News

The Long-Term Intervention on Fractures with Tibolone (LIFT) study demonstrated a reduced risk of vertebral fracture, breast cancer, and possibly colon cancer but a significantly increased risk of stroke in older postmenopausal women treated with tibolone versus those treated with placebo.

FDA announced that the agency has posted on its website a report listing drugs that are being investigated for potential safety concerns.

Genentech informed healthcare professionals that a 70-year-old patient who has been treated with efalizumab (Raptiva) for chronic psoriasis for >4 years has developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare, progressive disease of the central nervous system that is usually fatal.

In the Understanding Potential Long-Term Impacts on Function with Tiotropium (UPLIFT) trial, tiotropium therapy for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was associated with long-term improvements in lung function, quality of life, and COPD exacerbations. The therapy did not, however, significantly reduce the rate of decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) compared with placebo.

Drug Watch: Agents in late-stage development for the treatment of hepatitis B and C virus infections (October 2008)

Even though the Medicare prescription drug benefit has provided access to medications at less-than-anticipated cost to the government-and lower out-of-pocket spending for seniors-many Democrats and consumer advocates want to overhaul the program. Critics contend that the federal government can negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies that are lower than those obtained by private insurers operating prescription drug plans (PDPs), and some reformers charge that the program is too complex and confusing for elderly beneficiaries, pointing particularly to the infamous "donut hole" that is affecting more Medicare patients than anticipated.

A systematic search of the literature published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice demonstrated that angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) used as monotherapy or in combination with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are not associated with a beneficial effect on mortality in patients with heart failure (HF).

A nested case-control analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine demonstrated an increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among patients with recently diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treated with ipratropium.

Recent FDA action (through October 2008) related to vernakalant, doripenem, custirsen, droxidopa, amrubicin, dronedarone, and imatinib.

New biologic: Romiplostim (Nplate), a thrombopoietin mimetic peptibody, was approved on August 22, 2008, for the treatment of chronic ITP.

New molecular entity: Tetrabenazine (Xenazine), a monoamine depleter, was approved on August 15, 2008, for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington's disease.

This article reviews the role of individual therapeutic agents and combination therapies that can be used for the treatment of mixed dyslipidemia.

If there was a way to accurately and consistently predict which patients were likely to use the emergency room in the upcoming year or incur a preventable chronic disease in the next 10 years, how would such a capability impact patient care?

A successful health information exchange (HIE) must be constructed in a manner that accounts for and serves the needs of each stakeholder group individually and allows all, to share in the benefit. As a result, the success of a community-based HIE is as much a feat of cooperation as it is one of organization.

More insurers are establishing operations in China, with Aetna being the latest to join the forces. Opening business in China involves substantial international expertise and patience with investments.

Many brochures and ads issued by health plans to promote Medicare drug benefits to seniors fail to meet standards. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services seeks to stem the criticism by tightening up the rules governing such marketing plans.

A national approach to healthcare requires equal access, medical homes and quality and performance regulation.

Fraud, abuse and overpayment increases annual claims costs by up to 10% annually, but if addressed with a comprehensive fraud control program, could be money returned to the bottom line.

Stakeholders are all over the communications map trying to reach their audiences in the high-tech world where they live. Whether they're texting consumers, sending e-cards, creating video games or sharing information via social media, all are working to get the healthcare message out.

A recent study by the University of Connecticut indicates that the cost of low health literacy to the U.S. economy is as high as $238 billion annually. It's imperative that health plans and systems drive new efforts.

Evaluating the return on investment in disease management can be quite complicated, and survey results are suggestive rather than conclusive.

MHE's State of the Industry Survey findings show that 44.6% of those surveyed did not envision using or implementing any advanced technological innovations, such as online physician visits.

Organizations should realize the need for integrating structured IT information and unstructured information, experts say, since the amount of valuable unstructured information is growing exponentially.

The weak economy has hit the pocketbooks of health plans as reflected in their top two challenges for 2009: competing in the marketplace (27.7%) and enduring national economic lows (20.8%).

Chronic conditions, medical advances and consumerism are among the factors contributing to premium trends in 2009, experts say.

Commonwealth Fund State Performance Ranking (2007): 33

In the wake of the upcoming presidential election, experts say both candidates cater to the public by assuring that everything will change, but neither candidate has offered up meaningful dialogue about the most needed change of all - reducing costs.

Independent, nonprofit Blue plans are becoming extinct