Articles related to DRUG SAFETY & INTERACTIONS

In 2021, melatonin was the most frequently reported substance involved in pediatric substance ingestions, resulting in 4,000 hospitalizations, 287 ICU admissions, and 2 deaths in children under the age of 2. Melatonin supplements can have 500% more melatonin than indicated on the label and about 30% of OTC products tested had serotonin as well.

Using covariate analysis of records from more than 1.2 million children over 17 years, these researchers conclude that the elevated risk for neonatal seizures and childhood epilepsy in children who were exposed to SSRIs or SNRIs during pregnancy can be attributed to the indicated SSRI and SNRI use for pregnant women, history of parental epilepsy, and other covariates, rather than the use of the medication itself.

Selecting effective antidepressants for the treatment of major depressive disorder is an imprecise practice. With remission rates of about 30% after the initial therapy selection, there is a need to uncover biomarkers able to predict treatment response. This study looked at pharmacogenomic testing for drug-gene interactions to guide treatment selection. Unfortunately, they did not find significantly improved outcomes.

The Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Paxlovid has been revised to reflect the new prescribing authority given to state-licensed pharmacists. Under this revision, patients must now show health records within the last year, which needs to include bloodwork, as well as a list of their current medications, including any over-the-counter (OTC).

In 2019, the FDA warned that gabapentin might cause serious breathing difficulties when used with drugs that depress the central nervous system. The warning may have not been heeded, as overdose deaths in which gabapentin was detected doubled from 449 in the first quarter of 2019 to 959 in the second quarter of 2020.

In addition to other discoveries, the authors found that reported rates of myocarditis or pericarditis were higher after vaccination with mRNA-1273 (Moderna Spikevax) compared with BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty).