January 16, 2019

New Guidelines Urge Immediate Antiviral Use in At-Risk
Influenza Patients
Pharmacists should make sure they are well stocked with antiviral medications during influenza season. New influenza guidelines offer an extensive list of at-risk patients who would require immediate treatment with the drugs if they contract the flu. Here are the details.

Occasional Use of Antibiotics by Many Patients Is Linked to Growing Resistance
Resistance can occur when antibiotics are used frequently in one region—even if they are prescribed occasionally to a large group of patients. That’s according to a new study suggesting that patients who frequently use antibiotics aren’t the primary trigger for growing resistance. Find out how researchers determined that.

Rich Holiday Food Appears to Skew January Cholesterol Measurements
Too much buttery kringle for Christmas might be skewing cholesterol measurements, at least in Denmark. Find out why authors of a new study suggest that new prescriptions for statins based on January cholesterol readings might be questionable and why retesting should be performed later in the year.

Epinephrine Autoinjectors Underused in Adults With Unexplained Anaphylaxis
Patients presenting to an emergency department with an anaphylaxis reaction that cannot be explained tend to be undertreated compared with patients who receive a definitive diagnosis, according to a new Canadian study. In fact, relatively few adults are prescribed autoinjectors, according to the researchers. Here is more information.

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