Prescription Drug News and Research

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Out of work and looking for insurance: COBRA may be the best bet for now

This week, I answered questions from three readers who are anxious about what the House-passed health reform bill might mean for them.

13 Jun 2017

Former pharma reps’ new mission: To school docs on high drug costs

As a drug salesman, Mike Courtney worked hard to make health care expensive. He wined and dined doctors, golfed with them and bought lunch for their entire staffs — all to promote pills often costing thousands of dollars a year.

8 Jun 2017

Daylight on diabetes drugs: Nevada bill would track insulin makers’ profits

Patients notched a rare win over the pharmaceutical industry Monday when the Nevada Legislature revived a bill requiring insulin makers to disclose the profits they make on the life-sustaining drug. In a handful of other states, bills addressing drug prices have stalled.

7 Jun 2017

Many COPD patients struggle to pay for each medicinal breath

After a lifetime of smoking, Juanita Milton needs help breathing. She's tethered to an oxygen tank 24/7 and uses two drug inhalers a day, including Spiriva, which she called "the really expensive one."

5 Jun 2017

First generic version of drug to treat ADHD receives FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic versions of Strattera (atomoxetine) to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in pediatric and adult patients.

30 May 2017

Drug rebates reward industry players — and often hurt patients

Medicare and its beneficiaries aren't the winners in the behind-the-scenes rebate game played by drugmakers, health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, according to a paper published Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

30 May 2017

Self-treated pain can contribute to risk of frequent non-medical prescription opioid use

Physical pain--often "self-medicated" without help from healthcare professionals--is an important contributor to non-medical prescription opioid (NMPO) use by young adults, suggests a study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

17 May 2017

Cheaper topical steroids could lead to potential health care and out-of-pocket savings

Although topical steroids are among the most commonly prescribed medications by dermatologists, there are limited data on spending and use for this class of drugs.

28 Apr 2017

Cordant's drug take-back program helps patients to safely dispose unwanted prescription medications

Medication theft from the home is a leading cause of prescription drug overdose deaths, but nearly 70 percent of prescription opioid medications kept in homes with children are not stored safely, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

26 Apr 2017

Study finds increase in number of prescriptions filled for chronic conditions after Medicaid expansion

During the first one and a half years of the Affordable Care Act, the number of prescriptions filled by adults using Medicaid coverage increased by 19% in states that expanded Medicaid compared to states that did not, according to a new study from a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researcher and colleagues.

21 Apr 2017

Point/Counterpoint: Experts debate how to control exploding opioid epidemic

Two experts with opposing views squared off on the hotly debated topic of how best to control the exploding opioid epidemic in the U.S.- with increasing regulation of physician prescribing practices or by better educating patients and doctors.

12 Apr 2017

JAPhA articles highlight role of pharmacists in controlling opioid crisis

Pharmacists often face serious challenges when trying to balance the needs of patients with chronic pain and preventing prescription drug misuse, abuse, and overdose.

7 Apr 2017

Study reveals that 25% of women with prenatal opioid addiction are not being treated

A new study by Queen's University researcher Susan Brogly (Surgery) has revealed that 25 per cent of women suffering from a prenatal opioid dependence were not being treated for their addiction.

5 Apr 2017

Medicare's prescription drug benefit program reduced elderly mortality by 2.2%, study shows

A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois expert in health care economics provides the first evidence that the increase in drug utilization attributable to Medicare Part D saved lives.

9 Mar 2017

Non-elderly cancer survivors more likely to change prescription drug use for financial reasons, study finds

A new analysis indicates that many cancer survivors change their prescription drug use (including skipping doses or requesting cheaper medications) for financial reasons.

21 Feb 2017

New article highlights prevalence of nonmedical prescription drug use among young people

Balancing a country's need to make prescription drugs available to those in need while simultaneously curbing nonmedical use is one of our greatest challenges, according to a perspective article just published by Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, associate professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and a colleague at American University of Beirut.

6 Feb 2017

Prescription Drug News and Research

Out of work and looking for insurance: COBRA may be the best bet for now

Former pharma reps’ new mission: To school docs on high drug costs

Daylight on diabetes drugs: Nevada bill would track insulin makers’ profits

Many COPD patients struggle to pay for each medicinal breath

First generic version of drug to treat ADHD receives FDA approval

Drug rebates reward industry players — and often hurt patients

Self-treated pain can contribute to risk of frequent non-medical prescription opioid use

Cheaper topical steroids could lead to potential health care and out-of-pocket savings

Cordant's drug take-back program helps patients to safely dispose unwanted prescription medications

Study finds increase in number of prescriptions filled for chronic conditions after Medicaid expansion

Point/Counterpoint: Experts debate how to control exploding opioid epidemic

JAPhA articles highlight role of pharmacists in controlling opioid crisis

Study reveals that 25% of women with prenatal opioid addiction are not being treated

Medicare's prescription drug benefit program reduced elderly mortality by 2.2%, study shows

Non-elderly cancer survivors more likely to change prescription drug use for financial reasons, study finds

New article highlights prevalence of nonmedical prescription drug use among young people

Common drug for high blood pressure repurposed to treat soft tissue sarcoma in Europe

Researchers explore cause for increasing use of cannabis among older Americans

Common anti-cholesterol drugs show promise for reducing Alzheimer's disease risk

PinnacleHealth’s initiative helps reduce opioid prescriptions in primary care setting

Pioneering Live Cell Imaging - Yokogawa's Impact and Innovations

Revolutionizing Life Science: An Interview with SCIEX on ASMS, the SCIEX 7500+ System, and AI-Driven Quantitation

From Discovery Biology to ELRIG Chair

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