Substituting Acetaminophen for Fentanyl Feasible in PCI for STEMI

Substituting Acetaminophen for Fentanyl Feasible in PCI for STEMI

In patients with STEMI given crushed ticagrelor before PCI, using IV acetaminophen instead of IV fentanyl as a painkiller did not increase pain levels or platelet reactivity and prevented delay of ticagrelor's effects, researchers... read more

Preparing for COVID-19 Related Drug Shortages

Preparing for COVID-19 Related Drug Shortages

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted all aspects of healthcare delivery. There is widespread concern that increased clinical demands due to the virus will outstrip available resources. Much attention has focused... read more

WHO Resumes Hydroxychloroquine Study for COVID-19

The World Health Organization is resuming a clinical trial exploring whether the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine can effectively treat COVID-19, after pausing enrollment in the study to review safety concerns about the drug. The... read more

The Drug Hunters: The Improbable Quest to Discover New Medicines

The Drug Hunters: The Improbable Quest to Discover New Medicines

The surprising, behind-the-scenes story of how our medicines are discovered, told by a veteran drug hunter. The search to find medicines is as old as disease, which is to say as old as the human race. Through serendipity—... read more

No Reason to Choose Tramadol over Morphine

No Reason to Choose Tramadol over Morphine

Tramadol is an opioid, but it does not bind directly to opioid receptors (or it binds so weakly that it might as well not bind at all). Its opioid action is the result of the metabolite O-desmethyltramadol, which means... read more

Droperidol Use in the Emergency Department – What’s Old is New Again

Droperidol Use in the Emergency Department – What’s Old is New Again

Earlier this year American Reagent announced the re-introduction of droperidol back into the US market. This is bringing an old favorite back to many EM docs and a novel tool for new residents and attendings who have never... read more

Hospitals Delay Use Of New Antibiotics

Hospitals Delay Use Of New Antibiotics

According to a new study published in Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, US hospitals on average waited more than a year to prescribe any of six new antibiotics approved by the US Food and Drug Administration... read more

Positive Topline Results for Novel Alzheimer’s Drug

Positive Topline Results for Novel Alzheimer’s Drug

A novel drug is showing promise for helping improve cognition in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to new topline results. A phase 3 trial of more than 800 patients showed that those who were... read more

High Generic Drug Prices and Market Competition: A Retrospective Cohort Study

High Generic Drug Prices and Market Competition: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Market competition levels were associated with a change in generic drug prices. Such measurements may be helpful in identifying older prescription drugs at higher risk for price change in the future. From 1.08 billion prescription... read more

Hospitals Prepare To Launch Their Own Drug Company To Fight High Prices And Shortages

Hospitals Prepare To Launch Their Own Drug Company To Fight High Prices And Shortages

Shortages of commonplace generic drugs have plagued hospitals in recent years. And with short supplies and fewer suppliers for key drugs, there have been price increases. Hospital purchasing agents keep searching for new... read more

Empiric Antibiotics Tend To Be Prolonged in ICU

Empiric Antibiotics Tend To Be Prolonged in ICU

Using antibiotics in critically ill patients is very much walking a tightrope. No one wants to miss an infection in a patient who could go downhill quickly, but no one wants to overuse these precious drugs, either.... read more

The 2018-2023 World Outlook for Sepsis Drugs

The 2018-2023 World Outlook for Sepsis Drugs

This study covers the world outlook for sepsis drugs across more than 190 countries. For each year reported, estimates are given for the latent demand, or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.), for the country in question... read more

Health Canada Eyes Opioid Restrictions for Popular Painkiller

Health Canada Eyes Opioid Restrictions for Popular Painkiller

Health Canada has launched a review of the increasingly popular pharmaceutical drug tramadol – a move that could prompt the department to reverse its controversial, decade-old decision not to classify the medication as... read more

Clinical Review: Paracetamol in fever in critically ill patients

Clinical Review: Paracetamol in fever in critically ill patients

Paracetamol is a synthetic, nonopioid, centrally acting analgesic and antipyretic drug. Its antipyretic effect occurres because it inhibits cyclooxygenase-3 and the prostaglandin synthesis.... read more