Insights Newsletter November 2023: Emerging Trends for Clinical Leadership

This month’s Insights Newsletter covers the latest practice-changing pharmacy updates, emerging trends, and natural medicines popular topics and resources. 

Clarify the Role of Antivirals for Outpatient Flu and COVID-19 Treatment 

We’re heading into respiratory virus season with flu, COVID-19, RSV, and other viruses circulating. Patients are getting sick with COVID-19 or the flu and may need treatment with an antiviral. Our Letter articles review when to consider treating COVID-19 or the flu with antivirals. We discuss when to treat COVID-19 and which patients benefit most. We also review treatment options for COVID-19 and specific medication considerations, discuss the treatment of influenza and which patients benefit most, and review specific medication considerations with flu antivirals. We provide two resources: 1. Antivirals for Influenza compares available antivirals for flu treatment and prevention; 2. Outpatient COVID-19 Treatment Options is an algorithm to help recommend a COVID-19 antiviral medication. Read Newsletter

Help Sort Out Options to Prevent RSV in Infants

There are new prevention strategies for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants, and parents will need answers about the options. The RSV vaccine, Abrysvo, can now be given in pregnancy, and the monoclonal antibody nirsevimab (Beyfortus) can be given to infants under eight months entering their first RSV season. Our Letter articles answer questions about efficacy, side effects, and administration of RSV vaccines and nirsevimab. We discuss recommendations for the RSV vaccine in pregnant women and the use of nirsevimab in infants. Risks of using the RSV vaccine or nirsevimab are discussed and we also cover scenarios when nirsevimab should be given even if the mother got the RSV vaccine. Our resource, Preventing RSV, provides additional guidance on use of nirsevimab and how it compares to palivizumab and reviews the role of the new RSV vaccine. Read Newsletter

Other Covered Topics

We’re down to our final virtual compounding training of the year, and we have a great group deal for your organization that you don’t want to miss. As National Diabetes Month comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to elevate your pharmacy’s diabetes care with our latest program under the RxAdvanced pharmacist training suite, Diabetes Monitoring & Management. Lastly, be sure to check out the latest NetCE courses that were released this month. Read More