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The Alzheimer's Association praises the approval but not the price tag. A Harvard Medical School professor who resigned from an FDA advisory committee says the OK "was probably the worst approval decision in recent U.S. history" in his resignation letter.

Bouquets and Brickbats for FDA OK of Alzheimer's Drug Aduhelm

Today's approval goes against the advice of an outside advisory committee.

FDA Greenlights Controversial Aducanumab, Biogen's Alzheimer’s Treatment

Within our healthcare-driven society, the increase in the identification and diagnosis of mental illnesses has led to a proportional increase in the prescribing of psychotropic medications. The prevalence of mental illnesses and subsequent treatment approaches may employ monotherapy as first-line treatment, but in many cases the use of combination of therapy can occur, leading to polypharmacy.1 Polypharmacy can be defined in several ways but it generally recognized as the use of multiple medications by one patient and the most common definition is the concurrent use of five more medications. The presence of polyharmacy has the potential to contribute to non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, adverse events, or poor quality of life.

Management of antipsychotic medication polypharmacy

A review of drug therapies and research presented at the 2012 Scientific Session of the American Diabetes Association.

72nd American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions: Clinical updates review findings on risk of malignancy with pioglitazone, as well as various risk factors associated with insulin glargine use

A review of drug therapies and research presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association

American Psychiatric Association 2012 Annual Meeting: Clinical updates review findings on long-acting levomilnacipran in major depressive disorder, depot versus oral antipsychotics for schizophrenia

More than half of Medicare claims for atypical antipsychotic drugs are erroneous, amounting to $116 million, according to a 48-page report released May 4 by the Office of the Inspector General.

OIG report evaluates claims for atypical antipsychotic drugs prescribed to nursing home residents

FDA recently announced that the 'Pregnancy' sections of labeling for all antipsychotic medications will now have to include wording about the potential risk for extrapyramidal side effects and withdrawal symptoms in newborns whose mothers were treated with these drugs during the third trimester of pregnancy.

FDA warns of risks associated with the use of antipsychotic medications in pregnancy

Patients using brand-name or generic antidepressant medications to treat major depressive disorder have similar drug discontinuation rates and accrue comparable healthcare costs during the first 6 months of treatment, according to a study published in March 2011 in the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy.

Brand-name, generic antidepressants share similar discontinuation rates and healthcare costs during 6 months of treatment

The rate of decline in the use of atypical antipsychotics in outpatients with dementia accelerated following a black box warning by FDA, according to a multicenter study of national Veterans Affairs data.

Black box warnings accelerate reduced antipsychotic use in dementia

FDA has approved vilazodone HCl tablets (Viibryd, Clinical Data) for the treatment of adults with major depressive disorder.

Psychiatry and Behavioral Health