COLUMBIA, SC—A VA study has put to rest, at least temporarily, claims that hydroxychloroquine, alone or in combination with azithromycin, is highly effective in treating COVID-19 infection. In fact, a study appearing on the medRxiv preprint server identified increased...
New Antibiotics Are an Increasingly Important Front in Fight Against Anthrax
WASHINGTON — When Project BioShield was first signed into law 15 years ago, the nation had few medical countermeasures to respond to bioterrorism. Since then, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency has supported 27 projects using Project BioShield...
Pharmacist Interventions Seek to Improve Care for VA Transplant Patients
CHARLESTON, SC—VA researchers hope that a pharmacist-led intervention now being studied can improve care and outcomes for veterans who have had solid organ transplants. The study—and the intervention—could have a positive impact on care for a significant number of...
Do VA PCPs Over-Prescribe Corticosteroids for Mild-Moderate COPD?
CLEVELAND—Veterans are three times more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than the general population, and COPD is the fifth most prevalent disease in the veteran population, affecting about 15% of VHA patients, according to previous research. A...
No Higher Rates of Exacerbation in COPD Patients Using Beta-Blockers
VA Researchers Also Can’t Identify Protective Effects BIRMINGHAM, AL—Multiple observational studies have suggested that beta blockers benefit patients with moderate or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coexisting cardiovascular disease, with outcomes...
Genetic Mutations Affecting Response to Drugs Are Common in Veterans
SALT LAKE CITY — A massive VA study revealed that 99% of veterans have at least one genetic mutation known to affect response to specific drugs, including some commonly prescribed antidepressants, anticoagulants, antivirals, oncology medications and statins. That raises the question of who should be tested for which variants and when, which has stirred lively debate within the VA.
Benzodiazepines Prescribed Long-Term for COPD/PTSD
SEATTLE — Symptoms of insomnia and anxiety are common among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and that is especially the case among patients with comorbid mental health disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, according to a new study.
MHS Pharmacies Prescribed 6,200 Naloxone Kits Under New Directive
FALLS CHURCH, VA — In June 2018, Defense Health Agency Director Raquel Bono, MD, directed all MHS pharmacies to dispense the opioid reversal agent naloxone to eligible beneficiaries and those who request it without requiring a prescription. Since then, MHS pharmacists have provided more than 6,200 kits.
Pharmacist Involvement Improves Accuracy of Direct Oral Anticoagulants
PALO ALTO, CA—For decades, patients prescribed warfarin to reduce the risk of stroke following a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation have made regular visits to pharmacist- or nurse-directed clinics to ensure their international normalized ratio (INR) remains within a...
VA Hospitals First to Publicly Report Opioid Prescribing Rates
In January, the VA became the first hospital system in the United States to publicly post opioid prescribing rates.
Long-term Opioid Prescribing Declines in VHA, Bucking National Trend
Extended Prescribing Dropped from 9.5% in 2012 to 6.2% in 2016
By Brenda L. Mooney
IOWA CITY, IA—Long-term prescribing of opioid painkillers is on the decline at the VA, in contrast to what appears to be happening outside of federal medicine.
VA Study Addresses Concerns About Anti-Epileptic Drugs, Suicidal Behavior Link
In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert about increased risk for suicidal ideation and behavior for patients taking anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs).
Using EMR to Improve Statin Adherence in MHS
DURHAM, NC -- Even though HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease, nearly half of patients stop taking statin medications one year after they are prescribed. A study published by PLoS One noted that discontinuation...
Surveys Show Why VA Good Prescribing Practice Also Should Include Deprescribing
Amy Linksy, MD, MSc, of the VA Boston Healthcare System said VA patients sometimes complain that taking too many drugs is a burden. Photo from Twitter BOSTON — For years, physicians have had one primary question about the medications they prescribe: Will the...
Post-Menopausal Veterans Frequently Prescribed Long-term Opioid Therapy
The VA has focused on reducing the risk of opioid abuse and addiction by issuing guidance that strongly recommends against the use of the painkillers for chronic pain since the implementation of the Opioid Safety Initiative in 2013.