Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pharmacy for January 2019. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
FDA Approves First Generic Version of Advair for Asthma, COPD
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The first generic form of the Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) inhaler has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Small Increase in HbA1c Seen With Switch to Human Insulin in T2DM
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Switching from analogue to human insulin is associated with a small increase in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, according to a study published in the Jan. 29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Methotrexate Well Tolerated, Effective for Psoriasis in Chinese
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Methotrexate is well tolerated and effective for psoriasis in a Chinese population and is more effective for those without psoriatic arthritis, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in JAMA Dermatology.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
E-Cigarettes More Effective for Smoking Cessation
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Electronic cigarettes are more effective for smoking cessation than nicotine replacement therapy, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial 1 (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial 2 (subscription or payment may be required)
Management of MS in Pregnancy Reviewed in U.K. Guideline
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — It is important to discuss family planning and pregnancy proactively in women of childbearing age who have multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review published online Jan. 5 in Practical Neurology.
Oral Antibiotics Noninferior to IV for Bone, Joint Infection
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients being treated for bone or joint infection, oral antibiotics are noninferior to intravenous antibiotics, according to a study published in the Jan. 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Infective Endocarditis Related to Injection Drug Use Rising
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The risk for infective endocarditis related to injection drug use increased from 2006 to 2015, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Expanded Recall Announced for Ibuprofen Oral Suspension Drops
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — An expanded recall of ibuprofen oral suspension drops that may contain higher-than-specified levels of ibuprofen that could harm infants’ kidneys has been announced by Tris Pharma, Inc.
Off-Label Uses in Dermatology Often Missing From Compendia
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The compendia used by Medicare for making coverage determinations are inadequate for dermatologic illnesses, and there is considerable discrepancy between compendia, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in JAMA Dermatology.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
No Asthma Benefit Seen With n3PUFA in Overweight Teens
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Omega-3 fatty acid (n3PUFA) supplements do not appear to improve asthma control in teens and young adults who are overweight or obese, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Prophylaxis for Gonococcal Eye Infections in Newborns Advised
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has reaffirmed the recommendation for use of ocular prophylaxis for gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum. This recommendation forms the basis of a final recommendation statement published online Jan. 29 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Final Recommendation Statement
Evidence Review (subscription or payment may be required)
Large Insulin Price Hike to Be Investigated by U.S. Congress
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The soaring cost of insulin will be investigated as the U.S. Congress holds hearings into the high cost of prescription drugs, a lawmaker says.
Finasteride Not Tied to Increase in Prostate Cancer Mortality
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Finasteride is not associated with an increased risk for death due to prostate cancer, according to a research letter published in the Jan. 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Public Health Interventions Could Cut Global Burden of Hepatitis C
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Public health interventions can go a long way toward meeting World Health Organization hepatitis C virus (HCV) targets, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in The Lancet.
NOACs Recommended as First-Line Prevention of Stroke in A-Fib
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with atrial fibrillation, novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are recommended over warfarin to prevent stroke and weight loss is recommended for overweight and obese individuals, according to updated guidelines published online Jan. 28 in Circulation.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Direct-Acting Antivirals Not Tied to Liver Cancer Recurrence
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy is not associated with increased overall or early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence among patients with a previous complete response to HCC treatment, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in Gastroenterology.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Assay Aids Anticoagulant Dosing of Obese Patients for Bariatric Sx
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) may provide better information than anti-factor Xa (anti-XA) in determining the best dosage for blood thinners among obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery, according to a study recently published in Surgery for Obesity and Related Disorders.
Many Teens Not Up to Date on HPV Vaccination
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Many adolescents do not complete human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination before turning 13 or 15 years old, according to a report published online Jan. 17 in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Home-Based Program Achieves Hypertension Control
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A new home-based care delivery program can provide efficient and effective blood pressure (BP) control in individuals with hypertension, according to a study recently published in Clinical Cardiology.
Report IDs Areas Lacking Good Practice in Health Tech Assessment
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In a report published in the January issue of Value in Health, an ISPOR–The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research working group indicates the lack of good practices in three areas of health technology assessment (HTA).
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
2003 to 2015 Saw Increase in Outpatient Benzodiazepine Use
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Outpatient benzodiazepine use increased from 2003 to 2015, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in JAMA Network Open.
Risk for Conversion of MS Varies With Different Therapies
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), the risk for conversion to secondary progressive MS is lower with initial treatment with fingolimod, alemtuzumab, or natalizumab versus glatiramer acetate or interferon beta, according to a study published online in the Jan. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial
Levodopa + Carbidopa Does Not Modify Disease in Early Parkinson
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with early Parkinson disease, treatment with levodopa combined with carbidopa has no disease-modifying effect, according to a study published in the Jan. 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Insulin Price More Than Doubled in the United States
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Some Americans with type 1 diabetes have cut back on their insulin usage as the cost of the drug nearly doubled over a five-year period.
Benzodiazepine, Opioid Co-Usage Up in the United States
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Concurrent use of benzodiazepine receptor modulators and opioids and of nonselective and selective benzodiazepine receptor modulators increased from 1999-2000 to 2013-2014, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in SLEEP.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Meta-Analysis: Aspirin Linked to Lower Risk for CV Events in Primary Prevention
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For individuals without cardiovascular disease, use of aspirin is associated with a reduced risk for cardiovascular events and an increased risk for major bleeding, according to a meta-analysis published in the Jan. 22 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Herd Protection Seen With 4-Valent HPV Vaccination
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 2006 to 2017, there was a decrease in 4-valent vaccine-type human papillomavirus (HPV) detection among vaccinated and unvaccinated women, according to a study published online Jan. 22 in Pediatrics.
Mavoglurant Improves Visual Attention in Fragile X Syndrome
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with fragile X syndrome (FXS), mavoglurant treatment improves visual attention and pupil reactivity, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in PLOS ONE.
Marketing of Opioids Linked to Increased OD Mortality
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Marketing of opioids to physicians is associated with increased mortality from opioid overdoses, according to a study published online Jan. 18 in JAMA Network Open.
Medical Cannabis Decisions Being Made by Users, Not Doctors
TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Many patients use medical cannabis without their mainstream health care provider’s knowledge, and further, they self-adjust their pharmaceutical use in response to cannabis use, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.
CDC: Slight Hike in Prevalence of Gastroschisis Since 2006-2010
TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Over time, the prevalence of gastroschisis has increased, with more babies born with gastroschisis in areas with high and medium versus low opioid prescription rates, according to research published in the Jan. 18 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
CDC: Opioid Prescribing Higher in Rural Versus Urban Areas
TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The percentage of individuals prescribed an opioid is higher in rural than urban areas, according to research published in the Jan. 18 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Messages for Increasing Parental Confidence in HPV Vaccine ID’d
TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Providing information on the benefits of vaccination, including cancer prevention, and avoiding expressing urgency to vaccinate can increase parent confidence in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, according to a study published online Jan. 22 in Pediatrics.
Poor Glycemic Control in Type 1 Diabetes Tied to Fracture Risk
TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Poor glycemic control is associated with an increased risk for fracture in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) but not in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a study published online Jan. 16 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Medication Treatment for Substance Abuse Up in Facilities
FRIDAY, Jan. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 2007 to 2016, there was an increase in the proportion of substance use treatment facilities offering medication treatment (MT), according to a study published in the January issue of Health Affairs.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
FDA Panel Has Tie Vote on New Type 1 Diabetes Drug
FRIDAY, Jan. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel vote on whether to recommend approval of the first oral medication for type 1 diabetes ended in an 8-8 tie Thursday.
FDA Investigating Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons, Paclitaxel-Eluting Stents
FRIDAY, Jan. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration alerted health care providers on Thursday that the agency is investigating the use of paclitaxel-coated balloons and paclitaxel-eluting stents to treat peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the femoropopliteal artery because of a potentially increased mortality risk in the long term.
Inappropriate Antibiotic Rx Common in Privately Insured
FRIDAY, Jan. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Less than half of all outpatient antibiotic prescription fills by privately insured nonelderly adults and children in the United States are appropriate or potentially appropriate, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in The BMJ.
Oral Hepatoselective Glucokinase Activator Promising in T2DM
FRIDAY, Jan. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Use of the oral hepatoselective glucokinase activator (GKA) TTP399 for type 2 diabetes does not cause hypoglycemia and has no detrimental effect on plasma lipids or liver enzymes, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in Science Translational Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Mandated Neonatal Abstinence Reporting Helps Quantify Cases
Homicide, Suicide, and Overdose Leading Causes of Maternal Death 
Model Predicts Poor Outcomes Within 30 Days of a Before Medically Advised Discharge 
Fewer Than Half of Drug Overdose Survivors Go to the Hospital 
2000 to 2023 Saw Rise in Pediatric Exposure to Medications, Supplements 
2013 to 2024 Saw Decrease in Benzodiazepine Prescribing 
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists, SGLT-2is Slow Renal Function Decline in T2D With Albuminuria 
Polypharmacy of Prescription Medications Increased for U.S. Older Adults 
Low Hydroxychloroquine Intake, Blood Levels Linked to ASCVD Risk in Lupus 
.jpg)
