Pharmacology News

During the early rollout of dolutegravir in South Africa, women were less likely to receive the new treatment than men, despite dolutegravir being associated with improved outcomes, researchers found.

Patients prescribed gabapentin plus opioids were at a greater risk for opioid use disorder and opioid-related overdoses than those prescribed solely opioids, according to a study by Epic Research.

Twenty-seven brand-name drugs that accounted for nearly $2 billion in Medicare net spending in 2020 received a low added therapeutic benefit rating by health technology assessment agencies in Canada, France and Germany, a recent study found.

The Biden administration has declared fentanyl laced or associated with xylazine as an “emerging threat” to the United States, the White House announced Wednesday.

An automated system may alleviate the administrative burden that comes with specialty prescriptions while improving fill rates, according to experts.

The percentage of people receiving prescription stimulants rose from 2016 to 2021, including large increases during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among adolescent girls and adult men and women, data show.

A deep learning model utilized unstructured electronic health record data to identify specific patient-, physician- and system-level reasons for statin nonuse among patients with diabetes, researchers reported.

A recent study found that melatonin may reduce the risk for self-harm in youth, but experts recommend conducting comprehensive sleep assessments before initiation.

In a short-term study, researchers found no effect of statin therapy on self-reported muscle injury or symptoms after moderate exercise, regardless of whether patients were symptomatic at baseline.

The FDA on Wednesday approved 4 mg Narcan nasal spray for over-the-counter use as an emergency treatment for opioid overdose. It is the first naloxone product to be available without a prescription.