Inappropriate Prescribing
NPs no more likely to prescribe inappropriately to older patients than PCPs
Nurse practitioners were no more likely than primary care physicians to prescribe inappropriately to older patients, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed.
Top in ID: Inappropriate prescribing at dental visits; statin use in adults with HIV
Recent data show that more than 6.6 million antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed at dental visits each year, resulting in about $31 million each year in health care costs and out-of-pocket expenses.
Choosing Wisely interventions reduce overuse of antibiotics at safety-net hospitals
Interventions based on Choosing Wisely guidelines significantly reduced rates of antibiotic prescriptions for acute respiratory tract infections at safety-net hospitals participating in a pay-for-performance program, researchers found.
Shorter primary care visits linked to greater likelihood of inappropriate prescribing
Shorter primary care visits were associated with an increased likelihood of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and coprescribing opioids and benzodiazepines, a recent study found.
Antipsychotic prescriptions for children increased by 3.3% annually over 2 decades
The prevalence of all antipsychotic prescriptions prescribed to those aged 3 to 18 years increased by an average of 3.3% annually from 2000 to 2019, researchers reported in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Three initiatives improve prescribing practices, care planning for older adults
An intervention significantly decreased the rate of potentially inappropriate prescribing among older adults in an ED setting, according to findings from a recent study.
Medication use increased among nursing home residents during pandemic
Recent data revealed an increase in medication use among nursing home residents in Ontario, Canada, “with the potential for adverse effects” during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to researchers.
Potentially harmful ‘prescribing cascade’ common in older adults with hypertension
Calcium channel blockers that are often prescribed to older adults with hypertension can cause peripheral edema, which many physicians misinterpret as a new medical condition and subsequently prescribe diuretics, according to research published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Just 1% of providers prescribed half of all opioid doses in 2017
In 2017, a mere 1% of providers were responsible for 49% of all opioid doses and 27% of opioid prescriptions in the United States, according to research published in BMJ.
10 stories for World Antibiotic Awareness Week
World Antibiotic Awareness Week is being recognized this year from Nov. 18 to 24. Launched in 2015, the campaign “aims to increase global awareness of antibiotic resistance and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance,” according to WHO.