Condition Center

Pain, along with swelling and fatigue, is one of the cornerstone symptoms of sickle cell disease. Children with sickle cell disease may often experience painful vaso-occlusive episodes, which require appropriate pain management. In most cases, adequate pain management consists of rehydration, rest, and analgesics. But where do opioids fit into this treatment strategy? Common analgesics...

Barriers to proper treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) depend not only on individual patient factors. Other factors involving healthcare provider knowledge on treating SCD and expertise can also hinder access to appropriate care. SCD is a rare disease that can lead to acute and chronic complications in patients. For this reason, optimal care is...

We know sickle cell disease (SCD) is most prevalent in people of African descent. However, a limited number of studies have evaluated whether sex-based differences occur with SCD. These studies have found that females with SCD are more likely to outlive males with SCD. One case series found that a handful of women with SCD...

Of the over 100,000 people in the U.S. with sickle cell disease (SCD), many face barriers to care in the forms of racism, low income, and lack of access to treatment through publically insured programs. As a result, this population can often find themselves cornered into what feels like a healthcare system that does not...

In this MD Newsline exclusive interview with Krystal Preston, PharmD, we discuss her personal experiences with receiving disparate sickle cell disease treatment as a patient. We also discuss how health care professionals can rectify sickle cell disease disparities in care. MD Newsline: Have you personally experienced disparities in care as a patient with sickle cell...

In this MD Newsline exclusive interview with Krystal Preston, PharmD, we discuss how to provide culturally sensitive care and overcome language barriers. MD Newsline: How have you been able to implement culturally sensitive care in your work? Krystal Preston, PharmD: “Having experienced disparities in care as a patient, I’ve learned how to implement culturally sensitive...

In this MD Newsline exclusive interview with Krystal Preston, PharmD, we discuss how to improve funding, diversity, and inclusion for sickle cell disease clinical trials. MD Newsline: Moving forward, how do you think we can increase funding for sickle cell disease clinical trials?  Krystal Preston, PharmD: “Sickle cell disease is a disease that affects mainly...

In this MD Newsline exclusive interview with Krystal Preston, PharmD, we discuss the latest research on sickle cell disease treatment and how far we’ve come in treating sickle cell disease. MD Newsline: Is there any research that excites you or that you think is important for providers to know related to the treatment of sickle...

In this MD Newsline exclusive interview with Krystal Preston, PharmD, we discuss her pearls for treating patients with sickle cell disease. We also discuss how to address pharmacist implicit bias. MD Newsline: Is there anything else you would like to speak on that we have not already covered? Krystal Preston, PharmD: “I just want to...