 Know: that June is Migraine Awareness Month. These resources from Migraine Canada are worth bookmarking for patients who don’t realize their bad headaches may be migraines with actual treatment options.

Relax 🧩

First clue: What follows extra strength, sometimes

Give it a go ⮕

Need a rematch? We’ve got you covered. Check out our Crossword Archive to find every puzzle we’ve ever made, all in one place.

Think you crushed it? Challenge your pharmacist friends to beat your time.

What Pharmacists Had to Say 💡

Meme Of The Week 🤪

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