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Use of health IT and online services remains low with seniors
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationThe news is in, and research suggests what we may have already known. Individuals 65 years and older do not use the internet for their healthcare searches, and the number adopting digital health tools remains low, according to a research letter published in the Journal of the Medical Association.
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Networking for pharmacists 101
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalI sometimes ask my pharmacy students what they think will be the most important thing to help them reach their own career goals as a pharmacist. Is it the school you went to? Is it the degree(s) you obtained? How about residencies or certifications? In a previous article, I discussed the various types of pharmacy "add-on" degrees that pharmacists can obtain, along with the merits of each. But I would like to suggest that although certain add-on degrees may be good and necessary to reach some specific career goals you may have, there is actually another tool that may be even more important.
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Olympics cracking down on performance‑enhancing drugs
Dr. Abimbola Farinde Sports & FitnessThe Olympic Games are viewed as a celebration of the athletic prowess of individuals from all walks of life across the globe. The Games are designed to feature the abilities of these individuals, who compete in a variety of events that test their strengths, and ultimately champions and medalists are chosen.
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The most popular pharmacy degree add-ons
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalWhen I first started pharmacy school there was, for the most part, one universal bachelor's degree that every pharmacist in the U.S. obtained. Most of my mentors had obtained their degree as a four-year college program, whereas the standard when I was in school was a five-year degree.
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Marijuana may help clean out amyloid beta from your brain
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareThe U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) considers marijuana a Schedule I narcotic, and as such is considered to have no medical value. Medical research is continuing to show otherwise. The Salk Institute located in La Jolla, California, recently reported that a team of scientists have demonstrated that the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — may help remove the "cellular glue" that is part of the damaging pathology in Alzheimer's disease. The results have been published in the June issue of Nature.
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CMS proposes removal of pain management questions for funding
Joan Spitrey Healthcare AdministrationIn a response to pressure from stakeholders, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed to remove the pain management dimension from the current Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) for purposes of funding. Currently, HCAHPS scores are used for the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program, which redistributes a portion of Medicare payments to hospitals based on performance in the surveys.
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Prescription drugs and biosimilar pricing: The consumer impact
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalThe topic of drug prices and how their ever-increasing rates have impacted American consumers has been at the forefront of healthcare discussions for some time. Rising costs of prescriptions have led to calls for price and utilization controls by public and private payers.
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Opinions differ on pharmacist surplus
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalWilliam Shatner, the iconic Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise, once said: "We meet aliens every day who have something to give us. They come in the form of people with different opinions." If that is true, then aliens are truly among us when it comes to the opinions out there on the current pharmacy job market in the U.S.
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Research: More access to treatment for opioid use is needed
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalThe prevalence of opioid misuse has increased substantially, which can be largely attributed to the increased prescribing of opioids in the United States. Opioid use disorder is recognized as a chronic and relapsing illness that can be associated with increased morbidity and mortality if not identified and treated.
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CDC: Nasal flu vaccine offers little protection
Suzanne Mason Medical & Allied HealthcareWith recommendations that everyone should be vaccinated against the flu every year, new changes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may hinder some from following the advice of doctors. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) just voted down the use of the nasal spray flu vaccine for the upcoming 2016-17 flu season after a study showed the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) had a low effectiveness rate from 2013-2016.
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