New Guidance On Psychotropic Meds Focuses On Deprescribing
The task force convened by the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology focused on recognizing situations and circumstances where deprescribing would be appropriate as opposed to the logistics of how to do it. Also in the news: radiation doses from heart scans; the FDA approves a drug for allergic fungal rhinosinusitis; and more.
In a new consensus statement, a task force convened by the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP) detailed circumstances in which the deprescribing of psychotropic medications may be clinically indicated. (Jeffrey, 2/25)
More pharma and tech developments 鈥
Cardiac imaging centers around the world may need to update their protocols and equipment, suggested findings of a large-scale study of radiation effective doses to patients undergoing diagnostic testing for coronary artery disease (CAD). (Lou, 2/25)
Ambulatory surgery centers in November won Medicare coverage for pulsed field ablation. The procedure, which addresses atrial fibrillation, is among several cardiac ablation treatments the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began covering in the setting this year. But ambulatory surgery centers receive lower Medicare payments for the procedure than hospitals do. Despite generally having fewer overhead costs, the centers still need to pay for the expensive equipment, specialized staff and training. (Dubinsky, 2/25)
The FDA approved dupilumab (Dupixent) for treating allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, a first for the condition, the agency announced on Wednesday. Approval stipulates use in individuals 6 years and older with prior sino-nasal surgery, as the condition has a high rate of post-operative recurrence. (Ingram, 2/25)
Two years ago, Megan Selser was folding her 7-week-old infant鈥檚 clothes, clutching his fuzzy red head to her chest, when her phone rang. She answered and heard on the other end the pained voice she had used herself many times as an ICU nurse delivering bad news. (Mast, 2/26)
Novo Nordisk A/S will partner with US biotech firm Vivtex Corp. to develop next-generation drugs for obesity, diabetes and other metabolic diseases in a deal potentially worth up to $2.1 billion. The Danish drugmaker, which is looking to boost its pipeline to find successors to blockbusters Wegovy and Ozempic, said the tie-up will give it access to new technologies that could help it create oral treatments for obesity and other metabolic diseases. (Hipwell, 2/25)
Mike Willis just wants to go to the pub.聽He wants to stroll down the street, walk into a bar, and shoot the breeze with his friends. But the Cambridge, England, resident can鈥檛 do that anymore. Over the last six years, Willis, 71, has lost the ability to speak and socialize because of a neurodegenerative disorder.聽(Broderick, 2/26)
Also 鈥
About once a week, Erinne Kennedy, DMD, MPH, treats patients with complex dental infections who need antibiotics. She writes these prescriptions with care, because she knows the harm they can cause. In 2015, Kennedy鈥檚 grandmother suffered multiple infections with a superbug called Clostridioides difficile, also known as C difficile聽or C diff, which is associated with antibiotic use.Watching her grandmother battle the infection, which kills nearly 30,000 people in the United States each year, 鈥渨as really devastating,鈥 said Kennedy, assistant dean for curriculum and integrated learning at Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine in Missouri.聽(Szabo, 2/25)
If you鈥檝e ever had a wisdom tooth removed, you probably received an antibiotic from your dentist.聽Dentists wrote 27.3 million antibiotic prescriptions last year, according to data provided exclusively to CIDRAP News by the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science, an organization based in Parsippany, New Jersey that provides research and analysis on health care data. Many of these antibiotics are unnecessary. (Szabo, 2/26)
