Journal of managed care pharmacy : JMCP
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Review Comparative Study
Critical review of prasugrel for formulary decision makers.
Cardiovascular disease, including acute coronary syndromes (ACS) comprising ST-elevation and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI/NSTEMI) and unstable angina (UA), remains the leading cause of death in the United States. The direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular disease are estimated to surpass $165 billion in 2009. Antiplatelet pharmacotherapy has been shown to reduce ACS-related death and is part of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and the American College of Cardiology /American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) treatment guideline recommendations. ⋯ For every 1,000 patients treated with prasugrel instead of clopidogrel, a total of 24 end points would be prevented at the cost of 10 additional bleeding events. On February 3, 2009, the FDA Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee deemed this to be an acceptable riskbenefit profile. The committee recommended a label contraindication for patients with prior history of transient ischemic attack or stroke. Treatment versus time analyses demonstrated both early and sustained benefit for prasugrel compared with clopidogrel. However, prasugrel was associated with fewer cardiovascular events prevented per bleeding case the longer the duration of therapy. The study population of TRITON-TIMI 38 was limited to patients undergoing PCI. Managed care decision makers should consider specific criteria limiting prasugrel use to health plan members with characteristics similar to the study population in TRITON-TIMI 38 that benefited from treatment and avoiding use in patients with prior history of stroke or TIA. More data are needed before prasugrel can be recommended in patient groups not addressed by TRITON-TIMI 38.
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Review
Targeting low HDL-cholesterol to decrease residual cardiovascular risk in the managed care setting.
Most clinicians recognize the importance of reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and, therefore, address this therapeutic need to decrease cardiovascular disease risk. In addition to the critical role that LDL-C plays, recent studies have shown the contribution of other lipid fractions, such as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG), to overall cardiovascular health. Managed care initiatives to reduce cardiovascular risk typically focus on highly effective statin therapies, which are primarily LDL-C-lowering agents and have lesser TG-lowering and HDL-C-raising effects. However, clinical and epidemiologic data illustrate the need to expand the scope of therapies to reduce the residual cardiovascular risk associated with low HDL-C levels and elevated TG levels, even when LDL-C is managed successfully. ⋯ Statins are highly effective for lowering LDL-C levels and, consequently, cardiovascular event rates. However, statins do not eliminate cardiovascular risk. Even in the presence of tightly controlled LDL-C levels, evidence indicates that high TG and low HDL-C levels are independent cardiovascular risk factors. Treating lipid parameters beyond LDL-C may require the addition of niacin or a fibrate to statin therapy. Niacin is the most effective agent for raising HDL-C levels, and pharmacoeconomic modeling suggests that niacin ER/statin combination therapy may promote the cost-effective achievement of OLVs in several at-risk patient populations.
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Publication of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial results in 2002 significantly reduced physician and patient confidence in and acceptance of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as an appropriate treatment option for menopause-associated vasomotor symptoms (VMS). This was true despite the fact that the WHI trial was a primary prevention study conducted in postmenopausal women and was not designed to evaluate the efficacy of HRT in the treatment of VMS. ⋯ Menopausal women present a unique opportunity for health care providers to improve the quality of care among women, not only as it relates to the treatment of VMS, but also as it relates to osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, 2 common comorbidities in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
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Review
Review of the NAEPP 2007 Expert Panel Report (EPR-3) on Asthma Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines.
In 1989, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) convened an expert panel to develop a report that would provide a general approach to the treatment of asthma. Expert Panel Report: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, or EPR-1, was published in 1991 and was subsequently updated with 2 other reports, EPR-2 in 1997 and the EPR update in 2002. Advances in science and a greater understanding of the pathophysiology of asthma prompted the NAEPP to convene a 3rd expert panel in 2004. After nearly 3 years of work, Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma-Full Report 2007, or EPR-3, was released on August 29, 2007. EPR-3 update from the NAEPP provides health care professionals with new information to improve the care of patients with asthma, including (1) more comprehensive discussion of asthma severity with expanded descriptions of impairment and risk, (2) increased focus on asthma control as a goal of therapy, and (3) expanded discussion of pharmacologic therapy for asthma with updated treatment algorithms. ⋯ The complexity of asthma and its treatment has necessitated the development of several guidelines from the NAEPP, with the most recent EPR-3 update being released in late August 2007. One expert consensus has distilled the EPR-3 document into 7 key educational messages that can assist the health care professional in improving the care of the patient with asthma.
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The Medicare Drug Benefit (Part D) was implemented on January 1, 2006. The principal emphasis in the first year was education of beneficiaries as part of the effort by health plans and prescription drug providers to enroll beneficiaries. There was continued emphasis on enrollment in the second year in 2007, with some refinement of the benefit such as removal of coverage for erectile dysfunction drugs. ⋯ The Medicare drug program continues to be refined in 2008, including coverage of the cost of Part D vaccines and their administration fee entirely within Part D. Pharmacists will continue to be an integral part of the success of Medicare Part D in 2008 by being informed of the many changes to the benefit and adapting to these policies and regulations in a way that allows beneficiaries maximum access to the improved features and necessary medications.