COVID-19

Catherine Duggan, FRPharmS, CEO of International Pharmaceutical Federation, discusses the role and the authorities of the pharmacist internationally, and the effect the pandemic has had on that role globally.

Findings showed a 34% decrease in the number of mental health services utilized by children under age 19 and a 22% decline in the number of mental health services utilized by adults aged 19 to 64.

The Pharmacy Times® Pharmacy Focus podcast provides the latest industry news and information, thought-leader insights, clinical updates, patient counseling tools, and innovative solutions for the everyday practice and business of pharmacy.

Not only are pharmacists drug experts, but the pandemic demonstrated that they can also perform COVID-19 testing and vaccinations alongside physicians and other health care providers.

Susan Lang, CEO of XIL Health and former senior executive at Express Scripts, discusses some of the reimbursement issues that have been arising for pharmacies while administering COVID-19 vaccines.

Lynlee Burton, head of the Center for Vaccines and Emerging Infectious Diseases at PRA Health Sciences, discusses the significance of short vaccine development timelines on the future development of COVID-19 vaccines.

Susan Lang, CEO of XIL Health and former senior executive at Express Scripts, discusses the impact of declining reimbursements on pharmacies that were already hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

New research results show that over the next decade COVID-19 may be more like the common cold.

David Silverstein, JD, MS, a partner in Axinn’s Intellectual Property Practice Group and FDA practice groups, discusses the implications of the White House support for the proposal presented to the WTO to waive IP protections for COVID-19 vaccines.

No cases of COVID-19 were observed in the vaccine group using the case definition from the adult phase 3 COVE study, compared to 4 cases in the placebo group.

High antibody levels were also generated in participants with evidence of a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting that this could be developed as a booster.

The combination of stress at work and at home has impacted the mental health of many women pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mathew Reynolds, PhD, IQIVA, vice president of real-world evidence at IQVIA, discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected regular health screenings, mail-order dispensing, and home infusions.

Hannah Fish, PharmD, associate director of strategic initiatives at NCPA, discusses the role of the pharmacist in vaccinating children ages 12 and older against COVID-19 following the FDA updating the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine EUA.

Vaccines that specifically target the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 could be effective, as well as easy to manufacture and scale up.

The primary endpoint of organ failure or death was 11.2% for those receiving dapagliflozin compared to 13.8% for those receiving the placebo.

The most common symptom of patients seeking evaluation for post-COVID-19 syndrome was fatigue.

As accessible health care providers with links to all facets of the health care system, pharmacists are perfectly positioned to organize COVID-19 vaccine distribution in their communities.

If half of the US population is vaccinated by the summer rather than the fall, 5.8 million cases of COVID-19 could be prevented.

The study authors sought to examine prescription drug and health care use after SARS-CoV-2 infection not requiring hospital admission.

Hannah Fish, PharmD, National Community Pharmacists Association associate director of Strategic Initiatives, discusses the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout following the FDA expanding the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine EUA to include children ages 12 and older.

This week on Pharmacy Times, there are a number of important topics that will be covered and posted throughout the week.

The Pharmacy Times® Pharmacy Focus podcast provides the latest industry news and information, thought-leader insights, clinical updates, patient counseling tools, and innovative solutions for the everyday practice and business of pharmacy.

Further, more than 67% of respondents indicated that vaccination will benefit their physical health, as well.

Obesity-related factors, including changes to the innate and adaptive immune systems brought on by excess weight, are believed to be associated with an increased risk of contracting various viral diseases.

In the summer of 2020, there were 2.5 times as many deaths per capita for Black Americans, compared to White Americans.

Policy changes impacting the star ratings for 2022 include additional flexibility provided during the COVID-19 pandemic and a revised Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances policy.

The agency also advised that fully vaccinated individuals can resume many activities without wearing a mask or social distancing.

Slightly less than 1% of the pregnant patients died from COVID-19 compared to 3.5% of nonpregnant patients, according to the study findings.

Pharmacists interact with patients more than any other member of the health care team, therefore it is vital they help address barriers and gaps in member care that impact plan performance.