Insights Newsletter: Clarify New Guidelines for Prevnar 20 and Vaxneuvance, Cannabinoids Getting COVID-19 Attention, and New CE for March, and More!

Clarify New Guidelines for Prevnar 20 and Vaxneuvance

• Pain Point: Two new pneumococcal vaccines, Prevnar 20 and 15-valent Vaxneuvance, are leading to changes in CDC adult pneumococcal guidelines. Clinicians need clarity on which adults should get one of these new pneumococcal vaccines, and when.
• Solution: Our Pharmacist’s Letter, Prescriber’s Letter, Pharmacy Technician’s Letter, Hospital Pharmacist’s Letter, and Hospital Pharmacy Technician’s Letter highlight which immunizations are recommended for adults 65 and up, or 19 to 64 with risk factors (cancer, diabetes, smoking, etc.), as well as the timeframe in which they should be administered based on patient risk factors and vaccine history. Our Letters go beyond the guidelines and suggest a simplified approach to giving these vaccines, which may be more practical and less costly. Our Pharmacist’s Letter, Prescriber’s Letter, and Hospital Pharmacist’s Letter articles give additional guidance on pneumococcal vaccinations in kids, including when Prevnar 20 and Vaxneuvance are anticipated for approval in children. Our Pharmacy Technician’s Letter and Hospital Pharmacy Technician’s Letter articles also discuss getting complete and accurate vaccine histories, since this may influence the choice and timing of when the pneumococcal vaccine is given. Clinicians can use our new algorithm, Pneumococcal Vaccination in Adults, to guide patient-specific decisions, and our chart, Comparison of Pneumococcal Vaccines, offers aside-by-side look at products.

Cannabinoids Getting COVID-19 Attention

• Pain Point: Recent headlines have touted various cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG), as potential treatments for COVID-19. Healthcare providers should be prepared to answer questions from patients who may be looking to use cannabis, hemp, or cannabinoids for this purpose.
• Solution: Our new Natural Medicines article explains how the evidence supporting these new claims is based solely on in vitro research, which doesn’t often align with effects in humans. In fact, a well-designed clinical study evaluating CBD in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 has already been published, and it didn’t identify any benefit. Also, although all of the research thus far has only evaluated specific cannabinoids, there is growing interest in the use of whole cannabis for COVID-19, which may carry safety concerns. We discuss all of this and more in our article.

This month’s Insights also features RxAdvanced: Anticoagulation Management as a comprehensive training program to prepare pharmacists for their integral role in anticoagulation medication management. Now available for individual and group purchases.

And don’t miss out on our most popular charts, as well as our Immunization and Opioid Resources Hubs. You’ll also get details on freshly released CE/CME courses, and can’t-miss webinars.

Need timely, concise updates for your pharmacy teams on topics like drug options for hypertensive emergency, COVID-19 treatments, and more? Learn more about Enterprise solutions from TRC >>