Hospital

The authors of the study suggest that any patient with HZ should be tested for COVID-19, even if the individual has mild symptoms or no history of upper respiratory symptoms.

This indication has received accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response, though the results of confirmatory trials may change the approval status.

The study is most comprehensive analysis to date of changes in hospital mortality throughout the pandemic, reviewing data on more than 20,000 patients admitted to hospitals for COVID-19 over 9 months, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

IQVIA researchers saw a sharp uptick in medication usage shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began, followed by a steep fall in the first few months of the pandemic.

When looking at the COVID-19 variants, it is increasingly necessary to assess them in terms of the mutations embedded in the variants themselves.

In addition to overall concerns about COVID-19 vaccines patients may have stronger fears about the second vaccine dose since it is often accompanied with more adverse effects.

The study also found that patients with comorbidities such as heart disease and diabetes were more likely to experience a high symptom burden.

Fatigue-inducing anemias caused by chronic diseases and inflammation may be treatable with a combination of inexpensive oral medications, according to a study published in Nature Communications.

Use of tranexamic acid is not associated with complications such as deep vein blood clots, heart attacks, seizures, or strokes or mini strokes when used in high-risk patients, according to a study published in Anesthesiology.

Because several pharmaceutical companies pulled back from the federal 340B program last fall, many patients with diabetes are now seeing skyrocketing insulin prices, according to Anne Webster, NP, with UnityPoint Health.

The proposal would also distribute 1000 additional physician residency slots to hospitals in rural areas in an effort to address gaps in equitable care.

The APhA has joined a federal lawsuit filed by the NCPA in January to challenge DIR fees.

An interim analysis from the phase 3 ALPINE trial comparing zanubrutinib against ibrutinib demonstrated positive results in the treatment of relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma.

Further, while there is ambiguity surrounding the treatment of IBD flare in patients with CDI, case reports suggest corticosteroid initiation after appropriate antibiotic therapy may be effective.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to a 44% increase in insomnia disorder among health care workers at a medical-school affiliated health system, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

The finding raises the potential for repurposing available drugs as COVID-19 antivirals for cases in which a vaccine is not practical or effective, according to RPI chemistry and chemical professor Gaetano Montelione.

The necessary push for the health care industry to move to whole-person care instead of condition-oriented models and tactics for applying a value-based model in pharmacy benefits.

High demands on the health care system from COVID-19 may mean a permanent shift in the landscape.

Although the virtual format of this year's advisory board meeting was different, the feedback was no less valuable than it has been in other years.

The FDA hold was announced in December 2020 following the diagnosis of one patient with hepatocellular carcinoma in the HOPE-B pivotal trial.

A heart rhythm disorder, atrial fibrillation occurs at least twice as frequently in patients with diabetes as those without.

Scott J. Knoer, MS, PharmD, FASHP, EVP and CEO of APhA, discussed the value of the pharmacist on patient care teams and how this value could be supported and enhanced in the future.

Although the CDC and FDA have lifted the pause on Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, Humphreys said the vaccine now comes with a warning label, and ongoing safety reviews will be paramount to ensure its continued safety.

Individuals with an average risk of colorectal cancer said they would prefer a stool-based screening test for colorectal cancer over colonoscopy.

Although therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19 have dominated the news in the last year, development of other drugs has continued.

The efforts of pharmacists to keep their doors open during the pandemic, build COVID-19 testing sites, and prepare for and administer COVID-19 vaccinations took extraordinary investment and determination.

In addition to altered supply chains and medication access during the early months of the pandemic, the report predicts long-term changes for both COVID-19 survivors and those with chronic illnesses.

A metanalysis published in SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine found that administering the therapies early in a patient’s treatment could be associated with better outcomes.