November 18, 2020

President-Elect Biden Seeks ‘Effective, Equitable’ Vaccine Distribution

Changes in the White House also are likely to affect how any future COVID-19 vaccine is approved and distributed. That should be of great interest to pharmacists, who will be at the front line of vaccine delivery. Find out what President-Elect Joe Biden is proposing for that and greater access to personal protective equipment. 

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Hydroxychloroquine Not Linked to CVD Issues in Rheumatic Disease Patients

With the controversy over use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment or cure for COVID-19, subsequently debunked, a lot of concerns were raised about the antimalarial’s side effects. While those might still be worrisome in critically ill patients, such as those with novel coronavirus infection, a new study found few adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) effects in lupus or rheumatoid arthritis patients using the drug. Here is more information. 

Which Patients Are Most Likely to Be Readmitted for COVID-19?

Pharmacists have fielded a lot of questions and concerns from COVID-19 patients recovering from home, including some released after hospitalization. That’s why a new CDC report on what conditions most often lead to readmission of those patients is so important. Find out more about what conditions—and situations—most often lead to that result, and the surprising finding that readmission more often occurs in older, white patients, not the minorities who disproportionately are affected by COVID-19. 

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Warfarin Use Linked to Greater Risk of Requiring Knee,
Hip Replacement

A new study makes a strong argument for using direct oral anticoagulants instead of warfarin in atrial-fibrillation patients with osteoarthritis. The issue is disruption of the functioning of vitamin K–dependent bone and cartilage proteins through vitamin K antagonism, which can have adverse effects on cartilage health. Find out how much use of warfarin increased risk of joint replacement in those patients and why that likely occurred. 

 
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