Alana Hippensteele, Lead Editor

There were significant modifications in breast cancer treatment due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, such as high rates of NET chemotherapy, genomic assay testing on core biopsies, and delays in planned surgeries.

At the virtual 2020 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition, Elyse Tung, PharmD, BCACP, discussed key counseling points for pharmacists to address with patients when prescribing and managing PrEP.

The treatment of mental illness has long been a quandary for medical professionals throughout history. But historically, mental illness has been more loosely defined than it is today.

Beta-blockers could be used as a potential treatment for COVID-19, according to a study by Italian and Australian researchers.

The COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, BNT162b2, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, has been granted a temporary authorization for emergency use against COVID-19 in the United Kingdom.

Researchers found that COVID-19 severity was linked to cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

The authors noted that if regulatory agencies maintain the well-documented safety testing protocols that have been developed over the years, COVID-19 vaccines will be safe and trustworthy.

Results from 2 pooled post-hoc analyses of phase 3 ORION-9, -10, and -11 trials evaluating inclisiran demonstrated the treatment was well-tolerated and effective.

In the medieval period in Europe, the rise of alchemy as a field accelerated interest in the search for an elixir of life.

The NCPA and NACDS both applauded the HHS announcement regarding the partnerships with national and regional chain pharmacies and independent pharmacies to maximize access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Results of a recent study confirmed that patients already taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) should not discontinue taking them due to COVID-19 infection.

For patients with COVID-19, the combination of the disease and preexisting atrial arrhythmias may create a pathologic synergy that significantly increases the risk for major adverse cardiac events and death.

For early adolescents, frequent social media use, watching emotional or violent videos, and use of social media from an early age were found to be significantly associated with less sleep on school nights.

A majority of young adults with cardiovascular disease are not receiving the annual influenza vaccine despite their heightened risk of secondary infections.

At the turn of the twentieth century, strychnine was widely acknowledged by the medical community for its effective use as a stimulant.

Sleep deficiency may impair the ability to cognitively filter intrusive memories and thoughts when confronted with reminders of them, according to a recent study.

Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies submitted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the FDA to expand the use of rivaroxaban in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Patients recently diagnosed with cancer are significantly more likely to quit smoking and remain tobacco-free if they receive frequent phone counseling over an extended period of time.

A new breast cancer combination treatment may help patients with certain gene mutations, according to a study published in Molecular Cell.

Following tobacco’s introduction to Europe by the Spanish in the 16th century, European physicians embraced it exuberantly, dubbing it a panacea.

Black women experience longer waiting periods before treatment is initiated than White women following a breast cancer diagnosis, as well as a prolonged treatment duration compared with White women.

Researchers from 2 independent studies have found that SARS-CoV-2 may be more capable of infecting human cells due to the virus’ spike protein recognizing and binding to neuropilin-1.

Approximately 1 in 3 high school seniors (31.8%) who reported misusing prescription opioids as high school seniors between 1997 and 2000 went on to use heroin by age 35.

Researchers have identified the role of a protein involved in the progression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection that has demonstrated a potential new avenue for treatment.

Using several sources of data, researchers at Linköping University in Sweden developed a new method to predict flu epidemics.

The latest survey programs out of NASP have found that the specialty pharmacy industry needs to focus on increased resources for implementing technology based solutions.

A panel of experts outlined various challenges to data standardization as well as potential solutions available through further collaboration.

The 340B program allows covered entities to stretch scarce federal resources to the furthest extent possible to provide patients in need with comprehensive services.

An axillary lymph node dissection, which is the surgical removal of 10 to 20 lymph nodes from the breast, is a procedure conducted in up to 25% of women with breast cancer to disable symptoms of arm swelling.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists have been forced to face challenges to their practice that have required not only adaptation and flexibility, but also moments of empathy and vulnerability.