Medical Economics (8/2, Bendix) reports “the COVID-19 pandemic has abated, but its influence on the mental health of” physicians “and their patients lingers, and in some ways has gotten worse, according to results of a new survey” from AdvancedMD, which “queried 200 of its customers – independent practice owners and physicians – about their own mental health and that of their patients.” In the survey, “84% said patient stress levels and mental health disorders have increased over the past three years, 64% said their work-related stress levels are higher now than in 2020, and 44% said they rely on exercise to manage stress.”

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— “Mental health impact of COVID remains for doctors and patients,”Jeffrey Bendix, Medical Economics, August 2, 2023

MedPage Today (8/2, DePeau-Wilson) reports “continuing adjunctive antidepressant treatment for up to a year following remission of an acute depressive episode in patients with bipolar I disorder showed no significant benefit for preventing relapse, a randomized trial showed.” At 52 weeks, about “31% of patients treated with maintenance escitalopram (Lexapro) or bupropion XL (Wellbutrin XL) for that duration of time experienced a subsequent mood episode, as compared with 46% of those who switched to placebo at 8 weeks.” The findings were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Medscape (8/1, Bender, Subscription Publication) reports, “Bipolar disorder (BD) is linked to a sixfold increased risk of early death from external causes and a twofold increased risk of dying prematurely from somatic disease than the general population,” researchers concluded after identifying and tracking “the health of 47,000 patients, aged 15-64, with BD between 2004 and 2018.” The study also revealed that “patients with BD are three times more likely to die prematurely of all causes vs the general population, with alcohol-related diseases contributing to more premature deaths than cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.” The findings were published online in BMJ Mental Health.

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— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

CNN (8/1, McPhillips) reports that “amid an ongoing shortage of prescription stimulants in the US, federal agencies are calling on drugmakers to boost manufacturing and on health care [practitioners] to closely monitor prescribing practices.” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and Drug Enforcement Administration leader Anne Milgram wrote in a joint letter on Tuesday, “The FDA and DEA do not manufacture drugs and cannot require a pharmaceutical company to make a drug, make more of a drug, or change the distribution of a drug. … That said, we are working closely with numerous manufacturers, agencies, and others in the supply chain to understand, prevent, and reduce the impact of these shortages.”

The Hill (8/1, Shapero) reports the DEA and the FDA “laid out steps they are taking to mitigate the ongoing shortage of prescription stimulants.” Milgram and Califf “said their agencies are calling on drug manufacturers to increase production of prescription stimulants to meet their allotted quotas for the year and urging those who do not want to boost production to relinquish the rest of their allotment so it can be redistributed.”

Related Links:

— “FDA, DEA call on drugmakers to boost manufacturing amid ongoing shortage of prescription stimulants,”Deidre McPhillips, CNN, August 1, 2023

According to KFF Health News (8/1), teenagers who end up in emergency departments with “an opioid overdose generally receive naloxone to reverse the effects of dangerous drugs in their system and are sent home with a list of places they can go for follow-up care,” but “too often, those teens never seek additional help.” Instead, “they are left to suffer through the agony of withdrawal with no medications to ease their cravings.” Consequently “many, seeking relief, go back to opioids, often with tragic consequences.” Findingspublished online June 13 in a research letter in JAMA revealed that “most areas of the U.S. lack facilities that offer medically managed withdrawal for patients under 18.”

Related Links:

— “Teens with addiction are often left to detox without medication,”Markian Hawryluk, KFF Health News, August 1, 2023

Reuters (7/31, Satija) reports that the administration “said on Monday it would trial a new payment program for people who provide dementia care coordination services for patients covered by the Medicare health plan.” This “program includes services such as personalized assessments, care plans for patients as well as 24/7 access to a support line.” The new “pilot program will test a per-patient per-month amount payment model for people who provide support services to patients with dementia.”

The Hill (7/31, Choi) reports, “In the GUIDE care model, participating providers will establish dementia care programs through which they will assign people with dementia and their caregivers to ‘care navigators’ who will help them in accessing services and support. Unpaid caregivers would also be connected with training programs and education on best practices.” According to the plan, “Medicare Part B-enrolled providers who are able to bill for Medicare Physician Fee Schedule services and agree to the requirements of the GUIDE model are eligible to apply.”

Modern Healthcare (7/31, Tepper, Subscription Publication) reports that the eight-year program “seeks to keep Medicare enrollees outside of long-term care facilities by extending a package of local care coordination and management and caregiver education and support services.”

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— “US announces trial payment program for care providers of dementia patients,”Bhanvi Satija, Reuters, July 31, 2023

Psychiatric News (7/31) reports, “Nearly a quarter of drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 years who have used cannabis in the past year have driven under the influence of the drug,” investigators concluded after examining “data from 12,863 drivers aged 16 to 20 years who participated in the 2020 and 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.” The study revealed that “overall, more people in this age group reported driving under the influence of cannabis than under the influence of alcohol.” The findings were published online July 28 in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

Related Links:

— “More Youth Drive Under the Influence of Cannabis Than Alcohol, Psychiatric News, July 31, 2023

According to the Washington Post (7/31, Ovalle, Nirappil), with the widespread legalization of marijuana, “many experts believe that most people can use it without significant negative consequences, not unlike enjoying occasional alcoholic drinks.” Yet, for some people, “the struggles to quit are real and complicated by the powerful cultural perception that marijuana is natural and therapeutic, not a substance that can be addicting.” Now, however, “medical experts and even many proponents of legalized marijuana acknowledge it can be addictive.” In fact, research published eight years ago in JAMA Psychiatry “found that nearly three in 10 users in 2012-2013 experienced cannabis use disorder.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

NBC News (7/28, Carroll) reported, “Deaths related to excessive alcohol consumption are rapidly rising in the United States, especially among women, a…study finds.” Although “drinking is still killing more men than women, the rate of alcohol-related deaths is rising faster among women, according to the report published…in JAMA Network Open.”

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— “More women in the U.S. are drinking themselves to death, research finds,”Linda Carroll, NBC News, July 28, 2023

According to ABC News (7/30, Oje), physicians “are increasingly discouraging people from using e-cigarettes given the mounting evidence about the significant negative health impact of vaping – even as a smoking cessation tool.” For example, “for current smokers, ‘there are other very powerful, safe and FDA approved interventions,’” said Petros Levounis, MD, MA, President of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Doctors increasingly discourage vaping amid mounting health concerns,”Dr. Adesola Oje, ABC News, July 30, 2023