AJMC® in the Press, August 18, 2017

A study from the May 2017 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care^® (AJMC^®) was discussed in a press release from Pennsylvania State University. In “State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and Fatal Drug Overdoses,” Penn State researchers found that prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) were not associated with reduced mortality rates from prescription opioid overdoses. However, study co-author Yungfeng Shi, PhD, noted in the statement that the “results point to a potential unintended consequence of PDMPs, whereby reduced access to prescription drugs may have led some individuals with addictive disorders to look for alternatives.”

An article published by Huffington Post warned readers of “The Over-the-Counter Drug Reactions You Should Watch Out For,” including adverse reactions to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It cited a 2013 study published in an AJMC^® supplement that showed that NSAID-related complications can be serious and costly. The report, “Quantifying the Impact of NSAID-Associated Adverse Events,” found that gastrointestinal complications from the painkillers are responsible for more than $4 billion in medical costs annually.