| More in Tier are turning to generic drugs
After enduring years of rising prescription drug costs, patients suffering from illnesses ranging from high blood pressure to weak bones can take heart in a new trend. The growing use and availability of generic prescription drugs saved Southern Tier residents, insurance companies and employers more than $25 million in 2007, according to recent findings by Excellus Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The trend is expected to continue as patents on major medicines continue to expire, making way for generics available at a fraction of the cost, said Joel Owerbach, vice president and chief pharmaceutical officer with Excellus. Patents that expired in 2007 include Norvasc, a blood-pressure drug, and Ambien, a sleep medication. Fosamax, an osteoporosis drug, is next up, with an expiration date in February.
FDA Approves New Blood Pressure Medication
Tablets containing a combination of the blood pressure medication aliskiren and water pill hydrochlorothiazide have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the product's manufacturer, Novartis AG, said Monday. Sold under the name Tekturna in the United States, the hypertension compound aliskiren was approved last March. It acts by targeting renin, an enzyme responsible for high blood pressure. The newly approved version also includes hydrochlorothiazide, a compound that inhibits the kidney's ability to retain water. This water pill is commonly used to treat high blood pressure. Tekturna HCT tablets are intended for patients whose blood pressure has not been controlled by a single drug. They will be available in early February the company said. Side effects associated with the new combination tablets include dizziness, flu-like symptoms, diarrhea, cough, tiredness and skin rashes.
Spirituality Helps Older Black Women Beat Hypertension
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Spirituality helps older black American women with high blood pressure stick to the drug regimens that keep the condition under control, new research suggests. Older black Americans tend to have poorer anti-hypertensive medication adherence than either younger blacks or white patients, even though adherence helps reduce hypertension-related health problems and deaths, noted a team from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. This study included 21 black women, average age 73, who were members of a Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly. The women had been diagnosed with hypertension for an average of 16.7 years, and they were taking an average of 3.3 prescriptions to battle the condition. All the women said they used their spirituality to manage their medication adherence.
Inmates getting medical attention
Regarding the article in Nov. 8 concerning the medical care of the inmates in Greene County Jail, "Holden: Jail care near malpractice." The inmates in Greene County Jail receive better medical care inside than what they probably received on the outside. .
Auditors: Bridgehampton school fund exceeds limit
To protect taxpayers, state law limited districts' unreserved funds to 2 percent of the total district budget during the audit period of July 2005 to October 2006, said Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Bridgehampton's $1.7-million balance represented 17 percent of the district's $9.8-million budget, the audit said.
.
|
