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The goal of this study was to describe the cohort of women prescribed PrEP at the Veterans Health Administration. We used a cross-sectional study of electronic health record data. We used descriptive statistics and calculated estimated average percent change by year of prescription. A total of 417 women were prescribed PrEP over the study period. The most substantial change over time in PrEP prescribing occurred among women aged 18–24, in Other race group, and in the Western US. Though PrEP prescribing increased since its approval, more research is needed to identify barriers and expand PrEP access for women Veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To investigate characteristics of data reported in US medical cannabis registries across states. Methods. Data included 2021 medical cannabis registry reports from 34 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia (hereafter, states) with active medical cannabis programs. The data from the reports were manually coded into domains and subcategories, including information related to patients (e.g., number, demographics), authorizing clinicians, sales (e.g., content, revenue), license tracking, and health and safety outcomes. Results. Among 36 states, 97% reported total patient number and 75% reported number of authorizing clinicians. Least reported subcategories included patient race/ethnicity (8%), adverse events (11%), therapeutic benefits (6%), and product recalls (6%). States that recently legalized medical cannabis (2013–2018) reported a higher number of subcategories overall, with a median of 11 versus 8 for early adopting states (1996–2012). More medical-use states reported data on authorizing clinicians compared with nonmedical adult-use states but were otherwise similar. Conclusions. Medical cannabis state registries generally reported data on consumers, clinicians, and sales rather than health and safety outcomes. More comprehensive and uniform medical cannabis public health surveillance is needed. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(S8):S685–S693. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307728) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nurses play an important role in travel medicine. However, information about the role of nurses in travel medicine is still limited. This systematic literature review is aimed to exploring the role of nurses in travel medicine to improve service performance in travelers. This study was systematically compiled this review based on a literature search using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. The inclusion criteria are articles about travel health nursing, complete original articles, articles written in English and non-review articles. The quality of the studies was also assessed based on the Newcastle Ottawa Scale for observational studies. About 5 out of 257 articles were selected from 3 electronic databases, namely PubMed, Ebsco Host, and Scopus. Analysis of the 5 articles found that the role of travel health caregivers differs from country to country. The primary role of nurses in travel health in the U.S. is to conduct are-travel counseling. Nurses in the Netherlands have the authority to prescribe medicines needed for tourists. In Iris nurses play a role in providing support to the mental health of individual tourists, while in Spain, nurses play a role in emergency care for tourists. Nurses play an important role in the health of travel, including health services for travelers before and during the trip. The results of this review add to the understanding of the role of nurses in travel medicine that contributes to improving nurse performance and tourist welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Naloxone is lifesaving in the event of an opioid overdose but is underutilized in adolescents. Youth-serving clinicians can play a role in expanding naloxone access by offering it to all youth at risk for opioid-involved overdose, including by prescription. Understanding naloxone dispensing trends to youth can inform efforts to expand its use. METHODS: We used IQVIA National Prescription Audit Patient Insights data, which contains prescriptions dispensed from ~48 900 retail pharmacies, representing 93% of all prescriptions from all payers in the United States. Cross-sectional analyses were used to describe naloxone dispensing trends among youth ages 10 to 19 years over time and by patient sex, out-ofpocket cost, prescriber specialty, and payer. RESULTS: From 2017 to 2022, 59 077 prescriptions for naloxone were dispensed to youth ages 10 to 19. Dispensing rates increased 669%, from 6.6 to 50.9 prescriptions per 100 000 adolescents, with increases each year. Dispensing varied by specialty and sex. Pediatricians accounted for an increasing proportion of prescriptions dispensed with a 6-year increase of 991%. Seventy-four percent of prescriptions were paid through commercial insurance. Although most prescriptions dispensed had low to 0 cost-sharing, 20% had out-of-pocket costs exceeding $25, and over 6% had out-of-pocket costs exceeding $75. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatricians and other youth-serving clinicians can play an important role in expanding access to naloxone and harm reduction information by prescribing naloxone to all youth who are at risk for overdose. Clinician prescribing of naloxone can augment community distribution and over-the-counter access by making naloxone more widely available at all touchpoints with the health care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Explore the indications for long-stay gabapentin use and elucidate the factors spurring the rapid increase in gabapentin prescribing in nursing homes (NHs). Methods: National cross-sectional survey of NH prescribers distributed anonymously using SurveyMonkey. Sampling for convenience was obtained through crowdsourcing, leveraging collaborations with NH clinician organizations. Developed by a multidisciplinary team, pilot data/existing literature informed survey content. Results: A total of 131 surveys completed. Participants: 71% white, 52% female, 71% physicians. Off-label gabapentin prescribing was ubiquitous. Nearly every clinician used gabapentin for neuropathic pain, most for any form of pain. Many clinicians also prescribe gabapentin to moderate psychiatric symptoms and behaviors. Clinicians' prescribing was influenced by opioid, antipsychotic, and anxiolytic reduction policies because gabapentin was perceived as an unmonitored and safer alternative. Conclusions: Off-label gabapentin increases are closely linked to opioid reduction efforts as more NH clinicians utilize gabapentin as an unmonitored opioid alternative. Our results highlight, however, the less recognized significance of long-stay prescribing for psychiatric symptoms and the similar contribution of psychotropic reduction initiatives, a phenomenon warranting further scrutiny. Clinical Implications: Clinicians perceive gabapentin as safer than the drugs it is replacing. Whether this is true remains unclear; the individual- and population-level risks of increased gabapentin use are largely unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To describe nursing home (NH) characteristics associated with antipsychotic use and test whether associations changed after implementation of the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care's antipsychotic reduction initiative (ARI). Methods: Longitudinal quasi-experimental design using data from multiple sources and piecewise linear mixed models were used for statistical analyses. Results: There was a significant decrease in monthly antipsychotic use across the study period (pre-ARI b = −0.0003, p <.001; post-ARI b = −0.0012, p <.001), which held after adjusting for NH characteristics. Registered nurse hours (b = −0.0026, p <.001), licensed practical nurse hours (b = −0.0019, p <.001), facility chain membership (b = −0.0013, p <.01), and health inspection ratings (b = −0.0003, p >.01) were associated with decreased antipsychotic use. Post-ARI changes in associations between NH characteristics and antipsychotic use were small and not statistically significant. Conclusions: Decreases in antipsychotic use were associated with most NH characteristics, and associations persisted post-ARI. Further research is warranted to examine the interactions between ARI policy and NH characteristics on antipsychotic prescribing, as well as other NH factors, such as facility prescribing cultures and clinical specialty of staff. Clinical Implications: Decreases in monthly antipsychotic use were observed following the ARI. The decreases in monthly antipsychotic use were associated with most NH characteristics, and these associations persisted during the post-ARI period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) dapagliflozin and empagliflozin are indicated for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) for cardiovascular death and heart failure hospitalization risk reduction. Due to the recent nature of these data, prescribing of SGLT2is may be suboptimal. Objective: This study sought to assess the prevalence of SGLT2i prescriptions at hospital discharge for HFrEF. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on HFrEF patients discharged from April 1st to December 31st, 2021 from one academic medical center in the United States. The primary objective was to determine the percentage of eligible patients prescribed SGLT2i at discharge and the secondary objective was to characterize covariates impacting prescription. Results: Overall, 115 patients were included. The mean age was 72 ± 14.25 years. The majority were male (73.9%) and Caucasian (74.8%). At discharge, 15.7% of patients were prescribed an SGLT2i, although 94.8% were eligible. Baseline characteristics and concomitant medications did not differ significantly, although the mean number of discharge medications differed significantly between those prescribed an SGLT2i (15.78 ± 6.77) and those not (12.05 ± 5.28) (P = 0.023). Conclusions: SGLT2is are under-prescribed at discharge for HFrEF patients, despite many being eligible. Further studies should be done to elucidate factors that influence the under-prescription of SGLT2is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a retrospective, ecological analysis of US medical claims, visit rates explained more of the geographic variation in outpatient antibiotic prescribing rates than per-visit prescribing. Efforts to reduce antibiotic use may benefit from addressing the factors that drive higher rates of outpatient visits, in addition to continued focus on stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Limited evidence exists on health system characteristics associated with initial and long-term prescribing of opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) following total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA), and if these characteristics differ among individuals based on preoperative NSAID exposure. We identified orthopedic surgeon opioid prescribing practices, hospital characteristics, and regional factors associated with initial and long-term prescribing of opioids and NSAIDs among older adults receiving THA/TKA. Materials and Methods: This observational study included opioid-naïve Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years receiving elective THA/TKA between January 1, 2014 and July 4, 2017. We examined initial (days 1-30 following THA/TKA) and long-term (days 90-180) opioid or NSAID prescribing, stratified by preoperative NSAID exposure. Risk ratios (RRs) for the associations between 10 health system characteristics and case-mix adjusted outcomes were estimated using multivariable Poisson regression models. Results: The study population included 23,351 NSAID-naïve and 10,127 NSAID-prevalent individuals. Increases in standardized measures of orthopedic surgeon opioid prescribing generally decreased the risk of initial NSAID prescribing but increased the risk of long-term opioid prescribing. For example, among NSAID-naïve individuals, the RRs (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for initial NSAID prescribing were 0.95 (0.93-0.97) for 1-2 orthopedic surgeon opioid prescriptions per THA/TKA procedure, 0.94 (0.92-0.97) for 3-4 prescriptions per procedure, and 0.91 (0.89-0.93) for 5+ opioid prescriptions per procedure (reference: <1 opioid prescription per procedure), while the RRs (95% CIs) for long-term opioid prescribing were 1.06 (1.04-1.08), 1.08 (1.06-1.11), and 1.13 (1.11-1.16), respectively. Variation in postoperative analgesic prescribing was observed across U.S. regions. For example, among NSAID-naïve individuals, the RR (95% CIs) for initial opioid prescribing were 0.98 (0.96-1.00) for Region 2 (New York), 1.09 (1.07-1.11) for Region 3 (Philadelphia), 1.07 (1.05-1.10) for Region 4 (Atlanta), 1.03 (1.01-1.05) for Region 5 (Chicago), 1.16 (1.13-1.18) for Region 6 (Dallas), 1.10 (1.08-1.12) for Region 7 (Kansas City), 1.09 (1.06-1.12) for Region 8 (Denver), 1.09 (1.07-1.12) for Region 9 (San Francisco), and 1.11 (1.08-1.13) for Region 10 (Seattle) (reference: Region 1 [Boston]). Hospital characteristics were not meaningfully associated with postoperative analgesic prescribing. The relationships between health system characteristics and postoperative analgesic prescribing were similar for NSAID-naïve and NSAID-prevalent participants. Discussion: Future efforts aiming to improve the use of multimodal analgesia through increased NSAID prescribing and reduced long-term opioid prescribing following THA/TKA could consider targeting orthopedic surgeons with higher standardized opioid prescribing measures. Conclusions: Orthopedic surgeon opioid prescribing measures and U.S. region were the greatest health system level predictors of initial, and long-term, prescribing of opioids and prescription NSAIDs among older Medicare beneficiaries following THA/TKA. These results can inform future studies that examine why variation in analgesic prescribing exists across geographic regions and levels of orthopedic surgeon opioid prescribing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the relationship between gabapentin prescriptions and hospitalization rates among U.S. veterans, revealing that gabapentin use is associated with increased odds of hospitalization, regardless of dose. Topics discussed include the patterns of gabapentin prescriptions, the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients prescribed gabapentin, and the potential impact of gabapentin on hospitalization across different age groups.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, jails were advised to reduce facility census, particularly the growing population of those with medical/behavioral health vulnerabilities that increased susceptibility to adverse outcomes. Although jail census decreased across the nation in the initial days to months following pandemic declaration, there are minimal data regarding the health status of those who remained in jail. The current investigation aspired to describe jail census trends before/since the onset of COVID-19 and offer snapshots of temporal changes and context for prevalence estimates of medical/behavioral health conditions in jail detainees from 2019 to 2023. Using a serial cross-sectional design, prescription information for individuals residing in 18 jails across the United States on June 30 of each respective year was extracted and categorized using MediSpan's ontological system to determine prevalence estimates of prescribed agents/products. Although data evidenced an initial 31% census reduction (followed by gradual return to prepandemic rates), prescribing patterns for all major therapeutic drug classes steadily increased, with 10% more individuals prescribed at least one agent in 2023 than 2019. The largest increases were observed for behavioral health agents (e.g., 32.4% of the sample was prescribed psychotropic agents in 2023 compared with 25.7% in 2019). We provide considerations for future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines prioritize Sodicum-glucose transporter-2-inhibitors (SGLT2i) given cardio-renal and glycemic benefits. This study was conducted to observe clinical factors associated with initial SGLT2i prescription in type 2 diabetes patients eligible for SGLT2i by the ADA. Methods. A retrospective case-control study was performed in a safety-net clinic and consisted of the initial SGLT2i prescriptions group and the group without. The data from the electronic medical records between July 2021 and December 2022 were analyzed in the regressional models. Results. There was a significant association between A1c ≥8% (OR 3.7, p=.01), heart failure (OR 19.3, p<.0001), a history of hypotension (OR 11.9, p=.01), and sulfonylureas (OR 6.5, p=.003) with the SGLT2i prescription. Conclusion. Patients with high A1c levels, heart failure, a history of hypotension, and sulfonylureas were more likely than their counterparts to receive SGLT2i prescriptions. Future research should investigate adherence and provider prescribing behaviors related to SGLT2i to further assess optimal drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To report historical patterns of pharmaceutical expenditures, to identify factors that may influence future spending, and to predict growth in drug spending in 2024 in the United States, with a focus on the nonfederal hospital and clinic sectors. Methods Historical patterns were assessed by examining data on drug purchases from manufacturers using the IQVIA National Sales Perspectives database. Factors that may influence drug spending in hospitals and clinics in 2024 were reviewed—including new drug approvals, patent expirations, and potential new policies or legislation. Focused analyses were conducted for biosimilars, cancer drugs, endocrine drugs, generics, and specialty drugs. For nonfederal hospitals, clinics, and overall (all sectors), estimates of growth of pharmaceutical expenditures in 2024 were based on a combination of quantitative analyses and expert opinion. Results In 2023, overall pharmaceutical expenditures in the US grew 13.6% compared to 2022, for a total of $722.5 billion. Utilization (a 6.5% increase), new drugs (a 4.2% increase) and price (a 2.9% increase) drove this increase. Semaglutide was the top drug in 2023, followed by adalimumab and apixaban. Drug expenditures were $37.1 billion (a 1.1% decrease) and $135.7 billion (a 15.0% increase) in nonfederal hospitals and clinics, respectively. In clinics, increased utilization drove growth, with a small impact from price and new products. In nonfederal hospitals, a drop in utilization led the decrease in expenditures, with price and new drugs modestly contributing to growth in spending. Several new drugs that will influence spending are expected to be approved in 2024. Specialty, endocrine, and cancer drugs will continue to drive expenditures. Conclusion For 2024, we expect overall prescription drug spending to rise by 10.0% to 12.0%, whereas in clinics and hospitals we anticipate an 11.0% to 13.0% increase and a 0% to 2.0% increase, respectively, compared to 2023. These national estimates of future pharmaceutical expenditure growth may not be representative of any health system because of the myriad of local factors that influence actual spending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues: To date, there has been no synthesis of research addressing the scale and nuances of the opioid epidemic in racial/ethnic minority populations in the United States that considers the independent and joint impacts of dynamics such as structural disadvantage, provider bias, health literacy, cultural norms and various other risk factors. Approach: Using the "risk environment" framework, we conducted a scoping review on PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar of peer‐reviewed literature and governmental reports published between January 2000 and February 2024 on the nature and scale of opioid use, opioid prescribing patterns, and fatal overdoses among racial/ethnic minorities in the United States, while also examining macro, meso and individual‐level risk factors. Key Findings: Results from this review illuminate a growing, but fragmented, literature lacking standardisation in racial/ethnic classification and case reporting, specifically in regards to Indigenous and Asian subpopulations. This literature broadly illustrates racial/ethnic minorities' increasing nonmedical use of opioids, heightened burdens of fatal overdoses, specifically in relation to polydrug use and synthetic opioids, with notable elevations among Black/Latino subgroups, in addition uneven opioid prescribing patterns. Moreover, the literature implicates a variety of unique risk environments corresponding to dynamics such as residential segregation, provider bias, overpolicing, acculturative stress, patient distrust, and limited access to mental health care services and drug treatment resources, including medications for opioid use disorder. Implications: There has been a lack of rigorous, targeted study on racial/ethnic minorities who use opioids, but evidence highlights burgeoning increases in usage, especially polydrug/synthetic opioid use, and disparities in prescriptions and fatal overdose risk‐phenomena tied to multi‐level forms of entrenched disenfranchisement. Conclusion: There is a need for further research on the complex, overlapping risk environments of racial/ethnic minorities who use opioids, including deeper inclusion of Indigenous and Asian individuals, and efforts to generate greater methodological synergies in population classification and reporting guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) include opioid agonist therapies (OAT) (buprenorphine and methadone), and opioid antagonists (extended-release naltrexone). All forms of MOUD improve opioid use disorder (OUD) and HIV outcomes. However, the integration of services for HIV and OUD remains inadequate. Persistent barriers to accessing MOUD underscore the immediate necessity of addressing pharmacoequity in the treatment of OUD in persons with HIV (PWH). In this review article, we specifically focus on OAT among PWH, as it is the most commonly utilized form of MOUD. Specifically, we delineate the intersection of HIV and OUD services, emphasizing their integration into the United States Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) plan by offering comprehensive screening, testing, and treatment for both HIV and OUD. We identify potential drug interactions of OAT with antiretroviral therapy (ART), address disparities in OAT access, and present the practical benefits of long-acting formulations of buprenorphine, ART, and pre-exposure prophylaxis for improving HIV prevention and treatment and OUD management. Optimizing OUD outcomes in PWH necessitates careful attention to diagnosing OUD, initiating OUD treatment, and ensuring medication retention. Innovative approaches to healthcare delivery, such as mobile pharmacies, can integrate both OUD and HIV and reach underserved populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Opioid stewardship interventions promote appropriate use of opioids. We synthesized evidence from recent studies on the effectiveness of opioid stewardship interventions in United States healthcare settings on opioid prescribing and clinical outcomes. Methods: We followed the Evidence-based Practice Center Program's rapid review processes. We searched PubMed and Cochrane for original studies meeting specified inclusion criteria from January 2016 (correlating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pain Guidelines) to April 2023, supplemented by gray literature searches. Findings: Our search identified 13 randomized controlled trials and 6 nonrandomized studies. Randomized controlled trials addressed interventions involving multiple components (typically combining prescriber education, care management, and facilitated access to resources), clinical decision support (CDS) or electronic health records (EHR), and patient education and engagement, mainly in ambulatory chronic pain. Multicomponent interventions and opioid stewardship practices involving CDS or EHR were associated with decreased opioid prescribing or reduced doses and no increases in pain, emergency department visits, or hospitalizations (low strength of evidence for all outcomes). Patient engagement and education interventions had mixed results for opioid prescribing outcomes (insufficient strength of evidence) and no increases in pain, emergency department visits, or hospitalizations (low strength of evidence). Conclusions: Selected opioid stewardship interventions may be effective for reducing opioid prescribing without adversely affecting clinical outcomes. Interventions to reduce opioid prescribing should monitor unintended consequences and include access to nonpharmacological pain management resources with patient education and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Repurposed medications for acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continued to be prescribed after results from rigorous studies and national guidelines discouraged use. We aimed to describe prescribing rates of nonrecommended medications for acute COVID-19 in children, associations with demographic factors, and provider type and specialty. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort of children <18 years in a large United States all-payer claims database, we identified prescriptions within 2 weeks of an acute COVID-19 diagnosis.We calculated prescription rate, performed multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors, and described prescriber type and specialty during nonrecommended periods defined by national guidelines. RESULTS: We identified 3082626 COVID-19 diagnoses in 2 949 118 children between March 7, 2020 and December 31, 2022. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and ivermectin were prescribed in 0.03% and 0.14% of COVID-19 cases, respectively, during nonrecommended periods (after September 12, 2020 for HCQ and February 5, 2021 for ivermectin) with considerable variation by state. Prescription rates were 4 times the national average in Arkansas (HCQ) and Oklahoma (ivermectin). Older age, nonpublic insurance, and emergency department or urgent care visit were associated with increased risk of either prescription. Additionally, residence in nonurban and low-income areas was associated with ivermectin prescription. General practitioners had the highest rates of prescribing. CONCLUSIONS: Although nonrecommended medication prescription rates were low, the overall COVID-19 burden translated into high numbers of ineffective and potentially harmful prescriptions. Understanding overuse patterns can help mitigate downstream consequences of misinformation. Reaching providers and parents with clear evidence-based recommendations is crucial to children's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prescribing cascades are important contributors to polypharmacy. Little is known about which older adults are at highest risk of experiencing prescribing cascades. We explored which older veterans are at highest risk of the gabapentinoid (including gabapentin and pregabalin)–loop diuretic (LD) cascade, given the dramatic increase in gabapentinoid prescribing in recent years. Methods: Using Veterans Affairs and Medicare claims data (2010–2019), we performed a prescription sequence symmetry analysis (PSSA) to assess loop diuretic initiation before and after gabapentinoid initiation among older veterans (≥66 years). To identify the cascade, we calculated the adjusted sequence ratio (aSR), which assesses the temporality of LD relative to gabapentinoid initiation. To explore high‐risk groups, we used multivariable logistic regression with prescribing order modeled as a binary dependent variable. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (aORs), measuring the extent to which factors are associated with one prescribing order versus another. Results: Of 151,442 veterans who initiated a gabapentinoid, there were 1,981 patients who initiated a LD within 6 months after initiating a gabapentinoid compared to 1,599 patients who initiated a LD within 6 months before initiating a gabapentinoid. In the gabapentinoid–LD group, the mean age was 73 years, 98% were male, 13% were Black, 5% were Hispanic, and 80% were White. Patients in each group were similar across patient and health utilization factors (standardized mean difference <0.10 for all comparisons). The aSR was 1.23 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.34), strongly suggesting the cascade's presence. People age ≥85 years were less likely to have the cascade (compared to 66–74 years; aOR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.56–0.96), and people taking ≥10 medications were more likely to have the cascade (compared to 0–4 drugs; aOR 1.39, 95% CI: 1.07–1.82). Conclusions: Among older adults, those who are younger and taking many medications may be at higher risk of the gabapentinoid–LD cascade, contributing to worsening polypharmacy and potential drug‐related harms. We did not identify strong predictors of this cascade, suggesting that prescribing cascade prevention efforts should be widespread rather than focused on specific subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coccidioidomycosis poses a significant cost and morbidity burden in the United States. Additionally, coccidioidomycosis requires constant decision-making related to prevention, diagnosis, and management. Delays in diagnosis lead to significant consequences, including unnecessary diagnostic workup and antibacterial therapy. Antifungal stewardship considerations regarding empiric, prophylactic, and targeted management of coccidioidomycosis are also complex. In this review, the problems facing antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in the endemic region for coccidioidomycosis, consequences due to delayed or missed diagnoses of coccidioidomycosis on antibacterial prescribing, and excess antifungal prescribing for prevention and treatment of coccidioidomycosis are elucidated. Finally, our recommendations and research priorities for ASPs in the endemic region for coccidioidomycosis are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Off-label dosing of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) is both common and associated with adverse patient outcomes. Evidence describing best practices to support optimal direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) dosing is limited. Objective: To describe the impact of clinical pharmacist intervention on DOAC prescribing. Methods: This retrospective study was a descriptive analysis conducted within an integrated healthcare system with a centralized, pharmacist-led Anticoagulation Management Service (AMS). Patients prescribed a DOAC between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 were included. Pharmacy dispensing reports were generated for pharmacist review and anticoagulant drug therapy changes were recommended to physicians where appropriate. The primary objective was to describe the number and type of recommendations made. Secondary objectives were to determine the provider acceptance rate based on the intervention type and on clinical vs formulary recommendations. Results: Clinical pharmacists made 147 recommendations for 2331 unique patients included in the analysis. Twenty-three recommendations (16%) were to decrease the dose, 46 (31%) were to increase the dose, 14 (10%) were to change the medication due to clinical scenario, 62 (42%) were to change the medication due to cost, and 2 (1%) were another issue. One hundred twenty-three (84%) recommendations were accepted. The provider acceptance rate was similar for clinical and formulary recommendations (85% and 82% respectively). Conclusion: Implementation of report-driven clinical pharmacist intervention led to an improvement in appropriate DOAC medication selection and dosing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) is widely considered the first-line treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), which causes significant morbidity and mortality in the United States, but prior to 2023, practitioners interested in prescribing buprenorphine/naloxone for OUD needed a special Drug Enforcement Administration certification (the X-Waiver) that imposed a patient cap and other limitations. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 considerably decreased the restrictions on prescribing practitioners. Buprenorphine/naloxone can now be prescribed like any other prescription opioid, excluding methadone. The historic context for the opioid crisis, OUD, the X-Waiver, and additional initiatives that may be needed beyond legislative change to effectively address OUD are the subjects of this review. Methods: To develop this review of the opioid crisis, OUD, and OUD treatment, we conducted a literature search of the PubMed database and constructed a timeline of the opioid crisis and changes in OUD treatment, specifically the X-Waiver, to characterize the historic context of OUD and the X-Waiver against the background of the opioid crisis. Results: The opioid crisis has had pervasive public health and economic impacts in the United States. Major changes to the treatment of OUD have occurred as a result of the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 that imposed the X-Waiver and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 that repealed the X-Waiver. Conclusion: The repeal of the X-Waiver is predicted to increase the accessibility of buprenorphine/naloxone in the United States. However, additional work beyond legislative change, including institutional support and reduction of stigma and disparities, is needed to substantially improve outcomes for OUD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the pursuit of ending the HIV epidemic, U.S. emergency departments (EDs) have emerged as a valuable setting to increase HIV testing and linkage to care. There is limited data available, however, describing the incorporation of HIV prevention initiatives in U.S. EDs. Over the last decade, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has significantly changed the HIV prevention landscape globally and very little is known about the provision of PrEP in U.S. EDs. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed quantitative studies and conference abstracts spanning July 2012 - October 2022. Of 433 citations, 11 articles and 13 abstracts meet our inclusion criteria, representing 18 unique studies addressing PrEP screening, prescribing, and/or linkage to PrEP care. Most studies describe screening processes to identify PrEP-eligible patients (n = 17); most studies leveraged a patient's STI history as initial PrEP eligibility screening criteria. Fewer studies describe PrEP prescribing (n = 2) and/or linkage to PrEP care (n = 8). Findings from this systematic review highlight the potential for U.S. EDs to increase PrEP uptake among individuals at risk for HIV infection. Despite a growing number of studies exploring processes for incorporating PrEP into the ED setting, such studies are small-scale and time limited. Models providing prescribing PrEP in the ED show higher initiation rates than post-discharge engagement models. Electronic health record (EHR)-based HIV screening is valuable, but post-ED linkage rates are low. Our findings emphasize the need to establish best practices for initiating and supporting prevention effective PrEP use in the ED setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic treatment for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, it remains underutilized across the United States, warranting a more comprehensive understanding of variation in use at the county level, as well as characterization of existing prescribing patterns. Here, we examined both Medicaid and Medicare databases to (1) characterize temporal and geographic variation in clozapine prescribing and, (2) identify patient-level characteristics associated with clozapine use. We included Medicaid and Fee for Service Medicare data in the state of Pennsylvania from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2019. We focused on individuals with continuous enrollment, schizophrenia diagnosis, and multiple antipsychotic trials. Geographic variation was examined across counties of Pennsylvania. Regression models were constructed to determine demographic and clinical characteristics associated with clozapine use. Out of 8,255 individuals who may benefit from clozapine, 642 received treatment. We observed high medication burden, overall, including multiple antipsychotic trials. We also identified variation in clozapine use across regions in Pennsylvania with a disproportionate number of prescribers in urban areas and several counties with no identified clozapine prescribers. Finally, demographic, and clinical determinants of clozapine use were observed including less use in people identified as non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, or with a substance use disorder. In addition, greater medical comorbidity was associated with increased clozapine use. Our work leveraged both Medicaid and Medicare data to characterize and surveil clozapine prescribing. Our findings support efforts monitor disparities and opportunities for the optimization of clozapine within municipalities to enhance clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Opioid overdose deaths in the United States remain a major public health crisis. Little is known about counties with high rates of opioid overdose mortality but low availability of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment facilities. We sought to identify characteristics of United States (US) counties with high rates of opioid overdose mortality and low rates of opioid treatment facilities. Methods: Rates of overdose mortality from 3,130 US counties were compared with availability of opioid treatment facilities that prescribed or allowed medications for OUD (MOUD), from 2018-2019. The outcome variable, "risk-availability mismatch" county, was a binary indicator of a high rate (above national average) of opioid overdose mortality with a low (below national average) rate of opioid treatment facilities. Covariates of interest included county-level sociodemographics and rates of insurance, unemployment, educational attainment, poverty, urbanicity, opioid prescribing, depression, heart disease, Gini index, and Theil index. Multilevel logistic regression, accounting for the clustering of counties within states, was used to determine associations with being a "risk-availability mismatch" county. Results: Of 3,130 counties, 1,203 (38.4%) had high rates of opioid overdose mortality. A total of 1,098 counties (35.1%) lacked a publicly-available opioid treatment facility in 2019. In the adjusted model, counties with an additional 1% of: white residents (odds ratio, OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03), unemployment (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.05-1.19), and residents without insurance (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08) had increased odds of being a mismatch county. Counties that were metropolitan (versus non-metropolitan) had an increased odds of being a mismatch county (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.45-2.38). Conclusion: Assessing mismatch between treatment availability and need provides useful information to characterize counties that require greater public health investment. Interventions to reduce overdose mortality are unlikely to be effective if they do not take into account diverse upstream factors, including sociodemographics, disease burden, and geographic context of communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Healthcare industry sometimes make large marketing payments to physicians. Previous studies have demonstrated that there are significant associations between industry marketing practices and physicians' prescribing behaviours in several specialties. Given the current increasing introduction of many novel biologics for atopic dermatitis and increasing payments to dermatologists, the industry payments to dermatologists for atopic dermatitis drugs could be associated with their prescribing patterns in the United States. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to evaluate association between dermatologists' dupilumab prescription behaviours and manufacturer's sponsored meal payments to dermatologists in the United States. Method: Using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Open Payments Database, this cross‐sectional analysis evaluated associations between manufacturer's sponsored meal payments to dermatologists related to dupilumab and dermatologists' dupilumab prescriptions between 2017 and 2021. Associations were evaluated using logistic generalised estimating equations (GEE) and negative binomial regression GEE models at individual dermatologist level. Results: Among 2852 dermatologists prescribing dupilumab, 74.5% received meal payments amounting to $1,083,919 between 2017 and 2021. Dermatologists receiving meal payments were more likely to prescribe dupilumab (odds ratio 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.37–1.65). There were also consistent dose–response associations between meal payments and total claims as well as Medicare spending. Dermatologists who received 1, 2–5, 6–10, and 11–15 meal payments per year reported 1.13 (95% CI: 1.03–1.24, p < 0.05), 1.35 (95% CI: 1.24–1.46, p < 0.001), 1.64 (95% CI: 1.48–1.82, p < 0.001), and 2.10 (95% CI: 1.78–2.47, p < 0.001) times more dupilumab‐related claims in the year when they received the payments than those who did not receive the payments, respectively. Conclusion: This study found that significant associations between industry‐sponsored meal payments and increased dupilumab prescriptions, shedding light on the potential influence of financial relationships on clinical practice. The findings call for heightened awareness among dermatologists, patients, and policymakers regarding the impact of these relationships on healthcare expenditures and decision‐making in the United States. Future research is warranted to further explore these associations longitudinally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis is a common infection responsible for more than 6 million office visits in the United States annually. Only 10% of adults seeking care for a sore throat have group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis; however, 60% or more are prescribed antibiotics. Guidelines recommend using clinical decision rules to assess the risk of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection, followed by rapid antigen testing if a diagnosis is unclear, before prescribing antibiotics. Fever, tonsillar exudate, cervical lymphadenitis, and patient ages of 3 to 15 years increase clinical suspicion. A cough is more suggestive of a viral etiology. The limited history used in these decision rules is amenable to virtual visits. After a negative rapid antigen test result, a throat culture is recommended in children and adolescents. Penicillin and amoxicillin are first-line antibiotics, with a recommended course of 10 days; first-generation cephalosporins are recommended for patients with nonanaphylactic allergies to penicillin. There is significant resistance to azithromycin and clarithromycin in some parts of the United States. Steroids are not recommended for symptomatic treatment. Patients with worsening symptoms after appropriate antibiotic initiation or with symptoms lasting 5 days after the start of treatment should be reevaluated. Tonsillectomy is rarely recommended as a preventive measure: seven episodes of streptococcal pharyngitis in 1 year, five episodes in each of the past 2 years, or three episodes in each of the past 3 years are commonly used thresholds for considering surgery. (Am Fam Physician. 2024; 109(4): 343–349. Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Family Physicians.) Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis is a common infection responsible for more than 6 million office visits in the United States annually. Only 10% of adults seeking care for a sore throat have group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis; however, 60% or more are prescribed antibiotics. Guidelines recommend using clinical decision rules to assess the risk of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection, followed by rapid antigen testing if a diagnosis is unclear, before prescribing antibiotics. Fever, tonsillar exudate, cervical lymphadenitis, and patient ages of 3 to 15 years increase clinical suspicion. A cough is more suggestive of a viral etiology. The limited history used in these decision rules is amenable to virtual visits. After a negative rapid antigen test result, a throat culture is recommended in children and adolescents. Penicillin and amoxicillin are first-line antibiotics, with a recommended course of 10 days; first-generation cephalosporins are recommended for patients with nonanaphylactic allergies to penicillin. There is significant resistance to azithromycin and clarithromycin in some parts of the United States. Steroids are not recommended for symptomatic treatment. Patients with worsening symptoms after appropriate antibiotic initiation or with symptoms lasting 5 days after the start of treatment should be reevaluated. Tonsillectomy is rarely recommended as a preventive measure: seven episodes of streptococcal pharyngitis in 1 year, five episodes in each of the past 2 years, or three episodes in each of the past 3 years are commonly used thresholds for considering surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on advocating for the nationwide authorization of licensed US pharmacists to prescribe oral contraceptives (OCs) based on their safety and efficacy. Topics include the endorsement of pharmacist-prescribed OCs by the American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP), the evolution of OC formulations, and the training recommendations for pharmacists regarding OC prescription based on US Medical Eligibility Criteria (US MEC) for contraceptive use.

Opioid use disorder remains an epidemic in the United States. Buprenorphine is a Food and Drug Administration-approved medication for opioid use disorder that is associated with decreased opioid-related mortality and morbidity. Until recently, providers had to have a specialized wavier, a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) X, to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. The 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed into law by President Biden, removed X waiver requirements and implements new training requirements for all new and renewing DEA registrants. This brief report outlines the history of buprenorphine prescribing regulation, reviews the recent regulatory changes and their implications for nurse practitioner buprenorphine prescribing, and concludes by considering the importance of promoting buprenorphine access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The diversion of unused opioid prescription pills to the community at large contributes to the opioid epidemic in the US. In this county-level population-based study, we aimed to examine the US surgeons' opioid prescription patterns, trends, and system-level predictors in the peak years of the opioid epidemic. STUDY DESIGN: Using the Medicare Part D database (2013 to 2017), the mean number of opioid prescriptions per beneficiary (OPBs) was determined for each US county. Opioid-prescribing patterns were compared across counties. Multivariable linear regression was performed to determine relationships between county-level social determinants of health (demographic, eg median age and education level; socioeconomic, eg median income; population health status, eg percentage of current smokers; healthcare quality, eg rate of preventable hospital stays; and healthcare access, eg healthcare costs) and OPBs. RESULTS: Opioid prescription data were available for 1,969 of 3,006 (65.5%) US counties, and opioid-related deaths were recorded in 1,384 of 3,006 counties (46%). Nationwide, the mean OPBs decreased from 1.08 ± 0.61 in 2013 to 0.87 ± 0.55 in 2017; 81.6% of the counties showed the decreasing trend. County-level multivariable analyses showed that lower median population age, higher percentages of bachelor's degree holders, higher percentages of adults reporting insufficient sleep, higher healthcare costs, fewer mental health providers, and higher percentages of uninsured adults are associated with higher OPBs. CONCLUSIONS: Opioid prescribing by surgeons decreased between 2013 and 2017. A county's suboptimal access to healthcare in general and mental health services in specific may be associated with more opioid prescribing after surgery. (J Am Coll Surg 2024;238:280-288. © 2024 by the American College of Surgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dentists are an overlooked group of prescribers but are responsible for up to 10% of antibiotic prescriptions written in the United States annually, most of which are for prophylaxis. Dental prophylaxis in orthopedic patients has been an area of confusion, with discordance among societal guidelines. In 2020, an antimicrobial stewardship (AS) group spearheaded a collaborative effort among dental, orthopedic surgery, and infectious diseases specialties to develop a protocol for the use of dental antibiotic prophylaxis for patients with total joint replacements (TJRs) based on the most current American Dental Association-American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons statement. This study aimed to assess antibiotic prescribing for dental prophylaxis before and after an AS intervention. This study is an interventional, pre-post review of dental encounters with patients with a history of TJR before (October 2019 to July 2021) and after (August 2021 to April 2023) the intervention. Charts were reviewed to determine the frequency and appropriateness of dental procedure prophylactic antibiotics. A total of 1587 encounters from October 2019 to April 2023 were identified. Notably, 179 encounters in the pre- and 183 encounters in the postgroup were analyzed, 31 encounters (17%) in the pregroup versus 33 (18%) in the postgroup had a prophylactic antibiotic associated with it (P > 0.05), 26 of 31 antibiotics (84%) in the pregroup were prescribed for prosthetic joint infection prophylaxis compared with 18 of 33 (55%) in the postgroup (P > 0.05), and 151 of 179 encounters (84.3%) were guideline adherent in the preintervention group compared with 160 of 183 encounters (87.4%) in the postintervention group (P > 0.05). This study observed a shift in the distribution of antibiotic indications and a decreased rate of inappropriate prophylactic prescriptions in dental patients with a history of TJR after an AS-led, collaborative intervention. Although the overall rate of prophylactic antibiotic prescribing remained the same and the changes did not reach statistical significance, lessons learned through this process can help inform future interventions in our institution and for others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the need for equity in clinical trials for invasive Staphylococcus aureus infections, highlighting racial and socioeconomic disparities in both disease incidence and treatment. Topics include the challenges of antimicrobial resistance and its impact on racial disparities, the importance of including diverse demographics in clinical trials to ensure generalizability of results.

The article discusses a review on cannabinoids' limited effectiveness for Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, urging for high-quality trials to assess their potential.

Background: The prevalence of cardiovascular events is increasing. There are many new lipids lowering therapies available in recent years. Increased evidence through literature and guidelines suggests that the use of lipid lowering therapy (LLT) benefits patients who are at risk for cardiovascular events. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the current LLT use as well as patterns of treatment modification among adults ≥ 65 years. Methods: A retrospective analysis of administrative claims data between January 2016 and May 2018 was conducted. Patients with a LLT refill and continuous enrollment during 1-year prior and 1-year follow-up were identified. The treatment episodes captured were interruption of therapy, intensity changes, dose changes, treatment augmentation, switching, and discontinuation. An analysis of treatment patterns among patients ≥75 years was also performed. Results: The study included 14,360 patients with a LLT of which 99% of patients were on statins as monotherapy or combination. Overall non-statin therapy use either as monotherapy or combination was 2.1%. There were significant differences among new initiators and existing users of therapy. Among prevalent users 57.4% had no changes in the follow-up period, 13.6% interrupted therapy, and 6.6% discontinued. Among new users, 47.9% patients had interrupted therapy, 25% had no changes, and 21.9% discontinued therapy. Conclusion: Most patients were on monotherapy and statins with low non-statin use. The new users among them were more likely to discontinue and interrupt therapy, highlighting the limitations and issues that older patients face that need to increase adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examined azithromycin prescriptions in children from birth to 19 years of age. Topics discussed include data collected in the study, a high prevalence of penicillin (PCN) allergy in the cohort of patients who were prescribed azithromycin, and age distribution of children who received azithromycin prescriptions during the study period.

Although substantial attention has been given to opioid prescribing in the United States, opioid-related mortality continues to climb due to the rising incidence and prevalence of opioid use disorder. Perioperative care has an important role in the consideration of opioid prescribing and the care of individuals at risk for poor postoperative pain- and opioid-related outcomes. Opioids are effective for acute pain management and commonly prescribed for postoperative pain. However, failure to align prescribing with patient need can result in overprescribing and exacerbate the flow of unused opioids into communities. Conversely, underprescribing can result in the undertreatment of pain, complicating recovery and impairing well-being after surgery. Optimizing pain management can be particularly challenging for individuals who are previously exposed to opioids or have critical risk factors, including opioid use disorder. In this review, we will explore the role of perioperative care in the broader context of the opioid epidemic in the United States, and provide considerations for a multidisciplinary, comprehensive approach to perioperative pain management and optimal opioid stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE Opioid prescribing trends in medical oncology are poorly defined past 2017, the year after the CDC updated opioid prescription guidelines in noncancer settings. We aim to characterize pain management by medical oncologists by analyzing opioid and gabapentin prescribing trends from 2013 to 2019, identify physician-related factors associated with prescribing patterns, and assess whether CDC guidelines for nononcologic settings changed prescribing patterns. METHODS The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Part D Prescribers--by Provider, CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers--by Provider and Drug, and CMS Medicare Physician National Downloadable files from 2013 to 2019 were merged by National Provider Identification. The database included physicians' sex, years of practice, regions, and practice settings. Multivariable binary logistic regression identified significant predictors of total opioid, longacting opioid, and gabapentin prescriptions. RESULTS Binary logistic regression modeling revealed no significant difference in mean daily total opioid prescriptions from 2013 to 2017. Daily opioid prescriptions by medical oncologists decreased significantly after 2017 (P < .001). Increased opioid prescribing was associated with physician male sex (P < .001), practicing over 10 years (P < .001), and practice in nonurban areas (P < .001). Opioid prescribing was greatest in the South and Midwest United States (P < .001). The same patterns were observed with total longacting opioid prescriptions, whereas gabapentin prescribing increased from 2013 to 2019 (P < .001). CONCLUSION Opioid prescriptions by medical oncologists decreased significantly from 2013 to 2019, but this decrease was most substantial from 2017 to 2019. These results may imply that the 2016 CDC guidelines influenced medical oncologists, particularly more junior physicians in urban settings, to manage chronic cancer pain with alternative therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Documentation of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is a key factor in guiding future prescribing. However, incomplete documentation is common and often fails to distinguish implicated drugs as true allergies. This in turn leads to unnecessary avoidance of implicated drug classes and may result in sub-optimal prescribing. Pharmacovigilance (PV) programs utilize a systematic approach to clarify ADR documentation and are known to improve patient safety. Yet it remains unclear if PV alters prescribing. Or, if the existence of the ADR documentation itself continues to prompt avoidance of implicated drugs. To address this, our work presents a retrospective cohort study assessing if clarification of antibiotic ADRs by a hospital-wide PV team was associated with future, safe, re-prescribing at a freestanding pediatric hospital in the midwestern United States. First, we compared the likelihood of future prescribing in an antibiotic class with an active ADR, as compared to alternative drug classes, between PV-clarified and non-clarified patients. Second, we assessed differences in adverse event rates 30-days after future prescribing based on PV clarification status. For robustness, analyses were performed on patients with ADRs in four antibiotic classes: penicillin-based beta-lactams (n = 45,642), sulfonamides/trimethoprim (n = 5,329), macrolides (n = 3,959), and glycopeptides (n = 622). Results illustrate that clarification of an ADR by PV was associated with an increased odds of future prescribing in the same drug class (Odds Ratio [95%-CI]): penicillin-based beta-lactams (1.59 [1.36–1.89]), sulfonamides/trimethoprim (2.29 [0.89–4.91]), macrolides (0.77 [0.33–1.61]), and glycopeptide (1.85 [1.12–3.20]). Notably, patients clarified by PV experienced no increase in the rate of adverse events within 30-days following the prescribing of antibiotics in the same class as an active ADR. Overall, this study provides strong evidence that PV reviews safely increase the rate of re-prescribing antibiotics even in the presence of an existing implicated drug ADR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Despite depression being a common comorbidity among adults with cancer, limited literature is available regarding pharmacologic depression treatment patterns and predictors in this population. This study aims to examine patterns and predictors of antidepressant prescribing among adults with cancer and depression in ambulatory care settings in the United States (US). Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study utilized data collected from the 2014 to 2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS). The study sample consisted of adults (age ≥ 18 years) with cancer and depression (unweighted N = 539; weighted N = 11,361,000). A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for individual-level factors to identify predictors of antidepressant prescribing. Results: Most patients were adults aged ≥ 65 years, female, and non-Hispanic whites. Thirty-seven percent of the study sample received antidepressant treatment. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that race/ethnicity, physician specialty, and number of medications were significantly associated with receiving antidepressant(s). For example, non-Hispanic whites were two-and-half times more likely to receive an antidepressant [OR 2.43, 95% confidence interval 1.13–5.23] compared to other race/ethnic groups. Every unit increase in the number of prescribed medications increased the likelihood of receiving an antidepressant by 6% (OR 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01–1.11). Conclusion: Among adults with a comorbid cancer and depression diagnosis and a recorded U.S. ambulatory care visit in 2014–2015, 37% received antidepressant treatment. This suggests most patients with cancer and depression do not receive pharmacologic treatment for depression. Future studies are needed to investigate the impact of antidepressant treatment on health outcomes in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to examine associations between obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) contraceptive recommendations and sociodemographic characteristics of patients and recommending physicians. OBGYNs affiliated with residency programs across the United States were recruited via email to participate in an online exploratory survey depicting scenarios of reproductive-age women of differing race and socioeconomic status, all other factors identical, and were asked to provide contraceptive recommendations. The χ2 test, Fisher's exact tests, and logistic regression were used to analyze recommendation differences based on physician and patient characteristics. Of 172 physician respondents, large proportions self-identified as white (74%) and attending physicians (56%) from the Mid-Atlantic (42%). In multivariate logistic regression, self-administered methods (odds ratio [OR], 0.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2–0.8) and condoms (OR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3–0.9) were recommended significantly less to Black high SES patients compared with white high SES patients. Non-white physicians recommended tubal ligation (OR, 0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5–0.9) significantly less than white physicians, and recommended long-acting reversible contraception (OR, 3.3, CI 2.2–5.2) and condoms (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1–1.9) significantly more. Trainee physicians recommended self-administered methods (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2–0.4), condoms (OR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.2–0.3), and tubal ligation (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.3–0.6) significantly less than attending physicians. OBGYN contraceptive recommendations differed based on patients' perceived race and SES. Recommendations also differed based on race, training level, and geographic location of the recommending physician. Results suggest that physician bias contributes to contraceptive recommendations. OBGYNs should receive education about contraceptive coercion and patient-centered decision-making so that they provide high-quality counseling to all patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background On June 1, 2021, Vermont repealed all criminal penalties for possessing 224 milligrams or less of buprenorphine. We examined the potential impact of decriminalization with a survey of Vermont clinicians who prescribed buprenorphine within the past year. Methods All 638 Vermont clinicians with a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine were emailed the survey by Vermont Department of Health; 117 responded. We estimated the prevalence of the following four outcomes, for all responding clinicians and stratified by clinician demographics and practice characteristics: awareness of decriminalization, beliefs about the effects of decriminalization, support for decriminalization, and changes in practice resulting from decriminalization. Results 72 (62%) prescribers correctly stated that Vermont does not have criminal penalties for buprenorphine possession. 107 (91%) support decriminalization. 56 (48%) believe that, because buprenorphine is decriminalized, their patients are more likely to give, sell, or trade the buprenorphine that is prescribed to them to someone else. However, only 5 providers (4%) said they now prescribe to fewer patients. Conclusion The great majority of Vermont clinicians who prescribe buprenorphine support its decriminalization and have not changed their prescribing practices because of decriminalization. Highlights In 2021, Vermont repealed criminal penalties for buprenorphine possession. We surveyed Vermont (n = 117) buprenorphine prescribers about decriminalization. 91% of providers support decriminalization. 48% of providers believe decriminalization will increase diversion of medications. Only 4% of providers prescribe to fewer patients because of decriminalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents legislative updates for advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) in the U.S. It discusses challenges to the implementation of transition to practice periods including inconsistent application of rules pertaining to APRN mentorship hours, physician willingness to sign attestations and employer hesitation in hiring nurse practitioners. It reports the licensure and titling of APRNs and improvements to APRN prescriptive authority and practice authority in several states.

The opioid crisis is an ongoing crisis in the United States. Postoperative patients who receive opioid prescriptions have a 3%-7% risk of developing a chronic opioid abuse problem. This study aims to describe on-target opioid prescribing and use of multimodal pain management strategies 2 y after the implementation of a multicomponent quality improvement initiative across our statewide collaborative. From July 2020 to September 2021, we prospectively collected data on opioid-prescribing and multimodal strategies for 10 targeted procedures in general, gynecologic, and orthopedic surgery at three hospitals. Prescribing was on-target if a patient was prescribed ≤50 daily morphine milligram equivalents. Multimodal strategies were defined as two or more nonopioid adjuncts used within 48 h of surgery. One thousand and eleven targeted procedures were performed with prescription data available for 993 cases. The on-target prescribing rate was 79.6% (n = 790), with general surgery 92.5% (n = 285), gynecology 84.9% (n = 331), and orthopedic surgery 59.0% (n = 174). Patients who received multimodal pain approaches were associated with interventions such as patient education, transversus abdominus plane block, and prescriptions for nonopioid analgesics at discharge. There was no evidence to support a difference in the use of multimodal pain control approaches between patients whose opioid prescribing was on-target or not (73.8% versus 77.3%, P = 0.30). At the first postoperative visit, data on continued opioid use were missing in 57.3% of patients, number of pills used was missing in 93.8%, and adequate pain control was missing in 52.8%. On-target prescribing and multimodal strategies are common but vary by specialty. Additionally, postoperative pain control and opioid use are often not documented. To better match prescribing to patient needs, understanding patient-level and specialty-level opioid use is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the impact of opioid prescribing policies, describing the opioid overdose epidemic and the consequences of opioid stewardship initiatives over the past decade in the United States. Topics include the historical context of opioid prescriptions, the influence of pharmaceutical companies, and the unintended consequences of opioid deprescribing, leading to a significant increase in opioid overdose deaths.

Although knowledge is a salient determinant in primary care providers (PCPs) prescribing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to adolescents, we know little about what information PCPs want about PrEP. We conducted an online mixed-method study to explore the PrEP information needs of a national sample of 351 PCPs. We analyzed data with deductive content analysis and compared themes between respondents who were aware and not aware of PrEP, knowledgeable and not knowledgeable of the prescribing guidelines, and prescribed and never prescribed PrEP to an adolescent. PCPs who were unknowledgeable about PrEP and never prescribed PrEP to an adolescent mentioned manufacturing information, indications and dosing, and contraindications and adverse reactions more so than PCPs who were aware of and prescribed PrEP. A better understanding of the information needs of PCPs could inform provider education interventions. Future research must examine the facilitators and barriers to integrating PrEP information into medical education and clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare opioid prescription patterns of ophthalmologists based on performance on the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) written qualifying examination (WQE) and oral certifying examinations (OE). Design: All ophthalmologists within the Medicare Prescriber Part D Database from 2013 -- 2018 who attempted the ABO, WQE, or OE were included. Opioid prescription data were analyzed based on ABO certification status: certified on first attempt, failed but then certified, and never certified. Results: There were 6822 ophthalmologists with 32258 records in the Medicare database during the study period with ABO data available. The point estimate for total opioid prescriptions per year was 7.3, standard error (SE) 0.3 for ophthalmologists who were certified on the first attempt (reference). The estimate for those who failed one or both qualifying examinations, but then became board certified (BC) was -1.7, SE 0.6 (p = 0.0031); and the estimate for those ophthalmologists who never became BC was +0.8, SE 1.5 (p = 0.5318). The point estimate for cost of opioids prescribed per year was $55.17, SE 4.4 for ophthalmologists who were certified on the first attempt, with the estimate for those who failed one or both qualifying examinations, but then became BC being $-12.29, SE 8.7 (p = 0.1581); and for those ophthalmologists who never became BC being +$69.54, SE 21.7 (p = 0.0014). Conclusions: Diplomates who initially failed one or both qualifying exams, but who ultimately became certified, prescribed less opioids, less costly opioids, and less supply of opioids within the Medicare Part D database compared to non-BC ophthalmologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, autoinflammatory skin disease associated with many comorbidities. One biologic (adalimumab) is approved for HS. This study assessed the sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and associated costs of patients with HS following biologic approval. Methods: This non-interventional, retrospective cohort study involved adult (≥ 18 years) and adolescent (12–17 years) patients diagnosed with HS in the United States (US) using Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database during the period 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2018. Results: Of 42,843 identified patients, 10,909 met the incident HS patient criteria (10,230 adults, 628 adolescents, 51 patients aged <12 years). Patients were mostly diagnosed by a general practitioner/pediatrician (adults: 41.6%; adolescents: 39.6%) or dermatologist (adults: 22.1%; adolescents: 30.6%). Commonly reported Charlson comorbidities at pre-index in adult patients were diabetes without complications (20.4%), chronic pulmonary disease (16.4%) and diabetes with complications (9.0%), and the most frequent Elixhauser comorbidities were uncomplicated hypertension (38.3%), obesity (22.5%), uncomplicated diabetes (19.0%) and depression (17.4%). The burden of comorbidities generally increased over time after diagnosis in both adults and adolescents. HS-related surgical procedures were uncommon in the 2-years post-index period: an incision and drainage procedure was reported in 7.6% of adults and 6.4% of adolescents. Patients were predominantly treated with both topical and systemic antibiotic treatments (adults: 25.0% and 65.1%, respectively; adolescents: 41.7% and 74.5%, respectively). Biologic prescription was higher in adults than adolescents (3.5% vs. 1.8%). Total healthcare costs for adult and adolescent patients in the 2-years post-index period were US$42,143 and US$16,057, respectively, with outpatient costs accounting for the majority of these costs (US$20,980 and US$8408, respectively). Conclusion: In adult and adolescent patients with HS, comorbidity burden continues to increase after diagnosis. All-cause and HS-specific HCRU and costs are high in adults and adolescents with HS. These findings support the need for a multidisciplinary comprehensive care strategy for patients with HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Naloxone-prescription opioid co-prescribing mandates have increasingly been proposed and adopted in the U.S., at both the national and state levels, as a public health intervention for mitigating the impacts of opioid overdoses. In this study, we assess whether a hypothetical national, naloxone co-prescribing mandate has become less costly for the U.S. health system since 2018. Methods: We expand and update an existing economic model of naloxone co-prescribing to estimate annual health system spending. We refresh the model inputs through 2021 to reflect changes to the opioid and naloxone landscapes, expand the model to account for more types of market responses, and develop additional scenarios around alternate implementation strategies such as bulk purchasing. Results: We estimate annual spending increases across all retail opioid patients of $1.4–$4.0 billion with naloxone nasal sprays and auto-injectors, and $0.6–$0.9 billion with traditional injectable naloxone formulations. We also find that bulk purchasing could lead to higher spending increases in some patient populations absent volume discounts. Conclusions: Our estimates are substantially lower than prior research. Key drivers include lower prices for naloxone, higher current naloxone distribution, a longer approved shelf life for naloxone, and lower estimated sizes for some patient populations. Additional research is needed to estimate the potential benefits of naloxone co-prescribing for mitigating opioid overdoses, and whether they could outweigh spending increases. Steps that could make this policy more beneficial or less costly include targeting higher risk patient populations and promoting large-scale purchasing agreements with volume discounts to help offset potential price increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia, are a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in the United States, particularly among low-income and historically marginalized populations. Evidence suggests low-dose aspirin prophylaxis may help prevent preeclampsia in individuals at increased risk of developing the disease. This study examines associations between preeclampsia risk factors and aspirin prescribing practices among patients receiving prenatal care at a network of federally qualified health centers (FQHC). Methods: Researchers conducted retrospective chart reviews (n = 523) of pregnant individuals ages 18–50 who completed two or more prenatal visits at the FQHC between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020. Prescription patterns for patients at moderate and high risk for preeclampsia were analyzed using unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models to identify the patients with the greatest risk of not receiving the recommended prophylactic treatment. Results: Of 249 total patients considered at risk for preeclampsia, only 39% received an aspirin prescription. 57.89% of patients with any high-risk factor were appropriately prescribed aspirin, but only 27.27% of patients with two or more moderate-risk factors without high-risk factors received a prescription. Clinicians most frequently prescribed aspirin for patients with a history of preeclampsia and history of hypertension. However, aspirin was prescribed a maximum of 78.79% of the time for patients with a prior history of hypertension. Among moderate-risk factors, patients with advanced maternal age, Black race, or nulliparity were significantly more likely in adjusted models to be prescribed aspirin. Conclusions: Despite the documented benefits of aspirin prescribing and support from professional societies, there are still many missed opportunities for aspirin prophylaxis to prevent preeclampsia. Future interventions should focus on identifying patients who qualify for aspirin prophylaxis on the basis of having multiple moderate-risk factors without comorbid high-risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]