The Weekly Dose: ACIP Overhaul, RSV Vaccine Approval, and Pharmacist-Led GLP-1 Care

In this episode of The Weekly Dose, hosts Luke Halpern and Kennedy Ferruggia, associate editors at Pharmacy Times, break down 4 major stories shaping pharmacy practice.

A federal judge in Massachusetts has temporarily blocked the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices overhaul enacted under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reinstating pre-Kennedy immunization schedules while litigation proceeds.

In the Expert Spotlight, Craig Beavers, PharmD, FACC, FAHA, FCCP, BCCP, BCPS-AQ Cardiology, CACP; Kristen Campbell, PharmD, BCPS, CPP, FACC; and Glenn Herrington, PharmD, FACC, FHFSA, BCCP, CPP, HFCert, discuss how pharmacists are serving as the clinical and logistical quarterbacks of GLP-1 therapy—managing titration, navigating prior authorizations, and coordinating interdisciplinary cardiometabolic care.

The FDA has approved GSK's RSV vaccine (Arexvy) for adults aged 18 through 49 at increased risk, significantly expanding the eligible population.

And new research reveals gabapentin prescribing in substance use disorder treatment settings nearly doubled between 2016 and 2023, raising important questions about polysubstance risk and care integration.