U.S. Pharmacist Weekly News
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U.S. Pharmacist PTA
December 20, 2017

CDC Explains Why Flu Vaccine Can Be Less Effective Even Without Antigenic Drift
When it comes to administering vaccinations against influenza, pharmacists’ work is far from done, according to a new CDC report. As the influenza season moves into full force, the article notes that fewer than half of Americans receive flu shots, even though the vaccine remains the most effective available method to prevent the severe illness and its complications. Here is more information.

Individualized Diabetes Treatment Lowers Drug Costs, Increases Patients’ Satisfaction
Getting rid of a one-size-fits-all mentality for diabetes patients saves healthcare dollars—primarily through a decrease in drug costs—but is also likely giving patients what they want, a new study suggests. Find out the effect when treatment went beyond a goal of hemoglobin A1C for everyone.

Birth Control Pills Slightly Increase Breast Cancer Risk in Current, Past Users
Hormonal contraceptives, including newer products containing specific progestins, increase the risk for breast cancer in women who use them now and have used them in the recent past. Danish researchers point out, however, that the risk remains quite small. Here are the details.

Prescription Opioid Use Appears to Increase Uptake Among Other Household Members
If one member of a household fills a prescription for an opioid painkiller, the risk increases that someone else living there will use opioids within the next year. That’s according to a new report suggesting that opioid use spreads in households. Find out why researchers think that is occurring.

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