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Jessica Kerr, PharmD, CDE, and assistant department chair at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville discusses counseling points for patients taking oral non-insulin diabetes medication (video)

This report updates the 2014 recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices regarding the use of seasonal influenza vaccines. Updated information for the 2015–16 season includes

• antigenic composition of U.S. seasonal influenza vaccines;
• information on influenza vaccine products expected to be available for the 2015–16 season;
• an updated algorithm for determining the appropriate number of doses for children aged 6 months through 8 years; and
• recommendations for the use of live attenuated influenza vaccine and inactivated influenza vaccine when either is available,…

Plastic syringes… well-known manufacturer...says its sterile syringes are not intended to store compounded drug solutions for more than 24 hours….BD plastic sterile hypodermic syringes are not intended or FDA-cleared for storage… medical centers…reported "potency issues" after preparing "certain medications" in 3- or 5-mL BD syringes…Institute for Safe Medication Practices reported…in its acute care edition of ISMP Medication Safety Alert!

bill extending the authority of pharmacists and nurse practitioners to administer certain immunizations..shingles, meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough immunizations, in addition to administering influenza immunizations..

Discount Drug Mart has opened the first.. .MetroHealth walk-in clinics… expanding access to health services… clinic will be staffed by a nurse practitioner, who can assess…basic medical needs, administer vaccinations and prescribe medications. Evening and weekend hours will be offered and walk-in appointments are accepted. Providing these services…is the first step to delivering services where, when, and how patients want care."

Podcast interview with..David G. Miller, RPh, International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists Executive Vice President, and Jay McEniry, Executive Director, Patients and Physicians for Rx Access...topic is Tricare, and the current issues facing compounding pharmacists, and most importantly, the patients they serve.

CVS Health, …and Watson, IBM's cognitive computing platform, are joining forces to take on chronic diseases. The plan? Eradicate conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and obesity… to advance care management beyond programs and services typically available today,…has to do with Watson’s ability to read and understand vast amounts of information, and to continuously learn.

..In the midst of rapid expansion of medical knowledge...too few actually understand medical information well enough to improve their health…. US adults scored below the international average for literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments… too many patients still have difficulty...such as taking the right medicine at the right time, properly self-managing diabetes, or correctly following hospital discharge instructions...

Community pharmacists (University of Rhode Island) who expand their roles and make home visits to heart failure patients after hospital discharge can improve outcomes… investigators created a community pharmacist-provided home health service…this program facilitated successful transitions of care, improved medication adherence, and decreased 30-day HF-related (heart failure) hospital readmission rates…

More than one-third of Americans are currently obese,…pharmacists may be in a position to encourage obese patients to lose weight. Here are 5 counseling points pharmacists should consider:

1. Daily weigh-ins can help patients not only lose weight, but also keep the pounds off.
2. Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers can produce significant weight loss with long-term efficacy.
3. Some parents may be reluctant to acknowledge their child’s obesity.
4. Losing weight can help reduce the burden of obesity’s comorbidities.
5. Patients on weight-loss medications are successful if they lose around 5% to 10% of their body weight.