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Overdoses that are caused by prescription opioid may be on the rise.

Results of a large study showed that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) might be equally effective in both patients with unipolar depression and those with bipolar depression.1

Current guidelines for the management of bipolar depression are outdated because they are based on the definition and treatment of unipolar depression, accor

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may be an effective therapy for treatment-resistant bipolar depression, according to the results of a recent pilot study led by Guohua Xia,

Although rapid-cycling bipolar disorder has been linked to the use of antidepressants, these treatments may still have a role in the management of patients with bipolar depression, said Stephen V. Sobel, MD, clinical instructor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, in a presentation at the US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress in Las Vegas.1 Patients with bipolar disorder spend most of their time in depression, and antidepressants can alleviate the symptoms, he said.

This study investigated the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of treatments for moderate to severe psoriasis from a managed health care systems perspective. An analysis was conducted of randomized clinical trials evaluating biologic and oral systemic medications and phototherapy for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

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.

This discussion reviews the currently available antivirals and recommendations for their use in influenza prophylaxis and treatment. Because our understanding of 2009 H1N1 influenza is still evolving, some off-label use of medications is discussed and noted. Information on 2009 H1N1 is updated frequently, andreaders are encouraged to monitor advisories from federal, state, and local health agencies for up-to-date information. (Drug Benefit Trends. 2010;22:10-14)

The list of covered preventive services for Medicare beneficiaries has expanded to include screening for HIV infection, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This test will now be available to Medicare beneficiaries at increased risk for HIV infection, including women who are pregnant and any Medicare beneficiary of any age who requests testing.1

In a 3-2 decision, the Montana Supreme Court determined that nothing in Montana state law prevents physicians from assisting patients with suicide, making Montana the third state, following Oregon and Washington, to allow this practice.1

In a new law coined the “extra help” program, which is being promoted by Chubby Checker, more than 1 million low-income seniors will be newly eligible for nearly $4000 in prescription drug assistance.

The gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage, or the doughnut hole, may be why many seniors with diabetes are not adhering to medications. Researchers from Kaiser Permanente and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, focused their study on what happens during the gap, or when patients are paying for their medications out of pocket.1

Health care spending in the United States slowed to a growth rate of 4.4% in 2008-the slowest in 48 years-as national health spending reached $2.3 trillion ($7681 per person). These results were published in an annual report from the National Health Expenditure Accounts Team.1

A 62-year-old woman presents with epistaxis from the right nostril. Thenosebleed has lasted about 90 minutes, and she has become alarmedby the amount of blood on the tissues and washcloth she has applied to hernose.

A recent study has shown that rates of disability may be rising among noninstitutionalized adults 65 years and older in the United States.1 “People are living longer, but many are also living sicker,” said Amani Nuru-Jeter, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of community health and human development at the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, and coauthor of the study.

Although policymakers continue to push for greater adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs), physicians already using these systems report difficulty in exchanging data because of program interoperability, according to a new report.1 “We found that many aspects of the EMRs are helpful for coordination of care delivered within the physician’s office,” said Ann S. O’Malley, MD, MPH, lead study author and senior researcher at the Center for Studying Health System Change, in an interview with Drug Benefit Trends. “But there are areas for both office care processes and EMR design to evolve in order for EMRs to better support coordination tasks.”