Pharmacy forecast identifies growing societal challenges expected to impact care

Societal issues — including the growth in ultra-high-cost treatments, the epidemic of mental health and substance use disorders, climate change, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI)— could alter how health systems serve their communities within five years, according to the latest annual ASHP/ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Forecast Report. The 2024 Pharmacy Forecast, released today at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition, drew […]

Expanding pharmacists’ role for patients with hypertension could prevent 15 million heart attacks and save $1.1 trillion over 30 years, VCU-led study finds

If pharmacists had a larger role in prescribing medications to control blood pressure, they could prevent more than 15 million heart attacks, nearly 8 million strokes and more than 4 million cases each of angina and heart failure in the U.S. over 30 years, according to a new Virginia Commonwealth University-led study. The study, “Cost-Effectiveness of Pharmacist Prescribing for Managing […]

Globally, consumption of sugary drinks increased at least 16% since 1990

The decision to reach for a sugary beverage is heavily influenced by where you live, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy researchers report in a new study published October 3 in the journal Nature Communications. While an analysis of the Global Dietary Database for the years 1990, 2005, and 2018 found overall consumption of sweetened drinks increased—by nearly 16% worldwide over the 28-year period […]

New ‘promising medicines’ fund may incentivise commercialisation of high price drugs with weak evidence on clinical benefits

A new fund to fast-track patient access to potentially valuable new medicines may incentivise the pharmaceutical industry to develop high priced drugs for rare diseases with weak evidence on clinical benefits. Health economics and policy academics from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, warn that if the NHS England […]

Some experts believe that routine mask-wearing should continue in health care settings

In a new commentary, public health experts from several prominent universities suggest that both patients and healthcare professionals should draw upon lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to mask up in the health care setting. This is important because infection from SARS-CoV-2 is still a threat, especially to the most vulnerable patients, and masks are a proven method […]

Care gap: Hospital readmission rate for younger women is higher than for younger men after a heart attack

In a new study of younger heart attack victims in Ontario, Canada, researchers found that the healthcare system delivers high quality care for younger heart attack survivors; however, there are still disparities between men and women. Cardiovascular and all-cause hospital readmission rates are higher in young women than young men. This underscores the need for ongoing efforts to improve prevention strategies, as […]

Only seven percent of adults have good cardiometabolic health

Less than 7 percent of the U.S. adult population has good cardiometabolic health, a devastating health crisis requiring urgent action, according to research led by a team from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in a pioneering perspective on cardiometabolic health trends and disparities published in the July 12 issue of the Journal of the American […]

EU experts cautious on fourth dose of COVID-19

It is ‘too early’ to consider using a fourth dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in the general population, according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control (ECDC). However, experts from both agencies agreed that a fourth dose – or second booster shot – can be given to adults 80 years of age. […]

Most workers experience multiple, interconnected vulnerabilities to COVID-19

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on people’s physical and mental health and has caused economic hardship. However, this adversity has disproportionately hurt certain populations—including essential workers and women—deepening existing disparities. One reason behind these disparities? The same people have been affected by clusters of interrelated factors, according to new research published in PLOS Global Public Health. “Most research on COVID-19 […]