Pharmacists' role in the care of patients with heart failure: review and future evolution.
Authors: Cheng JW, Cooke-Ariel H
PMID: 24456323 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy)
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Medication adherence in a sample of elderly suffering from hypertension: evaluating the influence of illness perceptions, treatment beliefs, and illness burden.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights into how perceptions of illness and burden relate to medication adherence in hypertension. More benign perceptions of illness and greater perceived illness burden translate to lower medication adherence. Positive beliefs regarding medications are also crucial for shaping adherence behavior of elderly hypertensive individuals. Threatening views of illness and stronger beliefs of the necessity of medications contribute substantially to positive medication adherence. Interventions and programs aimed at building adherence in elderly hypertension patients need to recognize the value and...
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Should eligibility for medication therapy management be based on drug adherence?
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that MTM eligibility criteria are not optimally targeted to capture underuse of and poor adherence to evidence-based medications. Policymakers should weigh the pros and cons of loosening restrictive MTM eligibility criteria to target patients with potentially greater needs.
PMID: 24511767 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy)
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Ambulatory clinical pharmacy specialty services: the Kaiser Permanente Colorado experience.
Authors: Hill RR, Herner SJ, Delate T, Lyman AE
PMID: 24564805 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy)
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Improving multiple sclerosis care: an analysis of the necessity for medication therapy management services among the patient population.
Authors: Anderson SS, Philbrick AM
PMID: 24564806 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy)
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in the HIV population: implications for individualized treatment selection.
Authors: Advani A, Patel M, Pichardo RV, Whitty Y, Advani S
PMID: 24564807 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy)
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Implementation of a pharmacy-based adult vaccine benefit: recommendations for a commercial health plan benefit.
CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacy-based access to vaccinations improves patient access and benefits individuals and employers. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, pharmacists must be viewed within the broader context of preventative care, including pharmacy-based vaccinations.
PMID: 24564808 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy)
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Analysis of costs to dispense prescriptions in independently owned, closed-door long-term care pharmacies.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated a median CTD of $13.54 for the typical independently owned, closed-door LTC pharmacy. Moving to a shorter cycle would reduce pharmacies' average per-prescription CTD but would increase the number of prescriptions dispensed per month. Our results indicated that transitioning solid oral branded products to 14-day cycles would reduce the median CTD to a minimum of $11.63 but would increase total dispensing costs because each sold oral branded prescription would require twice the number of monthly dispensing events.
PMID: 24564809 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy)
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
The GRACE checklist for rating the quality of observational studies of comparative effectiveness: a tale of hope and caution.
CONCLUSIONS: The 11-item GRACE checklist provides guidance to help determine which observational studies of CE have used strong scientific methods and good data that are fit for purpose and merit consideration for decision making. The checklist contains a parsimonious set of elements that can be objectively assessed in published studies, and user testing shows that it can be successfully applied to studies of drugs, medical devices, and clinical and surgical interventions. Although no scoring is provided, study reports that rate relatively well across checklist items merit in-depth examination to understand applicability, ...
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Barriers to mesalamine adherence in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a qualitative analysis.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease report a number of common barriers to mesalamine adherence. Factors in medication-taking behavior and beliefs were reported in this study that may have implications for strategies to improve adherence by health care providers.
PMID: 24564811 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy)
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Cost variability of suggested generic treatment alternatives under the Medicare Part D benefit.
CONCLUSION: Medicare beneficiaries can realize significant out-of-pocket cost savings for their drugs by taking CMS-suggested generic treatment alternatives. However, due to larger discounts on brand medications made available through recent changes reducing the coverage gap, the potential dollar savings by taking suggested generic treatment alternatives during the gap is less compelling and will decrease as subsidies increase.
PMID: 24564812 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy)
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
An ethical framework for pharmacy management: balancing autonomy and other principles.
Authors: Glassman PA, Schneider PL, Good CB
Abstract
Decisions to control pharmaceutical costs can cause conflicts as to what medications are covered. Such conflicts have ethical implications, however implicit, and given this fact, an ethical framework can help address them. In the following commentary, we discuss the more traditional, individual-level ethical considerations likely familiar to most clinicians. We, then, discuss population-level ethical constructs that clinicians may not as readily embrace. We also present a hypothetical cancer-care case to illustrate how imbalances in ethical foci between ...
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Missed opportunities for HIV screening in pharmacies and retail clinics.
Authors: Dugdale C, Zaller N, Bratberg J, Berk W, Flanigan T
Abstract
In the wake of new recommendations to offer HIV screening to everyone aged 13-64 years and to start all people living with HIV/AIDS on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regardless of CD4 count, the need to generate widespread, scalable HIV screening programs is greater than ever. Nearly 50,000 new HIV infections occur in the United States each year, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately half of these new infections are transmitted by individuals who are unaware of their HIV serostatus....
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Current and future roles of targeted therapy and immunotherapy in advanced melanoma.
CONCLUSIONS: The immunotherapy ipilimumab and the MAPK-targeted inhibitors vemurafenib, dabrafenib, and trametinib have forever changed the treatment landscape for melanoma. Indeed, these new therapies have demonstrated long-term improvement in patient outcome, a benefit not afforded by traditional therapeutics. Important research continues on the molecular basis of melanoma, and new targets are likely to emerge. Other areas of work include optimization of sequencing and/or combination of current treatments, which may increase the number of patients who experience clinical benefit.
PMID: 24684639 [PubMed - in proce...
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
Descriptive review and analysis of immunoglobulin utilization management from 2,548 prior authorization requests.
CONCLUSIONS: This analysis provides insight into the prescribed medical usage of Ig and the conditions for which it may be authorized through the managed care PA process. We identified 181 unique diagnostic indications for Ig, for which only 97 had established expert consensus. Although many diagnostic indications were identified, most requests were for indications with strong supporting evidence, and most of these were authorized by the health plans. The number of indications identified highlights the ongoing need for publications from physicians and specialty pharmacies with experience in treating these conditions in ord...
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - November 14, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research
