Only a small minority of patients who say they are allergic to penicillin will have a reaction if they take a penicillin.

Regorafenib (Stivarga – Bayer), a multikinase inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer previously treated with multiple other regimens specified in the labeling. It has also been approved for use in treatment-refractory, locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST).

The main goals of treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are to relieve symptoms, reduce the frequency and severity of exacerbations, prevent disease progression, and reduce mortality. GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) guidelines for treatment of COPD were updated recently. Treatment of acute exacerbations is not discussed here. Drugs available for treatment of COPD are listed in Tables 1 and 3.

The FDA has approved 2 intranasal HFA (hydrofluoroalkane) aerosols of the corticosteroids beclomethasone dipropionate (Qnasl – Teva Respiratory) and ciclesonide (Zetonna – Sunovion) for once-daily treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis. They are the first HFA nasal steroids to become available in the US (HFA propellants do not deplete the ozone layer). Both drugs are already available for these indications as aqueous nasal sprays. Aqueous ("wet") formulations can cause adverse effects such as postnasal drip, moist feeling in the nose, strong odor, and bitter aftertaste,...

Patients may ask about taking elderberry for prevention and treatment of influenza. Products containing elderberry are promoted for relief of cold and flu symptoms and as an immune system booster.

Opioid use disorder is a chronic, relapsing disease with physical and psychiatric components. It is associated with economic hardship, social isolation, incarceration, increased rates of blood-borne infections such as HIV and viral hepatitis, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and increased mortality. According to the NIH, there were 80,411 deaths involving an opioid in the US in 2021, more than in any previous year. Several guidelines on the management of opioid use disorder are available; all recommend maintenance pharmacotherapy as the standard of care.

View the Comparison Table: Drugs for Parkinson's Disease

The FDA has approved teduglutide (te due’ gloo tide; Gattex – NPS), a recombinant DNA analog of glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), for treatment of short bowel syndrome (SBS) in adults who are dependent on parenteral support.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which was traditionally a nosocomially-acquired organism but now frequently occurs in the absence of healthcare exposure, is the predominant cause of suppurative skin and soft-tissue infections in many parts of the US. Community-associated MRSA usually causes furunculosis, purulent cellulitis, and abscesses, but necrotizing fasciitis, necrotizing pneumonia, and sepsis can also occur.

The FDA has approved a new formulation of carbidopa/levodopa (Rytary – Impax) in extended-release capsules for treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD).