Australian Prescriber

Medicine shortages are increasingly common and disruptive to the optimal delivery of health care. This article provides a practical overview of the steps that prescribers and pharmacists can take to effectively manage a medicine shortage.

The COVID-19 pandemic coincided with a significant reduction in systemic antibacterial use in the community; however, antimicrobial use in residents of aged-care homes remains at a high level. What do these trends tells us, and what further work is required to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use long term?

Immune-related adverse events caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors can affect multiple organs, vary in severity and reversibility, and may manifest during treatment or months or even years after stopping treatment. All practitioners should be aware of the possibility of these adverse events in patients with cancer who have been treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Australian Prescriber farewells Dr Ruth Sutherland from the Editorial Advisory Committee.

This year’s National Medicines Symposium will focus on the safe and appropriate use of medicines in an ageing population.

Avacopan, a newly approved drug for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–associated vasculitis, offers an alternative to glucocorticoids. It provides anti-inflammatory benefits, enhancing treatment options for adults with this condition.

Clascoterone is a new topical treatment approved for moderate to severe acne in patients 12 years and older. It works as an antiandrogen, showing significant reductions in acne severity in clinical trials.

Fezolinetant is an oral nonhormonal treatment for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms of menopause, such as hot flushes and night sweats. It has demonstrated efficacy in reducing both the frequency and severity of symptoms compared with placebo.

Prasterone, a steroid precursor of estrogen, is a topical treatment for vulvar and vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women. It has shown benefit in reducing dyspareunia and vaginal dryness, but its advantage over placebo appears modest.