Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Antivirals Underprescribed For Older Adults

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found low use of COVID-19 antiviral drugs among individuals age 65 and older, even though it’s a population at high risk of severe illness and COVID-19–related hospitalization, according to the recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Researchers examined cases in outpatient settings with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result or COVID-19 diagnosis during June 1, 2023–September 30, 2025. A total of 482,456 patient encounters with a COVID-19 diagnosis …

Clinicians Vary in Antiviral Recommendations For Children With Flu

In practice, just under half of pediatricians (49.5%) follow national recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for use of the antiviral oseltamivir for children hospitalized with influenza, according to survey results published in Pediatrics. The survey polled 787 physicians from 5 specialties among 7 children’s hospitals in the United States from March 2024 to June 2024. AAP recommends that all children hospitalized for flu receive oseltamivir. Knowing about AAP recommendations increased the pediatricians’ …

Antiviral Use Higher Than Years Past

Flu season continues, and providers in several US markets are seeing surges in respiratory-virus-related visits. Meanwhile, new data also shows a year-over-year increase in antiviral prescriptions to treat influenza, according to a news report in Fierce Healthcare, leveraging data from Evernorth Research Institute (a Cigna subsidiary). Analyzing pharmacy claims for 32 million people, researchers noted an uptick in antiviral prescriptions in the weeks following Thanksgiving 2023 when compared to a similar time period during past …

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