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Medication

What to do with unused meds

Liza Berger March 10, 2010

There is more and more talk in state legislatures of finding new ways to dispose of unused medications at healthcare facilities. This is an idea whose time has come.

A new year brings new Medicare Part D plan options for long-term care residents

Rob Godwin January 04, 2010

Long-term care residents should reevaluate their Medicare Part D plans for the new year. A plan should correspond to a resident's individual pharmacy-related needs.

Most seniors can't name drugs prescribed during hospital stays

December 14, 2009

Nearly 9 in 10 hospitalized seniors could not name a single take-as-needed medication prescribed during a hospital stay, according to a recent study.

Cardin amendment would work to expand assisted living residents' access to prescription drugs

December 10, 2009

Assisted living providers and advocates are cheering this week after Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced an amendment to the healthcare reform bill that seeks to improve some assisted living residents' access to the Medicare Part D prescription drug program and Medicaid benefits.

State, federal pain policies hurt

Liza Berger November 13, 2009

A lot of Americans suffer from chronic pain. This group includes many nursing home residents. Which is why some new developments on the pain front are encouraging.

FDA launches medication safety initiative

November 06, 2009

The Food & Drug Administration this week introduced the Safe Use Initiative to reduce preventable harm from medications and improve patient health.

Lawmakers look to eliminate Medicare Part D gap earlier than planned

October 28, 2009

Lawmakers are stepping up efforts to close the Medicare Part D doughnut hole, a coverage gap in the prescription drug program for seniors. Political pressure may be driving them to change their timetable.

Higher doses of vitamin D help prevent falls, study finds

October 07, 2009

Seniors aged 65 and older can significantly reduce their risk of falls by taking vitamin D supplements every day. But they need to take more of the vitamin than previously thought, according to the results of a new study.

Heparin to be less potent, FDA says

October 06, 2009

Manufacturers are expected to begin shipping a new kind of heparin product on Thursday.

Many doctors unknowingly prescribe drugs 'off-label,' study finds

August 26, 2009

A large number of physicians don't know when they are prescribing drugs, including antipsychotics, "off-label," according to a recent report.

Researchers discuss common therapies that may cause health problems in seniors

June 03, 2009

Two therapies commonly prescribed to seniors carry some significant risks, according to reports presented in Chicago during this week's Digestive Disease Week.

Sunshine, vitamin D could help reduce risk of diabetes, study suggests

May 12, 2009

Spending a day basking in the sun no question is good for the soul. Now new research suggests it might also be good for reducing the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes among seniors.

Opioid treatment safer, more effective at managing seniors' pain, guidelines say

May 11, 2009

Treating seniors' chronic pain with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or cox-2 inhibitors is potentially more dangerous than opioid therapy, according to new pain management guidelines released by the American Geriatrics Society. The practice of using NSAIDs initially should be seriously reduced or eliminated, the guidelines say.

Antipsychotics associated with weight gain, lower levels of good cholesterol in Alzheimer's patients

April 20, 2009

Two newer antipsychotic drugs have negative side effects in Alzheimer's patients. Both promote weight gain and one lowers levels of HDL "good" cholesterol, according to a new study.

FDA amends opioid action warning

April 15, 2009

The Food and Drug Administration will temporarily allow the continued production, marketing and distribution of one particular type of opioid, which is widely used to alleviate pain in terminally ill patients.

Stimulus money could bolster e-prescribing practices, report finds

March 18, 2009

As many as three out of four doctors may be using e-prescribing technology within five years, according to a recently released report.

Common metabolic drug helps memory in mice

February 19, 2009

A drug that has until now been prescribed to treat patients with a certain metabolic disorder has been found to improve the memory of laboratory animals with Alzheimer's disease, according to a recent report.

Docs ignoring majority of medication safety alerts, study shows

February 17, 2009

Physicians are overriding a vast majority of safety alerts about potentially bad drug interactions, a new three-state study finds. Doctors, probably more annoyed than enlightened, instead are relying on their own judgment rather than that of commercial services, researchers said in last week's edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Study: Sustained use of antipsychotics increases Alzheimer's death risk

January 12, 2009

Prolonged use of antipsychotic medications on Alzheimer's patients is associated with a significantly increased risk of death, according to a new British study.

CMS reminds Medicare Part D providers of obligations to nursing home residents

December 03, 2008

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently reminded Medicare Part D plan providers of their duty to provide convenient access to network pharmacies for long-term care residents.

Newly appointed Orszag expected to play healthcare reform role

December 01, 2008

The recent appointment of Peter Orszag to director of the White House Office of Management and Budget indicates that the Obama administration is serious about controlling the rising costs of healthcare, according to news reports.

Recruiting seniors into drug trials may help close evidence gap

December 01, 2008

A growing number of scientists are considering a new approach to drug trials. It includes "real world" testing on more elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions.

Just say yes? Marijuana may aid memory among elderly

November 20, 2008

Smoking weed may actually improve memory function and stimulate the growth of new brain cells among older adults, according to researchers at Ohio State University.

High-dose vitamin B3 'cures' Alzheimer's in lab mice

November 06, 2008

Nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3, has been found to eradicate Alzheimer's disease-related memory problems in lab mice, according to new research.

Aspirin use could hurt rather than help diabetics, study finds

October 21, 2008

Diabetics who take aspirin to prevent heart attacks could be putting themselves at a heightened risk for internal bleeding, a new study suggests.

Hospital IV therapy may drain Medicare Part D, news analysis finds

October 16, 2008

The Medicare Part D insurance plan may be wasting billions of dollars on intravenous drug treatments. Because it does not cover many of the drug-related costs of home-care treatment, patients have to go to the hospital, where Medicare ends up spending a lot more, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article.

EPA to ask nursing homes about unused medication disposal

October 13, 2008

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to study the effects of unused medications on the environment, and they're enlisting the help of nursing homes and other healthcare facilities around the country in their research.

AMA stresses importance of flu shots for doctors, patients

October 08, 2008

To help stop the spread of flu this season, doctors should talk to their patients about getting vaccinated--and get shots themselves, according to the American Medical Association's news service.

Survey: Three out of four seniors expected to get flu shots this season

October 06, 2008

Most seniors aren't taking any chances when it comes to the flu, a new survey finds.

Using two hypertension meds may help cut risk of death

October 06, 2008

On many occasions, it is said that two is better than one. That appears to be the case when it comes to reducing death from high blood pressure among the elderly.