Clinicians & Providers

• Epoetin and Darbepoetin for Managing Anemia in Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment
• Health Care: Drugs, Pharmaceuticals, and Therapeutics: Research Findin
• Migraine in Adults: Preventive Pharmacologic Treatments
• Reducing Costs and Improving Outcomes

Hospital & Health System Resources

• Reducing Costs and Improving Outcomes

Policymaker Resources

• Epoetin and Darbepoetin for Managing Anemia in Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment
• Migraine in Adults: Preventive Pharmacologic Treatments

Fact Sheets

September 1 2012 20120901

Reducing Costs and Improving Outcomes

Other Research & Data

• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy; American College of Clinical Pharmacy; Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
• Black Medicare patients less likely than whites to follow their doctor's instructions on taking medicines
• Curricular modules teach budding pharmacists how to engage patients with low health literacy
• Health Care: Drugs, Pharmaceuticals, and Therapeutics: Research Findin
• Highmark, Inc.
• Inner-city minority adults with chronic asthma are more likely to take inhaled medicine if they believe in its benefits
• Kimball Medical Center
• Maryland Guides Prescribers on Use of Atypical Antipsychotic Medications
• Pharmacy intervention for patients with limited literacy evokes positive responses from patients and pharmacists
• Simple tool to measure health literacy in patients with HIV successfully predicts medication adherence
• Simpler drug warning labels are easier to understand
• Simplified drug warnings improve patients' understanding of what to do or avoid when given a particular prescription
• Treatment by physicians with same race and language as the patient may improve medication adherence

News & Numbers

October 12 2011 20111012

Children's Use of Asthma Controller Drugs Doubles

Other News & Events

• 1 in 10 computer-generated prescriptions include at least one error
• A customized computer drug alert requiring active provider response is no more effective than a passive alert
• A large proportion of hospitalized children receive numerous medications during their hospitalization
• A program for laboratory monitoring of renin-angiotensin system drugs is cost-effective for certain high-risk patients
• A small number of drugs are used most commonly during pediatric hospitalizations
• ADHD medications don't increase serious heart risks in children or adults
• AHRQ report finds unclear value of pretesting autoimmune disorder patients before prescribing thiopurine drugs
• Acamprosate safe and efficacious in treating alcohol dependence
• Acceptance of "smart" intravenous infusion pumps is growing among nurses, but challenges remain
• Adding another medication rather than switching medications may benefit more from augmentation of treatment with another medication than from switching medications
• Administration of antimicrobials just prior to surgery reduces the risk of surgical site infections
• Administrative data alone are insufficient to understand equivalence of two common blood pressure drugs
• Adverse drug event surveillance tailored to hospitalized children
• Adverse drug reactions a major cause of unplanned hospitalizations of elderly veterans
• Anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy increases risk for certain mycobacteria infections
• Antibiotic resistance is prevalent and varied in long-term-care facilities
• Antibiotics are modestly more effective than no treatment for middle ear infections in children
• Antidepressant use rises while psychotherapy declines
• Antidepressants may help some HIV patients stick to their complex medication regimens
• Antipsychotic use doubles for very young children, while mental health visits are few
• Antiretroviral switching strategies to treat HIV improve survival and are cost-effective in resource-limited countries
• Assessment of hospital computerized physician order entry systems finds many medication errors are missed
• Atypical antipsychotic medications increase fracture risk in patients with Parkinson's disease
• Automated screening of patient electronic medical records is only the first step to identifying a medication problem
• Benefits of active surveillance therapy for localized prostate cancer not yet demonstrated
• Benefits of chemotherapy for elderly patients with lung cancer must be weighed against risk of long-term toxicities
• Beta blockers are underused in patients receiving implantable cardioverter defibrillators
• Better adherence to diabetes medications means fewer hospitalizations and emergency department visits
• Birth defects may be linked to high blood pressure, not use of ACE inhibitors in early pregnancy
• Black Medicare patients less likely than whites to follow their doctor's instructions on taking medicines
• Blacks less likely than whites to use either statins or aspirin in the prevention of cardiovascular disease
• Blacks treated at community health centers are less likely than Hispanics or whites to have controlled blood pressure
• Brand-name drugs not better than generics for controlling epilepsy
• C-reactive protein testing is not more effective than an educational intervention to decrease antibiotic prescriptions for patients seen for acute cough
• COPD drug triad associated with reduced death and hospitalization rates
• Care for patients with HIV remains expensive
• Care setting affects likelihood that children with persistent asthma will receive inhaled steroids
• Caregivers for advanced cystic fibrosis patients want to discuss intensive treatments and symptom relief
• Certain antibiotics increase the risk of treatment failure in children with MRSA-related skin and soft-tissue infections
• Certain factors increase risk of medication errors in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
• Certain medications are associated with functional decline in the elderly
• Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for lung cancer linked to cardiac disorders
• Chemotherapy that contains anthracyclines is associated with later cardiac illness in breast cancer patients
• Children with ADHD from larger families more likely to use stimulants
• Children's use of asthma controller drugs doubles
• Cholesterol and diabetes drugs lead drug spending for the elderly
• Clinical algorithm can identify and locate serious internal bleeding related to oral anticoagulant use
• Clinical informatics monitoring tool helps reduce adverse drug events in nursing home settings
• Clinician and patient resources now available on ADHD treatment options
• Clinicians should be cautious when prescribing one class of diabetes drugs for patients at high risk for heart attack
• Clinicians' adoption and use of electronic prescribing is likely linked to their views on technology
• Clopidogrel increases bleeding risk in cardiac patients with drug-eluting stents
• Colony-stimulating factor is effective in reducing infection for elderly patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma on chemotherapy
• Combination diuretic therapy for heart failure appears useful, but needs a stronger evidence base
• Combination treatment reduces acute kidney injury due to infusion of contrast dye during cardiac catheterization
• Compliance is low for computer alerts recommending conversion from intravenous to oral medications
• Connecting local providers to academic medical centers using video improved hepatitis C outcomes
• Consumer and clinician summaries now available on chronic pelvic pain treatment options
• Conventional and atypical antipsychotic drugs show differing safety risks among older nursing home residents
• Coronary risk information may improve prescribing practices
• Cost-effectiveness analysis supports genetic testing before patients with metastatic colorectal cancer are given irinotecan
• Criteria used to identify "drugs to avoid" in the elderly are not very accurate
• Delay in filling a blood-thinner prescription after procedures to implant a drug-eluting stent is risky
• Depressed patients with anxiety who fail initial antidepressant therapy may benefit from adding a second drug
• Despite more widespread prescribing of antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection, disparities remain
• Detailed, up-to-date medication lists help prevent errors
• Diabetes treatment involves more multidrug regimens and high financial burden
• Diet and medication adherence can reduce cardiovascular disease for patients with type 2 diabetes
• Differences in the costs of drugs prescribed lead to regional variation in Medicare Part D drug spending
• Disparities widen in the use of asthma medications
• Dissemination and implementation of clinical trial results are needed to encourage recommended practices
• Doctor's comments during a child's physical exam can affect whether parents push for antibiotics
• Doctors underprescribe warfarin to prevent strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure
• Drug discontinuation effects are not limited to psychoactive drugs, but may be important for cardiovascular drugs as well
• Drug expenses for children with asthma more than doubled in 10 years
• Drug industry-sponsored patient assistance programs are seldom used by older adults
• Drug interaction decision support software has limitations and pharmacists' knowledge of support features is limited
• Drug monitoring may be improved by the use of health information technology and clinical pharmacists
• Drugs to treat hepatitis B may not prevent patients from liver disease later
• Duplicate medication order errors increase after computerized provider order entry is implemented
• E-prescribing for managing medication refills has not reached its full potential
• Educational intervention helps doctors and patients split statin tablets to save money for patients and payers
• Effects of antidepressants on suicidal thoughts and behavior differ by age group
• Elderly lung cancer patients experience more adverse events during chemotherapy than younger patients
• Electronic order sets can help treatment conform to guidelines for antibiotic use after surgery
• Electronic prescribing improves safety, but with a small increase in physician time
• Electronic prescribing with clinical decision support reduces medication errors in community-based practices
• Emergency department treatment of asthma with systemic corticosteroids is not always timely
• Epilepsy drugs do not appear to increase suicide risk in patients with bipolar disorder
• Epoetin and Darbepoetin Reduce Need for Transfusions, Increase Risk of Blood Clots for Anemia in Cancer Patients, Review Finds
• Evidence lacking on devices used with percutaneous coronary interventions
• Evidence lacking on effectiveness of antipsychotics for children
• Extended use of antiviral drugs found to be safe and effective in preventing symptomatic influenza
• Extended use of medications to prevent blood clots may benefit patients after major orthopedic surgery
• Extending use of anti-clotting medication following major orthopedic surgery may help prevent post-operative blood clots
• For elderly patients with depression, cost-sharing insurance policies reduce drug use without increasing use of care
• For-profit dialysis chains have higher mortality rates than non-profit dialysis chain
• Foreign-born patients are more likely to have a form of tuberculosis that resists a common drug used in treatment
• Genotype information can make the predicted therapeutic dose of warfarin more accurate
• Glaucoma treatments can lower eye pressure
• Going smooth can help relieve weekday crowding at children's hospitals
• Guideline familiarity does not equal guideline adherence
• HIV outcomes and medication use are similar between rural and urban HIV patients
• HIV patients are at risk for being prescribed wrong drug combinations
• HIV patients with psychiatric disorders are less likely to discontinue HAART
• HIV treatment costs much more when patients start treatment later in the disease
• HIV/AIDS drugs have varied effects on lipid levels
• Half of all annual medical expenditures are for chronic diseases
• Health plans vary widely in the prescribing of antibiotics
• Higher risk of death or heart attack in first 90 days after cardiac patients stop taking clopidogrel
• Hospitalizations for medication and illicit drug-related conditions on the rise among Americans aged 45 and older
• Hospitals vary widely in their use of dopamine and dobutamine in preterm/low birthweight neonates
• How community pharmacies decide how and whether to provide immunization services
• Human growth hormone shows promise in treating cystic fibrosis symptoms
• Hydroxychloroquine still underused by patients with lupus, but use more likely if treated by rheumatologists
• Impact of anti-arthritis drug on lipid levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis remains unclear
• Implementing a clinical practice guideline helps children with pneumonia get proper antibiotics
• Increased fluid and supplemental treatments may reduce recurrence of kidney stones
• Inhaler costs contribute to medication nonadherence for Medicare patients with chronic pulmonary disease
• Injection of hyaluronic acid, a natural joint lubricant, appears effective in reducing pain from wear and tear on the knee
• Inner-city minority adults with chronic asthma are more likely to take inhaled medicine if they believe in its benefits
• Insulin pump and glucose monitoring improve blood-sugar control for diabetes patients
• Insulin pump and glucose monitoring improve blood-sugar control for patients with type 1 diabetes
• Key treatments for high blood pressure and high blood lipids do not reduce elderly patients' risk of limited mobility
• Label changes, manufacturer's warning letter did not reduce use of propofol for conscious sedation in children
• Laboratory monitoring of high-risk medications varies greatly
• Lack of time, resources to blame for primary care doctors rarely counseling women on birth-defect-causing drugs
• Less than half of pharmacy computer systems studied correctly identified drug-drug interactions
• Limited evidence prevents firm conclusions on psoriatic arthritis drug therapies
• Limited evidence prevents firm conclusions on rheumatoid arthritis drug therapies
• Liver transplant patients who taper off or do not take corticosteroids after transplantation have better quality of life
• Many Federal drug risk alerts fail to achieve the recommended changes in prescribing
• Many patients with diabetes who reach the Medicare Part D drug coverage gap don't talk about drug costs with their doctors
• Measuring quality of care for middle ear infection has many pitfalls
• Medicaid drug restrictions may lead to adverse events for psychiatric patients
• Medical students, interns, and residents need training to disclose medical errors
• Medicare Part D enrollees have higher cost-sharing amounts for brand name prescription drugs than those in employer plans
• Medicare Part D reduces out-of-pocket costs and modestly boosts prescription volume
• Medication changes are not always documented properly in physician notes or the electronic medical record
• Medication review technique may help identify drug-related problems in the elderly
• Medication safety indicators can guide improvement in primary care drug selection, dosing, and monitoring
• Medication side effects, injuries up dramatically
• Medications differ in their effect on risk of foot ulcers and limb amputations in patients with diabetes
• Medications for low bone density prevent fractures in women with osteoporosis
• Metformin just as effective as other medications for treating type 2 diabetes
• Metformin remains the medication of first choice in treating type 2 diabetes
• More patients with anxiety disorders are being prescribed antipsychotic medications by office-based psychiatrists
• More safeguards needed to prevent adverse drug events caused by medication administration errors
• More than a quarter of patients do not fill prescriptions for new medications
• Nearly 1 in 10 outpatient computerized prescriptions contains errors
• Nearly 9 percent of children experience agitation during sedation for nonsurgical procedures
• New research examines use of nitrous oxide for labor pain
• New study finds e-prescribing is safe and efficient, but barriers remain
• Newer antidepressants equally effective in treating major depressive disorder
• No evidence of serious cardiovascular events in children and young adults using medications for ADHD
• No link found between chemotherapy in older women with breast cancer and later cognitive impairment
• No link found between stimulant treatment of youth with ADHD and cardiovascular problems
• Nonplatinum chemotherapy agents more likely to lead to hospitalizations for older women with ovarian cancer
• Number of Americans prescribed anticonvulsant drugs has nearly doubled
• Off-label use of atypical antipsychotics not supported by evidence for some conditions
• Older black women with breast cancer do not receive beneficial chemotherapy as often as white women
• Older medications for epilepsy obtain better control but have more adverse effects
• One-fifth of mothers do not receive recommended antenatal corticosteroids before delivery of premature infants
• Opioid prescriptions for treating chronic abdominal pain doubled between 1997 and 2008
• Oral chemotherapy drugs not immune to medication errors
• Outpatient advice on pediatric medication safety is inadequate
• Over 3 million look to hospitals for headache relief
• Patient tool helps determine adherence to asthma medication
• Patients more likely to follow medication regimens if they share their doctor's beliefs about causes of health outcomes
• Patients recovering from stroke tend to continue using secondary preventive medications
• Patients taking only salmeterol seen in the emergency department for asthma more likely to be hospitalized
• Patients who take a proton-pump inhibitor with medicine to prevent blood clots are less likely to be hospitalized for bleeding ulcers
• Patients with chronic diseases who pay coinsurance less likely to refill their medication than those with fixed copayments
• Patients with sickle cell disease employ various strategies to control their pain
• Pediatric visits for ADHD have risen and the condition is increasingly being managed by psychiatrists
• Pharmacy intervention for patients with limited literacy evokes positive responses from patients and pharmacists
• Pharmacy, medical, and nurse practitioner students need more education on drug-drug interactions
• Physician champions key to successful quality improvement projects
• Physicians need to be better educated about FDA-approved indications for drugs and evidence for off-label drug use
• Physicians weigh the costs and benefits of integrating e-prescribing systems with electronic health records
• Physicians' implicit racial attitudes influence prescribing of opioids for black children
• Pilot study finds a low level of medication errors for look-alike, sound-alike drugs prescribed for children
• Pre-existing cardiovascular conditions linked to lower stimulant prescribing rates for adults with ADHD
• Prescription drug purchases increase for digestive problems
• Primary care physicians like e-prescribing systems, but make little use of their advanced features
• Primary care providers who provide contraceptive counseling increase patients' contraceptive use
• Provider-patient dialogue could be improved to foster medication adherence in HIV care
• Providers perceive e-prescribing as being very efficient
• Published sources on warfarin interactions with other drugs, food, and supplements tend not to agree
• Recommendations on rounding pediatric doses may improve e-prescribing while reducing risk of adverse drug events
• Remote supervision of stroke therapy is safe and effective at smaller hospitals
• Research comparing diabetes medications helps patients and clinicians choose the right one
• Research review finds support for some off-label uses of atypical antipsychotic medications
• Response to etanercept for rheumatoid arthritis can be predicted by 12 weeks
• Rise in prescription copays puts different patients at risk for nonadherence to medications
• Several factors influence completion of chemotherapy in elderly patients with stage-III colon cancer
• Several risk factors point to the use of high-risk medications in older veterans
• Simple tool to measure health literacy in patients with HIV successfully predicts medication adherence
• Simpler drug warning labels are easier to understand
• Simplified drug warnings improve patients' understanding of what to do or avoid when given a particular prescription
• Some patients are more satisfied when they are given usually unnecessary antibiotics for upper respiratory infections
• Specific primary care strategies may improve medication safety
• Spending for prescriptions to control diabetes, cholesterol, and other metabolic conditions exceeds $52 billion
• Studies examine safety of pain killers among older adults
• Studies link adverse drug interactions to elevated risk for hospitalization among the elderly
• Study finds potentially suboptimal use of antidepressants for residents in Veterans Affairs nursing homes
• Study looks at impact of FDA suicide risk advisory on antidepressant prescribing in children
• Study of Medicare beneficiaries validates Medical Expenditure Panel Survey's prescription drug data
• Survival rates for colon cancer patients on chemotherapy improve with addition of oxaliplatin
• Systems to detect adverse drug events need buy-in from leaders and staff to become part of hospital routine
• Tactics to improve medication adherence in short-term shown effective
• Team-based care of patients with hypertension improves control of blood pressure
• The effects of direct-to-consumer drug advertising on statin use depends on the person's experience with the statin
• The financial burden from prescription drugs has declined for the nonelderly, but remains a problem for some groups
• The increase in pediatric stimulant use since 1996 mostly linked to treatment of ADHD in adolescents
• The number of U.S. adults treated for diabetes more than doubled between 1996 and 2007
• Transitioning to new electronic health records can result in potential safety problems
• Treatment by physicians with same race and language as the patient may improve medication adherence
• Treatment guideline reduces hypoglycemic events in critically ill children
• Treatments show promise in reducing autism-related behaviors, but some have significant side effects
• Trends in treating depression favor psychotropic medications over psychotherapy
• Tumor necrosis factor-antagonists in patients with autoimmune diseases showed no overall increased risk of hospitalizations for serious infections than non-biologic drugs
• Types and rates of fungal infections vary among groups and treatment is often suboptimal
• U.S. spends nearly $1 billion on blood thinners for adults
• Uncertainty surrounds use of terbutaline to prevent preterm birth
• Uncontrolled asthma events among Massachusetts patients declined between 2002 and 2007
• Unlike the United Kingdom, the United States has boosted its use of broad-spectrum antibiotics for respiratory infections
• Use of diabetes pills up, insulin use down
• Use of electronic prescribing has expanded among Massachusetts physicians
• Use of physician extenders associated with increase in antidepressant prescribing in nursing homes
• Using bar-code technology with eMAR reduces medication administration and transcription errors
• Various factors affect providers' ability to identify spoken drug names
• Veterans who use pharmacy services at VA facilities tend to be sicker, poorer, and have no alternative insurance
• When cancer drug went generic, its use declined
• Whistleblowers in pharmaceutical fraud cases pursue Federal lawsuits for moral reasons, not money
• Women want clinicians to talk about the risk medications pose to an unborn child
• Youths initially diagnosed with ADHD receive an array of medications