Australian Prescriber

Antiphospholipid syndrome is a multisystem autoimmune condition with thrombotic and obstetric complications. This article provides information on how the condition is diagnosed, and discusses management of clinical complications and asymptomatic individuals with persistent antibodies.

Reporting adverse reactions to medicines and vaccines helps with detection of safety signals and improves patient safety. Learn when and how to report adverse reactions, and how adverse event reports are used by the Therapeutic Goods Administration .

There are high rates of variation in care and patient outcomes for people living with COPD in Australia. The new COPD Clinical Care Standard describes the care that people should expect to receive, no matter where they are treated. Effective implementation of the Standard will go a long way towards giving people with COPD the chance to take a better breath.

Co-administration with ritonavir can cause a rapid increase in the concentration of tacrolimus, leading to acute tacrolimus toxicity. This case highlights the importance of being vigilant for potential drug interactions when introducing a new medication, particularly if the patient is using a drug with a narrow therapeutic index, such as tacrolimus.

Vaping can have a detrimental effect in the oral cavity, including causing dry mouth and increasing the risk of periodontal disease and dental caries. Dentists are encouraged to talk to their patients about the general and oral health harms of vaping and smoking, and provide cessation care in conjunction with the patient’s general practitioner or pharmacist.

Top 10 drugs based on PBS and RPBS prescriptions from July 2023 to June 2024.

Deucravacitinib is a new oral drug for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. It demonstrated greater efficacy compared with placebo and apremilast in clinical trials. Health professionals should be aware of its potential adverse effects.

Icosapent ethyl is an ester of eicosapentaenoic acid, one of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. It has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease with elevated triglycerides. However, the mechanism underlying this outcome is unclear and appeared to be independent of the triglyceride concentration.