Post-PCI bleeding reduced with changes in strategy
May 24th 2012Changes in procedural antithrombotic strategy are associated with a significant temporal reduction in major bleeding over time in patients undergoing elective post-percutaneous intervention, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Atypical antipsychotics may help major depression
May 24th 2012The use of atypical antipsychotics in patients with major depressive disorder who have not responded to antidepressant therapy substantially increased clinical response rates at 6 weeks; however the drugs are also much more costly, according to the results of an analysis published in the May issue of The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.
First-line drugs for diabetes not always chosen
May 24th 2012More than a third of patients newly diagnosed with diabetes mellitus did not receive the recommended first-line drug, a finding that could have substantial implications for healthcare spending, according to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine.
3 pharmacy schools honored by Educators Challenge
May 22nd 2012The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy won the first Innovative Adherence Educators Challenge for the best practices in medication adherence teaching.
Study: Zithromax associated with cardiovascular deaths; FDA reviewing
May 18th 2012FDA has notified healthcare professionals that it is aware of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reporting a small increase in cardiovascular deaths and in the risk of death from any cause in persons treated with a 5-day course of azithromycin (Zithromax) compared to persons treated with amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, or no drug.
Warfarin, aspirin similar in treating heart failure
May 17th 2012Warfarin fared no better than aspirin at reducing the combined risk of brain hemorrhage, stroke, or death for heart-failure patients in normal rhythm, according to the results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Variation in schizophrenia treatment
May 17th 2012Patients with schizophrenia who switched from haloperidol decanoate or fluphenazine decanoate to risperidone microspheres discontinued their treatment more frequently, according to a new study published in the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Study on schizophrenia deaths makes surprising find
May 17th 2012A unique study designed to gauge the impacts of polypharmacy on schizophrenia mortality produced some surprising results: The use of antidepressants or 2 or more antipsychotics was not associated with increased deaths, but the use of benzodiazepine was.
Vitamin D threshold varies with season, study shows
May 17th 2012Researchers from the University of Washington have identified a threshold concentration of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25-(OH)D] that is associated with increased risk for major medical events and they say that season-specific targets may be more appropriate than static targets when evaluating health risk.
Improved medication adherence: A growing movement in search of a leader
May 15th 2012There are many forces in play that can and should "converge to support better medication management and improved adherence," according to Tom Hubbard of the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI), but coordination and leadership will be crucial.