PHARMACISTS IN FRANCE CAN NOW PRESCRIBE AND ADMINISTER VACCINES

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According to a publication in Vaccines Today, in France, trained pharmacists will be permitted to prescribe and administer vaccines.

 

Pharmacists played a major role in the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines, and they’ve been granted permission to administer shots against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis, flu, HPV, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal B, pneumococcal, varicella, shingles, yellow fever, and rabies.

 

The only exception will apply to the administration of live-attenuated vaccines to immunocompromised individuals.

 

For more information visit here.

WHY PAXLOVID REMAINS YOUR GO-TO MEDICINE AGAINST COVID

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Paxlovid the antiviral medication developed by Pfizer remains a very important tool in our fight against COVID-19. This medication is important in saving the lives of patients for several reasons.

 

First, Paxlovid is an effective oral medication against COVID. This means it can easily be self administered by patients if guided by knowledgeable healthcare professionals on the right use of the medication. The medication has shown to reduce hospitalization and death by 89.1% and 88.9%, respectively.

 

Secondly, the medicine has a short duration of treatment. A five days course has proven to be effective in preventing the virus from replicating. This reduces viral load and prevents complications due to the corona virus infection.

 

In addition, it can be taken by almost everyone and is readily accessible. The most serious drug-drug interactions associated with the medication use are interactions with rivaroxaban and salmeterol, respectively.

 

Lastly, it might just be a vital tool in managing Long COVID. Some experts assume Long COVID might be as a result of persistence of the virus in the body of its host. This means if you stop the virus from replicating, you’re going to get less amount of viral particles in the body of the patient.

 

For more information on how to use and access Paxlovid contact here.  

COURT DISMISSES APPLICATION AIMED AT PREVENTING PHARMACISTS FROM PRESCRIBING ANTIRETROVIRAL MEDICINES IN SOUTH AFRICA

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A Pretoria High Court dismisses application brought by a physician association (IPA Foundation) that aimed at preventing pharmacists from managing and prescribing medicines to patients with HIV and tuberculosis. 

 

The approval means Patients Living With HIV (PLWH) will have increased access to their medicines at pharmacies that are taking part in the Pharmacy Initiated Management of Antiretroviral Treatment (PIMART) program.

 

”The untapped value of pharmacists in fighting HIV was also emphasized by the efficient role pharmacies played in meeting healthcare needs and providing healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the Pretoria High Court Judge, Elmarie Van Der Schyff.

 

According to UNAIDS, an estimated 7 million South Africans children and adults are living with HIV.

 

For more information on this update visit here. 

PFIZER GETS APPROVAL FOR RSV VACCINE

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Pfizer gets the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for her vaccine against the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). The vaccine will help protect infants, pregnant women, and individuals 60 years and above from the harmful effects of RSV.

 

RSV is a very infectious virus that affects the lungs and can lead to life threatening medical conditions like pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and congestive cardiac failure, if left untreated. Globally, every year, RSV is estimated to cause 33 million cases of infection and an estimated 199,000 deaths of children under five years.

 

‘This is a significant milestone in public health, its the first and only maternal immunization available to help pregnant women protect their infants from respiratory illnesses cause by the virus,’ says the Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer, Albert Bourla.

 

For more information on this visit here. To learn more about the vaccine visit here. You can learn about our previous updates by visiting here.

 

HOW YOU SHOULD TAKE PAXLOVID MEDICATION

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Introduction

Paxlovid is an oral antiviral medication developed by Pfizer for the treatment of corona virus disease.

To get the benefits of the medication you will have to take it for the recommended period.

How is Paxlovid packaged

This simply is how the medication is packed in its pack and sachet.

One sachet of the antiviral medication contains nirmatrelvir 300 mg (two 150 mg tablets) co-packaged with 100 mg ritonavir tablet.

How do I take Paxlovid

 

The dosing recommendation or dose regimen is how you take the medication. This specifies the quantity of the medication you should take, the number of times in a day you should take it, and for how long. This determines whether you will get the benefits of the medication.

 

You’re advised to take two tablets of nirmatrelvir and one tablet of ritonavir. All three tablets should be taken together twice daily (every 12 hours) for a period of five days. This means you should take your first dose either in the morning or evening. This depends on the time your healthcare professional recommends.

 

The manufacturers recommend you consider the following when taking Paxlovid:

  • Do not remove your PAXLOVID tablets from the blister card before you are ready to take your dose
  • All tablets in a dose should be taken at once or one right after the other
  • Swallow tablets whole. Do not break, chew, or crush the tablets
  • PAXLOVID can be taken with or without food

 

For further information on how to get Paxlovid please contact us on 08160962414 or visit here for assistance.

You can read our previous article on three things you should know about Paxlovid here.

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PAXLOVID AND LONG COVID

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Research findings says people who took Paxlovid are less likely to have long COVID symptoms. The article was published in March 2023 in JAMA Internal Medicine. It revealed that high-risk patients who took Paxlovid within five days of confirming infection for COVID-19 were 26% less likely to have Long COVID symptoms after 90 days, compared to people who weren’t treated. 

 

Long COVID are myriad of symptoms experienced by people after recovering from COVID-19. The study followed through on more than 35,000 patients who took Paxlovid for a six month period. This research was of great importance as the medical community debates what causes Long COVID, and contributes to the understanding of the symptoms and possible causes.

 

Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, a clinical epidemiologist at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and co-author of the JAMA study on Paxlovid, said: ” Despite the unknowns, certain patients may want to pursue Paxlovid prescriptions. For people at high risk of severe COVID-19, who already stand to benefit from Paxlovid, the possibility of preventing Long COVID is an added bonus.”

 

For more information on the JAMA study on Paxlovid visit here.

For information and assistance on how to get Paxlovid please call +2348160962414 or visit here.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PAXLOVID APPROVAL

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   Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters

 

The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves Paxlovid for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19. In a press release On May 25, 2023, the FDA granted Pfizer approval for its antiviral medication for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death. The decision means the medication met regulatory safety and efficacy standards, and allows the Pfizer’s drug to remain on the market indefinitely.

 

Paxlovid is an important medication for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus in adults older than 50 and people with certain underlying medical conditions like diabetes, heart conditions, cancer or a weak immune system, amongst others. The data showed that Paxlovid significantly reduced the proportion of people with COVID-19 related hospitalization or death from any cause through 28 days of follow-up by 86% compared to placebo among patients treated within five days of symptom onset and who did not receive COVID-19 therapeutic monoclonal antibody treatment. In this analysis, 977 patients received Paxlovid, and 989 patients received placebo, and among these patients, 0.9% who received Paxlovid were hospitalized due to COVID-19 or died from any cause during 28 days of follow-up compared to 6.5% of the patients who received the placebo.

 

Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director for the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said: ”Today’s approval demonstrates that Paxlovid has met the agency’s rigorous standards for safety and effectiveness, and that it remains an important treatment option for people at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including those with prior immunity.”

 

For further information on Paxlovid FDA approval visit here.

For information and assistance on how to get Paxlovid please call +2348160962414 or visit here.

PAXLOVID: LOWER RISK OF SEVERE COVID IN PATIENTS WITH UNDERLYING CHRONIC CONDITIONS

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Paxlovid reduces risk of severe COVID-19 in patients with chronic health condition a new study finds. The study which was conducted by researchers at Harvard University was published in June 2023 in the Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal. This investigation will contribute to proper use of the antiviral medication in the treatment of patients in the most cost effective manner.

 

This study is important because as governments funding for COVID-19 treatment reduces, cost of the medication is likely to increase. This means Clinicians need correct information on cost effective means to treat COVID-19, prescribing antiviral medications for those who need them the most. The study was needed because the effect of Paxlovid on COVID-19 outcomes in younger vaccinated adults are unclear.

 

Researchers in the study assessed outcomes among two groups of 2,547 COVID-19 patients aged 18 to 50 years. Paxlovid was linked to a 30% lower risk of all-cause emergency department visits, hospitalization, and death among vaccinated, non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients with serious chronic conditions. In addition, Paxlovid recipients had lower rates of constitutional, cardiovascular, and respiratory symptoms than controls.

 

For further information on the findings of this study visit here.

To get assistance on how to get Paxlovid please call +2348160962414 or visit here

 

3 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PAXLOVID

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Paxlovid is an oral antiviral medication for the treatment of COVID-19. It was developed by Pfizer for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults at high risk for severe disease, including hospitalization and death. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first made Paxlovid available in December 2021 under emergency use authorization for high-risk individuals ages 12 and above. Paxlovid is a very important drug to save the lives of people infected by COVID-19. Here are three things you should know about Paxlovid.

When should you take Paxlovid ?

You should take the medication within five days of developing COVID-19 symptoms. This is because once you’ve been sick due to the virus for more than a week, the medications won’t be able to restore the damages the virus must have caused to your body.

How long should you take Paxlovid ?

The medication should be taken for a duration of five days. Your healthcare provider will recommend you take three Paxlovid pills every 12 hours for five days to get the full benefit of the medication.

Where can you get Paxlovid ?

You should be able to get the medication from your hospital or neighborhood pharmacy. However, due to scarcity of the medication only few healthcare facilities might have it available at the time when it is urgently needed.

For further information on how to get Paxlovid please contact us on 08160962414 or visit here for assistance.

 

 

 

 

 

WE ARE CLOSE TO GETTING A VACCINE TO PREVENT HIV

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Professor Tomas Hanke of the Jenner Institute led Clinical trial shows encouraging results. The trial was conducted across four sites in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia, and ran from August 2021 to November 2022. It aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of the HIV vaccine candidate.

 

This study was important because there is need to have diverse HIV vaccine candidates in the pipeline to ensure we have the greatest chance of success in developing an effective HIV vaccine. The trial aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the HIV vaccine candidate. A total of 88 participants were enrolled, and it was funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP).

 

Dr. Paola Cicconi, a Chief Investigator of the trial said: ”The vaccines used in this trial have demonstrated a favourable safety profile and induction of immune responses in most of the participants. These are promising results, and an important step in developing an HIV vaccine that can protect people against HIV infection in all parts of the world.”

 

For further information on the study visit here.