U.S. Pharmacist Weekly News

April 20, 2022

Anticonvulsant Mood Stabilizers and T2D Risk

Choosing one anticonvulsant mood stabilizer over another can make a meaningful difference in increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Pharmacists should be aware that—in a new study looking at which anticonvulsant mood stabilizers are less likely to raise the risk of T2D in users—researchers recommended lamotrigine. The study also determined that valproate presented the greatest risk. Read more.

Pharmacies Give Free COVID Tests to Some Medicare Beneficiaries

A new Medicare initiative is distributing free COVD-19 at-home tests to some beneficiaries through pharmacy and grocery store chains. The catch is that the eight tests a month are only for enrollees in Medicare Part B or Medicare Advantage. Reimbursement will go straight to providers. Learn more about this initiative and where Medicare patients can receive these tests.

T2D/CKD Patients Have Higher Hypoglycemia Risk on Insulin

About a third of type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients go on to develop chronic kidney disease (CKD). The problem, according to a recent study, is that little research has been done on optimal blood sugar–lowering agents for patients with that combination. Find out why the authors raise concerns that hypoglycemia risk is heightened with the use of insulin in that cohort.

Convalescent Plasma Reduced Hospitalization for Outpatients Treated Early

An early transfusion of COVID-19 convalescent plasma reduced hospitalization of infection outpatients, most of whom were unvaccinated, according to a new study. Find out why the authors suggest their findings could make convalescent plasma a good alternative in situations where monoclonal-antibody therapy is either unavailable, scarce, or ineffective because of monoclonal antibody–resistant variants.