The refugee and migrant health "global competency standards for health workers": results of a survey in general practitioner trainees in Sicily.

Background: Refugees and migrants may represent the most vulnerable communities in many societies. Health systems should be sensitive to needs of refugees and migrants. The document "The Refugee and Migrant Health: Global Competency Standards for Health Workers (the )" identifies the competencies and areas of practice of health workers working with refugees and migrants.

Barriers to and Facilitators for Accessing HPV Vaccination in Migrant and Refugee Populations: A Systematic Review.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted virus globally and a primary cause of cervical cancer, which ranks fourth among tumors in both incidence and mortality. Despite the availability of effective vaccines worldwide, HPV vaccination rates vary, especially among migrant and refugee populations. Indeed, migrant status may act as a determinant against accessing vaccinations, among many other factors.

An Analysis of the Neutralizing Antibodies against the Main SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Healthcare Workers (HCWs) Vaccinated against or Infected by SARS-CoV-2.

Although the anti-COVID-19 vaccination has proved to be an effective preventive tool, "breakthrough infections" have been documented in patients with complete primary vaccination courses. Most of the SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies produced after SARS-CoV-2 infection target the spike protein receptor-binding domain which has an important role in facilitating viral entry and the infection of the host cells. SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated the ability to evolve by accumulating mutations in the spike protein to escape the humoral response of a host.

COVID-19 Vaccination in Migrants and Refugees: Lessons Learnt and Good Practices.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities between low- and high-income countries. Within the latter, a greater impact is seen in the poorest and most vulnerable people, including refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. They all may experience poor access to quality healthcare or have suboptimal health-seeking behavior, distrust of governments, or fear of detention and deportation if seeking healthcare.

Waste generation of drug product samples versus prescriptions obtained through pharmacy dispensing.

Drug samples are often packaged differently from bulk packaging and thus they may contain a disproportionate amount of waste material. Fifteen drug samples were obtained from seven pharmaceutical companies and the packaging materials were weighed after the samples were removed. The waste produced by the samples was determined for a standard amount of drug and compared with the weight of the waste produced when the same quantity of drug was dispensed through a pharmacy.

Macrolide drug interactions: an update.

Objective: To describe the current drug interaction profiles for the commonly used macrolides in the US and Europe, and to comment on the clinical impact of these interactions.

Data Sources: A MEDLINE search (1975-1998) was performed to identify all pertinent studies, review articles, and case reports. When appropriate information was not available in the literature, data were obtained from the product manufacturers.

A randomized, crossover design study of the pharmacology of extended-spectrum fluoroquinolones for pneumococcal infections.

Study Objectives: The objectives of this study were to characterize the single-dose and steady-state plasma pharmacokinetics of IV levofloxacin and IV alatrofloxacin, and to compare the results to pneumococcal isolate sensitivities in order to estimate the clinical efficacy of current community-acquired pneumonia treatment regimens against pneumococcal infections.

Design: Two-way, open-label, randomized, crossover study.

Participants: Each of 12 healthy volunteer subjects received IV levofloxacin, 500 mg qd for 7 days, and IV alatrofloxacin, 200 mg qd for 7 days.