Questions Raised About Effectiveness of Opioids for Long-Term Chronic Pain

With more than 200 million prescriptions a year written for opioids, prescribers must have overwhelming evidence that the drugs are highly effective for pain, right? Actually, a panel recently convened by the National Institutes of Health found that many studies used to justify the use of opioids were either poorly conducted or of insufficient duration. Find out what other surprising information came out of the review.

FDA Concerns About Statins-Cognitive Issues Link May Be Unwarranted

All statins caution on their labels that use could affect memory, attention span, and other cognitive abilities. A new study questions, however, whether that is necessary. The review of clinical trials including nearly 47,000 participants found the drugs caused no significant worsening of mental capacity, even in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Here is more information on the study.

If physicians hew closely to new obesity-treatment guidelines, pharmacists could see a lot more prescriptions for recently approved weight-loss drugs. The Endocrine Society is urging greater use of medications to help patients lose even more weight when combined with diet and exercise. How can pharmacists and other healthcare providers determine when the drugs should be used initially and when they should be continued?

Powerful Allies: Governors Endorse Expanded Pharmacist Role

Pharmacists seeking to expand their provider status have some friends in high places – state capitals around the country. The National Governors Association strongly endorsed a greater role for pharmacists in healthcare delivery and urged its member states to amend existing laws and regulations that stand in the way. Here are the details.