HD Clinical Insights
Clinical Insights from HealthDirect keep you informed and up-to-date with actionable content including did-you-know and product-focused resources.
HealthDirect Clinical Articles
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Did You Know? Drug-Induced Photosensitivity
Read More: Did You Know? Drug-Induced PhotosensitivityWhat causes Drug-Induced Photosensitivity? Certain medications can cause sensitivity to the sun, known as photosensitivity, through two primary biological processes called phototoxicity (a chemically-induced reaction that may depend on the dose) and photoallergy (an immune-mediated reaction that…
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Did You Know? Addressing Chronic Constipation
Read More: Did You Know? Addressing Chronic ConstipationConstipation is pretty common in older adults, ranging from 24 to 50 percent. Up to 20 percent of community-dwelling older adults and 74 percent of nursing home residents use laxatives on a daily basis. Age, immobility, comorbid…
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RX Guide: Medications That Should Not Be Crushed
Read More: RX Guide: Medications That Should Not Be CrushedCrushing pills can improve ease of administration, but some shouldn’t be crushed. Crushing extended release meds can result in administration of a large dose all at once. Crushing delayed-release meds can alter the mechanism designed to protect…
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RX Guides: Select Medications with Shortened Expiration Dates
Read More: RX Guides: Select Medications with Shortened Expiration DatesManaging In-Use Medication Expirations To ensure product stability, sterility and efficacy, many therapeutic products have a shortened expiration date when opened, as specified by the manufacturer. The following list(s) includes medications commonly used in community care settings…
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DYK? Ophthalmic Medication Beyond-Use Date Guide – HealthDirect Pharmacy Services
Read More: DYK? Ophthalmic Medication Beyond-Use Date Guide – HealthDirect Pharmacy ServicesFrom the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) From CMS: §483.45(g) Labeling of Drugs and Biologicals and §483.45(h) Storage of Drugs and Biologicals: “ensure that all drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in…
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RX Guides: Nebulizer Storage Recommendations
Read More: RX Guides: Nebulizer Storage RecommendationsNebulizer Storage Comparison Chart (by Medication Name & Manufacturer) Medication Name Manufacturer Refrigeration(Y or N) Expiration dateonce foil pouchis opened Specific StorageRecommendations Source Albuterol SulfateInhalation Solution NephronMylan N 7 days Store unit-dose vials in protective foil pouch…
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DYK? Expiration Guidance: Inhalation Devices – HealthDirect Pharmacy Services
Read More: DYK? Expiration Guidance: Inhalation Devices – HealthDirect Pharmacy ServicesCertain inhalation devices once opened or assembled and in use, must be used within a specified timeframe to avoid reduced stability and sterility, which can impact efficacy of treatment. Medications with shortened expiration dates, as specified by…
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Did You Know? Shortened Expiration Dates for Inhalation and Nebulizer Devices
Read More: Did You Know? Shortened Expiration Dates for Inhalation and Nebulizer DevicesCertain inhalation devices once opened or assembled and in use, must be used within a specified timeframe to avoid reduced stability and sterility, which can impact efficacy of treatment. Medications with shortened expiration dates, as specified by…
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RX Guides: Insulin / GLP-1 Expiration Guide
Read More: RX Guides: Insulin / GLP-1 Expiration GuideIn-Use Shortened Expiration Dates All products are good until their expiration date* when kept unopened and refrigerated (36°F-46°F [2°C-8°C]). Once opened or removed from the refrigerator for patient use, insulin and GLP-1 products in use should be…
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Did You Know? Fall Prevention in Community Settings
Read More: Did You Know? Fall Prevention in Community SettingsAbout PALTmed’s Clinical Practice Guideline onFalls and Fall Prevention Falls are ever-present in the post-acute and long-term care continuum, and PALTmed’s newly revised Clinical Practice Guideline on Falls and Fall Prevention in the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care…
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Service Update: Pharmacogenomic (PGx)
Read More: Service Update: Pharmacogenomic (PGx)Pharmacogenomic Testing in LTC Facilities What is Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing and how can it benefit LTC communities? PGx is a rapidly evolving science focused on how an individual’s genes may affect his or her response to medications.…
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DYK? – HealthDirect Pharmacy Services
Read More: DYK? – HealthDirect Pharmacy ServicesParkinson’s Disease Overview Parkinson disease (PD) is an adult-onset progressive neurodegenerative disorder, first described as “Shaking palsy” over 200 years ago by James Parkinson. While traditionally considered a motor system disorder based on the hallmark features of…
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DYK? Updated Long-Stay Antipsychotic Use Quality Measure – HealthDirect Pharmacy Services
Read More: DYK? Updated Long-Stay Antipsychotic Use Quality Measure – HealthDirect Pharmacy ServicesCMS’ Hybrid Long-Stay Antipsychotic Measure is Live In response to long-standing concerns from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and other stakeholders about the unnecessary use of antipsychotic medications and potential for underreporting via the MDS dataset,…
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Did You Know? Benzodiazepine Tapering Guideline Update
Read More: Did You Know? Benzodiazepine Tapering Guideline UpdateAn estimated 2 million older adults in the US have been taking benzodiazepines for more than 120 days1. Benzodiazepines are used for many conditions including anxiety, insomnia, seizures, muscle spasms, and panic disorders. Nonetheless, they are associated…
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Did You Know? Hypoglycemia Risk Management in Diabetes
Read More: Did You Know? Hypoglycemia Risk Management in DiabetesDiabetes Management Considerations for Older Adults Diabetes is a highly prevalent health condition in the aging population. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), over 29% of people over the age of 65 years have diabetes. The…
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Did You Know? Insulin / GLP-1 Expiration Guide
Read More: Did You Know? Insulin / GLP-1 Expiration GuideIn-Use Shortened Expiration Dates All products are good until their expiration date* when kept unopened and refrigerated (36°F-46°F [2°C-8°C]).Once opened or removed from the refrigerator for patient use, insulin and GLP-1 products in use should bemarked with…
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Did You Know? Antibiotics and Timing of Administration
Read More: Did You Know? Antibiotics and Timing of AdministrationAntibiotic Offending Medication Recommendation Mechanism All quinolones(Ciprofloxacin,Levofloxacin,Moxifloxacin) – Iron and Calciumpreparations (Includingmultivitamins thatcontain iron and/orcalcium, dairy products) If the combination cannot be avoided, administration of Quinolones should occur at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after…
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Vaccine Administration Guidelines – 2025-26
Read More: Vaccine Administration Guidelines – 2025-26IMPORTANT: Vaccine Update(s) The CDC recently issued important vaccination guidance updates.NOTE: Our 2025-26 Vaccination Program Administration Guidelines have been revised to reflect these updates*. ➀ COVID-19 Vaccine COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months and older…
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