The Prescription Opioid Epidemic: an Evidence-Based Approach

A group of experts, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, issued this report aimed at stemming the prescription opioid epidemic, a crisis that kills an average of 44 people a day in the U.S. The report calls for changes to the way medical students and physicians are trained, prescriptions are dispensed and monitored, first responders are equipped to treat overdoses, and those with addiction are identified and treated. The report grew out of discussions that began last year at a town hall co-hosted by the Bloomberg School and the Clinton Health Matters Initiative, an initiative of the Clinton Foundation. The recommendations were developed by professionals from medicine, pharmacy, injury prevention and law. Patient representatives, insurers and drug manufacturers also participated in developing the recommendations. The report breaks its recommendations into seven categories:Prescribing GuidelinesPrescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs)Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and PharmaciesEngineering Strategies (i.e., packaging)Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution ProgramsAddiction TreatmentCommunity-Based Prevention Strategie

The Value Driven Pharmacist: Basics of Access, Cost, and Quality 2nd Edition

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/butlerbooks/1017/thumbnail.jp

Bending the Curve: Options for Achieving Savings and Improving Value in Health Spending

Analyzes the potential of fifteen federal health policy options to lower spending over the next ten years and yield higher value on investments in health care

International Profiles of Health Care Systems

Compares the healthcare systems of Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States, including spending, use of health information technology, and coverage

Fiscal Update, March 28, 2005

The Fiscal Division newsletter, published weekly during session and periodically during the interim

The drug logistics process: an innovation experience

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present the latest innovations in the drug distribution processes of hospital companies, which are currently dealing with high inventory and storage costs and fragmented organizational responsibilities. Design/methodology/approach - The literature review and the in-depth analysis of a case study support the understanding of the unit dose drug distribution system and the subsequent definition of the practical implications for hospital companies. Findings - Starting from the insights offered by the case study, the analysis shows that the unit dose system allows hospitals to improve the patient care quality and reduce costs. Research limitations/implications - The limitations of the research are those related to the theoretical and exploratory nature of the study, but from a practical point of view, the work provides important indications to the management of healthcare companies, which have to innovate their drug distribution systems. Originality/value - This paper analyzes a new and highly topical issue and provides several insights for the competitive development of a fundamental sector

Are the 2004 Payment Increases Helping to Stem Medicare Advantage's Benefit Erosion?

Examines trends in Medicare Advantage plan benefits and premiums in 2004, paying particular attention to the impact of the payment increases

Consumption of antibiotics within ambulatory care in Malta

Background: Antibiotic use is recognised as the most important driver for the development of antimicrobial resistance in community pathogens. Surveillance is therefore critical for improvement programmes. Methods: Antimicrobial distribution data for the years 2007 to 2009 were collected retrospectively by the National Antibiotic Committee from all licensed wholesale distributors (WSL) in Malta and analysed according the World Health Organization Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification (ATC) level 4 criteria. Results: Overall consumption increased from 18.6 defined-daily-doses/1000-inhabitant-days (DID) in 2007 to 22.7 DID in 2008 and reached 24.4 DID in 2009 - an increase of more than 30% over the three years, Penicillins with beta-lactamase inhibitor increased in volume (7.1 to 8.8 DID) but decreased in proportion (38.4% to 36.0%) between 2007 and 2009. On the other hand, second generation cephalosporins increased in both volume and proportion (2.8 to 5.4 DID; 15.0% to 22.0%). The proportion for macrolides remained stable at approximately 16% but the volume of use again increased (2.9 DID to 3.9 DID). Fluoroquinolone proportion decreased from 9.1% to 6.8%, maintaining a stable volume of use in the region of 1.7 DID. Conclusions: Antibiotic consumption in Malta has shown a consistent increasing trend over the past three years, despite a reduction in over-the-counter acquisition. Furthermore, there is evidence of a strong, and possibly unjustified, prescription of wide spectrum antibacterials. This is potentially an important driver for documented resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae and Escherichia coli and needs to be addressed at a national level.peer-reviewe

Mind Your Meds: Safe Opioid Disposal Awareness

Driven by the effects of the opioid epidemic on friends, family members, students, and patients, members of the 2019 GEHLI Team “Mission Possible” are dedicated to bolstering educational awareness of safe leftover opioid disposal methods to decrease the supply of opioids in our community. On average, over 2/3 of opioid prescription medications are leftover and lead to later misuse or abuse (JAMA Survey). Despite a decrease in prescription writing for pain medication over the years, the mortality rate from overdose, and the rate of infants born to mothers with opioid abuse continues to steadily increase in Virginia (VDH). Team Mission Possible seeks to promote awareness of both the need and resources available for safe opioid disposal by educating prescribers in the VCU Health system and spreading knowledge to VCU patients, students, faculty, staff, and members of the surrounding community through: educational events on the Monroe Park and Medical campuses; teaming up with Miss Virginia’s “Mind your Meds campaign”; live Facebook interviews; and educational flyers

Controlling Costs and Increasing Access to Prescription Drugs: State and Federal Solutions

Spending on health care in the United States continues to increase rapidly, consuming a greater share of the total economy each year. Over the past decade, prescription drug spending has been the fastest growing component of health care expenditures both nationwide and in Washington state. The federal government, state governments, individuals and employers all pay for prescription drugs, and everyone is affected by rising costs. While it is true that overall drug prices have gone up, and in many cases at more than triple the rate of inflation, price increases alone do not account for the drastic increase in spending on pharmaceuticals. The three biggest cost drivers, in order, are:1) the average person fills more prescriptions than ever before (increased utilization),2) new classes of drugs arrive on the market in high demand and at high prices, and3) pharmaceutical companies hike prices on existing drugs. Double-digit increases in total prescription drug costs create two interrelated problems. First, higher prices mean less access for uninsured individuals, and often a difficult choice for the poor: to treat or eat? Second, increased drug spending forces state governments to face a similar choice: to continue funding drug coverage for seniors, the disabled and others at escalating prices and pay for it by cutting teacher salaries, raising taxes, and underfunding firehouses, or to roll back drug benefits and eligibility for already vulnerable groups? While Congress has thus far failed to pass Medicare prescription drug or generic drug legislation, and the executive branch has taken a hands-off approach, the states have taken the lead in designing innovative policies to reduce manufacturer prices and expand access to necessary drugs. Legislation in Washington state, debated in 2002 and expected to be reintroduced in 2003, would allow the state to evaluate the benefits and costs of various and competing prescription drugs, negotiate price discounts for the best-value drugs, and pass the savings on to those who lack prescription drug coverage. Allowing the state to shop smarter is a sensible, near-term way for Washington to address the related problems of access and cost. Furthermore, an emerging consensus among states may drive more fundamental policy changes at the federal level