Pharmacy

While daily diabetes management lies primarily in the hands of patients, several programs offer cost-effective, coordinated care

These less-controlled studies help evaluate the actual benefits derived from a drug, as well as provide a preview of safety and patient compliance.

Community outreach plans educate members, physicians and pharmacies on appropriate antibiotic usage

Health is a national concern, but the best solutions are local. A new initiative is demonstrating that providers, payers, purchasers and the public at large can pull together.

Pfizer stock rebounds,while experts predict more market consolidation

For plans, these special pharmacies offer a good starting point to manage the high cost of pharmaceuticals

How the nursing shortage can cause serious damage to hospitals and patients everwhere.

nursing shortage, generic versus brand drugs, generic drug vouchers, fraudulent health insurance plans, substance abuse

Job pressure can be counterproductive, and there&s more of it than ever before. Here are results of a new survey plus some management advice.

Medication and psychotherapy are significantly improved, and treatment of depression is on the rise. Still, there are major barriers for patients and forward thinking employers.

A major clinical study, the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), has shown that regular exercise and a nutritious diet leading to weight loss can prevent type 2 diabetes among people at high risk for the disease.

Irene Brewster*, a 31-year-old mother of two who was in her 31st week of pregnancy, woke up one morning and noticed that her calf was abnormally swollen. After a call to her obstetrician, who was out of town, Brewster rounded up her children and drove to the hospital.

Health plans emphasize a more personal touch and look to physicians to take the lead in the fight against a complicated disease

HCA joins Leapfrog, MBGH says 30% health care costs unnecessary, Rush Prudential v. Moran with ERISA, BCBSM compares prices of brand name drugs with generics, Kaiser study on state-by-state prescription drug cost

Forming preferred-drug lists and purchasing pools are some initiatives states engage in

Washington, D.C. - Instead of developing innovative, break-through therapies, pharmaceutical companies devote most of their resources to modifying existing medications, according to the latest report from the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation (NIHCM). Release of the study further escalated already heightened rhetoric between health plans and drug makers over rising drug costs. "Highly innovative drugs are rare," said Nancy Chockley, president of NIHCM, which is supported primarily by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Assns.

Washington, D.C. - Medicare+Choice plans do a poor job explaining the intricacies of drug coverage plans to seniors, according to a report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ("Medicare HMO Prescription Drug Benefits," May 2002, OEI-03-00-00430, at http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports).

Increased prescription drug spending

MCOs already are addressing drug use inefficiencies via formularies, prior authorization, education and benchmarking

This Managed Healthcare Executive supplement was produced through an unrestristed educational grant from Bayer Corporation. The views and opinions in this supplement are those of the faculty and do not necessarily reflect the views of Managed Healthcare Executive, Advanstar Communications Inc., or Advanstar Medical Education Services. Copyright 2002 Advanstar Communications Inc. All rights reserved.

Moxifloxacin (Avelox?) is a relatively new fluoroquinolone available in both oral and intravenous formulations. Extensive clinical analysis and postmarketing surveys suggest that moxifloxacin is safe and well tolerated.

This article reviews the efficacy of fluoroquinolones for treating community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and discusses clinical advantages of fluoroquinolones relative to other drug classes. Of 19 randomized, controlled trials comparing a fluoroquinolone with another agent or combination of agents in CAP, 6 trials have demonstrated superiority of the fluoroquinolone with respect to clinical and/or bacteriologic efficacy.

A roundtable discussion with Vincent T. Andriole, MD, Chairperson; Paul B. Iannini, MD; Lionel A. Mandell, MD, FRCPC; Charles H. Nightingale, PhD; Lance R. Peterson, MD

The emergence of antibiotic resistance to Streptococcus pneumoniae and other bacterial pathogens is, in part, responsible for the increase in infectious-disease–related mortality occurring between 1980 and 1992.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters serve as guidelines for selecting antimicrobial agents and dose regimens that will maximize efficacy and suppress resistance.