There are literally thousands of old, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs that may have other potential uses besides the conditions for which they were approved. The trouble it: nobody has the profit motive to fully investigate them. Even when there are studies the FDA is suspect. The agency understands there will be little monitoring or follow-up studies reviewing long-term efficacy.
Author: Devon Herrick
Consumer Reports: Mail order may be cheaper when shopping for drugs
Nearly two-thirds of adults (62%) take at least one prescription drug. Of Americans on a drug, nearly one-third (30%) report either not filling a prescription or not taking it as directed due to the cost. Even people with prescription drug coverage often find drug copays are costly. According to Kaiser Family Foundation, the average copay for a generic drug is only $12 but many copays are much higher.
Why do nursing homes suck? It’s mostly government’s fault
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine just released a 600-page report on problems found in nursing homes. Among the complaints were mediocre quality, too little investment in quality improvement, inadequate staffing levels, poorly trained staff, staff shortages due to low pay and inadequate funding sources. With 77 million Baby Boomers approaching old age, it is likely there will not be enough long-term care facilities to meet their needs. In addition, nursing homes are expensive and unaffordable for most Americans who lack long term care coverage.
Medicare to only cover pricy Alzheimer’s drug for seniors in clinical trials
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the agency will limit coverage for the controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm to seniors enrolled in clinical trials. The decision is intended to protect seniors while the agency gathers more data on whether Aduhelm slows disease progressions in Alzheimer’s patients.