Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs has remained controversial since regulations were liberalized by the Food and Drug Administration in 1997. We reviewed empirical evidence addressing the claims made in the policy debate for and against DTCA. This advertising has some benefits, but significant risks are evident as well, magnified by the prominence of DTCA in population-...

©2015 8872147 Canada Inc. or its licensors CMAJ, November 17, 2015, 187(17) E483 After decades of debate without federal action, it appears the conversation about universal public drug coverage is changing. “The salience of this issue right now is arguably the highest it’s ever been,” says Steve Morgan, professor of health policy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. “Twenty years...

UNLABELLED We investigated reasons for non-treatment of osteoporosis and discontinuation of osteoporosis therapy. Barriers to treatment include patients' preference for alternative treatments and a fear of possible side effects. Side effects are a common reason for treatment discontinuation, and they may be associated with a lack of willingness to restart treatment. PURPOSE/INTRODUCTION Osteo...

Costs for retiree medical benefits are spiraling upward. One way to help fund this area of compensation, with little or no additional financial burden to either employers or employees, could be using an employee benefit plan whereby each year's unused vacation days and sick days are transferred into an employee's tax-free account in a voluntary employee benefit association (VEBA) trust. On reti...

OBJECTIVE To examine the efficacy of 2 over-the-counter cosmeceutical creams in reducing facial rhytids-Freeze 24/7 Anti-Wrinkle Cream (Freeze 24/7 International LLC, New York, New York) and LiftFusion Micro-Injected M-Tox Transdermal Face Lift (Fusionbeauty, Inc, Boca Raton, Florida)-against placebo (Nutraderm Therapeutic Lotion; Healthpoint, Inc, San Antonio, Texas). METHODS A prospective, ...

Nurse practitioners are the first line of defense when combating the problem of nonmedical use of prescription drugs. This article outlines related clinical issues and provides tools and treatment options to use with patients and the community.

In order to facilitate a better understanding of the complex issues raised by the current Senate and House proposals to establish a prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries, this paper briefly addresses some fundamentals of the health insurance market, defines key risk-sharing mechanisms, including risk corridors and reinsurance, and identifies the relevant risk provisions in the bi...

Background Measures taken over the past four years in Greece to reduce pharmaceutical expenditure have led to significant price reductions for medicines, but have also changed patient cost-sharing rates for prescription drugs. This study attempts to capture the resulting increase in patients’ out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses for prescription drugs during the 2011-2014 period.   Methods The authors ...

This commentary discusses pertinent issues from Hyosun Kim’s paper on online prescription drug promotion. The study is well-designed and the findings highlight some of the consequences of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) decision to deregulate online advertising of prescription drugs. While Kim’s findings confirm some of the early concerns, they also provide a perspective of implement...