As Drug Shortages Reach Record Highs, Regulators Weigh Next Steps
Drug shortages hit a new high in the first quarter of 2024, forcing patients and doctors to scramble to secure medications. Drug manufacturing quotas only rose by 10%, an amount that may not be sufficient to solve shortage concerns. Full Access: Biopharma
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among US Youth
In this cross-sectional study of mortality in youth aged 1 to 19 years in the US, injuries, especially firearm injuries, were associated with worsening disparities between Black and American Indian or Alaska Native and White youth. Racial and ethnic disparities were observed for almost all leading causes of injury and disease and were associated with recent increases in US mortality rates. Full Access: JAMA
Study Identifies High-Volume Prescribers at Risk for Inappropriate Use of Antibiotics
Researcher found that the top 10% of outpatient prescribers by antibiotic volume contributed 42% of all antibiotic claims. The top 25% contributed 55.5% of the claims for three specific broad-spectrum antibiotics. After focusing the study further on broad-spectrum antibiotics, specifically looking at fluoroquinolone (levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin) and macrolide (azithromycin), which are “frequently overused” and could drive antibiotic resistance. Full Access: Helio
FDA Approves New Antibiotic for Uncomplicated UTIs
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections. The agency on April 24 approved pivmecillinam tablets to treat women aged 18 years or older with UTIs caused by bacteria susceptible to the drug. The beta-lactam antibiotic already is approved in Europe and has been used for more than 40 years outside of the United States to treat infections. Full Access: Medscape
