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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

2015 ACR Workforce Study Survey Now Open

American College of Rheumatology  |  

The American College of Rheumatology Workforce Study Group has been working diligently to develop the 2015 workforce study survey. Ten years have elapsed since the last workforce study, and much has changed since then. This study will help us understand the character and composition of the overall rheumatology workforce, identify demographic and employment trends, and…

More Evidence Dexamethasone Speeds Recovery in Kids with Septic Arthritis

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Adding to earlier evidence, a new study finds kids with septic arthritis who are treated with dexamethasone recover faster. “We expected these results based on our previous randomized double-blind controlled study,” Dr. Itay Fogel from Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel and Tel Aviv University told Reuters Health by email. “However, the…

Hamstrung by Red Tape, Hospital Operators Buy Their Way into India

Aditya Kalra & Aditi Shah  |  

NEW DELHI (Reuters)—For nearly two years, Parkway Pantai has delayed the opening of its 450-bed India hospital, the Singapore-based medical firm’s bid to cash in on one of Asia’s fastest growing private healthcare markets, as it waited for the necessary permits. Parkway, a unit of the world’s second largest healthcare group by market value IHH…

Pfizer Loses UK Patent Case over Use of Lyrica Drug for Pain

Ben Hirschler  |  

LONDON (Reuters)—Pfizer suffered a major setback in Britain on Thursday when the High Court in London ruled that claims of patent protection for the use of its $5 billion-a-year drug Lyrica as a pain treatment were invalid. Lyrica, known generically as pregabalin, was originally developed for epilepsy. However, further research showed it could also help patients…

Pacira Sues FDA over Pain Drug Marketing Restrictions

Brendan Pierson  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters)—Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Tuesday filed a lawsuit seeking a court order allowing it to promote its post-surgery pain drug, Exparel (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension), for a wide range of surgeries, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration opposes. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, cites another New York judge’s recent…

Electronic Health Records Software Often Written Without Doctors’ Input

Kathryn Doyle  |  

(Reuters Health)—The reason why many doctors find electronic health records (EHR) difficult to use might be that the software wasn’t properly tested, researchers suggests. Current guidelines and industry standards suggest that new EHR software should be tested by at least 15 end users with a clinical background to make sure they are usable and safe…

Patients Steered to Fewer Pharmacies May Fill More Prescriptions

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—When patients have drug benefits that encourage them to save money by using certain pharmacies, they may end up filling more prescriptions, a company-funded study suggests. Narrow pharmacy networks that cover prescriptions only at certain retailers and drug benefits that offer consumers lower out-of-pocket fees at a subset of preferred pharmacies have become more…

Regulatory Backlog in Emerging Nations Adding Years to Drug Approvals

Reuters Staff  |  

BASEL (Reuters)—A regulatory backlog in developing countries including China has created wait times for drugs awaiting approval of up to seven years, Roche Holding AG Chief Executive Severin Schwan said on Tuesday. “Unfortunately, time lines are getting longer and longer in countries like China,” Schwan said at an oncology event at the Swiss company’s headquarters…

New Recommendations Support Effective Use of Telemedicine in Primary Care

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The American College of Physicians (ACP) has issued a baker’s dozen of recommendations intended to guide the effective use of telemedicine in primary care settings. “The recommendations balance the potential benefits and expanded use of telemedicine with the importance of maintaining the patient-physician relationship and patient safety,” Hilary Daniel from American College…