Quest for personalized medicine hits a snag

The quest for personalized medicine, a medical approach in which practitioners use a patient’s unique genetic profile to tailor individual treatment, has emerged as a critical goal in the health care sector. But a new Yale-led study shows that the mathematical models currently available to predict treatments have limited effectiveness. In an analysis of clinical trials for multiple schizophrenia treatments, […]

Exercise prescription: Pioneering the “third pole” for clinical health management

Professor Chen Shiyi’s team at Huashan Hospital of Fudan University commented on the concept, policy, development and prospect of exercise prescription in the context of ” Health for All”, which was published in Research (10.34133/research.0284) under the title of ” Exercise Prescription: Pioneering the “Third Pole” for Clinical Health Management”. Modern lifestyles have led to reduced physical activity and a rise in […]

Predictors of opioid overdose after prescription for chronic pain

A large study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.230459 identified 10 predictors of opioid overdose after prescription for chronic pain, which can help clinicians engage in shared decision-making with patients around opioid prescribing. “The opioid crisis has generated interest in identifying patients at higher risk of addiction or overdose and has led to the development of several screening tools; however, these instruments […]

Pharmacy discount card programs like Amazon Prime and GoodRx gold could save patients millions of dollars in out-of-pocket costs for commonly prescribed generic medications

A nationally representative study found that at least one out of five prescriptions for commonly prescribed generic medications were cheaper through Amazon Prime or GoodRx Gold discount cards compared to actual out-of-pocket (OOP) payments made by patients. The authors also highlight the disproportionately higher frequency of OOP payments exceeding discount card pricing for various vulnerable subgroups like the uninsured and […]

How should clinicians prescribe opioids for cancer-related pain in patients who use cocaine or methamphetamines?

Clinicians treating cancer-related pain must consider whether and how to prescribe opioids to patients who use nonmedical stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamines; however, no guidelines exist related to these common and challenging situations. In a new study, palliative care and addiction experts deemed it appropriate to continue opioids, increase monitoring, and avoid opioid tapering in such patients. The results […]

Exercise apps a good prescription to boost healthcare workers’ mental health

Simple home workouts using exercise apps can effectively reduce depressive symptoms in healthcare workers and could be a major tool to combat the global mental health crisis in the sector, says new University of British Columbia research. The study, published today in JAMA Psychiatry, divided participants into either a waitlisted control group or an exercise group who were given free access […]

Overdose deaths involving buprenorphine did not proportionally increase with new flexibilities in prescribing

The proportion of opioid overdose deaths involving buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder, did not increase in the months after prescribing flexibilities were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study. These data provide evidence that may help to inform buprenorphine prescribing policies. Published today in JAMA Network Open, this study was a collaborative effort […]

Hospices vary widely in prescribing of “comfort kit” medications

When a person nearing the end of their life enters hospice care, their hospice agency’s doctors may prescribe a “comfort kit” of small amounts of medications that their caregivers can give them in case of urgent, distressing symptoms such as severe anxiety, agitation, delirium, nausea and more. They may also get other prescriptions as their hospice care goes on. But […]

Just over half of Michigan pharmacies offer overdose-fighting naloxone without prescription

Despite the ability of any Michigan pharmacy to dispense medication to combat opioid overdose without writing prescriptions, slightly more than half of pharmacies in the state offer the drug in such a way. The standing order for naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, was passed by the Michigan legislature in 2016. This allows any pharmacist to dispense the overdose reversal drug without […]