© 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pharmacy for December 2018. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
FRIDAY, Dec. 28, 2018 -- New clinical practice guidelines for the management of malignant pleural effusions were published in the January issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
FRIDAY, Dec. 28, 2018 -- For adults with type 2 diabetes initiating second-line antidiabetic medications (ADM), cardiovascular risk is increased with use of sulfonylureas or basal insulin versus newer ADM classes, according to a study published online Dec. 21 in JAMA Network Open.
FRIDAY, Dec. 28, 2018 -- The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) has updated its guidance on the management of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia as well as chronic hypertension in pregnant women; the two practice bulletins were published in the January issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
FRIDAY, Dec. 28, 2018 -- For patients with knee osteoarthritis and at least 12 months of follow-up, there is uncertainty around estimates of effect size for the change in pain in association with medications versus placebo, according to a meta-analysis published in the Dec. 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
FRIDAY, Dec. 28, 2018 -- A new review, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, provides evidence-based guidance for practitioners treating the dermatologic condition prurigo nodularis and highlights gaps in treatment development and research.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
THURSDAY, Dec. 27, 2018 -- The lowest-priced generic drugs are more likely to experience shortages, according to a study published in the November issue of Value in Health.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
THURSDAY, Dec. 27, 2018 -- More than two-thirds of drug overdose deaths in 2017 involved an opioid, with increases in overdose deaths from all opioids and synthetic opioids seen from 2016 to 2017, according to research published in the Dec. 21 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
THURSDAY, Dec. 27, 2018 -- There is considerable variation in opioid prescribing among pediatric patients, according to a study published online Dec. 21 in JAMA Network Open.
THURSDAY, Dec. 27, 2018 -- The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has developed new guidelines for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE); the clinical practice guidelines were recently published in Blood Advances.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26, 2018 -- Patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) undergoing cardiac surgery have increased complications and costs, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in JAMA Surgery.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26, 2018 -- The Infectious Diseases Society of America has updated their recommendations for the care of patients with suspected or diagnosed influenza; the clinical practice guidelines were published online Dec. 19 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26, 2018 -- The American Academy of Pediatrics has developed its first guideline for the management of infantile hemangiomas (IHs); the clinical practice guideline was published online Dec. 24 in Pediatrics.
MONDAY, Dec. 24, 2018 -- Two drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of rare blood diseases, the agency announced Friday.
MONDAY, Dec. 24, 2018 -- For pregnant smokers, vitamin C supplementation may improve newborn lung function, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
FRIDAY, Dec. 21, 2018 -- Incorrect prescribing alerts for psychotropic medications may be common, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
FRIDAY, Dec. 21, 2016 -- Patients taking fluoroquinolones may be at higher risk for ruptures or tears in the aorta, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.
FRIDAY, Dec. 21, 2018 -- Teething jewelry products, such as necklaces, pose significant safety risks and have been tied to at least one baby's death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.
FRIDAY, Dec. 21, 2018 -- The risk for atrial fibrillation (AF) is increased among antidepressant users, particularly before treatment initiation, according to a study recently published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- Black patients with atrial fibrillation are less likely to receive direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) compared with white patients, even after controlling for clinical and sociodemographic features, according to a study published in the December issue of JAMA Cardiology.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- Overall, 12.6 percent of U.S. adults report past-year benzodiazepine use, with misuse accounting for 17.2 percent of overall use, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in Psychiatric Services.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- Almost two-thirds of U.S. women aged 15 to 49 years were currently using contraception in 2015 to 2017, according to a December data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- Despite numerous difficulties, early figures show that sign-ups for health coverage next year under the Affordable Care Act are higher than expected.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- Sorafenib prolongs progression-free survival among patients with desmoid tumors, according to a study published in the Dec. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- Patient-centered care is emphasized in updated clinical practice recommendations from the American Diabetes Association 2019 Standards of Care, published as a supplement to the January issue of Diabetes Care.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- For patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, pembrolizumab has a favorable safety profile and is associated with prolongation of overall survival, according to a study published online Nov. 30 in The Lancet.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- For patients initiating oral anticoagulant therapy, the incidence of hospitalization for upper gastrointestinal bleeding is highest and lowest with rivaroxaban and apixaban, respectively, according to a study published in the Dec. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19, 2018 -- For patients with resected pancreatic cancer, adjuvant therapy with a modified regimen of chemotherapy with fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX), compared with gemcitabine, results in significantly longer survival, according to a study published in the Dec. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19, 2018 -- The labels of prescription opioid painkillers should advise doctors to consider simultaneously prescribing the opioid overdose antidote naloxone, two U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panels recommend.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19, 2018 -- For postmenopausal women, vaginal estrogen use is not associated with negative health outcomes, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in Menopause.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19, 2018 -- First-trimester ondansetron use is associated with a small increased risk for oral cleft but no increased risk for congenital malformations or cardiac malformations, according to a study published in the Dec. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19, 2018 -- Legacy prescribing of certain drugs, such as antidepressants and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), is common, according to a study published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
TUESDAY, Dec. 18, 2018 -- Opioid use is associated with small improvements in pain and physical functioning in patients with chronic noncancer pain, according to research published in the Dec. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
TUESDAY, Dec. 18, 2018 -- Chest computed tomography (CT) findings may identify risk factors for respiratory adverse events (RAEs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients undergoing long-term biological therapy, according to a study recently published in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
TUESDAY, Dec. 18, 2018 -- Routine use of vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent chronic disease is not recommended, according to an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics position paper published in the November issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2018 -- Buprenorphine-naloxone is cost-effective compared with extended-release naltrexone for treating opioid use disorder, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2018 -- Adherent patients receiving high-intensity statin and/or ezetimibe therapy have the lowest cardiovascular risk, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in JAMA Network Open.
MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2018 -- A barbershop-based intervention can lead to significantly reduced blood pressure and sustained improvements over one year in black men, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in Circulation.
MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2018 -- Solriamfetol therapy, compared with placebo, results in improvements in wakefulness and sleepiness measures in patients with excessive sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a study published online Dec. 6 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2018 -- A considerable proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes may be self-monitoring blood glucose inappropriately, according to a research letter published online Dec. 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2018 -- For treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive low-risk oropharyngeal cancer, cetuximab shows no benefit compared with the standard cisplatin regimen in terms of reduced toxicity and results in worse tumor control, according to a study recently published in The Lancet.
FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 -- A nurse-based phone education intervention can promote shared decision making in patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online Dec. 5 in Musculoskeletal Care.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 -- Among patients with cancer starting chemotherapy who are at intermediate-to-high risk, rates of venous thromboembolism are significantly lower for thromboprophylaxis with apixaban versus placebo, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 -- Guidelines have been developed for use of opioids for uncomplicated spontaneous vaginal birth; the draft consensus guidelines were published online Dec. 4 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 -- Beliefs about medication are associated with uptake of tamoxifen as a preventive therapy among women at increased risk for breast cancer, according to a study published online Dec. 2 in Clinical Breast Cancer.
FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 -- Racial disparities exist among adolescents undergoing influenza vaccination, with lower odds of vaccination among black versus white adolescents, according to a study recently published in Public Health Reports.
FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 -- Patients with glaucoma generally find an electronic health record (EHR)-linked reminder system for glaucoma medications useful, according to a study published online Dec. 13 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 -- Medication errors in acute care that result in death occur most often in patients older than 75 years, with the most common error category being omitted medicine or ingredient, according to a study published online Nov. 22 in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Consumers should not use two electronic cigarette liquids that contain erectile dysfunction drugs because they may pose health risks, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Certain Kotex tampons are being recalled by Kimberly-Clark because they can unravel and leave pieces inside women's bodies.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Enrollment for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act is down with just days left to sign up, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Antipsychotic use is associated with an increased risk for unexpected death among children and youths, according to a study published online Dec. 12 in JAMA Psychiatry.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- National health care spending slowed in 2017, according to a report published online Dec. 6 in Health Affairs.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- The drugs most commonly involved in drug overdose deaths during 2011 to 2016 include fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone, and cocaine, according to the Dec. 12 issue of the National Vital Statistics Reports, a publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
TUESDAY, Dec. 11, 2018 -- About 15 percent of patients treated with botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) for dystonia or spasticity can develop an immune response to the treatment itself, according to a study published online Nov. 21 in Neurology.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
TUESDAY, Dec. 11, 2018 -- An expert consensus decision pathway has been developed for tobacco cessation treatment; the report was published online Dec. 5 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
TUESDAY, Dec. 11, 2018 -- CT-P13, which is a biosimilar of the reference product (RP) infliximab, has equivalent effectiveness for infliximab-naive patients with Crohn's disease (CD), according to a study published online Dec. 11 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
MONDAY, Dec. 10, 2018 -- Statins are associated with a low risk for side effects, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) published online Dec. 10 in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.
MONDAY, Dec. 10, 2018 -- Chronic opioid use during pregnancy that causes neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is associated with smaller neonatal head circumference (HC), according to a study published online Dec. 10 in Pediatrics.
MONDAY, Dec. 10, 2018 -- For individuals with asthma, increased fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure is associated with increased weekly rescue inhaler use, according to a study published online Nov. 26 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
FRIDAY, Dec. 7, 2018 -- Fear of complications and frustration at the amount of time required to manage type 1 diabetes impact the quality of life of young adults with the disease, according to a study published in the December issue of The Diabetes Educator.
FRIDAY, Dec. 7, 2018 -- An ultrarestrictive opioid prescription protocol (UROPP) can reduce the number of opioids prescribed to patients after gynecologic and abdominal surgery without negative health consequences, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in JAMA Network Open.
FRIDAY, Dec. 7, 2018 -- Intraoperative botulinum toxin (BTX) injections show promise as a way to reduce the risk for postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) following cardiac surgery, according to two studies recently published in Heart Rhythm.
FRIDAY, Dec. 7, 2018 -- For individuals with heart failure, those with impairment in activities of daily living (ADL) take as many medications as those without ADL impairment, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
FRIDAY, Dec. 7, 2018 -- Pregnant women commonly refuse vaccines, including influenza vaccine and tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, according to research published online Dec. 4 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
THURSDAY, Dec. 6, 2018 -- Medical science has made tremendous advances in personalized medicine. However, the American public is still struggling to understand the implications of these targeted treatments, a new HealthDay/Harris Poll has revealed.
THURSDAY, Dec. 6, 2018 -- Recommendations have been developed for pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA); the evidence-based guideline was published online Nov. 30 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
THURSDAY, Dec. 6, 2018 -- Prescription opioid medications are overprescribed after simple arthroscopic meniscectomy, according to a study recently published in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5, 2018 -- A new warning has been added to the multiple sclerosis drug Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) after rare reports of patients suffering strokes and tears in the lining of the arteries in the head and neck, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5, 2018 -- Infections requiring hospitalization or treatment with anti-infective agents are associated with an increased subsequent risk for mental disorders, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in JAMA Psychiatry.
TUESDAY, Dec. 4, 2018 -- Exposure to certain endocrine-disrupting chemicals may impact the timing of puberty in children, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in Human Reproduction.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
TUESDAY, Dec. 4, 2018 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has developed a draft strategy to reduce the health information technology (IT) burden, and the strategy is open for public comment through Jan. 28, 2019.
TUESDAY, Dec. 4, 2018 -- There is no correlation between urate and blood pressure (BP) in mice or among patients with early Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a study published in the November issue of EBioMedicine.
TUESDAY, Dec. 4, 2018 -- The mean cumulative lifetime prevalence of atopic eczema is 9.9 percent, according to a research letter published online Dec. 4 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required
MONDAY, Dec. 3, 2018 -- About one in four patients report cost-related insulin underuse, which is associated with poor glycemic control, according to a research letter published online Dec. 3 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
MONDAY, Dec. 3, 2018 -- The prevalence of ever-diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is 2.79 percent in the United States, with state-level variations in prevalence, according to a study published online Dec. 3 in JAMA Pediatrics.
MONDAY, Dec. 3, 2018 -- Three-quarters of patients living with HIV worldwide know their infection status, according to Knowledge Is Power, a new report released Nov. 22 by UNAIDS.
Posted: January 2019