August 17 Pharmacy Week in Review: Lung Cancer in Women, Nation's Best Hospitals Ranked

This weekly video program provides our readers with an in-depth review of the latest news, product approvals, FDA rulings, and more. Our Week in Review is a can't miss for the busy pharmacy professional.

Laura Joszt, Host: Hello and welcome to the Pharmacy Times News Network. I’m Laura Joszt your host for our Pharmacy Week in Review.

Pharmacy Times has launched a site tour of its streamlined website and asks that to enhance their experience, users sign up or log in to receive custom content based on their practice settings and interests. The site walkthrough includes tours of the website’s news section, which is updated daily with the most up-to-date information listed first and includes trending articles. The walkthrough also shows users that Quicklinks are the easiest way to access resources designed to support pharmacists in their everyday practices. In addition, the walkthrough includes tours of the clinical resources, video, conference center, consultation center, publications, and continuing education areas of the site.

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota earned the top spot on U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of best hospitals for the third consecutive year, and was among the Top 5 in selected specialties, Contemporary Clinic reported. The 29th annual list is compiled to assist doctors and patients in making informed decisions about where to receive care, according to the magazine. In compiling its rankings, U.S. News & World Report compared more than 4500 medical centers nationwide across 25 specialties, procedures, and conditions. Following the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic placed second on the overall best hospitals list, and Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore is ranked third in the nation. Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the University of Michigan Hospitals-Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, placed fourth and fifth, respectively, rounding out the top 5.

As breast cancer mortality rates decrease globally, a new study projects that lung cancer mortality rates among women worldwide will significantly increase, Specialty Pharmacy Times reported. In an analysis of data from 52 countries published in Cancer Research, the study authors examined breast and female lung cancer mortality data from the World Health Organization Mortality Database from 2008 to 2014. To be included in the study, countries must have had reported data for at least 4 years between 2008 and 2014 and must have a population greater than 1 million. Globally, the researchers projected that the age-standardized breast cancer mortality rate will decrease by 9% between 2015 and 2030, while the age-standardized lung cancer mortality rate is expected to jump 43% in the same time frame. Based on the analysis, the highest lung cancer mortality rates in 2030 are projected in Europe and Oceania, whereas the lowest lung cancer mortality rates in 2030 are projected in America and Asia. The only decrease in lung cancer mortality is predicted in Oceania, where rates are expected to fall from 17.8 to 17.6.

Pharmacists may get more questions about Relief Factor Quickstart if their patients with arthritis have seen a new commercial for the OTC product. In the spot, called “Janice,” 1950s crooner Pat Boone endorses Relief Factor Quickstart to relieve arthritis pain, because he says it helped him and his wife. Janice gives her own testimonial, saying that after a few weeks, her pain during substitute teaching was gone. According to the commercial, Relief Factor Quickstart relieves occasional aches and pains.

For more great coverage and practical information for today’s pharmacist, visit our website and sign up for our Daily eNews. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Thanks for watching our Pharmacy Week in Review. I’m Laura Joszt at the Pharmacy Times News Network.