August 2012 Drug News
Minnesota No. 1 in Medical Care
July 10—Minnesota has the nation’s best health care system, according to an authoritative new federal analysis of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other medical providers.The state ranked first in care at medical clinics, fourth in care at hospitals, eighth in nursing homes but 43rd in home health care — the state’s lowest rank and a category whose low score for years has puzzled state officials. Overall, Minnesota ranks third for care of patients with acute conditions, seventh for chronic care and 11th for preventive care.
“For more than five years we’ve had an intense collaboration among providers, health plans, state officials and others to tackle both quality and cost issues,” said Jennifer Lundblad, president of Stratis Health, a nonprofit with government and industry contracts to help improve health care delivery in Minnesota.
“That’s hard work … and this report confirms where we’re doing well and where we still need to improve.”
Wisconsin, which ranked first last year, fell to second — trading places with Minnesota. Iowa ranked sixth, North Dakota eighth and South Dakota 11th. At the bottom was Texas, coming in behind West Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
The “state snapshots” are part of an annual report by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality designed to improve medical care while placing quality data in consumers’ hands.
The report grades providers using widely accepted practice measures, such as the percentage of heart attack patients who received recommended care at the hospital or the percentage of children who received recommended vaccinations. Since it was first issued in 2006, the report has placed Minnesota among the top three states.
‘Strong’ or ‘very strong’
Many types of care in Minnesota improved last year, and many rank in the top categories of “strong” or “very strong,” although the report shows the state is weak in home health care and maternal and child care.
The report found that care improved for patients with diabetes, heart and respiratory diseases, but fell slightly for cancer patients.
Minnesota’s score at 67.31 of a possible 100 is the highest any state has achieved. Last year it scored 64.46. Some of the data is available online at the Medicare.gov website, with tools that help people compare nursing homes, home health care agencies and dialysis centers.
“Minnesota and the federal government are getting better and more sophisticated at gathering and analyzing this kind of information,” Lundblad said. “The more open and effective we can be at sharing this information, the better job we all will do.”
By Warren Wolfe, Star Tribune, Minneapolis
Most Prostate Cancer Patients Do Not Die From Disease: Study
Men with prostate cancer are more likely to die from other conditions such as heart disease than from their cancer, a study published in finds. The study used U.S. and Swedish data on the causes of death among more than 700,000 men, finding 52% of the Swedish men and 30% of American men with prostate cancer died. Of these deaths, only 35% of the Swedish men died directly from prostate cancer and only 16% of American men died from the disease itself. HealthDay
FDA Gives Green Light To Triglyceride-Reducing Pills
FDA approved Amarin Pharmaceuticals’ Vascepa (icosapent ethyl) for reducing triglycerides in adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia. Vascepa is an ultra-pure omega-3 fatty acid product. MarketWatch
In Case You Missed It: Headlines Continue To Showcase Pharmacy Value
Two recent news articles on medication counseling and pharmacist-administered immunizations contribute to the increasing focus on the value of community pharmacy in improving patient health. A July 22 article in Delaware’s DELMARVA Now, titled “Boomers and Beyond: Pharmacists are an underutilized resource,” emphasized community pharmacists’ role in helping patients take medications as prescribed, helping patients who take multiple medications to do so in the right ways and without complications, and helping prevent potential adverse reactions to medications. In addition, a July 23 Florida SunSentinel article – “Pharmacies offering pneumonia, shingles vaccines” – stressed the importance of immunizations as an additional way for patients to maintain their health. NACDS News Release
U.S. Pledges Additional $150 Million To Fight HIV/AIDS
The U.S. will spend an additional $150 million for the global AIDS fight, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking at the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC. “I am here today to make it absolutely clear the U.S. is committed and will remain committed to achieving an AIDS-free generation,” Mrs. Clinton stated. The Associated Press
NABP Urges Worldwide Effort To Fight Online Counterfeit Drugs
A new global collaboration is needed to stop the flow of counterfeit drugs via illegal websites, according to a report by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. After examining more than 10,000 sites selling prescription drugs, NABP found 97% were operating out of compliance with U.S. pharmacy laws. “Such sites provide an outlet for counterfeit medicines to enter the U.S. drug supply, endangering the health and safety of Americans,” NAPB stated. NABP Press Release, Report
More Proof Cranberry Juice Thwarts Infection: Study
Cranberry juice and cranberry supplements help prevent urinary tract infections, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms. Researchers from Taiwan analyzed 13 studies that compared cranberry-containing products to inactive placebos among 1,616 individuals in North America and Europe. Those who drink cranberry juice instead of taking cranberry supplements are better protected against infection, and people who consumed the cranberry products twice a day got more protection than their counterparts who did so less frequently. HealthDay
One In Three American Adults Take Prescription Drugs: Forbes
Some 34% of American adults take at least one prescription drug, 11.5% of American adults take three or more prescription drugs and 6.5% of American adults take four or more prescription drugs, according to a national survey from Forbes. The survey also found those at the highest income levels and those at the lowest are more likely to be taking prescription drugs than the middle class, and it is the lowest income Americans who are most likely to be on four or more drugs. Additionally, nearly half of all Americans aged 55 and above are on a prescription drug compared with just 23% of those 18 to 24 years old. Forbes
Whooping Cough At Epidemic Level: CDC
The U.S. is on track to have the highest number of whooping cough cases since 1959, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 18,000 cases have been reported so far, more than twice last year’s total. The agency is urging adults and especially pregnant women to get vaccinated so they do not spread it to infants too young to get the vaccine. NBCNews.com Separately, New York health officials reported a sharp spike in whooping cough cases, with 970 reported so far this year. Reuters
Seniors On Medicare Happier Than Privately Insured People: Report
Seniors enrolled in Medicare plans are more satisfied with their health insurance, have better access to care and are less likely to have problems paying medical bills than those who rely on commercial insurance, according to a report by the Commonwealth Fund. Los Angeles Times (Free Registration Required), Study
FDA Approves Weight-loss Drug Qsymia
FDA approved the new weight loss pill Qsymia, which combines the stimulant phentermine with the anti-seizure drug topiramate. The agency took more time than is typical in reviewing Qsymia, formerly known as Qnexa, because of fears about side-effects such as a fast heart rate and metabolic acidosis. The Vivus once-a-day pill will be available through mail order only. NBCNews.com