The FDA has approved the atypical antipsychotic pimavanserin (Nuplazid – Acadia) for treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease. It is the first drug to be approved in the US for this indication.

A fixed-dose combination of orphenadrine citrate, aspirin, and caffeine (Orphengesic Forte – Galt; previously available as Norgesic Forte) has been approved as a prescription drug by the FDA for treatment of mild to moderate pain caused by acute musculoskeletal disorders. Single-ingredient generic orphenadrine citrate is available by prescription in oral and injectable formulations and has been used for years as an adjunct for treatment of acute musculoskeletal pain. Orphengesic Forte is being marketed as a non-opioid alternative for pain relief.

A recent article in JAMA and an interview of its senior author on 60 Minutes have heightened interest in off-label use of the oral selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluvoxamine (Luvox, and generics) to treat COVID-19.

A reader asked us to review use of the phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor sildenafil for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy similar to that used to fragment kidney stones or gallstones is a new option for treatment of erectile dysfunction that is now being advertised extensively in the US. It has not been approved by the FDA for treatment of erectile dysfunction.

An old conjugated estrogens vaginal cream (Premarin Vaginal Cream - Wyeth) has been newly approved by the FDA specifically for treatment of moderate to severe dyspareunia due to vulvar and vaginal atrophy associated with menopause. Synthetic conjugated estrogens A vaginal cream (Barr) has also been approved for this indication, but has not yet been marketed.

The FDA has approved Airsupra (AstraZeneca), a metered-dose inhaler containing the short-acting beta₂-agonist (SABA) albuterol and the inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) budesonide, for use as needed for treatment or prevention of bronchoconstriction and to reduce the risk of exacerbations in patients ≥18 years old with asthma. Airsupra is the first combination of a SABA and an ICS to become available in the US. It is not approved for use as maintenance therapy.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has 6 FDA approved indications and is prescribed off-label for many others. How many of these uses are justified is controversial.

Many drugs can cause psychiatric symptoms, but a causal connection is often difficult to establish. Psychiatric symptoms that emerge during drug treatment could also be due to the underlying illness, previously unrecognized psychopathology, or psychosocial factors. The withdrawal of some drugs can cause symptoms such as anxiety, psychosis, delirium, agitation or depression.

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(Kodak) perform clinical chemistry tests using desk-top instruments, microliter samples and postage-stamp-sized analytical slides containing dry reagents layered on clear polyester and mounted in plastic. The system requires no wet reagents, except for electrolyte determinations, and is designed to require a minimum amount of training to operate. A single analysis takes about five minutes.