Pharmacy Week in Review: Drug Approved for HCV in Children, CDC Promotes Vaccinations

This weekly video program provides our readers with an in-depth review of the latest news, product approvals, FDA rulings, and more. Our Week in Review is a can't miss for the busy pharmacy professional.

Transcript:

Hello and welcome to the Pharmacy Times News Network. I’m Nicole Grassano your host for our Pharmacy Week in Review.

A newly launched digital billing platform is designed to engage with patients via email or text without mailing a paper, and provides tailored, affordable payment options, Pharmacy Times reported. Digital-First Billing, released by Patientco, boasts the ability to meet the patient where they are in terms of digital communications and affordability. The system does this through 2 methods: its digital form and its payment options. According to the company's press release, this solution promotes increased self-service payments and streamlines payment plan enrollment, thereby reducing administrative burden. It is Patientco’s belief that a system that promotes more diverse payment experiences will create loyalty and drive more visits long-term.

CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD, is urging health care providers to encourage parents, and expectant parents to vaccinate their children, Contemporary Clinic reported. According to Redfield, 94% of parents vaccinate their children to protect against measles and other preventable diseases. He said CDC is working to reach vaccine-hesitant individuals with the message that immunization is important. In his statement, Redfield indicated that roughly 1.3%, or 100,000 children, in this country under the age of 2 [years] have not been vaccinated, making them vulnerable to the current measles outbreak. "We must join together as a nation to once again eliminate measles and prevent future disease outbreaks," said Redfield. The message was issued in a statement during National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW). The CDC is recognizing NIIW as part of the World Immunization Week (WIW), an effort of the World Health Organization (WHO). NIIW and WIW will continue through May 4.

A new study is the first to demonstrate the safety of an oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy among a large group of preschool-aged children as a routine treatment in a hospital or clinical setting instead of a clinical trial, Specialty Pharmacy Times reported. In the study, researchers studied 270 children between the ages of 9 months and 5 years who were diagnosed with a peanut allergy and were administered an oral immunotherapy from April 2017 to November 2018. The children were administered a peanut dose approximately every 2 weeks by a pediatric allergist, with the dose gradually increased during each visit to a community or hospital clinic. The study found that 68% of the children experienced at least 1 allergic reaction prior to reaching the maintenance stage, the majority of which were deemed mild. The researchers believe that the data demonstrated the safety and efficiency of immunotherapy for preschool-age children.

Pharmacists may get more questions about Trulicity, if patients have seen a recent commercial for the prescription medication. In the spot, called “Power,” the narrator explains that Trulicity is not insulin, and taken once-weekly, it may lower blood sugar. According to the commercial, Trulicity is designed to help those with Type 2 Diabetes produce their own insulin.

For more great coverage and practical information for today’s pharmacist, visit our website and sign up for our Daily eNews. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Thanks for watching our Pharmacy Week in Review. I’m Nicole Grassano at the Pharmacy Times News Network.