The Hill (2/23, Hou) reports, “Half of Americans…say the government should emphasize lowering prescription drug costs and reducing the cost of health care over other public health-related priorities,” according to the Axios-Ipsos American Health Index. In “comparison, 14 percent” of poll respondents “listed reducing gun deaths and another 14 percent cited research into cures and treatment for major diseases as a top priority for government action.” The article adds, “Asked to identify what they believe is the No. 1 threat to public health in the U.S., 26 percent listed opioids and fentanyl, 21 percent listed obesity, 17 percent pointed to access to guns or firearms, and 12 percent cited cancer.”

Related Links:

— “Americans worried about rising drug costs, health bills: survey “Chia-Yi Hou, The Hill, February 23, 2023

Psychiatric News (2/22) reports, “Patients with trichotillomania (also known as hair-pulling disorder) and/or excoriation (skin-picking) disorder may experience symptom improvements while taking the Alzheimer’s medication memantine,” investigators concluded in a study that “recruited 100 adults…with a current primary DSM-5 diagnosis of trichotillomania…excoriation disorder…or both.” The findings were published online Feb. 22 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Memantine May Reduce Symptoms of Hair-Pulling, Skin-Picking Disorder, Psychiatric News, February 22, 2023

Parkinson’s News Today (2/22, Maia) reports, “Among several atypical antipsychotics, Nuplazid (pimavanserin) seems to be the most effective at easing Parkinson’s disease psychosis…while sparing motor function,” researchers concluded in the findings of a 19-study systematic review and network meta-analysis that “evaluated outcomes with Nuplazid and other atypical antipsychotics such as clozapine, quetiapine, olanzapine, ziprasidone, and risperidone.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry & Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Nuplazid, clozapine treat Parkinson’s psychosis without motor decline “Margarida Maia, Parkinson’s News Today, February 22, 2023

MedPage Today (2/21, George) reports, “Being and remaining physically active throughout adulthood was linked with higher cognition at age 69,” researchers concluded in a study that “followed 1,417 participants in the 1946 British Birth Cohort, a long-running U.K. study of people born the same week in 1946.” The study revealed that “effect sizes were similar across all adult ages, suggesting that being physically active at any time in adulthood – even as little as once a month – was tied to higher cognition.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (2/21) reports that last week, the FDA ‘s “Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously, 19-0, to recommend that Narcan (naloxone HCl) 4 mg nasal spray be made available without a prescription, Emergent BioSolutions announced” in a Feb. 15 press release. Naloxone “reverses an opioid overdose by blocking the effects of opioids.” While the agency “is not bound by the committees’ guidance,” it “will take their advice into consideration when it makes its decision on whether to make the drug available over the counter (OTC).” The approval decision is “expected by March 29.”

Related Links:

— “FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Approval for Over-the-Counter Narcan, Psychiatric News, February 21, 2023