March/April 2015

Palonosetron has been found to be effective in treating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, but no other studies that have compared it with the other 5-HT3 RAs are currently available.

The authors present a review of the literature for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease to characterize its impact on patients and healthcare systems.

Among psoriasis patients initiated on oral nonbiologic or on biologic therapy, most patients undergo at least 1 therapy change within 4 months of treatment initiation.

Evaluation of a therapeutic substitution from atorvastatin to simvastatin on low-density lipoprotein control, and assessment of program participation rates for a commercially insured population.

This commentary addresses the possible reasons for treatment gaps between recommended therapy for patients with CKD, and the realities of current practices, and examines new developments that may bridge the gap.

Medicare Part D plans can change their cost-sharing structure and formularies every year. As such, beneficiaries should annually reevaluate plan offerings to minimize their out-of-pocket costs.

Questions of cost and value are ones that each stakeholder group in healthcare will have to answer.

Health insurance is now attainable for millions of Americans. However, research shows that patient protections must be strengthened and plan information must be made more readily accessible.

Panelists agreed that the trend of specialization of traditional drug classes has implications not only for costs, but also for the role of community pharmacy if more drugs fall into the specialty pharmacy realm.

The 2015 Medicare Part D audit protocols add a layer of complexity to Part D plans and increase their probability of receiving mandatory corrective actions.

This study shows how medication therapy management can be integrated into challenging pharmacy work flow, and also assesses the resulting benefits, both clinical and financial.

As older adults in the United States continue to take high-risk medications despite evidence of poor outcomes, plans seek quality improvement through innovative and varied strategies that include partnering with community pharmacies.