A team of researchers has developed a new nanomechanical technique for fast, one-step, immune-affinity tests, which can quantify the immune response induced by different Covid-19…
IPU welcomes extension of pharmacy vaccinations to 18-to-34 year-olds
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD that pharmacies can now offer vaccinations for the 18-to-34…
Immunologists discover ‘new trick’ used by MRSA superbug that may aid vaccine development
New research has uncovered a novel ‘trick’ employed by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus to thwart the immune response, raising hopes that a vaccine that prevents…
UL study offers important insights into use of point-of-care Covid-19 antibody tests
Patients and staff at GP clinics in the Mid-West during June and July 2020 were over six times more likely to have antibodies to Covid-19…
Pharmacists and pharmacy staff ‘experiencing unexplained delays’ receiving second vaccine dose
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has expressed concern that many pharmacists and pharmacy staff are experiencing unexplained delays receiving a second dose of the Covid-19…
More than two-thirds of the public may now have hand dermatitis due to stringent hand washing during Covid-19
The dermatological impact of Covid-19 was a hot topic at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) 2021 Spring Symposium. New research presented at…
Growing evidence points to a unique infectious profile in Covid-19
A comprehensive review into what we know about Covid-19 and the way it functions suggests the virus has a unique infectious profile, which explains why…
Delivering pharmacy care on the frontline of a pandemic
Irish Pharmacist speaks with pharmacist Eamonn Brady about working in care homes during the height of Covid-19 Eamonn Brady owns two pharmacies in Mullingar, having…
Pharmacists call for urgent clarity on when they can begin vaccinating against Covid-19
Pharmacists across the country are still “in the dark” as to when they can begin administering the Covid-19 vaccine. This is according to the Irish…
‘Postcode lottery’ within HSE could slow down vaccine roll-out for priority groups
The roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine in Ireland could be slowed down by a ‘postcode lottery’ that has developed within the HSE. This warning was…
Covid transmission influenced by blood transmission rules — research
Accumulated evidence worldwide shows that blood type affects the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with blood Type O being less susceptible and non-O blood types more…
Researchers work on repurposing drugs to manage early-stage Covid-19 progression
Researchers from VA Boston Healthcare System, the University of Cambridge, EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) have used a large-scale…
Covid-19 risk increases with airborne pollen — research
Increased pollen concentrations correlate with higher SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, recent research has concluded. When airborne pollen levels are higher, increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates can be…
Call for pharmacists to be utilised to stop vaccine targets being missed
As the HSE struggled to meet its Covid-19 vaccine campaign targets, the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) urged the Minister for Health to boost vaccination capacity…
Study uncovers relationship between travel and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants
Anna Wedderburn reports on a recent Irish study that demonstrated the link between the second wave of Covid-19 and international travel A study led by…
Escape to victory: New research shows how SARS-CoV-2 mutates to evade antibody binding
In a recurring pattern of evolution, the Covid-19 virus escapes immune responses by selectively deleting small parts of its genetic sequence, according to new research…
Scientists develop new technique that rapidly quantifies immune response following vaccination
A global team of researchers has developed a new strategy for fast and reliable antibody tests, which can quantify the immune response induced by vaccination…
European Medicines Agency publishes new information on Covid vaccines
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has announced that it has published new information on the latest additions to its Covid-19 web page and the precautionary…
Pharmacists ‘have solutions to some of the Covid vaccine complications’
The Irish Pharmacy Union has urged Government to supply community pharmacists immediately with the AstraZeneca vaccine so they can start vaccinating frontline healthcare workers who…
FIP develops tool to support regulators in implementing pharmacy-based vaccination programmes to combat pandemic
Ministries of health and regulators can now make use of a tool produced by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) to enhance strategies and create the…
PSI approves pharmacist training on Covid-19 vaccine
The PSI has approved the HSE National Immunisation Office (NIO) training for the Covid-19 vaccination programme. Completion of this training will allow pharmacists who are…
Pharmacy staff ‘must be prioritised for Covid vaccine’
Pharmacists are under unprecedented pressure as Covid-19 infection rates continue to fluctuate but despite the levels of exposure they are facing, they are receiving no…
National Covid vaccination programmes ‘must take local storage conditions into account’
Mass vaccinations which need to be carried out to decrease the impact that Covid-19 has on Europe will confront health systems and healthcare professionals with…
Plan to allow pharmacists vaccinate public against Covid-19 welcomed
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has welcomed the recent announcement by Government of funding that will allow for a comprehensive community-based Covid-19 vaccination campaign. Speaking…
FIP launches Commitment to Action on improving vaccination coverage through pharmacies
As part of a new International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Commitment to Action on Improving vaccination coverage through pharmacies, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmaceutical scientists and pharmacy…
The case for increasing buprenorphine use as OST during Covid-19
Consultant in Addiction Psychiatry Dr Ciaran Somers analyses the potential advantages of an accelerated move to buprenorphine from methadone in pharmacies and GP clinics during…
A shot in the arm for Covid treatment
TILDA scientists have revealed vital evidence to inform HSE Covid-19 vaccine roll-out and boost uptake and efficacy of the vaccine in older adults As vaccination…
Pharmacists’ key role in vaccine plan welcomed but ‘bureaucracy must be streamlined’
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has welcomed the central role that will be played by pharmacists in Ireland’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign. However, following the publication…
FIP expert group issues advice for pharmacists on Covid-19 tests
To help pharmacists advise people on Covid-19 tests, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has issued a guidance document produced by FIP’s SARS-CoV-2 Testing Working Group,…
Dangers of ‘fake news’ during the Covid-19 pandemic
New research from University College Cork has highlighted the dangers of misinformation in relation to the Covid-19 ‘infodemic’. The research, which has been published in…