Visits to Pharmacy Clinics Rise: Will Trend Continue?

Visits to medical clinics in retail pharmacies are way up, partly because of influenza vaccination services. But what will happen with fuller enactment of the Affordable Care Act? Here’s what the author of a new Rand Corporation study predicts about the future of retail medical clinics.  

Obese, Overweight Patients Endangered by
Inadequate Chemotherapy Dosing

An overabundance of caution may be preventing overweight and obese cancer patients from getting adequate amounts of chemotherapy agents, according to new guidelines issued by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Find out why an expert panel determined that actual body weight is the best guide for determining appropriate dosages. 

Mepolizumab Reduced Severe Asthma
Exacerbations by 50%

In the largest study to date, the monoclonal antibody mepolizumab showed promise in reducing severe exacerbations of asthma. The results hold out the possibility of an effective alternative to oral corticosteroids and their side effects. Pharmacists might be surprised by how effective mepolizumab was in reducing emergency visits and hospitalizations. Here are the details.

One in Five Prescriptions for Elderly Patients Is Inappropriate, Study Finds

Pharmacists should be on the alert for prescriptions to elderly patients for drugs such as diphenhydramine, amitriptyline and propoxyphene. A new Dutch study lists these medications as among the therapies often inappropriately prescribed for older patients. Here is what the researchers have to say about the risks.