Pharmacoepidemiology News and Research

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The science of pharmacoepidemiology can answer a range of questions regarding how, why, when, where, and by whom a medicine is being used. It is a way of finding out the impact of a medicine as well as the usage results in a large, well-defined population. Also, it can help provide some indication as to how a particular drug is benefitting society and how it may be having a negative impact. Pharmacoepidemiology can be carried out both before and after a medicine is taken to market.

Study highlights sharply increasing trend in long-term use of prescription opioids

The prevalence of prescription opioid use increased from 4.1% of US adults in 1999-2000 to 6.8% in 2013-2014, according to a recent Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety study.

11 Sep 2017

Exclusive: White House task force echoes pharma proposals

President Donald Trump repeatedly talks tough about reining in the pharmaceutical industry, but his administration's efforts to lower drug prices are shrouded in secrecy.

16 Jun 2017

Heroin use in the U.S. estimated to cost society more than $51 billion

Heroin use in the United States was estimated to cost society more than $51 billion in 2015, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

9 Jun 2017

Study finds depression and SUD to be strongest risk factors for prescription opioid overdose

Individuals suffering from a substance use disorder (SUD) or depression are among those at highest risk for a serious prescription opioid overdose, according to a study published in Pain Medicine.

13 Apr 2017

Antidepressant use in early pregnancy may increase risk of congenital anomalies in babies or stillbirths

Academics at Swansea University have carried out a dose-response analysis which suggests that pregnant women who take a specific type of antidepressant in early pregnancy have a small but significantly greater risk of having babies with major congenital anomalies (sometimes referred to as birth defects) or stillbirths compared with those who did not take these antidepressants.

2 Dec 2016

Changes in use of anemia drugs affects risk of death or cardiovascular events in dialysis patients

A new study examines whether recent changes in the use of anemia drugs for patients on dialysis have contributed to changes in rates of death or cardiovascular events. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, indicate that these risks appear to be decreasing for patients on dialysis as well as for older adults (Medicare beneficiaries) who are not on dialysis.

27 Feb 2016

Shingles vaccine can help protect elderly patients with end-stage renal disease

Elderly patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who received the shingles vaccine were half as likely to develop shingles compared to those who were not vaccinated. The new study from Kaiser Permanente, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, also found the best protection against shingles was achieved when patients received the vaccination shortly after beginning dialysis.

16 Dec 2015

Gallstones, statins increase risk of acute pancreatitis, shows study

Idiopathic pancreatitis is often caused by small gallstones that are difficult to observe prior to surgery, shows a study from the University of Eastern Finland. Small gallstones were found in surgery from two out of three idiopathic pancreatitis patients.

8 Dec 2015

Antibiotics have no adverse outcome on child's physical development, shows study

The four out of ten women who use antibiotics during pregnancy can breathe easy, as a comprehensive new study shows that the two most often prescribed drugs have no adverse outcome on the child's physical development.

30 Oct 2015

New Kaiser Permanente study finds small decline in obesity rates among young people in Southern California

A new study from Kaiser Permanente found a small but significant decline in the percentage of young people who are overweight and obese in Southern California. The decline was seen across all ages, races and ethnicities, but was less pronounced in girls, adolescents, Hispanic and black children, according to the results published today in The Journal of Pediatrics.

26 Sep 2015

ABC TV's science program impacts use of statins among Australians

More than 60,000 Australians are estimated to have reduced or discontinued their use of prescribed cholesterol-lowering statin medications following the airing of a two-part series critical of statins by ABC TV's science program, Catalyst, a University of Sydney study reveals in the latest Medical Journal of Australia.

15 Jun 2015

Researchers explore association between SSRI exposure in late pregnancy and risk of PPHN

Use of antidepressants late in pregnancy has been controversial since the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory in 2006 warning that the use of antidepressants in late pregnancy may increase risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), a condition that typically occurs in term or near-term infants and presents within hours of birth with severe respiratory failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation.

2 Jun 2015

Study sheds new light on nighttime leg cramps

Nighttime leg cramps commonly affect adults over the age of 50, but are also known to occur in younger adults and children. While their cause is unknown, a study from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is shedding new light on the painful condition.

28 Jan 2015

Kaiser Permanente study: Self-reported exercise lowers blood pressure, blood glucose levels

Self-reported moderate to vigorous exercise was associated with lower blood pressure and blood glucose levels in a Kaiser Permanente study published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

18 Dec 2014

New report explores pros and cons of working with real world medical data

A new report by researchers at RTI Health Solutions and parent company RTI International, found that although healthcare databases have allowed for greater access to real world medical data, using databases to evaluate the safety of medical products is complex and requires careful research consideration.

11 Dec 2014

Diabetes treatment with low-cost generic drug can have positive implications for patient's quality of life

New research from CVS Health finds starting a new diabetes patient on metformin, a generic oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels, reduced the need to add on additional treatments to control the condition over time. Although there are many classes of oral diabetes medications, there has historically been little evidence available on the comparative effectiveness of treatments to help patients and providers select an initial diabetes therapy.

31 Oct 2014

Rates of type 1 diabetes increase significantly among non-Hispanic white youth

The rate of non-Hispanic white youth diagnosed with type 1 diabetes increased significantly from 2002 to 2009 in all but the youngest age group of children, according to a new study published today in the journal Diabetes.

25 Oct 2014

Short-term use of DPP-4 inhibitors does not increase risk for pancreatic cancer

Researchers at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and the UNC School of Medicine have found that a popular class of diabetes medications called DPP-4 inhibitors does not increase the short-term risk of pancreatic cancer, as was previously reported by other researchers.

5 Sep 2014

Herpes zoster vaccine effective in protecting older adults against shingles, even after chemotherapy

The herpes zoster vaccine continues to be effective in protecting older adults against shingles, even after they undergo chemotherapy, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published today in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

5 Aug 2014

OSNP program addresses potential gaps in outpatient settings

An innovative framework for identifying and addressing potential gaps in health care in outpatient settings using electronic clinical surveillance tools has been used to target patient safety across a variety of conditions, according to a study published today in the journal eGEMs.

26 Jun 2014