October 21, 2020

Few Older Patients on Multiple Drugs Have Pharmacist Medication Reviews

Not enough older patients, even those taking multiple prescription and OTC drugs, are taking advantage of medication reviews by pharmacists, according to a new opinion poll. Find out how common polypharmacy is among patients older than age 50 years and how few have had their regimens evaluated for adverse interactions. 

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Which Pre-Existing Conditions Put COVID-19 Patients Most at Risk of Death?

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there has been a lot of clinical discussion about how comorbidities affect the risk of death. Now, a new international review looks at 11 pre-existing conditions and quantifies increases in risks, essentially finding that, as a group, cardiovascular conditions appear to be the most dangerous. Here are more details. 

Pay-for-Performance Program Improves Prescribing of Effective Cancer Drugs

The bad news is that a pay-for-performance program for oncology practices didn’t save money. But authors of a study evaluating the program involving cancer treatment argue that the good news—that more patients got highest-quality cancer care—more than made up for that. Find out how many more patients received evidence-based therapies because of the incentives. 

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FDA Antidepressant Warnings May Have Increased Youth Suicide Rate in U.S.

In an extreme case of unintended consequences, a new study suggests that FDA warnings about suicidal ideation—which resulted in lower antidepressant prescribing in children and adolescents—may have increased the numbers of successful suicides in that group. The authors are suggesting that the warnings be toned down. Here is more information. 

 
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