November 22 Week in Review

This weekly video program provides our readers with an in-depth review of the latest news, product approvals, FDA rulings, and more. Our Week in Review is a can't miss for the busy pharmacy professional.

Nicole Grassano, Host: Hello and welcome to the Pharmacy Times News Network. I’m Nicole Grassano your host for our Pharmacy Week in Review.

A new CDC report underscores the continued threat of antibiotic resistance in the United States, including 18 antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi across 3 levels of concern: concerning, serious, and urgent, Pharmacy Times reported.

The report outlined potential threats, including C. auris, which is associated with a mortality rate of up to 60% and a resistance to all 3 major classes of antifungal drugs. Other threats include drug-resistant Shigella and methicillin-resistant Staphyloccous aereus.

More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year according to the report, and more than 35,000 people die as a result of these infections, according to the report.

The CDC noted suggestions to fight increasing threats, such as implementing strategic antibiotic use; investing in diagnostic, drug, and vaccine development; using data to track resistance; and using national alert systems.

On December 7, Nike will release the Nike Air Zoom Pulse, a shoe crafted specifically for the “everyday hero,” such as doctors, home health care providers, and nurses, Contemporary Clinic reported.

The shoe is designed to be easy to clean, simple to take on and off, and equipped with fit, cushioning, and traction systems to meet mental and physical hospital conditions.

The Air Zoom Pulse features the Nike Asterix logo on the side tabs, printed Swooshes, and a special colorway created by young patients. The shoe has a laceless upper, marked by protective polyutherane-coated synthetic vamp. An elastic strap keeps the heel secured, which elevates the shoe using Zoom Air unit-assisted technology.

The Doernbecher Freestyle 2019 collection will come in 6 different takes, and all profits will be donated to Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

A new machine learning systems may help identify potential negative adverse events from drug-drug interactions in patients taking multiple medications, Specialty Pharmacy Times reported.

Using information from FDA reports, an algorithm that analyzes data on drug-drug interactions was designed to act as an alert system that could warn patient when a drug combination may have a potentially dangerous adverse event.

The list of analyzed drug data included about 3000 drugs, or about 110,000 drug combinations. A total of more than 1.7 million reports on serious health outcomes from drug-drug interactions were shown from these data.

The study authors noted that chemical-to-chemical interactions are the next step. However, further development on the algorithm could lead to more personalized interaction alerts.

Pharmacists may get more questions about Cosentyx, if patients have seen a recent commercial for the prescription medication.

In the spot, called “Gary,” the narrator says that he had painful psoriasis from head-to-toe. However, since starting Cosentyx, he hasn’t had to think about his psoriasis.

According to the commercial, Cosentyx is a prescribed medical injection that is intended to treat adults who suffer from moderate to severe plaque psoriasis when taken regularly as prescribed.

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Thanks for watching our Pharmacy Week in Review. I’m Nicole Grassano at the Pharmacy Times News Network.