Health Care Delivery

A session at the 2022 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition reviewed some trends in the 340B drug pricing programs and Medicaid.

Once patients with HIV start treatment, pharmacists can play a key role in addressing patient accessibility and affordability of HIV treatments and promoting adherence, said Dena Behm Dillon, PharmD, AAHIVP, HIV clinical pharmacy specialist, University of Iowa Health Care.

A partnership between a university and the local Black community in San Bernadino County, California, illustrated how pharmacists can actively work to improve vaccine uptake in their communities.

Can a patient with metastatic cancer on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy use acetaminophen for pain? What about medical marijuana? And does the gut microbiome play a role? With more than a decade of real-world experience with ICIs, pharmacists learned about the potential role of these and other factors during a session at the 2022 American Society of Health-System Pharmacy Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition.

A cross-sectional study showed that patients experiencing homelessness were at more than 2-fold greater age-adjusted mortality risk due to COVID-19 compared with the general population, with these increased risks observed across race/ethnicity and sex status.

Patients with diabetes who reported use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or metformin prior to COVID-19 infection were associated with lower COVID-19–related adverse outcomes during hospitalization.

A review of available literature, although limited, has pointed to a link between pediatric psoriasis and anxiety and depression. Previous research has made a clear association between psoriasis and mood disorders in adults.

A clinical pharmacy specialist with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) described how the department is trying to address the needs of female veterans, including their reproductive health, as well as addressing disparities in chronic diseases.

The increasing complexity and costs of oncology care and resulting patient financial toxicity is driving more health systems to adopt oncology stewardship principles in their pharmacy practices, according to a session at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) 2022 Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exposition.

From comparing outcomes, it is known that cemiplimab has the potential to improve responses among patients who have cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), although many important questions remain, explained Neil D. Gross, MD, FACS, head and neck surgeon and director of clinical research in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

The monthly volume of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine doses administered have returned to the level observed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic among children in an integrated health care system in California, but HPV vaccine coverage remains lower compared with prepandemic levels.

Liz Lightstone, MBBS, PhD, FRCP, professor of renal medicine for the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, discussed the influence of genetics and background on the care management of lupus nephritis.

Female allopathic medical students pursuing careers in dermatology were less likely than those pursuing other specialties to be from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in medicine or be a sexual minority, with a lack of interest in underserved care and public health shown overall.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the last 2 years have been virtual; the organization previously met in Las Vegas in 2019 and 2016.

Melissa O'Connor, PhD, MBA, RN, FGSA, FAAN, endowed professor in Community and Home Health Nursing, M. Louise Fitzpatrick School of Nursing, Villanova University, and director, Gerontology Interest Group, noted that a comprehensive assessment of each patient is necessary to develop individualized care plans that can achieve better outcomes and keep older adults in the home setting.

Teenage brains prematurely aged by 3 years during pandemic lockdowns; Washington state health officials report high flu activity and 7 deaths; medical groups ask a Texas judge to refrain from issuing a nationwide injunction against the preventive health screenings covered by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures were included in approximately one-half of acne vulgaris and rosacea randomized controlled trials, despite their utility in capturing the patient perspective.

During an Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event held in New York City, Samyukta Mullangi, MD, MBA, fellow in medical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discussed how disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic are ushering in health care delivery reform.

People with a gastrointestinal biopsy of normal mucosa or nonspecific inflammation were shown to be at increased risk of Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease.

Ferring’s Rebyota, a novel first-in-class microbiota-based live biotherapeutic, has been approved by the FDA for the prevention of recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in individuals 18 years and older, following antibiotic treatment for recurrent CDI.

Thirteen years of population-based data highlight substantial rates of aggressive end-of-life care and disparities in care within a publicly funded health care system in Ontario, Canada.

Early life exposure to antibiotics, particularly during weeks 2, 3, and 4 of life, was associated with a decreased risk of atopic dermatitis development.

Infertility and mental health are intertwined, and individuals and couples trying to conceive should have support, according to a recent review.

Malignant cutaneous melanoma outcomes were investigated as they relate to diagnosis delay and potential influence from socioeconomic and demographic factors in Brazil, where skin cancer diagnoses represent 30% of all cancer diagnoses.

Researchers underscore a need for prospective data, noting that women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) tended to have higher rates of preterm delivery and lower birthweight.

Researchers investigated subgroups of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with polyposis (CRSwNP), wanting more data on their responses to dupilumab and hoping to stratify their level of benefit.

Nearly 40 million children missed their measles vaccine dose; health experts in the Biden administration are cautiously optimistic about a new campaign for COVID-19 boosters; about 1 in 7 older adults die within a year of having major surgery, according to a new study.

The study of real-world evidence (RWE) found nearly 9 in 10 patients in a highly vaccinated cohort avoided hospitalization within 15 days of treatment for COVID-19.

The risk of experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression may be higher in women who give birth after unintended pregnancies vs those who get pregnant intentionally, according to a recent study.

Melissa O'Connor, PhD, MBA, RN, FGSA, FAAN, endowed professor in community and home health nursing, M. Louise Fitzpatrick School of Nursing, Villanova University, and director, Gerontology Interest Group, addressed barriers related to access, cost, and knowledge impeding technology use in home health.