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In West Virginia, overdose deaths rise as opioid prescriptions drop
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalRecently released information from the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy (BOP) about their state opioid abuse problem confirms what many of us have been saying for years: Addiction and overdose deaths are not, primarily, a prescribing and dispensing problem.
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Antidepressants may not work in patients with chronic illnesses
Dorothy L. Tengler Mental HealthcareClinical depression is a serious and often complex medical condition, affecting about 16 million people in the United States. A report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that from 2011-14, about 13 percent of people 12 years and older reported taking an antidepressant in the previous month — a number that has increased from 11 percent in 2005-08. In 2015, antidepressants were the second-most commonly prescribed medications after drugs to lower cholesterol.
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Technology puts an inevitable spin on concussion research
Bob Kowalski Sports & FitnessTechnology is inescapable, and sports injuries have been with us since people first started playing games. It was inevitable that the two would come together. It seems that advances happen nearly every week in injury detection, analysis and prevention. The latest leap takes on concussions and brings in Bluetooth capability. Will this one be a game-changer? We can't say right now, but we've consistently moved forward in the field in recent years.
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Hidden testimony: Substance abuse among attorneys
Bill Becken Mental HealthcareAttorneys advocate adversarially for others. By doing so they hold their clients' trust and fate in their hands. Their own willful impairment via drug and/or alcohol use would pose a shocking threat to those who may be struggling themselves — that is, not just their clients, but all those who may otherwise rely upon them, like family and friends.
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Stressed at school: The rise in anxiety among teens
Brian Stack EducationOne of the most difficult and often frustrating tasks I have to perform as a school principal is that of working with students who have high rates of absenteeism. Students miss school for all sorts of reasons, and many of those are beyond their control to overcome without some sort of intervention or assistance from someone, either the school or another adult.
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Viral video sheds light on complex issues in healthcare
Joan Spitrey Healthcare AdministrationOn a cold night in Baltimore, a woman who appeared to be wearing just a hospital gown and socks was being deposited at a bus stop after being discharged from University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown. A bystander happened to catch the situation on video and opened the door for the world to see the uglier side of healthcare.
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North Carolina joins growing list of states limiting opioid prescriptions
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalThe opioid epidemic is one that has ravaged a large portion of the United States because it has impacted individuals from all walks of life. In 2016, drug overdoses were reported as the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, and approximately 34,500 of these overdoses were from opioids.
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Anxiety and depression no longer lurk in the shadows
Bill Becken Mental HealthcareThe prevalence of anxiety and depression (A&D) is increasing worldwide. The impact of this illness — the costs its treatment invokes, as well as its increased prevalence — has invited comparisons with leading chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and coronary artery disease.
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Nutrients that help protect against Parkinson’s disease
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Mental HealthcareVitamin E and beta carotene may be protective for the development of Parkinson's disease, according to new research. A better understanding of potential for the dietary antioxidants to contribute to reduced rates of Parkinson's disease was the goal of a study led by Fei Yang, M.D., Ph.D., of the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.
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Report: States of best and worst health
Seth Sandronsky Healthcare AdministrationAmerica's Health Rankings, a new report from the nonprofit United Health Foundation, reveals the best and worst states for health in 2017. To define "healthy," the group uses the World Health Organization's definition: "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." The report's four categories of determinants evaluates 35 core measures across behaviors, community and environment, and policy and clinical care.
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