Pharmacology News

Select pharmacies will soon be able to provide antivirals to patients who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 on the spot at no cost through the recently announced test-to-treat initiative.

In a post hoc subgroup analysis of the ASPREE trial, those taking aspirin before the trial who were assigned placebo did not experience serious benefits or harms, researchers reported.

The link between statin-induced LDL lowering and reduction of CV outcomes may not be as robust as assumed, researchers who conducted a meta-analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine concluded.

An increase in take-home doses of opioid agonist therapy early in the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with lower rates of treatment interruption and did not increase the risk for opioid-related overdoses, according to a recent study.

A safety training program for antibiotic stewardship was associated with reductions in antibiotic use and urine culture collection in long-term care facilities, according to findings published in JAMA Network Open.

Statins remain widely underused across most low- and middle-income countries, with about one in 10 eligible people using statins for primary prevention and about one in five eligible people using them for secondary prevention.

Upamostat reduced hospitalizations for COVID-19 by 100% and significantly reduced the development of new, severe symptoms when administered early to symptomatic patients, according to a press release from the manufacturer.

Common drugs like paracetamol and ibuprofen may reduce a patient’s immune response if taken before or immediately following a vaccination, according to findings published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

In a noninferiority randomized trial, the antidepressants amitriptyline and venlafaxine significantly reduced the number of migraine attacks per month, according to researchers.

Patients who started oxycodone while taking fluoxetine or paroxetine were at increased risk for opioid overdose compared with those who were taking other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a cohort study showed.