Weekly Summary -- April 19, 2019
Friday, Apr. 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Here are what Pharmacist's Briefing editors consider the most important developments for the week of April 19, 2019
Heart Patients Pay the Price When Nearby Pharmacy Closes
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- When a neighborhood pharmacy shuts down, it could have dire repercussions for heart patients living nearby, new research suggests.
Medicaid Could Save $2.6 Billion a Year With Dip in Smoking
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Just a 1% decrease in the number of Medicaid recipients who smoke could save the insurance program billions of dollars a year, a new study suggests.
Do Hospitals Have Flu's Spread Under Control?
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Many hospital workers and patients spread the flu before they show any symptoms, a new study says.
Almost Half of Young Asthma Patients Misuse Inhalers
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Many children with asthma don't use their inhalers properly and don't get a full dose of medicine, researchers report.
'Superbugs' Hang Out on Hospital Patients
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- If you weren't already worried enough about what germs lurk in hospitals, a new study shows 'superbugs' are common on patients and the things they touch.
HPV Vaccine Driving Down Cervical Pre-Cancer Rates
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is largely responsible for a decline in precancerous cervical lesions among young women in the United States, a new government report shows.
Experimental Blood Thinner May Help Prevent Stroke, Without the Bleeding Risk
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Researchers say an experimental stroke drug prevented blood clots without the typical side effect of blood thinners: increased bleeding risk.
Microbes in Diabetic Foot Ulcers May Help Predict Treatment Success
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Some strains of Staph bacteria may slow the healing of diabetic foot ulcers, while other types of bacteria may promote healing, according to a new study.
New Evidence That Veggies Beat Steak for Heart Health
WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Your heart will thank you if you replace red meat with healthy plant proteins.
Buyer Beware When Purchasing Medical Test Strips
WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Test strips help millions monitor their health at home, but people should avoid buying strips that are pre-owned or not approved for sale in the United States.
With Weeks to Live, Many Cancer Patients Try Useless Treatments
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Learning you have a cancer that looks imminently terminal is tough news to swallow.
Common Sleep Myths Endanger Public Health
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Mistaken beliefs about sleep are common and pose a significant health threat, a new study warns.
Are Workplace Wellness Programs Worth It?
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Popular workplace "wellness" programs may not offer a big payoff for workers' health or bosses' bottom lines -- at least in the short term, new research suggests.
Another Cost of the Opioid Epidemic: Billions of Dollars in Lost Taxes
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Opioid abuse-related job losses have cost U.S. federal and state governments tens of billions of dollars in lost tax revenue, a new study claims.
CPAP Brings Longer Life for Obese People With Sleep Apnea: Study
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- There's good news for the millions of obese Americans with sleep apnea: Researchers report the use of the CPAP mask may greatly increase their chances for a longer life.
Balversa Approved for Advanced Bladder Cancer
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Balversa (rdafitinib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with advanced or spreading bladder cancer caused by a genetic defect called FGFR3 or FGFR2, the agency said in a news release.
Good Smells May Help Ease Tobacco Cravings
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Could quitting tobacco involve something as simple as a pleasant scent?
Need for Sedation Up for Regular Cannabis Users
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Regular cannabis users require a significantly higher amount of sedation for endoscopic procedures compared with nonusers, according to a study published online April 15 in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
National Hand Hygiene Initiative Successful in Australia
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- The National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) has successfully sustained improvement in hand hygiene compliance, according to a study recently published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases and presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, held from April 13 to 16 in Amsterdam.
Stimulation of Targets in Brain May Up Recollection in Seniors
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- In older adults, high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation of hippocampal-cortical network targets can improve recollection, according to a study published online April 17 in Neurology.
Surgical Site Infection Rates May Differ by Gender
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- For certain procedures, surgical site infection (SSI) rates differ by gender, according to a study presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, held from April 13 to 16 in Amsterdam.
Infections May Up Risk for Developing Sjögren Syndrome
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Individuals with a history of infection have double the risk for developing Sjögren syndrome, according to a study published online March 20 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
Stroke Hospitalizations Down in Black, White Medicare Enrollees
WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Rates of hospitalization for stroke have fallen since 1988 for both black and white Medicare enrollees, while black men and women have had greater improvements in 30-day mortality after stroke, according to a study published in the April issue of Medical Care.
Replacing 30 Minutes of Sitting With Activity May Cut Mortality
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Replacing half an hour of daily sitting time with even light physical activity is associated with a reduction in mortality risk among less active adults, according to a study published online March 21 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation Beats Sham Tx for Peds ADHD
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) showed efficacy when compared with a similar sham procedure for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, according to a double-blind, controlled pilot study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Low-Carb Breakfast May Improve All-Day Glucose Control in T2DM
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- A very low-carbohydrate, high-fat breakfast may be a practical and easy way for patients with type 2 diabetes to lower their overall exposure to postprandial hyperglycemia and improve glycemic variability, according to a study published online April 9 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
More Than 80 Percent of STEMI Patients Treated in ICU
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Most patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to a study published in the April 22 issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.
Mixed Effects Observed for Workplace Wellness Program
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- A workplace wellness program improves certain self-reported health behaviors but does not impact clinical measures of health or health care spending, according to a study published in the April 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
New Scale Helps Identify More Serious Cases of Mononucleosis
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- A new scale for rating the severity of mononucleosis can identify patients at risk for more serious cases, including those who might develop chronic fatigue syndrome following infectious mononucleosis, according to a study recently published in The Journal of Pediatrics.
Skin Diseases Appear to Be Underdiagnosed
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Skin diseases might be more common than previously thought, with a majority of individuals unaware of their condition, according to a study published online March 19 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.
Colorectal Neoplasia Risk Up for Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors have an increased risk for advanced colorectal neoplasia, including advanced adenomas, advanced serrated lesions, and serrated polyposis syndrome, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Cancer.
Risk for T2DM Increased With Use of 5α-Reductase Inhibitors
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Men receiving 5α-reductase inhibitors have an increased risk for new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a study published online April 11 in The BMJ.
Naltrexone Implant Helps HIV Patients Prevent Opioid Relapse
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Slow-release implantable naltrexone is associated with better outcomes than the oral drug for HIV-positive patients with an opioid addiction, according to a study published in the April issue of The Lancet HIV.
Sensory Sensitivity Tied to Constipation in Young Children
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Children with chronic constipation have underlying sensory characteristics that contribute to toileting behavioral difficulties, according to a study published online April 18 in The Journal of Pediatrics.
Machine Learning IDs Risk for Familial Hypercholesterolemia
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- A machine learning classifier can effectively identify patients at risk for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), according to a study published online April 11 in npj Digital Medicine.
Parenteral Antimicrobial Tx at Home Burdens Children's Caregivers
WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- The overall burden of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is substantially higher than that of oral therapy for caregivers of children on prolonged antimicrobial therapy after hospital discharge, according to a study published in the April issue of Hospital Pediatrics.
iADL Dependency May Up Mortality in Hematologic Cancers
WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- For older adults with hematologic malignancies, instrumental activities of daily living (iADL) dependency is associated with increased mortality and acute care utilization, according to a study published online April 4 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Intensive BP Lowering May Up Cognitive Decline in Elderly
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Older adults (aged ≥75 years) undergoing antihypertensive treatment with systolic blood pressure (SBP) >150 mm Hg have less cognitive decline than those with SBP <130 mm Hg, according to a study published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Reasons for TKI Discontinuation ID'd in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- For patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy can be safely discontinued and yields high rates of treatment-free remission (TFR), according to a study published online March 16 in Hematology.
Canagliflozin Seems Effective for Patients With T2DM, Kidney Disease
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Canagliflozin is associated with a reduced risk for renal and cardiovascular events for patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, according to a study published online April 14 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the International Society of Nephrology World Congress of Nephrology, held from April 12 to 15 in Melbourne, Australia.
Gestational Diabetes Linked to Incident Diabetes in Offspring
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with incident diabetes in offspring throughout childhood and adolescence, according to a study published online April 15 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Normalizing BP in Elderly With Hypertension May Up Mortality
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Normalized blood pressure (BP) is associated with an increased risk for all-cause mortality for older adults during hypertension treatment, with increased risk seen in octogenarians and those with previous cardiovascular events, according to a study recently published in the European Heart Journal.
AEDs Tied to Higher Pneumonia Risk in Alzheimer Patients
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Antiepileptic drug (AED) use may increase the risk for pneumonia in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), according to a study recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Sixty People Charged in Massive Opioid Painkiller Investigation
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Fifty-three medical professionals, including 31 doctors, are among the 60 people charged by U.S. authorities for their alleged involvement in the illegal prescribing and distribution of opioid painkillers.
Acetaminophen Safe as First-Line Analgesic for Most Older Adults
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Despite a potential increased risk for stroke in patients with diabetes, acetaminophen is a safe first-line analgesic for most older adults living in nursing homes, according to a study published online March 26 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Most Diabetes Phone Apps Lack Education, Support Functions
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Most diabetes apps miss opportunities to improve care and health outcomes by not providing real-time decision support or situation-specific education on blood glucose self-management, according to a research letter published in the April 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
UB-421 Monotherapy Maintains HIV Viral Suppression
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Monotherapy with UB-421 antibody, which blocks the HIV virus-binding site on human CD4+ T-cells, maintains viral suppression for up to 16 weeks in HIV-infected persons undergoing analytic treatment interruption, according to a study published in the April 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Hand Hygiene Compliance Poor in Task Transitions
WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Health care workers are less likely to perform hand hygiene when they move from dirtier to cleaner tasks, according to a study presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, held from April 13 to 16 in Amsterdam.
Drug Shortages
Updated: April 16, 2019
Barriers to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Should Be Addressed
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Barriers to accessing treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) need to be addressed to help curb the epidemic, according to a report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Over Half of Patients Have Suboptimal Response to Statins
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- More than half of patients initiating statin therapy have a suboptimal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) response within 24 months, according to a study published online April 15 in Heart.
ACP: Half of Practices Implement Telehealth Technology
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Roughly half of internal medicine physicians report working in a practice that has telehealth technology, according to the results of a survey released by the American College of Physicians (ACP) at its annual Internal Medicine Meeting, held from April 11 to 13 in Philadelphia.
Telehealth Video Visits Risk Fragmenting Care
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Although telehealth video visits offer users greater convenience, they risk fragmenting care without greater coordination with usual care providers, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
Metformin May Cut Risk for Prematurity, Miscarriage in PCOS
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- In pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), metformin treatment from the late first trimester until delivery might reduce the risk for late miscarriage and preterm birth but does not prevent gestational diabetes, according to a study published in the April issue of The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
