CMM primer defines and outlines benefits of CMM
Comprehensive medication management supports population health and value-based care performance, and a recent LinkedIn post from the Population Health Alliance spells it out. CMM can improve quality outcomes and reduce costs among the most complex patients. For example, it can produce an estimated ROI of between 3.5:1 and 12:1 for patients with chronic conditions. The post goes on to define CMM and explain how it’s different from medication therapy management. (Population Health Alliance)
ASHP Campaign Showcases Vital Patient Care Roles of Hospital and Health-System Pharmacists
In May, ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists), the largest association of pharmacy professionals in the United States, announced the launch of We’re Your Pharmacist, a national public awareness campaign aimed at educating the public about the critical roles of hospital and health-system pharmacists as patient care providers, medication specialists, and partners on healthcare teams. Nearly 1 in 3 pharmacists work outside a retail setting, putting their specialized knowledge in medications to work in health systems, hospitals, and clinics. They are partners on the care team, dedicated to making medications safe, effective, and accessible. (We’re Your Pharmacist | ASHP)
Practice Transformation
Medication errors: ISMP calls for safer dispensing cabinets
More updates are needed to reduce the risk of medication errors associated with automated dispensing cabinets, according to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). Calls to improve the safety of automated dispensing cabinets intensified after a former nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center was criminally charged over a fatal medication error she made trying to access the sedative Versed: She accidentally withdrew vecuronium, a powerful paralytic. ISMP called for a more comprehensive approach that includes dynamic search function capability. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
MDMA rejection: It’s not the product, it’s the research
In a nonbinding action, an FDA advisory committee voted against using MDMA (aka Ecstasy), for PTSD. Now, the agency must vote for approval. The application is unusual for the FDA, which does not typically regulate drug treatments paired with talk therapy — an essential part of Lykos’s regimen to treat PTSD. The analysis was generally positive, according to the New York Times, but committee members had concerns about how Lykos conducted its trials. It’s likely the FDA will follow suit in their official determination, expected arrive by August 11, Vox reports. (Vox; New York Times)
Evidence & Innovation
Important cancer therapy out of reach for uninsured.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are saving and extending the lives of cancer patients. But they are so expensive that many uninsured Americans can’t access them, according to research presented at a recent American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. Among individuals diagnosed with melanoma, 2-year survival increased from 17.5% pre-ICI approval to 24.4% after ICI approval among patients who were uninsured. It increased from 29.6% to 41.8% among individuals with private health insurance. The insured/uninsured disparity increased by 4.3 percentage points after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Researchers emphasized the need for policies to improve insurance coverage options and make new treatments more affordable. (American Cancer Society; study abstract)
Researchers: Time for PCPs to screen for cannabis
Approximately 17% of adults who saw their primary care doctor for an annual wellness visit between 2021 and 2023 reported using cannabis in the prior three months, according to research published in JAMA Network Open last week. Most (over 75%) said they used cannabis to manage symptoms such as stress, sleep and pain. Of concern: More than a third who use are doing at levels considered moderate-to-high risk for cannabis use disorder. These findings, say researchers, mean that it’s essential that health care systems implement routine cannabis screening of primary care patients.(JAMA Network Open; San Francisco Chronicle)
Policy Solutions
Psych pharmacist explains role of CMM in mental health treatments
Mark Schneiderhan, an associate professor and psychiatric pharmacist, recently discussed the use of prescription medication for mental health treatment. During the interview, he made the case for optimizing psychiatric medication use through comprehensive medication management. He discussed some of his research, which included the measurement of clinical outcomes for pharmacists providing CMM for people with mental illness and related disabilities; the prevention and management of adverse drug reactions to psychotropic medication . (University of Minnesota News and Events)
Study finds biosimilar-to-biosimilar switching safe
A literature review evaluating switching patients from a biosimilar to another biosimilar supports the safety and efficacy of biosimilar-to-biosimilar switching—that is, switching from one biosimilar to another biosimilar of the same reference biologic. This practice is becoming more common, and the evidence reviewed suggests that such switching does not result in a reduction of effectiveness or an increase in adverse events. The studies included in the review were observational and covered a variety of biosimilars. (Center for Biosimilars; BioDrugs)
