Yalamanchili et al. describe how trends in disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) use have evolved for insured, U.S. patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Overall, the study found that from 2000 to 2022 in this patient population the use of biologic and targeted synthetic DMARDs rose, while the use of conventional synthetic DMARDs declined.
Remote Prescribing Exceptions Extended Through 2024
The Department of Health & Human Services and Drug Enforcement Administration have extended through Dec. 31, 2024, exceptions that allow providers to prescribe controlled medications via telemedicine appointments without conducting an in-person evaluation.
FDA Issues Updated Prescribing Information for Opioids & Over-the-Counter Naloxone
New prescribing guidance has been issued by the FDA for immediate-release and extended-release/long-acting opioids for pain management. The agency also announced multiple label updates, which include changes to the Boxed Warnings.
Biosimilar Prescribing Habits in the VA & Academic Settings
In a new study, Baker et al. examined reference product and biosimilar orders, comparing data from a Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) to those from an academic medical center…
How to Improve Opioid Prescribing in an Outpatient Clinic
More than 72,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2017, according to the National Institutes of Health.1 The impact of the opioid epidemic has affected many levels of patient care and, as a result, healthcare systems are responding to escalating death rates, new legislation and the possibility of compromised patient safety in a multitude of…
Clinicians’ Use of ‘Safer’ Opioid-Prescribing Practices Spotty
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Many U.S. clinicians aren’t following risk-mitigation practices for opioid prescribing, new findings show. “In response to this national opioid crisis, consensus-based safer opioid prescribing guidelines have been published and state laws regulating opioid prescribing practices have been enacted,” Daniel P. Alford, MD, of Boston University School of Medicine, and colleagues write in…
Ethics Forum: Teach Rheumatology Fellows to Use Good Judgment in Pharmaceutical Company Interactions
We teach medical students, residents and fellows evidence-based medicine to lay the groundwork for rational prescribing and good clinical judgment. But should we stop our rheumatology fellows from interacting with pharmaceutical companies as part of this foundation? It is not surprising that pharmaceutical companies can influence physician prescribing through gifts. At least, it should not…