U.S. Pharmacist Weekly News Update
October 31, 2019

One-Third of Patients on 
PPIs Don’t Get Relief;
Surgery Can Help a Few

Symptoms of gastrointestinal reflux aren’t resolved in nearly a third of patients on proton-pump inhibitors. A new study looks at what else can be done, determining that surgery is beneficial in selected patients but pointing out that pharmacologic remedies are limited. Here are more details.

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What Factors Are Leading
to the Death of Urban,
Independent Pharmacies?

In a 6-year period beginning a decade ago, one in eight pharmacies closed, and independent pharmacies in urban areas were most likely to give up the ghost. Find out what factors led to the high rate of closures among that specific group of drugstores and what study authors suggest could be done to save more pharmacies.

Higher Estrogen Levels,
Including Hormone Therapy,
Improve Cognition

For all of the downsides to hormone therapy in postmenopausal women, there is a big upside to have higher estrogen levels: lower rates of cognitive decline. Find out how big the cognitive benefit is from a longer reproductive window and hormone therapy after menopause.

ARBs Appear to Be Associated
With Greater Suicide Risk
Than ACEIs

Concerns are growing about a possible link between use of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and higher rates of suicide, compared with patients taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. A population-based, nested case-control study added to information on how the two drugs compare when it comes to mental-health issues.

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