Establishing clinical pharmacist telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: After community transmission of the novel virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was detected in the State of Washington in February 2020, innovative measures, such as telehealth appointments, were needed to safely continue to provide optimal pharmaceutical care for patients with chronic conditions and cancer.

Summary: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal regulations limited the scope of telehealth pharmacist services. However, enactment of the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, followed by guidance by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Health and Human Services, allowed currently credentialed providers (including pharmacists) to continue to provide patient care services via telehealth with fewer restrictions.

Wirelessly Observed Therapy to Optimize Adherence and Target Interventions for Oral Hepatitis C Treatment: Observational Pilot Study.

Background: A fixed-dose combination of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) is efficacious in treating chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection; however, objective adherence to prescribed regimens in real-world clinical settings has not been well studied.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate adherence and virologic outcomes in patients with chronic HCV infection treated with LDV/SOF using a novel digital medicine program that directly measures drug ingestion adherence.

Methods: This prospective, observational, open-label, single-arm pilot study was conducted at 2 clinical research sites and followed patients with HCV infection who were prescribed LDV/SOF along with an ingestible sensor.

Treatment completion for latent tuberculosis infection: a retrospective cohort study comparing 9 months of isoniazid, 4 months of rifampin and 3 months of isoniazid and rifapentine.

Background: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a new regimen for treatment of latent tuberculosis (three months of weekly isoniazid and rifapentine) in late 2011.

Selenium supplementation in HIV-infected patients: is there any potential clinical benefit?

In HIV-infected patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy, the question of whether selenium supplementation has any therapeutic benefit is still open. With recent popular coverage of this issue, many patients have considered using selenium. Clinicians have a duty to ensure that the recommendations they make to their patients are evidence based.