Migraine

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is seeking public comment on its review of 3 calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors for prevention of migraine, as well as an update to its 2016 report on treatments for plaque psoriasis.

Hydromorphone is commonly used in hospital emergency rooms to treat patients with migraines; however, the drug is less effective than the drug prochlorperazine used with diphenhydramine, according to research.

Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, of Express Scripts kicked off the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2017 Nexus, held October 16-19 in Dallas, Texas, with a presentation on the pipeline of specialty pharmaceuticals in development.

This study describes the patient characteristics and healthcare utilization of a chronic pain population within an integrated healthcare system in northern California.

Brain scans remain "substantially overused" on patients who visit the doctor complaining of headaches and migraines, despite multiple guidelines recommending against their use. Physicians must be vigilant about having conversations with patients about the risks, neurologists say.

Standardized measurement of migraine, an underdiagnosed and perhaps underrecognized condition, is necessary for health plans to understand utilization of costly diagnostic and treatment services.