Management of Sickle Cell in the African American Population for Berlange Valmeus, P2 College of Pharmacy, Barry Bleidt, PharmD, College of Pharmacy, Professor Sociobehavioral and Administrative Pharmacy

Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Florida, USA

Objective. This research is intended to demonstrate the importance of increasing the awareness of the management of SCD in the African American population by evaluating active clinical trials, current pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. Background.Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is the most common rare disease in African Americans with a prevalence of one in 365 African American births. The problem with improving health outcomes is a lack of patient education. SCD is a recessive condition that affects the body’s red blood cells, causing misshapen cells. This shape alteration causes difficulty in traveling through small blood vessels and can lead to other severe problems. Methods.An elaborate search using journals was completed on Pubmed using keywords such as rare diseases in the African American population, pain crisis, and treatment. Results.Pain is a hallmark symptom of SCD and since it is subjective, it has been a major factor in the mistrust of medical professionals as it relates to the dissemination of painkillers. Research in the pipeline include study (HGB-205) where Bluebird Bio Inc. is focusing on gene editing using LentiGlobin BB305 to evaluate hemopoietic stem cell transplantation due to the lack of access to chronic transfusions, hydroxyurea, and bone marrow transplant due to lack of patient education and economic hardships. Conclusion. As pharmacists, we can show more compassion and implement multidisciplinary collaboration within the healthcare team, where all parties involved are aware of the patient’s medical history to personalize treatments and increase positive outcomes. Grants. No grants were utilized for this study.