NPC Updates
- June, 2002
This Issue:
- New resources from NPC
- Older Americans Month resources
- Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month resources
- Mental Health Month resources
- National Stroke Awareness Month resources
- National High Blood Pressure Education Month resources
New Resources from NPC:
- A Closer Look at Diabetes, 2002
The number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes jumped 49 percent from
1990 to 2000. Diabetes is the main cause of kidney failure, new cases
of blindness, and lower limb amputations, and is a major risk factor
for heart disease and stroke. In this six-page brochure, a joint project
between the American Diabetes Association and NPC, we take a closer
look at the factors influencing drug spending for the treatment of diabetes.
- The Value
of Disease Management: Balancing Cost and Quality in the Treatment of
Diabetes Mellitus, by Jeann Lee Gillespie, Pharm.D., M.S., Disease
Management, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2002
This article examines the value of disease management in both improving
the quality of care received and managing costs associated with the
treatment of diabetes. Case studies from state Medicaid initiatives
and private sector HMO programs are provided, as well as a bibliography
of 56 studies citing disease management interventions and outcomes for
further reference.
The National Pharmaceutical Council is pleased to offer the following
resources relating to National Health Observances in May:
Older Americans Month
- Why the Elderly
Need Individualized Care, by David Nash, MD, MBA, et al., April
2000
A "one-drug-fits-all" approach does not work for elderly patients
because they are exposed to unique health variables that are rare in
younger patients. This 18-page report explains the pharmacological,
physiological and epidemiological reasons why therapy for this population
must be personalized.
Fact sheet - Why
the Elderly Need Individualized Pharmaceutical Care
- The
Value of Incremental Pharmaceutical Innovation for Older Americans,
by Albert Wertheimer, Ph.D., MBA, et al., 2001
This July 2001 monograph, updated in December 2001, explains that small
incremental improvements within drug classes provide important health
benefits, especially for elderly patients. The monograph illustrates
that therapeutic advantages of these newer drugs in a class including:
fewer side effects, improved safety and greater effectiveness; easier
use, which facilitates compliance with prescribed regimens; and better
tailoring to fit individual patient needs.
Fact sheets available at the following links:
Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
- A Closer Look at Asthma,
2001
Asthma results in approximately 5,000 deaths annually in the United
States and accounts for nearly half a million hospitalizations, 1.6
million emergency room visits, and over 10 million physician office
visits. In this six-page brochure, a joint project between the Asthma
and Allergy Foundation of America and NPC, we take a closer look at
the factors influencing drug spending for treating asthma.
- A Closer Look at Allergies,
2001
Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the
U.S., and cost the health care system over $18 billion annually. In
this six-page brochure, a joint project between the Asthma and Allergy
Foundation of America and NPC, we take a closer look at the factors
influencing drug spending for treating allergies.
Mental Health Month
- Formulary
Restriction of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors for Depression:
Potential Pitfalls, by Paula L. Hensley and H. George Nurnberg,
PharmacoEconomics, Vol. 19, No. 10, 2001
Psychotropic drugs and their associated costs can be a limiting factor
in mental health treatment coverage. As a result, restrictive formularies
are a common method of attempting to limit costs. This paper explores
the intended and unintended consequences of having a single or exclusive
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) on a formulary and concluded
that the practices of having a single SSRI on the formulary for a health
care plan seems ill founded. Giving the primary care physician several
antidepressant choices can provide more options to continue treatment
of his or her patient in the less expensive primary care setting. In
terms of cost containment, formulary restrictions are far more likely
to have the opposite effect.
National Stroke Awareness Month
- A Closer Look at
High Cholesterol
High cholesterol is a major risk factor in heart disease, the leading
cause of death in the United States, which claims the lives of nearly
460,000 Americans each year. In this six-page brochure, a joint project
between the American Heart Association and NPC, we take a closer look
at the factors influencing drug spending for treating high cholesterol.
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
- A Closer Look at High Blood
Pressure, 2001
Roughly 50 million Americans ages six and older have high blood
pressure. Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to heart disease,
kidney disease, and stroke. In this six-page brochure, a joint project
between the American Heart Association and NPC, we take a closer look
at the factors influencing drug spending for treating high blood pressure.
For more information about National Health Observances, please visit the NIH website.
To order any of these publications in hard copy (free of charge), please
go to our order form or call
(703) 620-6390.
Since 1953, NPC has sponsored and conducted scientific, evidence-based
analyses of the appropriate use of pharmaceuticals and the clinical and
economic value of pharmaceutical innovation. NPC provides educational
resources to a variety of health care stakeholders, including patients,
clinicians, payers and policy makers. More than 20 research-based pharmaceutical
companies are members of the NPC.
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