Arthritis drug Actemra in short supply as demand for use in COVID ramps up
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 18, 2021
Demand for Actemra IV has skyrocketed due to the latest wave of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, drugmaker Genentech says. In the past two weeks alone, orders for the drug shot up to 400% of pre-COVID...
Memory loss may linger eight months after mild coronavirus infection, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 17, 2021
The results suggest that COVID-19 may not really be a mild disease, no matter its course, investigators say. They also raise the question of whether current home-treatment strategies are optimal for long-term...
Requiring the jab or not – Mandatory employee vaccination policies and residential healthcare facilities
By
Heather R. Boshak
Nicole D. Espin
Aug 16, 2021
To vax or not to vax, that is the question. Or more precisely, if you’re an employer, to mandate employee vaccination or not. In a time when discussions of vaccinations are polarized, politicized and...
Boosters on the way: LTC residents, healthcare workers may top fed’s list after CDC approves 3rd shot
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 16, 2021
The Biden administration has secured 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses as part of a strategy to provide additional shots to already vaccinated priority groups this fall, investigators have been told....
Pharmacist adaptability during COVID-19 drives future innovation
By
T.J. Griffin
Aug 12, 2021
Flexibility has always been a critical skillset among pharmacists. They are frequently at the forefront of innovations in medicine, packaging, records, dispensing and technology. In addition to making...
Long gone is the nursing home
By
Larry Pack
Aug 10, 2021
What do post-acute care centers look like in a post-pandemic world? I have been in post-acute healthcare since 1995, when I first operated a traditional “nursing home.” Back then, they were typically...
New CDC data: Vaccinated older adults have low chance of COVID hospitalization
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 09, 2021
The three FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in keeping the oldest adults out of the hospital, according to federal data released Friday.
Show us the data: COVID vaccine boosters may get go-ahead, but LTC docs remain wary
By
Alicia Lasek
Danielle Brown
Aug 09, 2021
Booster shots for the most vulnerable appear to be on a fast track to federal authorization. But clinicians want information about necessity, safety, dosing and more to justify prescribing an extra dose...
When good men say nothing
By
Gary Tetz
Aug 05, 2021
Though Genesis HealthCare is making vaccinations for long-term care workers mandatory, I’m not so foolish as to reveal my own true feelings about the requirement. I fear the warring ghosts of liberty...
All nursing home staff in Massachusetts must get COVID-19 shots
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 05, 2021
The state is requiring staff and contract employees in all of its 378 facilities to receive a vaccination, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Wednesday.