Research in social & administrative pharmacy : RSAP
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Jan 2021
When fear and misinformation go viral: Pharmacists' role in deterring medication misinformation during the 'infodemic' surrounding COVID-19.
The world has faced an unprecedented challenge when coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged as a pandemic. Millions of people have contracted the virus and a significant number of them lost their lives, resulting in a tremendous social and economic shock across the globe. Amid the growing burden of the pandemic, there are parallel emergencies that need to be simultaneously tackled: the proliferation of fake medicines, fake news and medication misinformation surrounding COVID-19. ⋯ Primarily, they can be a relevant source of accurate and reliable information to the public or other fellow health professionals thereby reducing the spread of COVID-19 medication misinformation. This can be achieved by providing accurate and reliable information based on recommendations given by relevant health authorities and professional associations to make sure the community understand the importance of the message and thus minimise the detrimental consequences of the pandemic. This commentary aims to summarise the existing literature in relation to the promising treatments currently under trial, the perils of falsified medications and medicine-related information and the role of pharmacists in taking a leading role in combating these parallel global emergencies.
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Jan 2021
Time-trend analysis of medicine sales and shortages during COVID-19 outbreak: Data from community pharmacies.
COVID-19 is a worldwide public health concern. Disruptions in the drug market are expected and shortages might worsen. Community pharmacies can contribute to early identification and report of medicines' supply and demand issues. ⋯ Pharmacies can provide timely and real-world data regarding sales and shortages. The adopted measures to guarantee the continuous supply of the medicine market seem to have worked. The long-term impacts of this pandemic are unknown and should continue to be closely monitored.
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Jan 2021
FIP's response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Global pharmacy rises to the challenge.
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), as the global leadership body for pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists and pharmaceutical educators, coordinated and produced as of January 2020 an international response to the COVID-19 pandemic. FIP's response included professional guidance, a programme of digital events and other resources, as well as advocacy and policy tools to support national pharmacists' associations and academic institutions, as well as individual practitioners, in their response at country level. This article describes the strategy adopted by FIP in collaboration with an international group of experts to support the valuable service that pharmacists and their teams provide to communities throughout the pandemic, and their important contribution to easing the huge strain being placed on health systems around the world.
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Jan 2021
Observational StudyOn-ward participation of clinical pharmacists in a Chinese intensive care unit for patients with COVID-19: A retrospective, observational study.
The practical experiences of active pharmacists involved in managing critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been rarely reported. ⋯ Forceful and extensive on-ward participation is recommended for clinical pharmacists in managing critically ill patients. Our experiences highlight the need for special attention toward untreated infections and adverse events related to antiviral agents.
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Jan 2021
An evaluation of co-use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin on cardiac outcomes: A pharmacoepidemiological study to inform use during the COVID19 pandemic.
Chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine (chloroquine) plus azithromycin is considered as therapy for COVID-19. With benefit evaluations underway, safety concerns due to potential additive effects on QTc prolongation should be addressed. ⋯ Combination use of chloroquine and azithromycin at routine doses did not show pronounced increases in arrhythmias in this real-world population, though small sample size and outcome rates limit conclusions.