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Examining the link between mental health and opioid abuse
Sheila Pakdaman Mental HealthcareFor more than 5,000 years, people have been using opioid-based medications around the globe. It isn't exactly news that we, as a nation, are facing an opium problem. The New York Times calls it "America's 50-state epidemic," meaning it's not just effecting a region, it's affecting the places we least expect as well.
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The LDL drug wars: A new hope
Jason Poquette Pharmaceutical"It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil ..." No, I'm not talking a galaxy far, far away. What I'm talking about is the current battle involving Repatha (evolocumab) and Praluent (alirocumab). These two injectable drugs, both belonging to a class known as PCSK-9 inhibitors, are used to help lower very high LDL cholesterol levels in patients.
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Opioid addiction taking its toll on newborns
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Mental HealthcareNeonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a diagnosis of postnatal opioid withdrawal in newborns, and it most often occurs when a mother takes opioids during her pregnancy. Opioids — whether prescription medications such as pain pills or street drugs such as heroin — can pass through the placenta during pregnancy and cause serious health consequences for the baby at birth.
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Will the new 340B drug rule survive under Trump?
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalFor many Americans, the issue of rising prescription drug prices has been an ever-present topic of conversation lately. These costs have led to growing concern over the lack of access to some life-saving medication — the most recent being EpiPen.
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What will Trump mean for retail pharmacy?
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalAs Donald Trump assumes the role of president of the United States, there may be no bigger issue on the minds of Americans than the question of how he will tackle the rising cost of healthcare. We have heard the campaign slogan related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), that he will "repeal and replace" it. But few seem to have a clue about what exactly that will mean. Even lawyer David Farber, partner in the FDA who practices law in Washington, D.C., wrote recently that "it is impossible to predict what the president-elect and his new team will do."
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The factors behind the decline of drug approvals in 2016
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalEach year, the approval of new prescription drugs offers the medical community and the general population access to a larger pool of therapeutic options to choose from. However, with these drug approvals also comes the potential for significantly higher drug prices — something to which many Americans have become accustomed over the last few years.
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Your 2017 skin care resolutions
Elizabeth Donat Recreation & LeisureThese five little tips can make a huge impact when you are trying to achieve an angelic glow in 2017.
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The job outlook for pharmacists in 2017
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalWell, my fellow pharmacists, we have safely landed in a new year. For many newly graduated pharmacists, this may be the first full year of your career as a licensed pharmacist. As such, this coming year is bound to be exciting, challenging and new. For others who are more settled in their careers, the coming 12 months may hold some fears and uncertainties.
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Coverage expansion, utilization increases lead to health spending growth
Christina Thielst Healthcare AdministrationA new analysis from the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimates that 2015 healthcare spending in the United States grew at a rate of 5.8 percent and reached $3.2 trillion. In comparison, 2014 spending increased 5.3 percent, following five consecutive years of historically low growth from 2009 to 2013.
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Competition on the way for EpiPen
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalEpipen, a life-saving auto-injector used by many Americans to address severe allergies, has suddenly experienced significant price increases in recent years. This has sparked both immense concern and outrage among consumers as well as lawmakers. But help may be on the way from an old friend.
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