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Members enrolled in Medicare Advantage satisfied with their plans, study finds

With nearly half strongly agreeing their health plan is a trusted partner in their health and wellness, members enrolled in Medicare Advantage are quite satisfied with their plan, according to the J.D. Power 2015 Medicare Advantage Member Satisfaction Study released today.

22 Oct 2015

ASA participates in government-led effort to address opioid epidemic

Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists announced their participation in a government-led effort to address the opioid epidemic, part of ASA's continued focus on patient safety and ongoing work to promote the safe use of prescription opioids. ASA is joined by a number of public and private sector partners in the efforts, which are being announced today by President Obama in Charleston, West Virginia.

22 Oct 2015

Misuse of prescription drugs common among U.S. college students

Seven out of 10 college students say it is somewhat or very easy to obtain controlled stimulants without a prescription, according to a new survey conducted on eight U.S. campuses.

19 Oct 2015

Mental health problems, negative peer influences linked to increased dating violence

A new emergency department study from the University of Michigan Injury Center looks deeper at risk and protective factors among teenagers who report dating violence and alcohol use.

16 Oct 2015

Loyola partners with Cook County Sheriff's Department to hold Medication Take-Back Day on October 20

Loyola University Health System will partner with the Cook County Sheriff's Department to hold a Medication Take-Back Day on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 from 9 am to 3 pm at the Loyola Outpatient Center lobby located at 2160 S. First Ave. in Maywood.

15 Oct 2015

SilverScript announces new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan options for 2016

SilverScript Insurance Company, a CVS Health company, today announced the company's new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) options for 2016. Medicare beneficiaries can choose from two SilverScript plans that offer $0 deductibles, lower premiums than the 2015 SilverScript plans in many states and low co-pays for several frequently prescribed drugs.

13 Oct 2015

FDA approves Opdivo to treat patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Opdivo (nivolumab) to treat patients with advanced (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer whose disease progressed during or after platinum-based chemotherapy.

11 Oct 2015

Smoking cessation medication 46% effective in women

The most effective prescription drug used to quit smoking initially helps women more than men, according to a Yale School of Medicine study. The study, published Oct. 7 by the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, found that varenicline, marketed as Chantix, was more effective earlier in women, and equally effective in women and men after one year.

8 Oct 2015

Social dynamics, family history critical to identifying patients most likely to abuse pain medicines

Patients undergoing rehabilitation for physical injuries and their physicians can better understand who is most at risk of abusing opioids by reviewing their family history, lifestyle and environment for critical cues about susceptibility to addiction, according to physical medicine and rehabilitation experts.

6 Oct 2015

Experts raise questions about FDA’s use of expedited development, approval pathways for new drugs

Two studies carried out by US researchers and published by The BMJ today raise questions about whether most new drugs are any more effective than existing products or whether they have been adequately assessed before approval.

24 Sep 2015

ER visits can reduce underage drinking and associated problems

The results of a five-year trial from faculty at the University of Michigan Injury Center found giving youth in the emergency department a short intervention during their visit decreased their alcohol consumption and problems related to drinking over the following year.

23 Sep 2015

Salsalate drug offers new hope for treating Alzheimer's disease and FTD

Scientists from the Gladstone Institutes have discovered that salsalate, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, effectively reversed tau-related dysfunction in an animal model of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Salsalate prevented the accumulation of tau in the brain and protected against cognitive impairments resembling impairments seen in Alzheimer's disease and FTD.

21 Sep 2015

Honored Citizens Choice Health Plan to be renamed as Alignment Health Plan

Honored Citizens Choice Health Plan, a federally qualified Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan serving nearly 20,000 seniors in California, will change its name to Alignment Health Plan as of October 1, 2015.

15 Sep 2015

Study shows half of adolescents misuse their prescription drugs

Although prescription drug misuse is on the decline among adolescents, one in two patients tested between the ages of 10 and 17 years are not using their medications appropriately, potentially putting their health at risk, according to an analysis by Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services.

From Quest Diagnostics 11 Sep 2015

Old prescription medicines may cause more harm than good

Many of us are guilty of neglecting our medicine cabinet - specifically, our prescriptions. Sometimes we feel the need to hang onto them, perhaps because they were costly or "just in case."

10 Sep 2015

Common drug used for treating fungal infections in lung transplant recipients increases risk for skin cancer, death

Voriconazole, a prescription drug commonly used to treat fungal infections in lung transplant recipients, significantly increases the risk for skin cancer and even death, according to a new study by UC San Francisco researchers.

3 Sep 2015

Report: 3 out of 4 U.S. adults have hearts older than their actual age

Your heart may be older than you are – and that's not good. According to a new CDC Vital Signs report, 3 out of 4 U.S. adults have a predicted heart age that is older than their actual age. This means they are at higher risk for heart attacks and stroke.

2 Sep 2015

Tocagen's Toca 511 & Toca FC receives FDA orphan drug designation for treatment of glioblastoma

Tocagen Inc., a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to the company's lead immuno-oncology product candidate, Toca 511 & Toca FC, for the treatment of glioblastoma.

26 Aug 2015

AMA Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse announces national recommendations to address opioid crisis

Opioid abuse is a serious public health problem that has reached crisis levels across the United States, with 44 people dying each day from overdose of opioids, and many more becoming addicted. Recognizing the urgency and serious impact of this issue on the health of hundreds of thousands of patients across the country, today the American Medical Association Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse announced the first of several national recommendations to address this growing epidemic.

25 Aug 2015

FDA accepts Allergan's resubmission of BOTOX sBLA for treatment of adults with upper limb spasticity

Allergan plc, a leading global pharmaceutical company today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the company's resubmission of its Supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA) for the treatment of adults with lower limb (involving ankle and toe muscles) spasticity in adults.

20 Aug 2015