Clinical News

Proposed legislation that would cover home-based infusion therapy for Medicare beneficiaries could save the healthcare system approximately $80 million over 10 years and provide access to life-saving care at patients’ homes. The potential savings is outlined in a report released in June by Avalere.

A literature review going back 20 years found only a modest increase in patients' risk of developing statin-related conditions.

Albiglutide injection is the newest GLP-1 approved for once-weekly dosing in patients with type II diabetes, to be used in addition to diet and exercise.

A recent review of eight trials found that aspirin was just as effective as heparin and warfarin in preventing blood clots after hip or knee replacements and caused 68% fewer serious bleeding events.

A few simple precautions could decrease opioid abuse significantly.

FDA has approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck) for treatment of patients with advanced or unresectable melanoma who are no longer responding to other drugs. Pembrolizumab, which received breakthrough therapy designation for advanced melanoma, is the sixth new melanoma treatment approved since 2011.

A new study suggests heart patients with atrial fibrillation have an increased risk of death while taking the widely used drug digoxin.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) with its partner, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is expected to begin a phase 1 trial this fall on a potential vaccine for the treatment of Ebola virus, a deadly disease that has killed approximately 1,000 in a recent outbreak in West Africa, according to a report by Reuters.

Individuals who have a vitamin D deficiency have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a prospective, population-based study published online for Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

A study suggests that warfarin use may lead to a decrease in and even long-term remission of psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

NOH is a rare, chronic, and debilitating drop in blood pressure upon standing. It is associated with Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, and pure autonomic failure.

A young PharmD takes on a repetitive process and turns it into a mobile app.

FDA has approved Striverdi Respimat (olodaterol) inhalation spray for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The long-acting beta-adrenergic agonist (LABA) by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals can be used once daily as maintenance therapy.

Colchicine therapy, an effective anti-inflammatory agent for gout, is a promising treatment for preventing recurrent pericarditis. However, some patients have discontinued its use because of gastrointestinal intolerance, according to a report published online for the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, which will appear in the August 1 edition.

Patients who received the combo along with statin therapy did not experience higher rates of prevention of major vascular events compared with those taking placebo and statins.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has begun shipping next season’s influenza vaccines to U.S. healthcare providers. GSK expects to supply 28-33 million doses for the 2014-15 flu season.

Two trials involving 100 totally blind individuals with circadian rhythm sleep disorders established the efficacy of the new product.

Available data indicated "serious risks associated with the use of aspirin, including increased risk of bleeding in the stomach and brain."

A new survey indicates that pharmacists, nurses, and other practitioners believe IV insulin and anticoagulants should be considered the medications that can cause the most harm when used improperly.

The misuse of single-dose and multiple-dose vials has harmed thousands of patients, in some cases causing bloodborne pathogens including hepatitis B and C, meningitis, and epidural abscesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although intensive glycemic control has been the standard of care for delaying the onset and slowing the progression of microvascular disease, treatment burden and unwanted effects like weight gain, hypoglycemia, and gastrointestinal side effects do affect patients’ quality of life. Patient preferences and their views of treatment burden need to be considered when making decisions about glycemic treatment, according to a report published online for JAMA Internal Medicine.

More than 80% of healthcare employees dilute certain IV push medications, which is not always necessary, according to a new survey conducted by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP).

Last November, the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) recommended statin therapy for approximately 33 million more Americans who don’t have cardiovascular disease (CVD), but have an estimated 10-year CV risk of 7.5% or higher.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recently warned about alphanumeric symbol mixups, particularly in handwritten scripts, which have led to medical errors.

The Boerhringer Ingleheim-Eli Lilly Diabetes Alliance presented more than 40 posters, abstracts, and oral presentations June 13-17 at the 74th American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in San Francisco.

In a study of patients at high risk for stroke, patients without periprocedural warfarin who were bridged with low-molecular weight heparin showed a >10-fold increased odds of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the 48 hours after ablation for atrial fibrillation, compared with those on uninterrupted warfarin.

FDA approved eslicarbazepine acetate on November 8, 2013 as an adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures in adults.

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who received metformin and then added insulin were at higher risk of all-cause mortality than those who added a sulfonylurea, according to a report published June 11 in JAMA.

Antimicrobial stewardship teams that include infectious disease (ID) pharmacists and physicians in hospital settings can encourage more judicious use of antibiotics, resulting in lower mortality and cost savings, according to a report published online for the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.

In a nonacademic healthcare system, an advanced clinical pharmacy services program, created and led by an internal medicine-trained clinical pharmacy specialist, made a positive impact on hospitalized patients through a number of drug intervention recommendations.