HCP Live (1/22, Derman) reports, “In a new study, older adults with treatment-resistant schizophrenia reported significantly fewer adverse events of clozapine than young adults.” Investigators “obtained data from a retrospective cohort study in a large psychiatric institute in the Netherlands, including 284 participants diagnosed with treatment-resistant schizophrenia who started taking clozapine between 2011 and 2020,” and “compared the number and type of adverse events, as well as the number of treatment discontinuations and the time until discontinuation due to adverse events, of older adults versus younger adults.” The findings were published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Young Adults at Greater Risk of Adverse Events with Clozapine than Older Adults,” Chelsie Derman, HCP Live, January 22, 2024

HCP Live (1/20, Derman) reported, “In addition to the increased risk of fracture, a new study suggests osteoporosis could put older adults at an increased risk of depression.” Investigators found that “individuals with osteoporosis had a 73% greater risk of experiencing depression symptoms than individuals without osteoporosis.” The findings were published in Public Health.

Related Links:

— “Osteoporosis Could Signal Increased Risk of Depression in Older Adults,” Chelsie Derman, HCP Live, January 20, 2024

HealthDay (1/19, Thompson ) reported, “People coming off antidepressants often struggle with emotional and social turmoil, especially if they quit their meds cold turkey, a new study” indicated. The study, in which investigators “conducted interviews with 20 people who had attempted within the past year to withdraw from SSRI…antidepressants,” found that “challenges reported by patients quitting antidepressants included feeling overwhelmed by their emotions, finding social situations less enjoyable, and feeling detached and less empathetic towards others.”

The findings were published in Health Expectations.

Related Links:

— “Quick Withdrawal From Antidepressants Can Take Emotional, Cognitive Toll,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, January 19, 2024

MedPage Today (1/18, Firth ) reports a study found that “opioid use during pregnancy for pain or opioid use disorder was associated with an increased risk for hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits for immune-related conditions in exposed offspring.” Among “more than 400,000 kids born in Western Australia, those with perinatal opioid exposure had an increased risk of perinatal infection…and eczema and dermatitis…compared with non-exposed children,” the research found. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Reuters (1/17, Roy) reports the administration “on Wednesday finalized a rule requiring health insurers to set time targets for the prior authorization process for patients seeking approval for medical services under government-backed insurance plans.” CMS “said the rule will begin primarily in 2026.” The new “rule applies to health insurance companies providing government backed-insurance plans such as Medicare” and Medicaid.

The Hill (1/17, Weixel ) reports that under the final rule, “health insurers participating in Medicare Advantage, Medicaid or the ObamaCare exchanges will need to respond to expedited prior authorization requests within 72 hours, and standard requests within seven calendar days.” The new “rule requires all impacted payers to include a specific reason for denying a prior authorization request.” Payers “will also be required to publicly report prior authorization metrics.”

Modern Healthcare (1/17, Bennett, Subscription Publication) reports “the regulation will take effect 60 days after it formally appears in the Federal Register.” In a press release, AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, said, “The American Medical Association applauds Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator [Chiquita] Brooks-LaSure for heeding patients and the physician community in a final rule that makes important reforms in government-regulated health plans’ prior authorization programs for medical services.”

Related Links:

— “US govt sets rule meant to speed up insurance approvals,” Reuters, January 17, 2024