Pharm Report Issue No. 4
A newsletter to update clinic staff on current issues in healthcare
Issue IV
New RSV Vaccines Are Here!
In May, FDA approved two vaccines (Arexvy, GSK, and Abrysvo, Pfizer) to prevent Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) disease in adults aged 60 years and older. RSV is a frequent, often unrecognized, cause of severe respiratory illness in adults.
Adults at the highest risk for severe RSV illness include older adults, adults with chronic heart or lung disease, adults with weakened immune systems, and adults living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. CDC estimates that every year, RSV causes approximately 60,000 ro 160,000 hospitalizations and 6,000 to 10,000 deaths among older adults.
In June, ACIP met and voted on the following: “Adults 60 years of age and older may receive a single dose of RSV vaccine using shared clinical decision making.” Which patients should get the RSV vaccine? Focus on patients 60 and older with risk factors for severe RSV, such as those with lung disease (such as COPD and asthma), heart disease (such as congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease), diabetes, kidney disorders, liver disorders, hematologic disorders, neurologic conditions, those who are immunocompromised, frail or reside in long-term care facilities.
These new vaccines are covered at the pharmacy by Medicare Part D and Wisconsin Seniorcare at no additional cost to the patient. Pharmacists are able to administer them to eligible individuals without a separate prescription from the patient’s healthcare provider. Forward Pharmacy offers vaccine appointments and walk-ins Monday through Saturday at all 5 of our locations. Appointments are available on our website.
Prescription Tips
- Ozempic, Trulicity, and Wegovy continue to be in short supply, so be prepared for patient and pharmacy calls.
- For topical medications, please indicate on the prescription where the patient will be applying the medication. We use this to help provide patient education as well as to avoid costly insurance audits. For example: Triamcinolone Cream 0.1%: Apply to the affected areas on arms 2 times daily.
- Pharmacy questions? Just call us! If you ever have a pharmacy related question, just call us. We want to work with you to help us provide the best possible care to your patients.
Do you know another provider who would be interested in receiving Forward Pharmacy’s Pharm report? We invite you to share our signup link.