Current Drug Safety - Volume 17, Issue 4, 2022

Individuals suffering from mental illnesses, unfortunately, have a shorter lifespan. An increase in mortality rates is primarily due to physical illness, unhealthy lifestyle, and associated comorbidities. Antipsychotic medications, previously known as tranquilizers, antipsychotics, or neuroleptics, can alleviate or attenuate symptoms related to psychosis, delusion, and/or hallucinations and are used in the treatment of psychosis, schizop Read More

Background: Thiazolidinediones are potent exogenous agonists of PPAR-γ that augment the effects of insulin to its cellular targets, mainly at the level of adipose tissue. Pioglitazone, the main thiazolidinedione in clinical practice, has shown cardiovascular and renal benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes, durable reduction of glycated hemoglobulin levels, important improvements of several components of the metabolic syndro Read More

Aims: The study aims to raise medical specialists’ awareness regarding the severity of possible complications of levamisole administration, and demonstrate the role of accurate medical history collection in a differential diagnosis. Background: Levamisole, an anthelmintic drug with immunomodulatory effects, has long been used worldwide till the early 2000s, when its association with demyelinating leukoencephalop Read More

Background: The reports on adverse experiences following vaccination are scanty from India. It is important to know the real-world post-vaccination experience outside of clinical trial conditions. Objectives: The study aims to estimate the incidence of adverse events following immunization with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 coronavirus vaccine and to identify the predictors for the development of vaccine adverse eve Read More

Background: Chemotherapy has high efficacy, but it is associated with several adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Objectives: A retrospective observational study to explore the prevalence, causality, and preventability of ADRs of anticancer agents was conducted. Methods: The study was carried out at Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences Jalandhar, Punjab after obtaining IEC approval. The data was collected from cancer p Read More

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV). Though many classes of drugs have been advocated/used for the treatment of this disease, vaccines are being targeted for its ultimate prevention. Indian Government has approved Covishield (ChAdOx1 nCoV19 Corona Virus Vaccine-Recombinant) for restricted use in emergency circ Read More

Background: The Japan Pharmaceutical Association has conducted drug event monitoring to detect drug events related to pemafibrate. As there are a few studies on the safety of pemafibrate in clinical settings, a pilot study evaluating the association between drug use and detected events was performed in Japan. Aims: In this study, the association between detected events and the use of pemafibrate, utilizing pharmacy re Read More

Background: Adverse events are a major threat to any immunization programs, which have proven to be a boon for developing nations like India. Hindering factors, such as inadequate knowledge, inappropriate attitude, incorrect practices, etc., of the guardian affect the vaccination rate. Aim: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of clinical pharmacist intervention on an adverse event following immunization in the pediatri Read More

Background: Zinc supplementation is frequently prescribed during the treatment of COVID-19. However, the evidence supporting the efficacy of this intervention is mixed. Objective: Establish the clinical utility of zinc supplementation to alter disease severity in COVID- 19 illness. Methods: We performed a multicenter, retrospective, observational chart review of patients admitted to Ascension St. John Hospital or Detroit Medical Read More

Background: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been extensively used during the COVID-19 pandemic both as a therapeutic and prophylactic drug. HCQ is generally well tolerated; however, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in COVID-19 need further exploration. In this study, we have determined the type and pattern of ADRs of HCQ as a prophylactic and therapeutic drug in COVID-19. Methods: All spontaneous suspected ADR repo Read More

Background: Medication errors are a reality in all settings where medicines are prescribed, dispensed, and used. High-alert medications (HAM) are those that bear a heightened risk of causing significant harm to the patient if used erroneously. Though mishaps with HAM may not be more common than with other drugs, the consequences of error with them can be especially serious. We conducted a survey on knowledge, a Read More

Background: The emergence of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, and the subsequent global epidemic of COVID-19, brought with it innumerable new clinical experiences across all medical specialties, and psychiatry is no exception. Individuals with serious mental illness, in particular schizophrenia and related disorders, may be especially susceptible to coronavirus infection given the overlapping risk factors of vulnerable sociodemo Read More

Background: Valproate is a widely prescribed medication for the control of seizures in the pediatric population. It has been reported to be an important implication for drug induced pancreatitis. A case of valproate induced acute pancreatitis operated as surgical abdomen has been reported here. Case Report: A 13-year-old child presented to the emergency department with severe pain and abdominal distension ass Read More

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease requiring long-term treatment. However, there are approximately 71 million individuals with chronic HCV infection worldwide. In psoriatic patients affected by chronic HCV infection, conventional systemic drugs may be frequently contraindicated, while data on biologics use are limited. Case Presentation: The case of a 48-year-old Caucasian man sufferin Read More

Background: Pregabalin is used in the treatment of neuropathic pain of various etiologies and as an adjuvant in epilepsy. Blockade of the α2δ subunit of L and N-type Ca-channels is its main mechanism of neurotropic action. Compared to other antiepileptics like phenytoin, valproate and lamotrigine, and other neuropathic pain medications such as amitriptyline and duloxetine, pregabalin has a relatively favorable safety pr Read More