News

Women who are regular users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be aware that these medications may increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events, according to a study published in the July issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.

Psoriasis patients treated with interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitor secukinumab demonstrated statistically significant skin clearance, according to in 2 pivotal phase 3 studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Rates of opioid overdose in Ontario, Canada, have increased more than 3-fold over the past 2 decades, according to a study online in Addiction. Furthermore, deaths are clustered among younger Ontarians; in 2010, 1 in 8 deaths among those aged 25 to 34 years were related to opioids.

Older men treated with intramuscular testosterone did not appear to have an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI). For men with high MI risk, testosterone use was modestly protective against MI, according to a study published in Annals of Pharmacotherapy

Otherwise healthy, non-smoking adults with BMI values within the class III obesity range may considerably extend their life expectancy by avoiding additional weight gain, according to a study published in PLOS Medicine.

Aptiom (eslicarbazepine acetate) is an oral antiepileptic tablet that was approved by FDA on November 8, 2013, as an add-on medication to treat seizure disorders that can be associated with epilepsy.

FDA approved tavaborole (Kerydin, Anacor Pharmaceuticals) topical solution, 5%, which is the first oxaborole antifungal approved for the topical treatment of onychomycosis of the toenails.

FDA approved coagulation factor VIIa [recombinant] (NovoSeven RT, Novo Nordisk), for the treatment of Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia, a rare genetic bleeding disorder.

Adverse reactions to antipsychotics, antidepressants, sedatives and anxiolytics, lithium salts or stimulant drugs are responsible for almost 90,000 emergency department (ED) visits each year by US adults, according to a study in JAMA Psychiatry.

Individuals with a large waist circumference may face a higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published July 7 in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Postoperative antibiotics after cholecystectomy (gallbladder surgery) do not reduce the risk of infection, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

One in five elderly patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of leaving, according to government data.

In adult patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on metformin monotherapy-the current standard of treatment- canagliflozin (Invokana) 100 mg and 300 mg reduced relative risk for myocardial infarction (1.6% and 3.0%) and congestive heart failure (2.7% and 4.0%), as compared to sitagliptin 100 mg, according to findings of the health economic simulation analysis presented at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions in San Francisco.

There are some risks associated with some childhood vaccinations, but overall the evidence shows that vaccines are very safe, according a study published in the July 1 online edition and the August print issue of Pediatrics.

In response to rising compounding drug costs, pharmacy benefit managers, such as Express Scripts, have made moves to restrict their coverage for active ingredients used by compounding pharmacies.

Employees now have the ability to carry over up to $500 in unused funds into the next plan year

Many consumers still do not understand fundamental insurance concepts

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) released new technical specifications for the 2015 edition of the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS).

The industry has and will continue to evolve

In 2013, the adult obesity rate was 27.1%, up from 5.5% 2008

The cost and time commitment to develop new drugs has increased significantly over the last few decades. A variety of factors come into play, but on average, in terms of total expenditures, it has taken from $3 to $5 billion and up to 15 years to bring a new drug to market. Even after all that time and money, with challenging regulatory requirements and other factors, the odds of a new compound making it from the lab to the pharmacy are miniscule. The chance for a new drug to make it to market is a sobering 1 in 5000.

Patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) treated with aflibercept Injection significantly improved vision and reduced the severity of diabetic retinopathy versus laser photocoagulation, according to data recently presented the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions in San Francisco.

The management of bladder cancer represents one of the most costly and underestimated challenges in the oncology spectrum. Despite having the 6th highest incidence of any cancer in the United States, high recurrence rates and the need to constantly monitor patients act as the primary drivers for the high expenditures associated with the disease.

Pressure to intensify with more penalties, rewards

Buy-in at every level is imperative for long-term impact

Follow these suggestions to cut costs while maintaining quality of care.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is among the most feared adverse effects associated with cancer treatment.1 The likelihood of patients experiencing this entity depends on both patient-related and treatment-related factors. Not all chemotherapeutic products induce equivalent amounts of CINV resulting in the formation of groups contingent on the frequency of CINV in patients receiving a product without antiemetic prophylaxis

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that when available, the needle-free, nasal flu vaccine (Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine [LAIV]) should be used for healthy children aged 2 to 8 years, who have no contraindications or precautions.