September 30, 2020

Even Small Doses of Glucocorticoids Can Significantly Increase Infection Risk

Pharmacists might be surprised to discover that even very low doses of glucocorticoids can significantly increase infection risks in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and likely other chronic conditions. That’s because small amounts have been believed to be relatively harmless. Find out how researchers determined that even patients on the lowest dose had about a 30% increase in the risk of infection compared to those not using glucocorticoids. 

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Study: Testing Asymptomatic People for COVID-19 Can Be
Cost-Effective

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a debate has been ongoing about whether testing should be limited only to those with symptoms or whether asymptomatic people should also be screened with tests. A new study provides some answers, showing that, if testing is inexpensive enough, screening asymptomatic Americans can cost-effectively prevent infections and hospitalizations and save lives.                         

Heart Attack Recurrences Down, But Rates Still Remain Unacceptably High

Here is why adherence to medications is so important for patients with a history of myocardial infarction: A new study points out that while recurrence is down among men and women in the United States, too many secondary events still occur. Find out why the authors recommend that interventions to increase compliance with drug regimens be sex specific. 

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PrEP Under-Prescribed Even by Clinicians Focused on
HIV Prevention

Pre-exposure prophylaxis is critical to a U.S. policy goal to eradicate HIV infection by 2030, but clinicians don’t prescribe it enough, according to a new survey of practitioners who took advanced courses on HIV. One unexpected finding was that internal medicine providers were more likely to prescribe PrEP than infectious disease specialists. Here are more details. 

 
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