Epidemiological determinants and quality of life in PLHIV patients with tuberculosis in Bihar State, India.

Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of TB among patients living with HIV in Patna district, India. It also assessed the factors contributing to co-infection and evaluated patients' quality of life.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Centre in Patna, India, for a period of eight months.

Safety Surveillance of Covishield Vaccine-Associated Adverse Events During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study.

Background: Adverse events following immunization (AEFI) must be reported and assessed to promote patient safety. This longitudinal study examined the nature and severity of adverse events reported after Covishield (Serum Institute of India, Pune, India) vaccine administration to North Indians in a tertiary care hospital.

Method: A retrospective evaluation of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reported after Covishield vaccine administration in our hospital over 18 months was conducted.

Antibiotic point prevalence survey at a tertiary healthcare hospital in India: Identifying strategies to improve the antibiotic stewardship program immediately after a COVID-19 wave.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially affected the antibiotic stewardship activities in most hospitals of India.

Aims: We conducted an antibiotic point prevalence survey (PPS) immediately after the decline of a major COVID-19 wave at a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. By doing so we aimed to identify the antibiotic prescription patterns, identify factors influencing the choice of antibiotics, and identify/develop strategies to improve the antibiotic stewardship program in such setups.

Assessment of Appropriateness of Antimicrobial Therapy in Resource-Constrained Settings: Development and Piloting of a Novel Tool-AmRAT.

Inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing is considered to be the leading cause of high burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in resource-constrained lower- and middle-income countries. Under its global action plan, the World Health Organization has envisaged tackling the AMR threat through promotion of rational antibiotic use among prescribers. Given the lack of consensus definitions and other associated challenges, we sought to devise and validate an Antimicrobial Rationality Assessment Tool-AmRAT-for standardizing the assessment of appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing.

Impact of pharmaceutical price controls on the cost of cardiovascular drugs: does essentiality matter?

Background: With the goal of improving the affordability of medicines, governments across the globe have instituted various forms of price controls. Since 2013, India has been regulating the prices of drugs included in its national list of essential medicines (NLEM). Here we evaluate the cost variations among available cardiovascular drugs and perform cost-analysis comparing essential and non-essential drugs.