Pharmacy Week in Review: Healthiest US Communities Ranked, ADHD and Risk of Psychosis

This weekly video program provides our readers with an in-depth review of the latest news, product approvals, FDA rulings, and more. Our Week in Review is a can't miss for the busy pharmacy professional.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to the Pharmacy Times News Network. I’m Nicole Grassano your host for our Pharmacy Week in Review.

In an evaluation of the community health of more than 3000 communities across the United States, Douglas County, Colorado, was named the healthiest community in America, according to the 2019 Healthiest Communities rankings by US News & World Report, Pharmacy Times reported. The report analyzed 81 health-related metrics in 10 categories, from education and the environment to infrastructure and population health. In addition to assessing which communities offer their citizens the greatest opportunity to live a productive, healthy life, the project serves as a tool to inform elected officials, health care leaders, and residents, about best practices and policies that help drive better health outcomes. The Healthiest Communities rankings, underwritten by the Aetna Foundation, are part of a $100 million commitment by CVS Health and its affiliates to making community health and wellness central to the company’s charge for a better world.

A new study has evaluated whether the risk of psychosis in adolescents and young adults with ADHD varies among stimulants, Contemporary Clinic reported. The study included patients aged 13 to 25 years who were diagnosed with ADHD and began taking methylphenidate or amphetamine medications between January 1, 2004 and September 30, 2015. The study revealed that there were 343 episodes of psychosis with 106 episodes in the methylphenidate group and 237 in the amphetamine group. The results reveal a small risk, but patients that are newly prescribed ADHD medications should be closely monitored for signs and symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations, delusions, agitation, and aggression.

A widely prescribed drug for multiple sclerosis (MS) was found to be associated with long-term survival for patients in a new study, Specialty Pharmacy Times reported. Patients with MS who took a beta interferon drug had a 32% lower mortality risk than those who did not take the drug, particularly among patients with MS who took beta interferon for more than 3 years. Patients with MS who took beta interferon for at least 6 months had a reduced mortality risk compared with patients with MS who did not take beta interferon, including individuals who started the drug after age 40 or 5 or more years after disease onset. The researchers said they will next look at the association between survival with some of the newer MS drugs.

Pharmacists can look out for more questions regarding Xeljanz XR if their patients have seen a new commercial for the product. In the spot, called “Gymnastics,” the narrator says that the product can reduce joint pain, reduce swelling, and improve physical function. According to the commercial, the once-daily pill can alleviate the symptoms of active psoriatic arthritis or moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis.

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Thanks for watching our Pharmacy Week in Review. I’m Nicole Grassano at the Pharmacy Times News Network.