COVID-19

This year, pharmacists’ role will continue to evolve because of, or despite, the COVID-19 pandemic.

There has been a 25% increase in food insufficiency among Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent study.

In addition to communicating about COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, uses for online portals include requesting prescription refills, seeking advice on health concerns, and scheduling appointments.

The contributions to patient care through the incorporation of digital clinical pharmacotherapy will help legitimize the role of pharmacists in telehealth.

Following the release of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 response strategy, NCPA issued its support and urged the government to also consider engaging independent pharmacies in its implementation.

Amantadine, a treatment that was originally used as an agent against influenza A, lost efficacy due to viral resistance.

Study finds that death was significantly less likely for type 2 diabetes subjects taking metformin, compared to those not taking metformin.

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

During this study, no patient receiving TDF and FTC was admitted to intensive care or died.

Consider these steps for pharmacists to further evolve their role as the pandemic continues to put pressure on the health care system.

NCCN states that all patients with active cancer, or with active, recent, or planned cancer treatment, should be considered highest priority to receive one of the COVID-19 vaccines granted emergency use authorization.

One of the more recent potential risk factors of COVID-19 is vitamin D deficiency, which is an important modulator of innate and acquired immunity.

The Pharmacy Times® Pharmacy Focus podcast provides the latest industry news and information, thought-leader insights, clinical updates, patient counseling tools, and innovative solutions for the everyday practice and business of pharmacy.

Pharmacies must be ready to store, handle, administer, and follow up per local, national, and state regulations.

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.