Tag: drugs
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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