Lorcaserin: A novel, selective 5-HT2C-receptor agonist for the treatment of obesity
June 1st 2010Obesity is a prevalent disease that has reached epidemic proportions in both the developed and developing world. In the United States, it is estimated that 66% of the adult population is overweight or obese. There are several available pharmacologic treatments for obesity used as an adjunct to diet, exercise, and behavioral therapy. However, weight loss with these agents is modest and usually reversible when the drug is discontinued, and novel, more-effective anti-obesity agents are desperately needed.
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AMCP eDossier system helps evaluate product value and aids in formulary decision making
June 1st 2010According to the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) and software partner Dymaxium Healthcare Innovations, the AMCP eDossier System is catching on among decision makers and drug companies alike.
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State implications vary widely under new Medicaid landscape
June 1st 2010The Patient Protection and Care Act will allow health insurance coverage through state-based health insurance exchanges, expand Medicaid eligibility, and subsidize insurance premiums, all of which involve state implementation.
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Financial self-service tools drive members toward smart decisions
June 1st 2010While not a panacea, emerging financial tools that facilitate members' interaction with the healthcare system--such as online treatment-cost estimators--hold the potential to become a truly effective technology that will help improve those problem areas.
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Health reform's CLASS Act may help alleviate lack of long-term care planning
May 17th 2010California voters, regardless of their political party affiliation or income level, are worried about and feel unprepared for the costs of long-term care, according to a new poll from The SCAN Foundation and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
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ACP initiative to provide evidence-based recommendations for clinical problems
May 17th 2010The American College of Physicians' High-Value, Cost-Conscious Care initiative will assess benefits, harms, and costs of diagnostic tests and treatments for various diseases to determine whether they provide good value.
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Low-dose colchicine found to be as effective as high-dose regimen for early gout flares
May 4th 2010Low-dose oral colchicine is just as effective as high-dose colchicine in reducing pain associated with early acute gout flare, but with a safety profile statistically indistinguishable from placebo, according to a study published in the April issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, the official journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
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Some anticonvulsants may raise suicide risk
May 4th 2010Anticonvulsant agents have important therapeutic benefits. However, both the healthcare provider and patient need to remain cognizant of associated risks, according to results of a study published in the April 13, 2010, edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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FMCP tabs winners of P&T and poster competition
May 4th 2010The Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Managed Care Pharmacy (FMCP), the educational and philanthropic arm of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), announced the winners in the 10th Annual AMCP/FMCP National Student Pharmacist Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Competition, and FMCP Best Student Pharmacist and Best Resident or Fellow Poster Contests.
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Niacin superior to ezetimibe in decreasing CIMT
May 4th 2010Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) or CHD equivalent on stable statin monotherapy treated with the addition of extended-release niacin have significant decreases in carotid intima-media thickness compared with those who had ezetimibe added to their stable statin treatment, according to a study published online April 14 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, as reported by HealthDay News.
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Lamotrigine may be most effective antiepileptic drug
May 4th 2010Of 10 antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) studied in older adults with epilepsy, lamotrigine closely followed by levetiracetam is the most effective, as measured by 12-month retention and freedom from seizures, while oxcarbazepine is consistently less effective than other AEDs, according to research published in the April issue of the Archives of Neurology, as reported by HealthDay News.
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Cotrimoxazole tied to bleeding in older patients on warfarin
May 4th 2010In older patients treated with warfarin, the use of cotrimoxazole is associated with a higher risk of upper gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage than other common antibiotics, according to research published in the April 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, as reported by HealthDay News.
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