- Safety & Recalls
- Regulatory Updates
- Drug Coverage
- COPD
- Cardiovascular
- Obstetrics-Gynecology & Women's Health
- Ophthalmology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Pediatrics
- Urology
- Pharmacy
- Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- Allergy, Immunology, and ENT
- Musculoskeletal/Rheumatology
- Respiratory
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
- Dermatology
- Oncology
Better medication adherence leads to better outcomes in hepatitis C
Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who were more adherence to their pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment were more likely to achieve both an early and sustained virologic response.
Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who were more adherent to their pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment were more likely to achieve both an early (EVR, decrease of ≥2 log10 HCV RNA at 12 weeks) and sustained virologic response (SVR, undetectable HCV RNA 24 weeks after end of treatment), according to a study published in the September 20, 2011 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Using the "Veteran Affairs Hepatitis C Clinical Case Registry," researchers retrospectively identified a cohort of 5,706 adult HCV (genotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4) patients receiving ≥1 prescription for pegylated interferon and ribavirin between January 2003 and December 2006, and whom had pre- and post-treatment viral loads measured. Adherence was assessed at 12-week intervals using pharmacy refill records.
In total, researchers found 1,787 of 3,014 (59%) patients with HCV genotype 1 or 4 and 867 of 978 (89%) patients with genotype 2 or 3 achieved EVR, and 901 of 1,929 (47%) patients with genotype 1 or 4 and 620 of 905 (69%) patients with genotype 2 or 3 achieved SVR. In both genotype subgroups, there was a statistically significant association between increasing adherence to interferon and ribavirin and achievement of EVR (P<.001 for all). Moreover, in patients with HCV genotype 1 or 4, increasing drug adherence was associated with a statistically significant increased achievement of SVR; however, a similar association for genotype 2 or 3 was not seen. Of note, adherence declined for both drugs over time, but adherence to interferon therapy always remained higher than ribavirin. Co-administration of growth factors or thyroid medication; however, positively influenced adherence to antiviral therapy.
SOURCE
Lo Re V III, Teal V, Localio AR, Amorosa VK, Kaplan DE, Gross R. Relationship between adherence to hepatitis C virus therapy and virologic outcomes. Ann Intern Med 2011;155:353–360.
Coalition promotes important acetaminophen dosing reminders
November 18th 2014It may come as a surprise that each year Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20% get the flu. This cold and flu season, 7 in 10 patients will reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to treat their coughs, stuffy noses, and sniffles. It’s an important time of the year to remind patients to double check their medicine labels so they don’t double up on medicines containing acetaminophen.
Support consumer access to specialty medications through value-based insurance design
June 30th 2014The driving force behind consumer cost-sharing provisions for specialty medications is the acquisition cost and not clinical value. This appears to be true for almost all public and private health plans, says a new report from researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID Center) and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).
Management of antipsychotic medication polypharmacy
June 13th 2013Within 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.
Medical innovation improves outcomes
June 12th 2013I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the pancreas, a disease that’s long been considered not just incurable, but almost impossible to treat-a recalcitrant disease that some practitioners feel has given oncology a bad name. I was told my life would be measured in weeks.
