News

A new study is helping to provide a better understanding of vaccines for whooping cough, the common name for the disease pertussis. Based on an animal model, the study conducted by FDA and published November 25, 2013, in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that acellular pertussis vaccines licensed by FDA are effective in preventing the disease among those vaccinated, but suggests that they may not prevent infection from the bacteria that causes whooping cough in those vaccinated or its spread to other people, including those who may not be vaccinated.

In cancer patients with concurrent type 2 diabetes, metformin alone or in combination with other regimens was associated with 34% reduction in overall death risk and 38% reduction in cancer-specific death risk, according to a study in the December issue of The Oncologist.

Taking effervescent, dispersible, and soluble medications that contain sodium long term increase the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the help of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation has developed a tool kit for instituting collaborative practice agreements between healthcare providers and pharmacists, which is intended to improve healthcare quality.

Among primary care patients with uncontrolled hypertension, medication nonadherence was more than twice as common in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (68%) as compared to patients without PTSD (26%), according to a study reported online in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Information exchange is essential for ACOs to coordinate care

Patients with diabetes who received prescribed heart medications by mail were less likely to visit the emergency room than those who picked up prescriptions in person, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in the American Journal of Managed Care.

Many patients who stopped taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs were also taking an average of 3 other drugs that interfered with the normal metabolism of statins, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology.

Pregnant women exposed to environmental phthalates are at an elevated risk of preterm delivery, according to a recent study in JAMA Pediatrics.

Data for tiotropium show improved lung function, sustained bronchodilation in patients with moderate asthma severity.

Implementation of the new rule will likely reduce plans’ costs.

How organizations can overcome challenges of reporting, capturing patient data.

National insurers are betting on new tech tools to click with members

A fraction of consumers who could be buying plans actually did

Understand the culturally-embedded tendency to be reluctant to seek medical treatment

About 17 million consumers will be eligible for subsidies in exchanges

Blue Shield of California ACOs report 3% trend

Critical care patients have higher HAI rates

Sudden change requires plans to weigh financial impact

Confused members might opt for the worst choice under ACA

Be mindful of data breaches with cloud-based systems

Study investigates performance gaps between dual-eligible and non dual-eligible patients.

FDA has eased restrictions on patient access to the controversial diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline). The agency made its determination after an FDA Advisory Committee reviewed the drug in June 2013 and voted to lift its restrictions, and new information was released indicating that the drug carries no heightened cardiovascular risk.

Payment cuts to Medicare Advantage prompt plans to narrow their networks.

Network selection is one tool plans are using to overcome cost pressures

FDA is warning healthcare professionals of the rare but serious risk of heart attack and death with use of cardiac nuclear stress test agents regadenoson (Lexiscan) and adenosine (Adenoscan).

FDA has requested label and packaging changes for certain over-the-counter (OTC) topical antiseptic products to decrease the risk of infections from these products, which in rare cases have resulted in deaths.

UnitedHealthcare and other plans are dropping network providers