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What We're Reading: Dementia Mortality; Purdue's Opioid Antidote; Prior Authorization Frustration
Between 2000 and 2007, mortality due to dementia more than doubled; the FDA has granted fast-track designation for an opioid antidote from Purdue Pharma, the pharmaceutical company accused of aggressively marketing OxyContin; physicians say prior authorization is interfering with continuity of care.
Dementia Mortality More Than Doubled
Mortality rates due to dementia more than doubled since 2000, jumping from 30.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2000 to 66.7 in 2017, according to a National Statistics Report from CDC. These death rates varied by age, sex, race, and geographic location, and in 2017, the majority of deaths occurred in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. According to the report, taking into account mortality from all 4 causes of dementia would have made dementia the third-leading cause of death in the United States in 2017.
FDA Fast Tracks Purdue’s Opioid Antidote
The FDA has granted fast-track designation for an experimental opioid overdose drug from Purdue Pharma, the pharmaceutical company currently under fire and facing lawsuits for allegedly aggressively and deceptively marketing OxyContin, reported CNN. According to the drug maker, their opioid antidote, nalmefene hydrochloride injection, has a longer effect than naloxone.
Prior Authorizations Interfering With Care
A report from the American Medical Association found that the use of prior authorization has greatly increased in the last 5 years, and the overwhelming majority (85%) of physicians say that the process interferes with continuity of care. The survey of 1000 physicians in December 2018 also found that nearly 7 in 10 physicians find it difficult to determine whether the prescription or medical service requires prior authorization.
Overcoming Employment Barriers for Lasting Social Impact: Freedom House 2.0 and Pathways to Work
April 16th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our second episode, in which we learn all about Freedom House 2.0 and the Pathways to Work program.
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Pegcetacoplan for PNH More Cost-Effective Than Anti-C5 Monoclonal Antibodies
April 18th 2024A cost-utility analysis conducted from the perspective of the Italian health system found that pegcetacoplan was more effective and less costly than 2 complement 5 (C5) inhibitors for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).
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Making Giant Strides in Maternity Health Through Baby Steps
April 9th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are kicking off a special month-long podcast series with our strategic alliance partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our first episode, which is all about the Baby Steps Maternity Program and its mission to support women throughout every step of their pregnancy journey.
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Collecting SDOH Data Can Assess Risk of Medical Nonadherence, Improve HEI and Star Ratings
April 18th 2024At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting, a panel of presenters explored changes coming to Medicare that incorporate social determinants of health (SDOH) data to improve patient and health system outcomes.
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Many Patients With Psoriasis in Clinical Trials Experience Nocebo Effects, Study Finds
April 18th 2024Half of patients exposed to placebo in clinical trials experienced adverse events (AEs), which may be partially explainable by nocebo effects, according to a recent review and meta-analysis.
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