-
Unnecessary antibiotics: Treating the common cold
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareAntibiotic resistance is a major concern worldwide. It has been well established that antibiotic use increases the likelihood for an individual to develop bacterial resistance. The majority of antibiotic prescribing takes place in primary care, and physicians and PAs have been encouraged to prescribe antibiotics more rationally, only when necessary.
-
Have doctors gotten a bad rap in the fight against opioids?
Cait Harrison Medical & Allied HealthcareOpioid addiction has become a sickening problem in America. The powerful pain relievers, available legally by prescription — such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl and many others — are easy to become addicted to and even more difficult to break away from.
-
Advice for new pharmacy grads: Keep studying!
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalThis year, we'll see roughly 14,000 new pharmacists graduate, most of whom will (they hope) pass their board exams and enter the job market as licensed pharmacists for the first time. Although it has been more years than I care to mention since that time in my own life, I can still recall the mixture of emotions like anxiety, excitement and relief all rushing through my system at once.
-
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationA new JAMA study found that physicians received $2.4 billion in industry-related payments in 2015. The authors also note that many in healthcare don't recognize a "subconscious bias" related to such interactions with products repped by industry sales associates, and that creates a great deal of tension between the industry's financial relationships and its primary mission.
-
Report: Healthcare jobs on the rise again
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationIn a bit of a surprise, the U.S. jobs report for April showed a huge jump from the previous month — 211,000 non-farm jobs added last month, compared to 79,000 in March. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of jobs predicted was pegged at about 185,000.
-
New drug for ALS provides hope for patients
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalAmyotrophic laterals sclerosis (ALS) is regarded as a progressive neurological condition that has the ability to destroy the nerve cells and lead to complete disability in the affected individual. Given the progressive and debilitating nature of ALS, the recent approval of a new drug for treating ALS is considered to be a milestone. Edaravone (Radicava) is only the second drug to ever be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of ALS — and the first in more than two decades since riluzole gained FDA approval in 1995.
-
Barriers to collaborating with physicians and how to overcome them
Matthew Collver PharmaceuticalAs the United States moves toward value-based payment models, it is becoming more important for pharmacists to claim their role on the patient-centered health team. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by collaborating with your local physicians. There are an abundance of skills and services that a pharmacist can provide to a prescriber that will save time, increase a patient's quality of care and generate revenue. The initial step to accomplishing this is to meet with your target doctor and present your value proposition.
-
ACA insurers need low claim volumes to survive exchanges
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationThe Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation reports that just 7 percent of the U.S. population get their insurance on the private market — actually a fairly small segment of the population. Though the Affordable Care Act has provided millions of people with health insurance, some insurers have experienced substantial losses and have removed themselves from the exchanges — news most Americans are familiar with. Of course, the stability of the market and willingness of insurers to continue to participate is essential to the ACA's success, if it has any sort of future in the Donald Trump era.
-
Progress in overcoming antibiotic‑resistant bacteria
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareSince the 1940s, antibiotics have been used to treat infectious diseases. With long-term use, however, the infectious organisms have adapted to the drugs designed to destroy them, rendering the drugs much less effective. Simply using antibiotics creates resistance. Up to 50 percent of the time antibiotics are not optimally prescribed. It is not uncommon for antibiotics to be prescribed when not needed or dosed incorrectly.
-
Will Teva’s bold AirDuo inhaler strategy work?
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalI can't recall ever seeing a company launch a brand and a generic simultaneously. Maybe it has happened before, but I honestly can't recall it. Teva Pharmaceuticals, however, is willing to try something unusual, if not unprecedented, in order to grab some of the $4.5 billion market for combination ICS/LABA inhalers. Right now, the category giant is the Advair inhaler line by GSK, pulling in about $2 billion annually. But Teva's new AirDuo RespiClick, and the approved generic, will offer a significant threat to their share of that pie.
All Pharmaceutical Articles