U.S. Pharmacist Weekly News

September 28, 2022

Risk of Vascular Events Remains Elevated After COVID-19 Recovery

Pharmacists might want to counsel patients who survived COVID-19 about elevated risks for blood clots for a long period of time after recovery. A new study suggests that incidence remains elevated up to 49 weeks after COVID-19 diagnosis. The authors advised screening for vascular events and close adherence to preventative medications in that cohort. Read more.

Pharmacists, Staff Continue to Report Workplace Pressure, Including Harassment

Stress levels remain high for pharmacists and pharmacy staff, according to the Pharmacy Workplace and Well-Being Reporting. The sponsors—the American Pharmacists Association and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations—advised that in addition to complaints about adverse working conditions, cases of harassment and threats of physical harm are also being submitted. Learn more about these issues.

Polypill Increases Adherence, Lowers Risk of Secondary CV Events

One of the most difficult issues pharmacists face is low adherence to medications that are proven to help patients—such as pharmacotherapy for secondary prevention of cardiovascular (CV) disease. One possible solution is prescribing a polypill to make the drug regimen simpler. Find out how much difference that made to adherence and risk of CV events in an international study.

Disease-Modifying Therapies for MS Protective Against COVID-19

The concern about disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and COVID-19 was so great at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that some patients discontinued the medications. Now, a new study has a surprising finding: Patients on disease-modifying therapies appeared to have better outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large cohort of veterans with MS. Read more.