Non-CE Author Guidelines

U.S. Pharmacist is a national pharmacy publication that educates pharmacists about drugs (Rx and OTC) and their clinical applications, the current status of drug therapy in specific disease states, the skills and techniques necessary to counsel patients to achieve optimal outcomes, the legal and ethical aspects of contemporary pharmacy practice, and the principles and techniques required to practice pharmacy effectively.

An educational mission of U.S. Pharmacist is to develop and publish articles that facilitate pharmacists’ ability to remain current with medical knowledge and clinical skills, enhance professional competence, and improve patient care.

The following packet describes the guidelines and requirements that U.S. Pharmacist will follow for journal articles. Questions should be directed to Rob Davidson, Executive Editor, at 201-623-0981 or email.

- General Guidelines
  • Present current and clinically relevant information.
  • Organize information in a chronological order.
  • Support assertions and clinical studies with references where applicable.
  • Provide a balanced view of the topic area.
  • Be objective when reporting research.
  • Disclose unlabeled use of drugs/products where applicable.
  • Discuss the safety and adverse effects of drugs/products presented.
  • Include case studies where applicable.

- Journal Article Requirements
  • Each non-CE article should include text of approximately 2,500 words, including references and tables. Articles for the oncology supplement also should include an abstract of approximately 100 words.
  • Include visual aids. Visual aids may be charts, graphs, figures, tables, photos, and/or diagnostic images. Sidebar material is acceptable.
  • Line drawings, graphs, and charts should be professionally rendered and should be "camera ready" or high-resolution digital images.
  • Appropriate captions for visual aids should be submitted.
  • All visual aids should be cited in the text of the article.
  • Tables must be submitted using tabs for columns. Tables may be additionally submitted in Table Format only to show how they should appear in print.

- References Requirements
  • Articles should contain no more than 40 references.
  • All references should be cited in the article text in numerical sequence.
  • At the end of the article, on a separate page, references should be numbered consecutively in the order they are cited in the text. Do not use auto numbering. DO NOT USE ENDNOTES.
  • Faculty members are responsible for accuracy and completeness of references as well as obtaining permission to reproduce any copyrighted materials. Copies of the correspondence granting permission should be included in your submission.

References should conform to the following guidelines:

  • Are identified by superscript Arabic numbers that appear after punctuation:
    Following the methodology of Smith,1 the subjects were treated with the protocol published by our hospital.2
  • Abbreviation of the name of a journal should follow Index Medicus style. The first letter of the first word of the article title should be capitalized.
  • Use the starting and final page numbers of the cited article.
  • List all authors when four or less. When more than four, list only the first three authors and add "et al." after the third author's name.
  • List the year, volume number, and issue number in parenthesis, followed by the pages.

Examples:

  • Journal article:
    1. Medon PJ, Holshouser MH. Anorexia nervosa. US Pharm. 1996;9(5):61-65.
  • Letter, editorial, or abstract:
    2. Wightkin WT, Buckhammer CR. Simple method for intravenous-to-oral theophylline dose conversion. Clin Pharm. 1995;1(5):365-368. Letter.
    3. Zellmer WA. A good place to work [editorial]. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1997;41(6):889-890.
    4. Schwartz RH, O’Donnell R, Mann L, Baugh J. Adolescents who smoke cigarettes: criteria for addiction, health concerns, and readiness to quit [abstract]. AJDC. 1993;147:417. Abstract 3.
  • Package insert:
    5. Zyban [package insert]. Research Triangle Park, NC: Glaxo Wellcome Inc.; 1997.
  • Paper presented at a meeting:
    6. Stern NB, Howard JR. Managing proper disposal of antineoplastic agents. Paper presented at 32nd Annual ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, December 7, 1997; Atlanta, GA.
  • Textbook:
    7. Shafer WF, Hine KM. A Textbook of Oral Pathology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1994:345-350.
    8. Foye WO, ed. Principles of Medicinal Chemistry. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger; 1997:345-350.
  • Government Publications:
    9. Code of Federal Regulation-21 CFR 130.01.

- Educational Review

U.S. Pharmacist will look for the following when reviewing the article for CE appropriateness:

  • Is the material presented current and clinically relevant to the targeted audience?
  • Is the program balanced and unbiased?
  • Are the appropriate agents presented?
  • Is the title reflective of the content?
  • Are the learning objectives reflective of the content?
  • Are clinical studies cited and described?
  • Are the safety and adverse effects addressed for all agents presented?

- Timeline
U.S. Pharmacist will notify faculty of the program deadline. The program must be received on or before the date given as per contract.
- Submitting the Program
  • All submissions must be received electronically on a CD or via e-mail.
  • The text file should be saved in Microsoft Word or other compatible format.
  • All fonts used must be supplied.
  • CMYK mode is necessary
  • 300 DPI or higher resolution at 100% is necessary
  • Mac platform is preferred
  • We accept the following types of files for graphics:
    • EPS files (High Res)
    • TIFF files (High Res)
    • JPEG (High Res)
    • PDF files (High Res)
  • Disks should be properly labeled with each file contained on it.
  • In addition, a printout of the entire manuscript must be received via the mail or fax.
  • Submissions should be sent to:

    Executive Editor
    U.S. Pharmacist
    One Meadowlands Plaza
    East Rutherford, NJ 07073
    Phone: 201-623-0981
    Fax: 201-623-0921
    E-mail: rdavidson@jobson.com