U.S. Pharmacist Weekly News

August 25, 2021

Pharmacists Should Prepare for Onslaught of Booster-Vaccine Seekers

Remember overburdened websites and lines out the door earlier this year? Pharmacists should get ready for another mad rush to get booster vaccines among Americans who are already vaccinated. The Biden Administration announced that those are recommended 8 months after the second dose was received and will begin in September. Here is more information.

Medications Appear to Increase Risk of Chondrocalcinosis in Older Adults

A type of “pseudogout” is especially common in older adults, and a new study raises concerns that commonly used medications might be increasing the risks. Find out how researchers determined that the use of drugs that can cause hypomagnesemia—certain diuretics and proton-pump inhibitors—increases the risk of chondrocalcinosis.

Pregnant COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients Report Typical Side Effects

When COVID-19 vaccines first became available, no one was quite sure whether they were appropriate for expectant mothers. Now, with the CDC strongly recommending vaccination during pregnancy, a new study based on a survey advises that those recipients are likely to have very typical experiences, without an increase in side effects. Here are more details.

When BP Medications Should Be Deprescribed in Older,
Frail Patients

Too much of a good thing can be dangerous for older, frail patients on blood-pressure (BP) medications. Find out what a new retrospective study says about desprescribing in that cohort and what factors signal that it is time to cut back on medications.