Common behaviors of patients taking prescription drugs, such as forgetfulness and procrastination, may result in wasteful spending of $163 billion annually, according to the recently released 2009 Drug Trend Report from Express Scripts. More »

The treatment of patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and their various complications has become one of the most discussed and demanded insurance coverage mandates in multiple states. Insurance mandates are being heavily pushed by advocacy groups, especially Autism Speaks, with good success. More »

Forty-five percent of adults in the United States have hypertension, high serum total cholesterol levels, or diabetes, according to a recent report from the CDC.1 Of these persons, approximately 13% have 2 conditions and nearly 3% have all 3 (Figure 1). In nearly 15% of those with 1 of these conditions, it remains undiagnosed. More »

Schizophrenia, a devastating mental illness that affects nearly 2.2 million Americans, is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality.1 Persons with schizophrenia have a 20% shorter life expectancy than the general population.1,2 Furthermore, among persons with schizophrenia, there is an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome characterized by a constellation of risk factors, including insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension,3 More »

In the United States, it has been estimated that 7.8% of the total population has diabetes. In 2007, the direct medical expenditures for diabetes were about $116 billion and the total direct and indirect costs were $174 billion, according to the CDC.1 More »

Parkinson disease (PD) is associated with a number of nonmotor symptoms, including depression, drug-induced psychosis and impulse control disorders, cognitive impairment, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. More »

Until recently, I never paid much attention to the possibility that abnormalities of the parathyroid glands could be relevant to patients in my practice. But I decided to learn more about this issue when one of my patients with bipolar disorder who had been treated with lithium told me that she had been given a diagnosis of a parathyroid adenoma after her primary care physician noted hypercalcemia on routine testing. More »

Almost 90% of employers consider employee medication compliance to be a prime health management objective, according to a study by the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).1 The majority of study respondents reported that they are analyzing or have plans to analyze prescription data to determine medication compliance for select health conditions.
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The authors are affiliated with the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, in University, Miss. Dr Yang is assistant professor in the department of pharmacy administration. More »

While avoidance measures are a key component of the treatment of allergic rhinitis, pharmacological therapies are often needed to adequately control symptoms. Intranasal corticosteroids are highly effective and are particularly useful in patients with moderate to severe disease.
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The development of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has increased morbidity and mortality associated with tuberculosis (TB) and has greatly increased the costs of care for patients with this disease. More »

Asthma is a prevalent disease that continues to be associated with significant health care costs. Kamble and Bharmal, for example, estimated that the annual direct medical expenditure attributable to asthma in the United States was about $37.2 billion in 2007. In their study, the estimated prevalence of asthma was 8.7% in children and 6.72% in adults.
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The rapid spread of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPCs) is limiting the effectiveness of carbapenems in the treatment of multidrug-resistant infections. The resistance genes found in KPCs have been identified in other organisms as well and have properties that have raised concerns regarding their transmissibility and epidemic potential. More »

Major depressive disorder (MDD) does not always respond to antidepressants. Whether we are using SSRIs, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or heterocyclics (trazodone, nefazodone, bupropion), the result often falls short of full remission of symptoms. More »

Asthma is a prevalent disease that continues to be associated with significant health care costs. Kamble and Bharmal,1 for example, estimated that the annual direct medical expenditure attributable to the treatment of asthma in the United States was about $37.2 billion in 2007, which represents a significant proportion of health care resource use.
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