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Study examines link between employment status and nonmedical use of prescription opioids

Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that employment status is a factor in nonmedical use of prescription opioids and prescription stimulants.

7 Dec 2016

Study finds high rates of marijuana use among Baby Boomers

The recent legalization of recreational marijuana (cannabis) use in California, Colorado, and Washington reflect the sweeping changes in the attitudes and perceptions towards marijuana use in the United States.

6 Dec 2016

New vaccine shows potential to decrease risk of fatal opioid overdose

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have developed a vaccine that blocks the pain-numbing effects of the opioid drugs oxycodone and hydrocodone in animal models.

23 Nov 2016

Ascensia Diabetes Care supports World Diabetes Day by launching global social media awareness campaign

Today, Ascensia Diabetes Care is showing its support for World Diabetes Day by launching a global social media awareness initiative to highlight the positive role of mobile technology in the management of diabetes.

14 Nov 2016

AMCC to raise awareness about dangers of prescription drug abuse across the U.S.

On November 12, 2016 the 7th Annual American Medicine Chest Challenge --- a national public health initiative to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and encourage safe disposal of prescription drugs will be held in communities throughout the nation.

11 Nov 2016

Simple picures could help seniors understand medication instructions

Simple images designed to convey information about prescription drugs could help save lives and reduce the economic burden of non-adherence to treatment.

27 Oct 2016

Wayne State receives NIH grant to study use of opioid addiction drug to fight relapse in recovering addicts

A team led by Wayne State University School of Medicine researcher Mark Greenwald, Ph.D., will use a four-year, $2,279,723 competitively renewed grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health to explore whether the opioid addiction treatment medication buprenorphine can decrease the magnitude and/or duration of responses to stressors faced by recovering addicts.

15 Oct 2016

Experts lay out key steps to change 'one-size-fits-all' consumer cost-sharing approach

If you've tried to see a doctor, fill a prescription or get a diagnostic test lately, you've probably had to pay more out of your own pocket than you would have even a few years ago. Most insurance plans have increased their co-pays and deductibles, to keep monthly premiums from rising even faster.

30 Sep 2016

Study finds link between gut flora and fat distribution in children and teenagers

Children and teenagers who are obese have different microorganisms living in the digestive tract than their lean counterparts, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

20 Sep 2016

Study finds racial-ethnic disparities in emergency department opioid prescription for pain-related conditions

Dr. Astha Singhal, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, published a study that found a racial disparity in opioid prescriptions for emergency department visits for non-definitive pain-related conditions.

9 Aug 2016

Study finds no major difference in effectiveness of two classes of drugs in peritoneal dialysis patients

With cardiovascular disease being the No. 1 cause of death in end-stage kidney disease patients on peritoneal dialysis, a new study examined two classes of medications commonly prescribed to prevent cardiovascular events in these patients and found no significant difference in outcomes.

9 Aug 2016

European Union may be catching up to the United States in nonmedical prescription drug abuse

There is a high rate of prescription pain reliever abuse in Europe, largely accounted by opioids, according to the first comparative study of prescription drug abuse in the European Union, which was conducted by researchers at RTI International and published in BMC Psychiatry.

5 Aug 2016

NABP report points rogue internet drug outlets serve as dealers to people purchasing controlled substances

Today, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) released its Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators: July 2016.

30 Jul 2016

CVS Health to make opioid overdose-reversing drug more affordable for patients without insurance

CVS Health and Adapt Pharma today announced a new partnership that will make the opioid overdose-reversing drug NARCAN (Naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray more affordable for patients without insurance at CVS Pharmacy locations.

30 Jul 2016

Majority of American adults use prescription drugs inappropriately and dangerously

The majority of American adults taking opioids and other commonly prescribed medications use them in ways that put their health at risk, including potentially dangerous combinations with other drugs, according to a new study from Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services.

From Quest Diagnostics 29 Jul 2016

New report reveals prescription medication costs may increase up to 13% in 2016

Prescription medication costs are expected to rise at least 11 percent, and possibly up to 13 percent, in 2016, according to a new report on national trends and projections in prescription drug expenditures.

18 Jul 2016

Majority of community-dwelling elderly adults take prescription medications inappropriately

A new study from Belgium indicates that the majority of community-dwelling elderly adults are taking prescription medications inappropriately. The study, which is published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, also found a link between underuse--not taking essential medications--and an increased risk of dying or needing to be hospitalized.

18 Jul 2016

Medical marijuana reduces use of prescription drugs, research finds

Medical marijuana is having a positive impact on the bottom line of Medicare's prescription drug benefit program in states that have legalized its use for medicinal purposes, according to University of Georgia researchers in a study published today in the July issue of Health Affairs.

8 Jul 2016

Programs to prevent prescription drug misuse may be underused, study reveals

Misuse of prescription pain medications remains a major public health problem -- but programs to prevent it may be underused, according to a study in the July issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

29 Jun 2016

JAMA edition provides summary of FSMB policy recommendations about marijuana in patient care

The Journal of the American Medical Association has published in its online edition a summary of new policy adopted by the Federation of State Medical Boards that provides recommendations about marijuana in patient care and a cautionary note advising actively licensed physicians to abstain from using marijuana while practicing medicine.

23 Jun 2016