P and T最新文献

HHS has proposed regulations to attack high drug prices, a priority for the current administration. Both parties have spoken out against the drug companies but the change in control of the House is no guarantee of pricing legislation moving forward. And if drug manufacturers, PBMs, and others are adamant about tackling drug prices, why do they oppose the best cost-cutting proposals?

The familiar but ambiguous sigs on prescriptions are often of limited help to patients and pharmacists. Sometimes, the instruction to "use as directed" has resulted in serious errors.

The current rebate "safe harbor" encourages drug manufacturers to inflate list prices. The HHS's newly proposed rule threatens to eliminate this safe harbor but offers two new ones instead.

From ASCO, we report on metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer and locally advanced/metastatic renal cell carcinoma. From IHS, we report on complementary and alternative medicine use by patients and practitioners, the effects of biological hemp-derived cannabidiol on PTSD in military veterans, and more.

Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States. The economic effect of COPD management is substantial, and the prevalence of the disease continues to rise with the growth of older populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and financial impact of a comprehensive therapeutic interchange program (CTIP) in hospitalized patients with COPD. The primary outcome was a 30-day readmission rate, with the following secondary outcomes: 30-day mortality and pharmacy-inhaled medication cost per patient.

Methods: This study was a multi-center, retrospective, electronic chart review of patients with a diagnosis of COPD admitted to two hospitals from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. Our intervention group was admitted to a 550-bed tertiary care hospital and was managed with a pharmacist-led CTIP for inhaled products used in COPD. Our control group was admitted to a 545-bed tertiary care hospital, which did not have a CTIP in place.

Results: 2,885 hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of COPD were included in the analysis (1,350 in the intervention group and 1,535 in the control group). Univariable analysis demonstrated that the intervention group was associated with a lower 30-day readmission rate (5.8% vs. 8.3%; P = 0.012) and a lower average pharmacy-inhaled medication cost ($221 vs. $311; P = < 0.01). There was no statistical difference in 30-day mortality.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the use of a pharmacist-led CTIP of COPD inhalers does not worsen patient outcomes and may provide pharmacy cost savings. The cohort managed with a CTIP was statistically associated with a lower 30-day readmission rate and lower pharmacy-inhaled medication costs without any difference in 30-day mortality.

Purpose: To provide a guide to interpreting bacterial culture results.

Methods: Studies were identified via a PubMed literature search (from 1966 to January 2018). Search terms included microbial sensitivity tests, microbial drug resistance, and anti-infective agents/pharmacology. Articles were included if they were published in English. References within identified articles were also reviewed.

Results: This paper reviewed core concepts of interpreting bacterial culture results, including timing of cultures, common culture sites, potential for contamination, interpreting the Gram stain, role of rapid diagnostic tests, conventional antibiotic susceptibility testing, and automated testing.

Conclusion: This guide can assist pharmacists in their role as integral members of the antimicrobial stewardship team in an effort to improve patient care.

Approvals, new indications and formulations, and safety issues.

Motegrity (prucalopride) for chronic idiopathic constipation; Aemcolo (rifamycin) for travelers' diarrhea; and Dextenza (dexamethasone ophthalmic insert) for ocular pain after ophthalmic surgery.

Meropenem-Vaborbactam (Vabomere) for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.