We trend the frequency of specific search terms from 2021 to the present used by the American public when looking up symptoms of COVID-19. The terms analyzed are: congenital heart defect, dysphagia, myalgia, sore throat, tachycardia, tachypnea, wheeze.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, National Health Statistics Group; U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis; and U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Clinicians increasingly encounter patients using or requesting peptide-based therapies sourced through compounding pharmacies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified a subset of bulk drug substances, including certain peptides, that may present significant safety risks when used in compounded formulations. The clinical question is whether these regulatory signals reflect meaningful patient-level risk and how they should influence prescribing behavior. This matters because compounded peptides often sit outside traditional approval pathways, creating uncertainty around quality, dosing consistency, and safety. Understanding...
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