How to Respond to Common Excuses for Not Getting an Influenza Vaccine

Pharmacists have heard all of the excuses for not getting a flu vaccine, from, “The shot infects me” to “I never get sick.” Now, two physicians from Vanderbilt University offer some very specific advice on how to answer those objections and potentially increase vaccination rates. What do they suggest?

After Delays, FDA Approves New Therapies for Lowering Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetes

Alogliptin-based therapies are new weapons in the arsenal to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. After years of delays, the FDA approved Nesina, Kazano, and Oseni for that purpose. Here are the details.

Study Looks at Kidney Injuries From NSAIDs in Hospitalized Children

The use of NSAIDs can be especially risk in hospitalized children dehydrated from influenza and other illnesses. That’s according to a new Indiana University Medical School study that associated common drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen with acute kidney injury (AKI) in some cases. Their findings include some surprising information on how many patients who developed AKI had taken the correct dosage and had just started NSAID therapy.

Brief Intervention Improves Prescriber-Patient Communication About Medications

One reason pharmacists are barraged with questions is the lack of information provided by physicians about medications they prescribe. Two newly published studies have found that brief interventions can change that. How much did doctor-patient drug communication improve after a few training sessions and educational handouts?