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NICE guideline advises GPs to stop prescribing opioids for chronic pain

Published today, the first ever NICE guideline on the treatment of chronic pain has said that GPs should not prescribe opioids and other medicines like paracetamol to patients because they could be ‘harmful’ and cause addiction.

5 Aug 2020

Non-adherence to prescription medicines is more common in younger U.S women

For patients, especially those living with chronic conditions, nonadherence to prescription medicines due to cost is a common problem.

4 Aug 2020

Quest Diagnostics Health Trends study: HPV screening less likely to detect cervical cancer than cotesting

A Health Trends study from researchers at Quest Diagnostics and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center provides new evidence that the HPV screening test is significantly less likely to detect cervical cancer and precancer than cotesting, a method which combines HPV and Pap testing using the same specimen.

15 Jul 2020

Senators Cassidy and Carper urge CMS to update restrictive coverage policies on obesity drugs and IBT

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Thomas Carper (D-Del.) are calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to lift regulations that deny insurance coverage for obesity drugs and that limit coverage of Intensive Behavioral Therapy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

10 Jul 2020

Analysis: How a COVID-19 vaccine could cost Americans dearly

Yes, of course, Americans' health is priceless, and reining in a deadly virus that has trashed the economy would be invaluable.

8 Jul 2020

2021 health plans granted leeway to limit consumers’ benefit from drug coupons

Without medication to manage her plaque psoriasis, Jennifer Brown's face, scalp, trunk and neck periodically become covered in painful red, flaky patches so dry they crack and bleed.

6 Jul 2020

New program aims to prevent prescription drug use among high school students

George Mason University Professor Dr. Kenneth W. Griffin, received $156,581 from National Health Promotion Associates for a project aimed at preventing prescription drug use among high school students.

1 Jul 2020

Study: Linking hospital and other databases can predict risk of opioid overdoses

A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the odds of a fatal opioid overdose were 1.5 times higher for individuals with one to two visits to the emergency department for any medical issue than for people with no hospital visits.

24 Jun 2020

Research highlights critical barriers that can limit patients' access to medications

Nearly 70 percent of patients have made personal or financial sacrifices to afford prescribed medications according to new research released by CoverMyMeds, highlighting the impact of one of the most common medication access challenges.

23 Jun 2020

Apotex recalls some Metformin batches due to possible carcinogen

Metformin, a prescription drug for people with type II diabetes, helps maintain blood glucose levels. Apotex Inc., a Canadian pharmaceutical corporation, is voluntarily recalling some batches of its metformin drug, sold under the brand name APO-Metformin ER (extended-release).

15 Jun 2020

Immune modulation can cure severe and often fatal fungal infection in children

In the June 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, a team of UCLA physicians and scientists describes the first case of immune modulation being used to cure a severe and often fatal fungal infection.

11 Jun 2020

New project aims to develop software tool to protect patient data in COVID-19 research

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need for sharing patient data to help scientists learn more about the virus and how to stop it from spreading.

8 Jun 2020

New clinical trial to test treatment that targets overactive immune response to COVID-19

For some COVID-19 patients, the body's immune response may be as destructive as the virus that causes the disease.

22 May 2020

AGS awards highest honor to West Health for visionary work to improve geriatric care

For only the second time in its near 80-year history, the American Geriatrics Society will award one of its highest honors typically reserved for individuals to West Health, a family of nonprofit organizations dedicated to lowering healthcare costs to enable older adults to successfully age in place.

9 May 2020

As lawmakers reconvene, not everyone agrees on COVID-only agenda

California lawmakers return to the Capitol this week to begin what they describe as necessary but painful negotiations to keep the state running and redirect dwindling funds to the costly coronavirus pandemic.

4 May 2020

Americans likely to avoid medical care for COVID-19 fearing cost of treatment

About 1 in 7 Americans say they would avoid seeking medical care if they experienced key symptoms associated with COVID-19 out of fear of the potential cost.

28 Apr 2020

With federal nod, consumers could lose the boost they get from drug ‘coupons’

Patients who get financial help from drug companies to cover their copayments for prescription drugs could owe a bigger chunk of their costs under a proposed federal rule.

16 Apr 2020

Study shows variability in Medicare coverage for transgender hormone therapies

A new study has shown substantial variability in access to guideline-recommended hormone therapies for older transgender individuals insured through Medicare.

13 Apr 2020

Newsom’s ambitious health care agenda crumbles in a ‘radically changed’ world

This was supposed to be a big health care year for California.

9 Apr 2020

Drone delivers insulin for diabetic patient living in a remote community

The international medical team that accomplished the world's first documented drone delivery of insulin for a patient living in a remote community described the project in an ENDO 2020 abstract that will be published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

30 Mar 2020