• Pain Point: We’re getting questions about the first vaccines to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults. People want to know about RSV risks as well as RSV vaccine efficacy, side effects, recommendations for use, and co-administration with other vaccines (COVID-19, flu, etc.).
• Solution: Our Pharmacist’s Letter, Pharmacist’s Letter Canada, Hospital Pharmacist’s Letter, Prescriber’s Letter, Pharmacy Technician’s Letter, Pharmacy Technician’s Letter Canada, and Hospital Pharmacy Technician’s Letter articles review RSV and the rationale for RSV vaccination. We discuss efficacy of new RSV vaccines and recommendations for use, and highlight populations most likely to benefit. We also review differences between the two new vaccines, such as side effects and cost. Answers to frequently asked questions about co-administration with other vaccines (COVID-19, flu, etc.) are also discussed. Stay tuned for our guidance about maternal use of vaccines, recommendations for using a new monoclonal antibody to prevent RSV in infants and toddlers, and a new clinical resource to answer all of your RSV prevention questions.    

• Pain Point: Flu season will bring questions about changes to flu vaccines and recommendations for 2023-2024. Questions are also arising about which flu vaccines are “best” for patients, flu vaccine efficacy and timing, and co-administration with other vaccines (COVID-19, RSV, etc.).
• Solution: Our Pharmacist’s Letter, Pharmacist’s Letter Canada, Hospital Pharmacist’s Letter, Prescriber’s Letter, Pharmacy Technician’s Letter, Pharmacy Technician’s Letter Canada, and Hospital Pharmacy Technician’s Letter articles highlight what’s new with the flu vaccines for 2023-2024 to help pharmacy, prescriber, and hospital staff ensure patients are appropriately vaccinated. Updated recommendations are provided about giving vaccines to people with an egg allergy, and answers to frequently asked questions about coadministration with other vaccines (COVID-19, RSV, etc.) are also discussed. Our resource, Flu Vaccines for 2023-2024, compares the various products and includes immunization recommendations for kids, pregnant patients, and older adults.

• Pain Point: Recent ISMP survey data highlight that less than half of pharmacists in hospitals that treat both adults and kids are trained on typical pediatric dosing.
• Solution: Our Hospital Pharmacist’s Letter article summarizes practical strategies to boost pediatric medication safety, including using pediatric equations to estimate renal function, utilizing the “KIDs List” to identify risky meds for kids, and advocating for safety measures that pharmacies can implement. Our resource, Keeping Pediatric Patients Safe, provides additional guidance, including strategies to prevent ordering, dosing, and administration errors.

• Pain Point: Optimizing communication with older adults remains top of mind with 1 in 5 people in the U.S. age 65 years or older. Some older adults have communication challenges, such as hearing or vision problems or memory loss, and need care tailored to their needs.
• Solution: Our Pharmacy Technician’s Letter, Pharmacy Technician’s Letter Canada, and Hospital Pharmacy Technician’s Letter articles give practical tips pharmacy technicians can use to tailor communication to each patient’s individual needs. For instance, we discuss how to address older adults with caregivers and what to watch for to help identify patients with vision problems. We highlight best practices for talking with patients, such as maintaining eye contact and speaking clearly at a normal tone. Let your pharmacy technicians know that they can use our Soft Skills Toolbox and look into our PTU Elite: Soft Skills program to learn tactics to improve teamwork, handle conflict, and enhance communication with patients and colleagues.

Next week, we’ll be kicking off our celebration of American Pharmacist’s Month. Throughout the entire month, we’ll be sharing helpful resources with you and highlighting the various ways pharmacists in our communities contribute to healthcare. So don’t miss out and be on the lookout for communications and social posts on our channels!  

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Now through December 31, 2023, we're offering unlimited access to all of our virtual training compounding programs at a flat, affordable rate. The best part is you can send unlimited staff members to any of the available virtual trainings.  

With All Access, you'll get high-quality virtual training programs led by our very own compounding experts. Check out the full 2023 virtual training schedule. 

As a reminder, the revised USP chapters <797> and <795> were published on November 1, 2022 and it's important to ensure your clinical teams are prepared to implement the new standards. 

Upcoming Virtual Training Schedule 

• Best Practices for Environmental Monitoring: November 8-10, 2023 
• Best Practices for Nonhazardous Sterile-to-Sterile Compounding: October 25-27, 2023
• Best Practices for Handling Hazardous Drugs: October 23-24, 2023 

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