U.S. Pharmacist Weekly News

August 9, 2023

Fewer Adverse Effects With Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

The primary COVID-19 vaccines administered in the United States have been two mRNA products developed by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, but little research has been conducted on whether one was better than the other. A new study provides evidence that the Moderna vaccine might have increased benefits for older adults compared with the other medication. Read more.

Officials Urge Increased ADHD Stimulant Production

The heads of the FDA and the Drug Enforcement Administration provided an update recently on the shortage of prescription stimulants primarily used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They urged manufacturers to increase the production of the medications while also calling on healthcare provider groups to ensure the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD is appropriate. Read more.

Trends in Antihypertensive Usage Among Cancer Survivors

With the longer survival of more cancer patients, cardiovascular disease has become the leading cause of late morbidity and mortality in that group. A recent study reports that hypertension is one of the most frequently reported medical issues in cancer patients. Find out the trends in the use of drugs to treat hypertension in cancer patients and what special issues might arise.

Which Influenza Vaccines Are Better for Older Adults?

Older adults have a lot of questions about the stronger influenza vaccines recommended for them by public health officials. A new study published in Immunity and Ageing can help pharmacists give informed answers. Find out what researchers determined about the effectiveness of the adjuvanted inactivated influenza vaccine versus the high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine.