Heparin, anxiolytics and more: how the pandemic has changed the use of drugs
With the pandemic, the use of anxiolytics has grown, especially in the Marche and Umbria The data from the Monitoring of the use of drugs during the Covid-19 epidemic carried out by Aifa
More heparin, a drug at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19, but also more anxiolytics, especially in the Marche and Umbria. The pandemic has changed the habits of drug use, especially in the so-called phase 2 of the epidemic. To say this is the data of the Monitoring on the use of drugs during the Covid-19 epidemic carried out by Aifa, the Italian drug agency. All the details.
MORE ANSIOLITHIC
A strong increase in use, as a direct consequence of the pandemic, is recorded by anxiolytic drugs, + 12% on 2019. The increase is more marked in the central regions, explains Aifa, such as Marche (+ 68%) and Umbria ( + 73%).
The increase in anxiolytics was greater during the second wave of the pandemic, compared to the increase already observed during the first phase of the emergency.
MORE HEPARIN
The use of heparin, a first-line drug for anti Covid-19 therapy, is also growing throughout the Italian territory: use increased by over 19%, in the quarter October-December 2020 compared to the same quarter of 2019;
MORE AZITHROMYCINE
The use of azithromycin , an antibiotic belonging to the macrolide family, is also growing. It is used as an anti Covis-19 therapy, although Aifa has never given any indications on the matter. A notable increase was recorded above all in Campania (+ 250%) and Lazio (+ 300%).
CARDIAC STIMULANTS
Among the drugs that in 2020 record an increase are the injected cardiac stimulants used in intensive and subintensive therapies (+ 127%), albeit not specific for Covid-19. A higher increase, compared to 2020, is recorded in the Molise, Basilicata, Piedmont and Emilia Romagna regions.
ONCOLOGICAL DRUGS
On the other hand, the use of oncological and immunosuppressive drugs is stable, despite the great pressure on hospitals.
Here the complete monitoring of Aifa.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/eparina-ansiolitici-e-non-solo-come-la-pandemia-ha-cambiato-luso-dei-farmaci/ on Sat, 08 May 2021 14:40:02 +0000.