Innovations-Magazine-April-2023 - 19

PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS UPDATE
After Elimination of
DATA-Waiver Requirements, DEA
Releases New Buprenorphine
Treatment Guidelines
Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) sent a letter to all DEA registrants
informing them that the DATA-Waiver
Program was eliminated after the
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023
was signed on December 29, 2022. Since
then, the " DATA-Waiver registration is
no longer required to treat patients with
buprenorphine for opioid use disorder
(OUD). " Furthermore, " all prescriptions
for buprenorphine will only require a
standard DEA registration number, " and
prescribers no longer have any limits on
the number of patients they may treat for
OUD using buprenorphine. The letter is
available at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/
pubs/docs/index.html.
Operation Nightingale Identifies
More Than 7,600 Fake Nursing
Diplomas and Transcripts
More than 7,600 fake and fraudulent
nursing diplomas and transcripts were
identified during Operation Nightingale.
Federal officials charged 25 individuals in
five states for their involvement in a wire
fraud scheme of selling false diplomas
and transcripts obtained from accredited
Florida-based nursing schools. During the
several years that the fraud scheme took
place, registered nurse (RN) and licensed
practical nurse/licensed vocational nurse
(LPN/LVN) candidates used these fake
credentials to qualify for the national
nursing board exam. Once the candidates
passed the exam, they were able to obtain
licensure in various states to work as an
RN or LPN/LVN. More information
about Operation Nightingale can be found
at https://oig.hhs.gov/newsroom/mediamaterials/nightingale/.
FDA
Authorizes 37 New Drugs in
2022 Targeting Different Diseases
Thirty-seven new drugs were authorized
by Food and Drug Administration's
(FDA's) Center for Drug Evaluation
and Research in 2022 and are listed in
the 2022 New Drug Therapy Approvals
report. These new medications target a
wide range of diseases, including, but
not limited to, the coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19), HIV, smallpox,
influenza, and H. pylori infection, as well
as heart, blood, kidney, and endocrine
diseases. Furthermore, FDA permitted
drugs for additional uses and expanded
the patient populations eligible to use the
medications. The report can be found at
www.fda.gov/media/164429/download.
Less Than 15% of Drug-Related
Emergency Visits Caused by
Opioids, New Report Indicates
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration published its Drug
Abuse Warning Network: Findings from DrugRelated
Emergency Department Visits, 2021
report in December 2022. The collection
of data showed trends among members
of various demographic groups who were
admitted to the emergency room because
of substance use and overdoses, as well as
identified emerging and novel psychoactive
substances and combinations of substances
used. According to the report, about 14.8%
of drug-related emergency visits were
attributed to opioids, including fentanyl
and heroin. Learn more about the trends in
drug-related emergency department visits
at https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/
pep22-07-03-002.pdf.
Twelve New Social Determinants
of Health Added to Resource Guide
Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) issued the
second edition of the PQA Social Determinants
of Health Resource Guide. The new guide
profiles 32 social determinants of health
(SDOH) services, as well as discusses the 12
new services and updates to nine initiatives
from the first edition. The seven SDOH
barriers that are addressed in the new issue
include cost of medications; cultural or literacy
barriers; decent, safe, and affordable housing;
food security; screening for unmet needs;
social isolation; and transportation. View the
PQA resource guide at www.pqaalliance.org/
sdoh-resource-guide.
FDA Issues Guidance for
Compounding Ibuprofen
Oral Suspension Products
FDA has issued guidance and revisions
regarding compounding certain ibuprofen
oral suspension products to address the
ongoing demand for fever- and painreducing
medications. The latest guidance
revisions provide recommendations
for ibuprofen oral suspension products
compounded by outsourcing facilities
and supplied to state-licensed pharmacies
(including those within hospitals and health
systems) and applicable federal facilities
that dispense the medication to patients
for home use following receipt of a valid,
patient-specific prescription from a health
care provider. Read the FDA guidance at
www.fda.gov/media/164693/download.
Pharmacist-Led RPM Program
Improves Control for Patients
With Hypertension
In New York City's Mount Sinai Health
System, health care professionals released a
pharmacist-led remote patient monitoring
(RPM) program that helps patients with
hypertension better control their blood
pressure. The RPM program allows patients
to monitor their blood pressure at home
using a Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure
cuff with a cellular data hub. Based on the
readings, pharmacists can adjust patients'
medications or intervene if there is an
inaccurate reading. Patients enrolled in
the RPM program, on average, achieved
a seven-point decrease in systolic blood
pressure at three months. In addition
to maintaining their blood pressure,
patients also experienced fewer emergency
department visits and inpatient admissions
for hypertension-related concerns.
The RPM program was initially launched
at New York City's Mount Sinai Health
System during the COVID-19 pandemic; as
of 2022, this program has been adopted at
more than 30 medical care sites. Read more
about the RPM program at www
.pharmacypracticenews.com/Online-First/
Article/12-22/Pharmacist-Led-RemotePatient-Monitoring-Yields-Improved-BloodPressure-Control/68883.
APRIL
2023 | 17

http://www.fda.gov/media/164429/download http://www.fda.gov/media/164693/download https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/docs/index.html https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/pep22-07-03-002.pdf https://oig.hhs.gov/newsroom/media-materials/nightingale/ https://www.pharmacypracticenews.com/online-first/article/12-22/pharmacist-led-remote-patient-monitoring-yields-improved-blood-pressure-control/68883 https://www.pqaalliance.org/sdoh-resource-guide

Innovations-Magazine-April-2023

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