A recent study has found that just more than 30 percent of people with cancer in Germany also experienced some form of clinically relevant mental health disorder. The article, published earlier this month in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that 32 percent of people with cancer, or about one in three, had also experienced a clinically meaningful level of … Read More
The Pharmacist’s Corner: What roles can pharmacists play in pharmacogenetics?
By Rachel Sass, PharmD What is your perception of a pharmacist? Someone in a white coat at the local pharmacy who fills your prescriptions, answers your questions and helps you pick out the right over-the-counter medicine? This is how pharmacists have historically been remembered, and while this area of pharmacy is still critical to the field, the pharmacist’s role has … Read More
Genelex named to top 100 fastest-growing businesses list for 2014
For the third time since Genelex was founded, the Seattle-based company leading the way in DNA sensitivity testing to help combat adverse drug events has been named one of Washington’s 100 fastest-growing private companies. The Puget Sound Business Journal has released its list of the state’s fastest-growing companies, and Genelex is included for the second year in a row. The … Read More
Celebrate pharmacists during the month of October
From maintaining a near-encyclopedic knowledge of potentially harmful drug interactions to easing the worries of first-time medication takers, pharmacists play a vital role in modern medical care. In honor of the many contributions pharmacists make to communities nationwide, the American Pharmacists Association has dubbed October American Pharmacists Month. The goal of American Pharmacists Month is to recognize the commitment that … Read More
DEA reschedules hydrocodone medications
The federal government has placed new restrictions on the prescribing of medications containing the opioid hydrocodone. Effective Oct. 6, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has published a final rule reclassifying hydrocodone combination products (HCPs), defined as medications combining hydrocodone and another drug, from Schedule III to the more restrictive Schedule II. The proposed rule follows the recommendation of a … Read More
Genelex honored in 2014 Tech Impact Awards
Genelex’s progress toward eliminating adverse drug events has been honored by Seattle Business magazine with a 2014 Tech Impact Award. At the September 18 awards event, Genelex was given the silver award in the health category of the magazine’s 2014 Tech Impact Awards. Genelex joins both small and large tech luminaries, including Microsoft and T-Mobile, in being recognized as … Read More
New rule offers providers Meaningful Use flexibility
Health care providers have been granted a bit of flexibility in how they use certified electronic health records (EHR) technology in meeting federal Meaningful Use requirements for 2014. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced that providers will be allowed to use EHR technology certified to 2011 Meaningful Use standards to meet Stage-2 requirements, but for 2014 … Read More
Study finds opioid use common amongst disabled Medicare recipients
A recent study illuminates the prevalence of opioid painkiller use in a particularly vulnerable population: disabled Americans on Social Security disability insurance. The article, published in the September edition of the journal Medical Care, found the percentage of Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) recipients younger than 65 receiving any amount of opioid prescriptions rose from 43.9 percent in 2007 to … Read More
Meaningful Use requirements linked to fewer adverse drug events
The use of health information technology enhancements, such as clinical decision support tools, can help reduce adverse drug events (ADEs) in hospitals by between 27.3 and 69.2 percent, according to a recently released study of Florida hospitals. The research scrutinizes what impact Meaningful Use (MU) requirements for implementing electronic health records (EHR) systems had on patient care, and the results … Read More
Study: Elderly patients at greater risk of kidney injury if on antipsychotic drugs
New research into the risks of three common antipsychotic drugs for the elderly suggests older patients are 73 percent more likely to experience acute kidney injury (AKI) while on any of the three medications. The research, published in the August 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, examined the medical records of nearly 100,000 adults 65 and older who … Read More