July 13 Pharmacy Week in Review: Coffee Linked to Decrease in Mortality Risk, Nutritional Pilot Program

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

In a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers from the National Cancer Institute examined the associations of coffee drinking with mortality, Pharmacy Times reported. The UK Biobank population-based study took place in Britain and invited about 9.2 million individuals from across the United Kingdom to participate. More than 500,000 patients with an average age of 57 years participated in the coffee-drinking study, and baseline demographics, lifestyle, and genetic polymorphisms were analyzed over a 10-year period. The study found that coffee drinking was associated with a decreased risk of mortality compared with non-coffee drinkers, even in participants consuming at least 8 cups a day and those with genetic polymorphisms. Additionally, these effects were consistent among all coffee types, including decaffeinated coffee. This is an observational study, and a correlation was found, but further research is necessary.

A pilot program that seeks to improve the eating habits of nurses is under way at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC Health), Contemporary Clinic reported. The 60-day nutrition initiative offers MUSC Health staff members a new way to increase their daily fruit and vegetable consumption. The health of the average nurse is worse than that of the average person living in the United States, according to the American Nurses Association (ANA). Despite having vast knowledge about wellness, nurses’ diets tend to be 30% less nutritious.

In the phase 3 PALOMA-3 trial, Pfizer’s palbociclib (Ibrance) narrowly missed reaching its secondary endpoint of overall survival, according to a press release, Specialty Pharmacy Times reported. The PALOMA-3 trial evaluated palbociclib in combination with fulvestrant in women with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer whose disease has progressed after prior endocrine therapy. Palbociclib in combination with endocrine therapy is a standard of care for that type of metastatic breast cancer. Palbociclib is approved for use in combination with fulvestrant based on results from the primary endpoint of progression-free survival. In the trial, palbociclib plus fulvestrant demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in PFS compared with placebo plus fulvestrant.

Pharmacists may get more questions about Aleve if their patients have seen a new commercial for the OTC pain relief medication. In the spot, called “Jean Has Work to Do,” though she woke up with knee pain, Jean can still build a rocking chair for her daughter and new granddaughter after taking Aleve, which can stop pain for 12 hours with just 1 pill, whereas other pain relievers require taking more pills. Aleve was the recommended brand for oral arthritis pain relief, according to Pharmacy Times’ 2018 OTC Guide.

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