For older people and frail people, the long-term benefit of medicines reduces and the potential for harm from adverse effects increases. When the benefit–risk balance changes in this way, medicine review and optimisation are important to simplify the therapeutic regimen, reduce inappropriate medicines and minimise risks. In this article, pharmacist prescriber Linda Bryant uses two case studies to illustrate important considerations during medicine reviews
Doxycycline – hope for syphilis and chlamydia prevention?
Doxycycline – hope for syphilis and chlamydia prevention?

Sexual health specialist Massimo Giola looks at the evidence for doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis as a prevention tool for syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea
Kia ora and welcome to New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa
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1. Highleyman L. Sexually transmitted infections in San Francisco have fallen since doxyPEP roll-out. 5 March 2024.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for the use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis for bacterial sexually transmitted infection prevention. October 2023.
3. Cornelisse VJ, Ong JJ, Ryder N, et al. Interim position statement on doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (Doxy-PEP) for the prevention of bacterial sexually transmissible infections in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand - the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM). Sex Health 2023;20(2):99–104.