COVID-19

In successive surveys over the past several months, an increasing number of pharmacists said they plan to be immunized, plan to manage the logistics of handling the vaccine, and will administer it to patients.

Combination treatment may be well-suited for patients with COVID-19 because remdesivir is a direct-acting antiviral drug, whereas baricitinib is an anti-inflammatory.

The blood test measures levels of mitochondrial DNA, which is a unique type of DNA molecule that normally resides inside the energy factories of cells.

The study findings emphasize the need for people who missed or postponed a cancer screening test early in the pandemic to contact their health care provider to discuss the potential need to reschedule it, according to the study authors.

In a recent letter sent to President Biden, ASHP and more than 50 other health systems and provider organizations requested that the president activate federal resources to establish mass COVID-19 vaccination sites.

During the pandemic, it is important to implement policies and practices that take care of employees.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Rina Shah, PharmD, group vice president of pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens, on how the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced pharmacists’ purpose of championing the health of every community.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Thomas D’Angelo, RPh, president of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York, on how independent pharmacies may be well-positioned to assist in the administration of COVID-19 vaccines.

A new study published in Experimental Physiology suggests that taking temperature readings of a person’s fingertip and eye would give a significantly better and more reliable reading and help identify those with fever compared to a full body scan.

The drop is the largest single-year decline in life expectancy in 40 years and is the lowest estimate since 2003.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Rina Shah, PharmD, group vice president of pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens, on how the hours of operation of pharmacies involved in the COVID-19 vaccinations have been impacted by vaccination efforts.

The statement said lactating women should discuss the risks and benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine with their health care provider.

Regular exercise and sufficient sleep can help strengthen the response to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Rina Shah, PharmD, group vice president of pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens, on how COVID-19 vaccinations has affected the day-to-day of pharmacies.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Rina Shah, PharmD, group vice president of pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens, on Walgreens’ plans to provide access to COVID-19 vaccines among vulnerable populations in medically underserved communities.

Macrophages could be critical treatment targets because they could be infected by SARS-CoV-2 and can contribute to spreading the infection through the lung.

This week on Pharmacy Times, there are a number of important topics that will be covered and posted throughout the week.

A survey found that the majority of oncologists did not feel like they could perform their duties as well as they could prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study authors note that COVID-19 disease processes could predispose patients to a higher burden of acute brain dysfunction.

B.1.1.7, or otherwise known as VOC 202012/01, may lead to a large increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States and may become the dominant strain of the virus in the coming months.

Recent surveys indicate that the proportion of the US population willing to be vaccinated for COVID-19 has fluctuated from 72% in May to 51% in September 2020.

The recommendations focus on dilution errors, vaccine and monoclonal antibody mix-ups, waste of doses, administering immunizations to the wrong age group, errors with scheduling the second dose, and allergic reactions.

In a statement by the APhA, Scott J. Knoer, executive vice president and CEO of APhA, noted the association’s support for this first step by the Biden administration on the road to recovery from the pandemic.

Although safety and efficacy have been proven, a few questions still remain about how long the vaccines will be effective and whether they prevent asymptomatic infection.

The next step of the process—distribution of the vaccine—will be as challenging as the development phase, if not more so.

New research suggests immunosuppressants do not increase the risk of worse COVID-19 outcomes.

In a statement released by NCPA, the association explained that the current COVID-19 vaccination rollout in the country could be accelerated by working with community pharmacists.

The single dose investigational vaccine being developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson is a recombinant, replication-incompetent adenovirus serotype 26 vector encoding a stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

As new testing devices, therapies, and vaccines are approved for COVID-19, patients will be dependent on their health care providers for answers and education.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Rina Shah, PharmD, group vice president of pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens, on the rollout of phase 1b and c of COVID-19 vaccinations at Walgreens pharmacies.