With an estimated 100 million Americans taking proton pump inhibitors each year, any concerns about adverse effects are a big deal. That’s why a recent study finding an association between PPIs and chronic kidney disease is getting so much notice. Here are the details.

Interactive Pharmacist Counseling Improves Understanding of Prescribed Drugs

Even for a busy pharmacist, an extra minute for counseling pays off if patients actually understand how to take their medications and what to do if a problem comes up. That’s the conclusion of a new study which found greater effectiveness with interactive counseling for new prescriptions. Find out what that entails.

Pharmacists might want to inquire about any contraceptive counseling when adolescent women fill prescriptions for drugs known to be teratogenic. A new study suggests they might be surprised to how rarely contraceptive provisions were made. Here are the details.

Anticholinergics Don’t Hasten Cognitive Decline in Parkinson’s Patients

Even though anticholinergic medications have been linked to a greater risk of dementia in users overall, no such effect was found in Parkinson’s disease patients taking the drugs compared to those who were not. Find out more about the British study on effects of the drugs, which often are used to treat motor and nonmotor symptoms in PD patients.