Top drug news in 2019

What is kratom? It’s a popular herbal supplement often used to help in overcoming opioid withdrawal and pain—and it’s been on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) list of drugs and chemicals of concern for several years. The use of this unregulated (and possibly addictive) herbal supplement has been associated with serious medical outcomes. “Individuals who choose to use kratom need to be aware of the potential risks,” said Henry A. Spiller, MS, DABAT, director, Central Ohio Poison Center. “Just because it is currently classified as an herbal supplement does not mean it is regulated or that it is safe.” Read more about the risks and dangers of kratom. 

Did you know that there are more than 19,000 prescription drug products currently approved by the FDA? For your patients’ sake, do you know what most of them do—and which ones have multiple uses, have dangerous side effects, or are highly addictive and shouldn’t be prescribed? Of course, you can’t possibly know all of them. But, every physician should be familiar with the most common drugs. For optimal patient management, physicians should know the benefits and risks of these drugs, as well as their indications, contraindications, and possible side effects. Here’s a list of 11 of these drugs, including their pertinent info. 

Although generic drugs comprise 90% of all prescriptions, brand-name drugs account for an estimated 79% of all drug spending. So, simply prescribing generic drugs over their brand-name counterparts could translate to substantial financial savings for both patients and insurers. Moreover, because generics are more affordable, they can lead to better therapy adherence, which can result in better patient outcomes. In the spirit of cost-savings, better medication adherence, and better outcomes, learn which seven commonly prescribed brand-name drugs have recently gone or will soon go generic.

Tramadol, a Schedule IV opioid drug believed to be non-habit forming, may actually be as addictive as other opioids like oxycodone and hydrocodone, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic. “[W]hile tramadol may still be an acceptable option for some patients, our data suggests we should be as cautious with tramadol as we are with other short-acting opioids,” one researcher said. What do you think? Should the DEA reclassify tramadol as a Schedule II drug? Read about it here.

Have you noticed that the uptick in new FDA-approved drugs has occurred with an increase in the incidence of black box warning labels? Also, researchers have found that drugs approved through the FDA’s fast track programs often require boxed warnings shortly after hitting the market. With over 600 medications carrying boxed warnings and over 40% of patients in the ambulatory care setting receiving at least one medication with a black box warning, it’s important for healthcare providers to be aware of commonly prescribed drugs that carry these severe precautions. Here’s a list of 10 drugs with black box warnings that every physician should know about.

There are good reasons for the FDA to initiate a drug recall.  “A drug recall is the most effective way to protect the public from a defective or potentially harmful product,” according to the administration. Remember Vioxx? It was tied to nearly 28,000 heart attacks in the US population and was consequently pulled from pharmacies in 2004. Other recalled products have been judged to cause serious health problems or death. Find out about these 10 dangerous drugs that were recalled and eventually pulled from the market altogether. 

Marijuana legalization and consumption are booming, yet scientific research about cannabis is trailing far behind. Even while consumers extol the physical and mental benefits of marijuana’s cannabinoid compounds—such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD—there is still a great deal we don’t know about this drug. It’s a drug that many consider harmless, but it’s still a drug. And like prescription drugs, cannabis can cause drug-drug interactions, some of which can be harmful. Take a look at these medications known to have drug-drug interactions with THC and/or CBD.

Spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic that’s been used to treat hypertension for nearly 60 years. But this venerable drug does more than just flush water and sodium out of the system to lower blood pressure. About 20 years ago, investigators found that spironolactone had another ability as a therapy for heart failure. What’s more, researchers have discovered that this water pill has a variety of uses. It not only reduces hypertension and risk of heart failure, but treats acne, hair loss, hirsutism, and other conditions. Discover more about the many applications of spironolactone.

Should people with no previous heart disease be prescribed a statin? This was the question at the heart of a recent “statins war” between experts in two prominent medical journals. Researchers on one side argued that giving statin therapy to people with low risk of heart disease would increase the incidence of adverse effects without providing additional health benefits. But investigators on the other side countered that concerns about adverse effects were overblown, and such misleading claims lead people to quit statins and doctors to underprescribe them. But this summary only scratches the surface—read the blow-by-blow account here.