COVID-19

Marilyn Bulloch, PharmD, BCPS, FCCM, shares her perspective of how the global COVID-19 pandemic is impacting pharmacy in her Alabama community.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, a key issue for pharmacists, other health care professionals, and patients is the potential for disruptions in the US medication supply chain.

Top news of the week from Pharmacy Times surrounding the novel coronavirus.

The General Pharmaceutical Council has made plans to temporarily re-register pharmacists and pharmacy technicians should the government launch a state of emergency due to the novel coronavirus.

Researchers in Australia tested blood samples at 4 different time points in an otherwise healthy adult woman who presented with COVID-19 and had mild-to-moderate symptoms requiring hospital admission.

This will be the first global study of tocilizumab in this setting and is expected to begin enrolling in early April, with a target of approximately 330 patients globally.

Chloroquine and remdesivir are not FDA-approved for a COVID-19 indications.

Although preventive measures may be largely the same for patients with cancer during the COVID-19, the pandemic could result in difficult treatment decisions.

Members of AHIP will take steps to ensure affordable access to COVID-19 testing and treatment, according to a statement from the company.

Earlier this week, the FDA updated its guidance on testing for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), allowing clinical laboratories to create and perform COVID-19 tests without pursuing FDA emergency use authorization (EUA).

Now is the time for pharmacists to stand even taller and provide more help to their communities.

Furthermore, they established that 101 out of every 10,000 cases will develop symptoms after 14 days of active monitoring or quarantine.

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) is calling upon the federal Coronavirus Task Force to make greater use of pharmacists in combating the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

SARS-CoV-2 was detectable in aerosols for up to 3 hours, up to 4 hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard, and up to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel.

The availability of personal protective equipment, including face masks, gloves and hand sanitizers, have been a concern to many pharmacists.

Pharmacy giants Walgreens and CVS are taking extensive steps to ensure patient access to medications during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including waiving drug delivery fees and expanding telehealth options.

The FDA acknowledged that protocol modifications or deviations may be required for clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The approval allows Florida to waive certain requirements in Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP.

Researchers and senior physicians support a French official’s warning that individuals showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus should use paracetamol rather than ibuprofen.

Some pharmacists and technicians are reporting that they don’t have enough personal protective equipment behind the counter.

Recently, many providers have become worried about the potential of certain medications to worsen transmission and outcomes in the setting of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Conferences such as the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo are now implementing virtual versions of their programs.

Although vaccine development is underway, the process can take at least a year before reaching in the mass-production stage.

More than 10% of COVID-19 patients were infected by an asymptomatic person, according to new research.

Top news from across the health care landscape.

The goals of the expansion are to maintain social distancing and to avoid overburdening hospitals with patients.

Several pharmaceutical companies are racing to develop an effective treatment for the virus that is now a global pandemic.

A clinical program evaluating sarilumab (Kevzara, Sanofi and Regeneron) has started in patients hospitalized with a severe form of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), according to the company.

The authorizations have been given to Hologic for its Panther Fusion SARS-CoV-2 Assay and to Laboratory Corporation of America for its COVID-19 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test.

A new executive order from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has expanded prescribing rights to pharmacists in light of the novel coronavirus.