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A new study published today in the American Journal of Public Health indicates that increased access to methadone or buprenorphine-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is critical to fully address the epidemic of opioid abuse and dependence in the United States. MAT is a comprehensive approach to address substance use disorders that combines the use of medication with counseling and behavioral therapies. Despite an increase in medication-assisted treatment capacity nationwide in the past decade, the rate of past-year opioid abuse or dependence significantly exceeded treatment capacity each year.

Medicare payment cuts exceeding $700 million were eliminated from legislation that sought to redirect this funding to an unrelated trade program, following an overwhelming vote in the U.S. House of Representatives last week. Now the U.S. Senate must take action. The success of Thursday’s House vote—397 to 32—largely can be attributed to efforts by the AMA and other health care groups and the bipartisan collaboration among members of the House, including the Doctors’ Caucus.

Indeed, the institutional, financial, sectional and political hurdles were many. But Sandoval understands what many have said for years: In order for Las Vegas to evolve, it needs better health care.

Researchers have known for years just how sketchy preclinical biomedical research can be. Reports on research projects that can capture headlines around the world are also not infrequently impossible to reproduce. And now a new study has attempted to put a dollar figure on the amount of research produced in the U.S. each year that can't be reproduced.

Various pharmacy segments have recently been focusing their attention on what they can do to reduce avoidable readmissions of patients to hospitals, including improving the discharge process. Preventable hospital readmissions currently cost the US health system an estimated $25 billion annually. Pharmacists in different settings can play an important role in reducing these avoidable readmissions, especially if they learn to coordinate their efforts and collaborate.

When the FDA turns away a potential new treatment, it sends the drug's maker what's called a complete response letter, detailing all the deficiencies that led to the rejection. Those forms aren't public, but most companies issue press releases describing their contents. However, as a new study reveals, there's often a wide gap between the FDA's actual issues and the sponsors' spin.

Investors are betting that the healthcare sector's strong run will not be held back for long even if the U.S. Supreme Court rules against the Affordable Care Act. At issue are the tax credits that help about 6.4 million low- and moderate-income Americans buy insurance. If the Court rules against the credits, millions of Americans may find they cannot afford their insurance. This could affect the health insurers as well as hospitals and other providers........

The second tenet of the APhA Code of Ethics states, "A pharmacist promotes the good of every patient in a caring, compassionate, and confidential manner." It sounds easy. It evokes an immediate response from each pharmacist and pharmacy technician: "I wouldn’t violate that, no matter what."

The challenge of retaining and recruiting enough teachers to staff Clark County School District classrooms is about to become even more difficult. The health plan that covers thousands of teachers and their families, which has been insolvent for years, is on the verge of collapse.