CDC said last week that disruptions in health care access during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to declining rates of routine immunizations among young children. In a new report, the agency said that uptake of state-mandated vaccines dropped somewhat in 2021–22 for kindergarteners.

Findings from a new study published in NEJM suggest that pharmacists can safely and effectively start patients with opioid use disorder on buprenorphine.

Researchers of a new study published in JAMA found that among critically ill patients with COVID-19, there was a high likelihood of improved 180-day mortality among patients treated with IL-6 receptor antagonists and antiplatelet agents.

A nasal spray version of naloxone (Rivive—Harm Reduction Therapeutics) is now on the FDA fast track for OTC clearance. According to the manufacturer, FDA is aiming for April 28, 2023, as an approval date after priority review. With cost and access in mind, Harm Reduction Therapeutics also noted that it would price the overdose antidote at about $18 per dose for sale to pharmacies, public-sector workers, and advocacy organizations. The nonprofit company will also donate one-tenth of its production, which is slated to reach 2 million doses annually.

A new CDC report found that monthly drug overdose deaths nearly tripled among adolescents age 10 to 19 years during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths increased from 31 to 87 per month from July 2019 to May 2021 before declining to 51 per month in December 2021.