Vaccinations

• Flu vaccination should be taken annually 
• Pneumonia vaccine should be kept up to date 
• Live vaccines should not be administered to transplant patients as they can cause life-threatening infections. 

Public health messages

Lifestyle advice around weight management and smoking cessation should be given to patients where necessary. Pharmacy professionals can also advise on lifestyle measures to improve cardiovascular health.

Diarrhoea

Patients presenting with diarrhoea could be suffering a side effect of mycophenolate, or it could be a sign they have cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and need to be referred to the transplant
unit urgently. 

Practice points

• Find out what local services are available to you and where you could signpost your patients for support
• Where would you refer a renal transplant patient in your local area? Do you have a local name and contact number?