Trending News: Telemedicine Represents Solution for Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder

More than a quarter of prescriptions for antibiotics are not associated with a clinic visit, according to Contagion Live. Additionally, nearly a fifth are associated with visits that did not have a documented infection-related diagnosis. Overall, the large numbers of antibiotics prescribed without a clinician visit present a sizable proportion of antibiotic use, which would not have been evaluated by most existing antimicrobial stewardship programs.

There were no statistically significant differences in treatment retention rates between pregnant women who received opioid use disorder treatment via telemedicine compared with in-person treatment, according to HCP Live. As the opioid epidemic continues to take the lives of many, evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder is necessary. Telemedicine could provide a scalable solution to make potentially lifesaving treatment available for pregnant women, according to the study authors.

Researchers have discovered a link between circadian clock disturbances in pancreatic cells and type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to The American Journal of Managed Care. Disturbances such as time zone changes, irregular work schedules, and aging can prevent correct functioning of cells that secrete insulin and glucagon in the pancreatic islet. Researchers came to this conclusion by comparing pancreatic cells of T2D organ donors with cells in healthy controls.