Latest news with #prescriptions
Medscape
a day ago
- Health
- Medscape
Urgent Care Linked to High Prescribing Rates
TOPLINE: Urgent care visits frequently result in inappropriate prescribing, with 12.4% leading to antibiotic fills, 9.1% to glucocorticoid fills, and 1.3% to opioid fills. Analysis of over 22.4 million urgent care visits revealed concerning patterns, including 40.8% of acute bronchitis visits resulting in inappropriate glucocorticoid prescriptions. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study analyzing urgent care visits from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2022, using Merative MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases representing over 270 million Americans and 12.9 million Medicare supplemental beneficiaries. Analysis included 10,773,218 patients with a median age of 34 years (interquartile range, 20-49 years), with 56.6% (n = 8,640,819) being women, from a total of 22,426,546 urgent care visits. Primary diagnosis codes were grouped into Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR) categories, with visits containing missing or multiple primary diagnostic codes excluded to ensure accurate assessment of prescription appropriateness. Patients could contribute multiple visits only when separated by more than 3 days to allow accurate prescription attribution, with researchers examining inappropriate oral antibiotic, glucocorticoid, and opioid prescription fills for the 10 most common CCSR categories. TAKEAWAY: Analysis revealed that out of 22,426,546 urgent care visits, 2,783,924 (12.4%) led to antibiotic prescription fills, 2,038,506 (9.1%) to glucocorticoid fills, and 299,210 (1.3%) to opioid prescription fills. Researchers found that antibiotics were always appropriate for 58.2% (n = 169,782) of upper respiratory infections and 63.9% (n = 325,632) of urinary tract infections, while being frequently filled for never-appropriate indications including otitis media (30.66%, n = 33,001). Glucocorticoid prescriptions were commonly prescribed, though generally inappropriate for upper respiratory infections (11.9%, n = 306,658), sinusitis (23.9%, n = 253,513), and acute bronchitis (40.8%, n = 190,302). According to the findings, opioid prescriptions, while generally inappropriate, were common for nonback musculoskeletal pain (4.6%, n = 28,048), abdominal pain and digestive symptoms (6.3%, n = 26,143), and sprains and strains (4.0%, n = 18,806). IN PRACTICE: 'Inappropriate prescribing in urgent care is influenced by clinician knowledge, patient demands, and lack of decision support. Antibiotic, glucocorticoid, and opioid stewardship programs are needed to reduce inappropriate urgent care prescribing and support long-term glucocorticoid and opioid deprescribing efforts,' wrote the authors of the study. SOURCE: The study was led by Shirley Cohen-Mekelburg, MD, MS, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was published online on July 21 in Annals of Internal Medicine. LIMITATIONS: The study population was limited to insured patients, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. The analysis was restricted to the most common CCSR categories associated with each drug type, potentially underestimating the extent of inappropriate prescribing. Additionally, the researchers noted that the limitations of administrative data prevented them from elucidating demographic, clinician, or facility details or confirming medication administration. DISCLOSURES: The University of Michigan Institutional Review Board (HUM00127665) deemed this study exempt. Disclosure forms are available with the article online. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Stockpiling medication costs Surrey NHS £12m a year
A Surrey pharmacist has urged people in the county to cut down on medicine waste, which costs the NHS locally about £12m annually, a care board Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB) said it spends roughly £162m on issuing 16 million prescriptions each year but added that an estimated 1.2 million of those go unused and end up being thrown said the medicines cannot be reused or recycled and often end up in landfill or even polluting the Khatidja Kureeman asked people to check their supplies before ordering more to help cut down on waste. She said: "People don't always realise how much difference a quick check at home can make."When medicines are over-ordered or stockpiled they're often left unused and go out of date. That's a waste of NHS resources and a risk to the environment."Ms Kureeman said the ICB's new "order what you need" campaign is particularly aimed at people over 50 who are "more likely to have repeat prescriptions".She added that ordering prescription that are not needed can lead to shortages.
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Isle of Man prescription fees frozen until after 2026 election
Charges for prescriptions, dental services and eye tests have been frozen until after the next general election, but the eligibility criteria may change under the latest plan by the health to Tynwald approval, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it aimed to introduce an "equitable, fair and sustainable" set of department said public consultations on revisions have been scheduled for October 2025, but existing charges would remain the same for the "remainder of this administration".The report confirms the DHSC intends to reform which groups would be eligible for free prescriptions over the 12-month period. The move was outlined in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Department Plan for 2025 - 2026, which will be debated at the July sitting of follows on from a cut in free prescriptions for minor conditions such as conjunctivitis and cystitis in early document also sets out the department's targets for the coming year, which include expanding home and community-based support, and improving access to department has allocated £361.8m to health service provider Manx Care for the financial year, which makes up the majority of the DHSC's year, the the arm's length body overspent by £ facing the department have been cited as continued financial pressures including rising costs, aging buildings, and population growth, the report it said mitigations included upgrading ambulance stations and hospital facilities, focusing spending on protecting core services within Manx Care and improving efficiencies across the chief officer Tim O'Neill said the DHSC would work with providers, politicians and officers to "improve outcomes and maximise the impact of every Manx pound spent across health and social care services". The report also noted recent progress, such as the introduction of Autism and carers' strategies, but highlighted concerns about rising costs and staffing challenges. The department stated that the government "might not be able to fund Manx Care to run all health and social care services that people want to have on the island".Reflecting on the previous department plan, the report describes providing a talk therapy service for young people with mental health issues as one of its "key achievements".However, it said the production of a draft 10-year strategy for residential, nursing and respite care has been delayed until next year while a broader assessment of health and wellbeing needs is being to reduce elective waiting lists have also been paused until the results of a review to understand patient treatment needs has been completed. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
CBS News
24-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Giant Eagle taking prescriptions from another wave of closing Rite Aid stores
Rite Aid customers want to know next steps as Giant Eagle takes over some prescriptions Rite Aid customers want to know next steps as Giant Eagle takes over some prescriptions Rite Aid customers want to know next steps as Giant Eagle takes over some prescriptions Giant Eagle has released another list of locations that will take over prescriptions from closing Rite Aid stores. Giant Eagle in May announced that it will acquire customer prescriptions from nearly 80 Rite Aid locations, which are closing after the drugstore chain filed for bankruptcy again. On Monday, Giant Eagle released the names of 15 additional Rite Aid locations that will have their prescriptions transferred to Giant Eagle pharmacies, with the changes taking effect this week. Giant Eagle said prescriptions will automatically be sent to the closest stores, and Rite Aid customers will be told about the change. Rite Aid customers who want to go to a different Giant Eagle location can. Customers who don't want to use Giant Eagle can transfer to another retailer, either before the effective transfer date through Rite Aid or after through Giant Eagle. "Their prescription information that they house in those stores, due to regulatory reasons, has to have another designated home," Giant Eagle spokesperson Jannah Drexler explained in May. Two Rite Aid stores will become standalone Giant Eagle pharmacies, but Giant Eagle hasn't released the locations yet. These Giant Eagles are taking Rite Aid prescriptions next For lists of Rite Aid locations that have already transferred their prescriptions to Giant Eagle, click here, here and here. Rite Aid Giant Eagle Giant Eagle address Effective date 407 Central Avenue, Johnstown, PA 15902 Goucher Street Giant Eagle Pharmacy 344 Goucher Street, Johnstown, PA 15905 June 24, 2025 135 South Market Street, New Wilmington, PA 16142 Wilmington Road Giant Eagle Pharmacy 3230 Wilmington Road, New Castle, PA 16105 June 24, 2025 100 Franklin Street, Mercer, PA 16137 Wilmington Road Giant Eagle Pharmacy 3230 Wilmington Road, New Castle, PA 16105 June 24, 2025 503 Clifton Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102 McMurray Market District Express Pharmacy 2840 Washington Road, McMurray, PA 15317 June 24, 2025 2655 E Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 South Side Giant Eagle Pharmacy 2021 Wharton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 June 24, 2025 1222 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15210 South Side Giant Eagle Pharmacy 2021 Wharton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 June 24, 2025 2150 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15210 South Side Giant Eagle Pharmacy 2021 Wharton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 June 24, 2025 6375 Library Road, South Park, PA 15129 Finleyville Giant Eagle Pharmacy 3701 Route 88, Finleyville, PA 15332 June 25, 2025 3210 Banksville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15216 Cochran Road Giant Eagle Pharmacy 1717 Cochran Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15220 June 25, 2025 517 Beaver Street, Sewickley, PA 15143 Leetsdale Giant Eagle Pharmacy 5 Quaker Village Shopping Center, Leetsdale, PA 15056 June 25, 2025 600 William Marks Drive, Munhall, PA 15120 Waterfront Giant Eagle Pharmacy 420 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120 June 25, 2025 1700 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Squirrel Hill Giant Eagle Pharmacy 1901 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 June 26, 2025 2302 Sheffield Road, Aliquippa, PA 15001 Aliquippa Giant Eagle Pharmacy 3113 Green Garden Road, Green Garden Shopping Center, Aliquippa, PA 15001 June 26, 2025 109 Allegheny River Boulevard, Oakmont, PA 15139 Verona Giant Eagle Pharmacy 200 Allegheny River Boulevard, Verona, PA 15147 June 26, 2025 1200 Pittsburgh Street, Cheswick, PA 15024 Harmar Giant Eagle Express Pharmacy 2611 Freeport Road, Pitsburgh, PA 15238 June 26, 2025
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Areas in England most likely to use Viagra... do YOU live in one of them?
Men in Yorkshire are the most likely in England to need a bit of assistance in the bedroom, NHS data suggests. Official data shows just over nearly 3.6 per cent of men in the East Riding were prescribed an erectile dysfunction medication like Viagra, in 2024. This was followed by men in Northumberland and Dorset who came second and third for taking such drugs, at 3.4 and 3.3 per cent respectively. The north and north-east of England appears to be particularly hard-hit by impotency with many of its cities and towns featuring in the top 10 areas for such prescriptions. On the opposite end of the spectrum, men in Leicester City appeared to be the least likely to need help from the little blue pill to maintain an erection, with only 1.5 per cent taking them. Other areas In England with low similarly low prescription rates were North West London (1.7 per cent) as well as Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (1.9 per cent). For comparison, 2.4 per cent of men across all of England were prescribed an erectile dysfunction medication last year. These figures were calculated by examining NHS prescription data collected from England's 106 Clinical Commissioning Groups. In total, last year almost 770,000 men in England got nearly £5million prescriptions for the drugs, costing the NHS just under £17million. However, the data might not give a true indication of where men are most reliant on the little blue pill. Men can buy a course of drugs like sildenafil—the generic version of Viagra—over the counter for as little as £15 with similar tablets also available online for as little as £1.30 per pill. Such private purchases of the drug wouldn't be included in the NHS data. Additionally, while most famous for their libido boosting affects, many of the drugs aren't just prescribed for erectile dysfunction. Such medications also teat pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure in the arteries that supply the lungs. The same mechanism by which the drugs increase blood flow to the penis also relaxes blood vessels in the chest helping to alleviate this condition. Medics have also previously suggested that the data may not solely reflect where the drugs are needed the most by men, but also where they feel the most comfortable taking to their GP about sexual health. Impotency is no laughing matter and men suffering from the problem frequently are urged to seek advice from their GP. Not only can the problem impact their sexual and mental health, erection problems can also be potential sign of serious health problems like cardiovascular disease. However, not all men are advised to take drugs like sildenafil, for example those with heart problems are warned against taking it. About one in 100 people taking sildenafil will experience common side effects from taking sildenafil. These include headaches, nausea, hot flushes, indigestion, a stuffy nose and dizziness, according to the NHS. Those taking the pills for longer periods, such as for pulmonary hypertension, are more likely to experience these effects than those taking the pills on an 'as needed' basis for erectile dysfunction, the health service says. More serious side effects requiring urgent medical care are estimated to affect less than one in 1,000 people. These include seizures, suffering a prolonged and potentially painful erection especially for over two hours, chest pain, and in very rare cases a life-threatening allergic reaction to the medication called anaphylaxis. Last year MailOnline revealed that popular erection pills such as Viagra have been linked to more than 200 deaths in Britain. None of the fatalities—all of which have occurred since 1998—are proven to have been caused directly by the drugs. Erectile dysfunction, sometimes shortened to 'ED' is thought to effect about half of men over 40. While most cases are isolated and nothing to worry about, repeated or sustained impotency should be checked out by a GP.
