JANUARY 2024

by Editorial Board last updated Jan 26, 2024 08:47 AM

SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19

Sanford Guide SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 main page.
COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients: recommendations from NCCN here.
Currently authorized vaccines. See COVID-19 vaccines (Age ≥12 yrs) and COVID-19 vaccines (Age <12 yrs) for use and data.
ESCMID COVID-19 living guidelines: drug treatment and clinical management (Clin Microbiol Infect 2022;28:222). Available at PMC.
Guidelines on COVID-19 diagnosis, serology, treatment and management, and infection prevention:
- IDSA (last updated 6/26/23)
- NIH (last updated 12/20/23)
Living WHO guideline on drugs for COVID-19 (BMJ 2021;375:n2936).
Living WHO guideline on drugs to prevent COVID-19 (BMJ 2021;372:n526). Available here.
Living WHO guideline on prophylaxis against COVID-19 (BMJ 2021;373:n949). Available at PMC.
Management of hospitalized adults with COVID-19: a European Respiratory Society living guideline (Eur Respir J 2021;57(4):2100048). Available at PMC.

Something New: Doxy-PEP

Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy-PEP) has been shown to reduce the incidence of gonorrhea, syphilis, and Chlamydia among cisgender MSM and transgender women who have had at least one of these STIs in the past 12 months (N Engl J Med 2023;388:1296-1306). It can be considered for such persons who have not had a recent STI but are at risk because of multiple partners. Doxy-PEP was not effective in a study conducted in cisgender women (N Engl J Med 2023;389:2331-2340), so more studies regarding its use after vaginal sex are needed. There are no data available for heterosexual, cisgender men who are at risk of STIs, nor for transgender men. Possible long-term effects of doxy-PEP include its potential impact on antibiotic resistance and alterations in the microbiome. The recommended dose of doxycycline (hyclate or monohydrate) is 200 mg orally administered within 24-72 hours of condomless sex.

Drug Shortages (US)

Bicillin-LA and Bicillin-CR availability: See Dear Healthcare Professional letter here.
Antimicrobial drugs or vaccines in reduced supply or unavailable (as of January 8, 2024) due to increased demand, manufacturing delays, product discontinuation by a specific manufacturer, or unspecified reasons:
- New shortages since December 8, 2023:
  - None
- Shortage recently resolved:
  - Isoniazid injection, 100 mg/mL (9/23/2023)
  - Neomycin 500 mg tablets (9/7/2023)
  - Tedizolid injection (10/2/2023)
  - Tedizolid phosphate 200 mg tablets (10/2/2023)
- Antibacterial drugs:
  - Aminoglycosides:
    - Amikacin injection
    - Gentamicin injection (02/22/2021)
    - Tobramycin injection
  - Bacitracin ophthalmic ointment (unavailable)
  - Carbapenems:
    - Meropenem injection
  - Cephalosporins:
    - Cefazolin injection (6/4/2018)
    - Cefdinir, all oral formulations (6/29/2023)
    - Cefixime 400 mg capsules (1/21/2022)
    - Cefotaxime injection (FDA is allowing temporary importation of product from SteriMax in Canada, in conjunction with Provepharm Life Solutions and its distributor Direct Success. Click here for details).
  - Chloramphenicol injection (10/9/2023)
  - Clindamycin phosphate injection (6/25/2015)
  - Doxycycline oral suspension (11/16/2021)
  - Fluoroquinolones:
    - Ciprofloxacin injection (1/13/2023)
    - Ciprofloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic solution
    - Levofloxacin oral solution, 25 mg/mL (9/15/2023)
    - Moxifloxacin 400 mg tablets (12/6/2023)
    - Ofloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic solution
  - Glycopeptides, glycolipopeptides, lipopeptides:
    - Vancomycin injection (6/1/2015)
  - Macrolides/azalides:
    - Azithromycin ophthalmic solution 1% (unavailable)
    - Erythromycin 0.5% ophthalmic ointment (7/8/2022)
  - Metronidazole injection (10/20/2021)
  - Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates GU Irrigant
  - Nitrofurantoin oral suspension
  - Penicillins:
    - Amoxicillin. all oral formulations (10/18/2022)
    - Amoxicillin-clavulanate, all oral formulations
    - Ampicillin injection (10/19/2023)
    - Dicloxacillin capsules (250 mg, 500 mg)
    - Penicillin G benzathine injection (Bicillin-LA) (2/1/2023)
    - Penicillin G benzathine/Penicillin G procaine (Bicillin-CR) (3/31/2023)
    - Penicillin VK tablets (250 mg, 500 mg), oral solution (250 mg/5 mL) (5/17/2023)
    - Piperacillin-tazobactam injection
  - Polymyxin B sulfate/Trimethoprim sulfate ophthalmic solution (03/31/2023)
  - Sulfacetamide 10%/Prednisolone sodium phos 0.23% oph soln (9/21/2023)
  - Sulfanilamide 15% vaginal cream (unavailable)
- Antifungal drugs:
  - Amphotericin B injection (10/10/2022)
  - Amphotericin B Lipid Complex
  - Nystatin topical powder (08/18/2023)
- Antimycobacterial drugs:
  - Isoniazid 100 mg, 300 mg tablets
  - Rifampin capsules
- Antiparasitic drugs:
  - Primaquine
- Antiviral drugs:
  - Nirsevimab-alip injection (10/24/2023)
  - Oseltamivir capsules, powder for oral suspension (11/01/2022)
  - Podofilox 0.5% topical gel
  - Ribavirin for inhalation solution
  - Valganciclovir tablets, powder for oral solution
- Vaccines:
  - None

Antimicrobial drugs recently discontinued:
- Posaconazole oral susp 40 mg/mL (December 2023, by Merck)
- Sulfacetamide 10%/Prednisolone acetate 0.2% oph ointment (Aug 2023 by Allergan, sole supplier)
- Penicillin G procaine 600,000 units/mL IM injection (June 2023)
- Ritonavir oral solution 80 mg/mL (January 2023)

For more detailed information including estimated resupply dates, see https://www.ashp.org/Drug-Shortages/